1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Wrath of Khan is the Star Trek thing most often held up as a shining beacon of what Trek can be at its best, for a reason. It really is that good. The premise was wholly original and innovative and if it doesn’t seem that way now it’s only because so many other movies have tried to copy it, in the wake of its 1982 success. Every time you watch a movie with a strong villain character to balance out the hero, please know the movie you’re watching wants to be Wrath of Khan. But no one can be Wrath of Khan, because that formula will never be better than it is here, in its original incarnation.
2. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
As an allegory for the cold war, The Undiscovered Country probably felt edgy and topical being released shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall in 1991. Today it’s only a great story well told, with elements of relevance weaved in as beloved characters grapple with their own personal prejudice in the face of a new world.
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
It’s especially appropriate that Deep Space Nine ranks right under the two best Star Trek movies on this list since this was the first (and last before Discovery) Star Trek series designed to play out like one long, seven-season movie. Back before linear storytelling was all the rage on television with shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine blazed a trail by being one of the first TV shows to tell one continuous story arc played out over multiple seasons.
4. Star Trek
The series that started it all has aged but is still entirely enjoyable, thanks in large part to the remastered versions which cleaned up the original prints and updated some of the FX.
34. Star Trek Into Darkness
Coming in second to last on this definitive Star Trek ranking is the thing that is, without a doubt, the worst movie ever produced with the name Star Trek. It’s the stealth-remake Star Trek: Into Darkness, in which writers Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof photocopied all the pages from the Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan script, then threw away the best parts, shuffled the remaining lines to different characters, added unnecessary punching scenes, and filmed it.
35. Star Trek: Discovery
CBS’ attempt to pump up its streaming service by bringing Star Trek back to television launched with lofty ambitions on September 24, 2017. They spared no expense and delivered top-notch casting and fantastic production design for the first season. Unfortunately, they forgot to hire people who could write decent scripts.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, while Star Trek has produced many iconic and beloved series and movies, not all of them have been equally successful. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine stand out as the best of the franchise, while Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek: Discovery are two of the worst. As new Star Trek content is released, it will be interesting to see how it compares to the rest of the franchise.
FAQs:
Q: Why did you rank Star Trek: Into Darkness as the worst movie in the franchise?
A: Star Trek: Into Darkness was ranked as the worst movie in the franchise due to its lack of originality and poor storytelling. The film’s plot was heavily influenced by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the writing was criticized for being lazy and uninspired.
Q: What was wrong with Star Trek: Discovery?
A: Star Trek: Discovery was criticized for its poor writing, lack of attention to detail, and poor production value. The show’s storyline was also heavily focused on characters, rather than the science and technology that makes Star Trek so compelling.
Q: Will new Star Trek content improve the franchise?
A: Only time will tell if new Star Trek content will improve the franchise. However, the success of recent shows like Star Trek: Picard and the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds suggests that the franchise is capable of producing high-quality content.