Just after Star Trek Day we wrap up the movie franchise with the last outing for the Next Generation crew …

Emmy says:
So many parts of this movie are great but the cohesion is missing. Wonderful exploration of Picard and Shinzon, yet the Data and B-4 dynamic was woefully lacking. Amazing design and implementation of the Scimitar, and bizarre showing off of the new vehicles added to The Enterprise. I’m not sure how I feel about this movie, though I am wondering about the status of the Romulans after the governmental meeting. 7/10.

Jeff says:
I enjoy all the movies, and wasn’t ever as “against” this one as some fans were. There were a lot of strong elements … and you could see even then that Tom Hardy had greatness in his future. Sadly, this film didn’t serve the characters as well as they deserved. Having watched an “all the deleted scenes” video, I wonder what the thought process was … all the character work was left on the cutting room floor! Unusually, this is a movie that could have done with being longer. 6/10.

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Having voyaged deep into ST:DS9 and ST:VOY we come back to the Next Generation crew to find out what’s been happening …

Emmy says:
I like Star Trek so I feel very let down with this film. With Deep Space Nine and Voyager mid-season at the time of release there was no way the mission failed. The stakes were just not there; the beats were formulaic and predictable; and the characters were flat and running on a one-track emotional arc. Pretty scene on the underside of the Enterprise. 4/10.

Jeff says:
Not one of the better outings, but still pretty to watch. “Blow up the Enterprise” really needs to stop being a solution to everything. I think the creators of Star Trek blundered with the Borg … it’s really hard to find a way to make them lose without looking like a cheat. This film had some interested ideas of exploring how the trek through space got started (First Contact), but to get there required a horrid MacGuffin (Borg and the ever-disappointing time travel) which overtook the more interesting storyline. 6/10.

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Now that we’ve finished Star Trek: The Next Generation, we can watch the first of the next batch of movies … it’s still going to take some time to get through the entire Trek …

Emmy says:
An outstanding exploration of the human condition. Wonderful screenplay and iconic sets let the characters of Picard and Data flourish, with great emotional impact for the audience. 9/10.

Jeff says:
Fan service for days, but a fitting passing of the torch from TOS to TNG cast in the film franchise. Good call-backs to many things from the series without detracting from the film for those who haven’t watched every episode over the last number of weeks. Some of the model work still lets down the impact of some scenes though. 8/10.

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Second star to the right and straight on till morning … the final outing for the Original Series crew.

Emmy says:
It feels like there was much more packed into this movie: dialogue, character development, action all ramped up. Visually holds up, although the Klingon blood looks terrible even for then. Wonderful illustration of prejudice in action, and over-coming it. Very enjoyable. 9/10.

Jeff says:
A fitting end to the original series movies. Star Trek: The Next Generation was already airing when this movie was made, so it made sense to bring peace between the Federation and Klingons. It’s unfortunate that the movie had to be so replete with racism metaphors for a show that had eschewed racism as it’s calling card. Still, a well told story with another great villain … but for some reason the Shakespeare quoting bothered me this time (too on the nose perhaps?) Now, on to ST:TNG, so there’ll be a pause before the next movie. 8/10.

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The continuing story of retold plot ideas …

Emmy says:
The cringe is real with this one. So many attempts at humour just fell flat. The plot felt bare with no real substance behind it, and the character development was not really explored. Still a pretty movie. 6/10.

Jeff says:
There were interesting ideas in this film, and some sequences – like McCoy’s revelation about his father – were really moving. Unfortunately, the rest of this movie was terrible – unfunny ‘humour’, cliched characters, unsatisfying conclusion, open questions never resolved. The worst of the original series films, and possibly the worst of them all. 4/10.

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Going back to a simpler time …

Emmy says:
I was not prepared for the comedy of this movie but I found it very enjoyable. Odd premise executed well. The time travel does appear to be a cost saving mechanism and still manages to work. 8/10.

Jeff says:
The fun of friends (both the cast to each other, and the characters to us) being together and getting the job done. The set-up doesn’t really matter, they’re just a delight to watch. As it so happens, this IS a a good set-up and the environmental message is sadly still relevant over 30 years later. Continuing to use ideas and solutions that existed in the series, while making it fresh and interesting. No more “nuclear wessels” though, please? 9/10.

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The journey continues …

Emmy says:
This movie delivers a highly emotional story with action packed in. The small cast allows us to follow the characters intimately, feeling very much like a TOS episode. I do like watching the evolution of effects used for Star Trek. 8/10.

Jeff says:
While it is popularly believed that the odd number Star Trek movies are worse than the even, I have always liked this one. Some interested ideas, interesting development of Vulcan practices, and finally a great Klingon character … admirably performed by Christopher Lloyd. It’s a shame it is so hard to not hear “Doc Brown” in his voice, he deserves better. Next: my favourite of the original movies. 8/10.

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The continuing voyage of discovery through the canon of Star Trek …

Emmy says:
Much more dialogue than the first movie, which made it feel faster paced. Awkwardly, Khan’s hair and outfit kept making me think of Jareth from Labyrinth. It was nice to have a follow-up to a series story. Effective and emotional ending still packs a punch even when you know what’s coming next. 9/10.

Jeff says:
Returning villain; recurring motifs; new locations and situations. This, more than Star Trek: The Motion Picture, is why Star Trek has continued. Without this film being as good as it is, I doubt there would have been another film … let alone all the series that followed. A classic in ever sense of the word. 9/10.

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Where can one go in isolation? Into space, of course. Watching all Star Trek in order. We’ve watched the Original Series, and the Animated Series, now onto the movies …

Emmy says:
This film is extremely self indulgent with so many long shots of the Enterprise and space. A light story delivered at a slow pace that seems to be reliant on nostalgia. Pretty and enjoyable. 8/10.

Jeff says:
It is hard to believe this film would ever be made today. In fairness, it wasn’t – the ‘Kelvin’ timeline took a different approach. Quite breathtaking how a soapy action science fiction series led to this action-less exploration of the human condition via a non-human intelligence. So much left unsaid. So many long takes devoid of dialogue but rich in reaction. An extremely weird movie, but sort of fitting for the first. 7/10.

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