It’s the return of another List by Luke!! I know you guys are all excited to hear what it is so I will just jump into it! So I have been watching a lot of Star Trek Discovery and it brought up the question, what is the best Star Trek movie? When I was putting this list together the top 3 were really easy, as were the bottom 3, the middle part was really tough. I want to put this disclaimer out there, I love all of these movies I am a Star Trek fan boy and always will be, so even if it is low on the list I still love them. Now, ON TO THE LIST!

13. Into Darkness

Year: 2013

Directed by J. J. Abrams

Writer(s):  Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

So we are going to start with my least favorite Star Trek Into Darkness. I have found when talking to others about this one they either love it or hate it, I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that they are using a beloved villain from most peoples favorite Star Trek Movie and going a different direction with him. My biggest issue with this film is that they rehash the plot of Kirk

12. Nemesis

Year: 2002

Director: Stuart Baird

Writers: John Logan, Rick Berman, Brent Spiner

This movie was one that I was really looking forward to. The final Next Generation film, the Romulans, I was ready! Though this was a good film, I was disappointed in how it turned out. I felt like this was not the send off that the cast and crew of Next Gen. deserved.

11. Motion Picture

Year: 1979

Director: Robert Wise

Writer(s): Story by Alan Dean Foster, Screenplay by Harold Livingston

A lot of people that I know will put this one at the very bottom of the list. I think that this deserves some love due to the really cool redesign of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the amazing new score. It did fall short in a few places, the major one being that Star Trek had really been a character driven and focused show for some time, and in this one they really just wanted to show off the visuals leaving a lot of character stuff off the table.

10. Final Frontier

Year: 1989

Director: William Shatner

Writers: David Loughery

What DOES God need with a Starship? This is another Trek movie that gets less love than I believe it deserves. William Shatner’s directing debut was rocky at times, but it really did have some great scenes. The previously mentioned scene with “God”, also I really loved the shuttle crash landing in the hangar bay to escape the Klingons.

9. Insurrection

Year: 1998

Director: Jonathan Frakes

Writers: Michael Piller

The 3rd film in the Next Gen movies was an interesting one. The second film directed by Jonathan Frakes has the crew meeting a race of never aging people that are trying to be forcibly removed. It was interesting to see how the crew reacted to the situation the Federation council had put them all in. #1 problem with this move… beardless Riker.

8. Star Trek 09

Year: 2009

Director: J.J. Abrams

Writers:  Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman

The 2009 reboot of Star Trek was a huge success. The thing that I liked the most about this is they took the time to have a prologue that connected the old continuity of Star Trek to this new version. I feel like they did it in a way that left most people happy, this is a different Star Trek but it doesn’t erase the old Star Trek.

7. Star Trek Beyond

Year: 2016

Director: Justin Lin

Writers:  Simon Pegg, Doug Jung

I honestly had reservations with this when I first saw the trailers. Yes, I am talking about the dirt bikes. But I was honestly so shocked, I loved this movie! It really felt like the most “Star Trek-y” of the new star trek movies. I also liked how they made the connection to Enterprise, with Idris Elba and his crew.

6. The Voyage Home

Year: 1986

Director: Leonard Nimoy

Writers: Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, Nicholas Meyer, Harve Bennett, Leonard Nimoy

This one will always hold a special place for me, growing up this was hands down my favorite. Mostly because I loved the Bird of Prey design and I was fascinated by how the inside looked and worked. As I have grown older this film has dropped down on my list but not because the quality but more my changing tastes!

5. Search for Spock

Year: 1984

Director: Leonard Nimoy

Writers: Harve Bennett

As I said earlier I love the design of the Bird of Prey, so the debut has to be pretty high up on my list! I really enjoy this one, the stealing of the Enterprise the chase with the Excelsior all great. But the two things that have stuck with me are the Enterprise returning to Spacedock all battle scared and Kirk blowing up his ship. The special effects on the latter still hold up pretty well!

4. Generations

Year: 1994

Director: David Carson

Writers:  Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga

Star Trek Generations is one, for me, that will always be special. 1st it was the only time I got to see MY Enterprise the D, on the big screen. 2nd is that we all got to experience both legendary captains together at the same time. This one also is a harder one for me to watch due to the ship being destroyed, god I miss the flying Hilton in the stars……

3. Undiscovered Country

Year: 1991

Director:  Nicholas Meyer

Writers:  Nicholas Meyer, Denny Martin Flinn, Leonard Nimoy, Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal

The final movie from the original cast was, to me, damn near perfect. We had Klingons, space battles, a prison break, and FIRING WHILE CLOAKED! But the thing to me that always pulls on the heart strings is the ending sequence with the signatures. Just beautiful.

2. First Contact

Year: 1996

Director: Jonathan Frakes

Writers: Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore

The Borg, one of my favorite Star Trek villains. They are almost the perfect reflection of the Federation and to see them on the big screen was amazing. The introduction of the Queen was beautiful, and disturbing all at the same time. Also Sir Patrick Stewart ACTED HIS ASS OFF in this film.

1. Wrath of Khan

Year: 1982

Director: Nicholas Meyer

Writers: Jack B. Sowards

And Finally, to no one’s surprise is Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan. I have such fond memories of watching this over and over as a child, especially the fight in the nebula. It has about everything that a trek fan could ask for; science, space battles, emotional partings, and its just visually amazing even after all these years!

Well that does it for this list, please let me know what your list is! I’d love to see them! Until next time all!!!!