# Rank the Star Trek movies from best to worst. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551 "2009-01-23T00:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/41 "2009-01-23T19:08:44Z")
[QUOTE=DoubleJ If you can hand-wave the ability to _build an entire star system from scratch out of a nebula, a process that takes millions of years, using a giant frigging explosion,_ it shouldn’t be too hard to imagine that it might not work as planned 🙂 .[/QUOTE] Wha? I thought the Genesis Device turned dead planets into living ones (and living ones into living ones with different stuff on them or something). Whence your comments about making star systems out of nebulae? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/42 "2009-01-23T19:12:14Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Wha? > > I thought the Genesis Device turned dead planets into living ones (and living ones into living ones with different stuff on them or something). Whence your comments about making star systems out of nebulae? Genesis Planet itself was created out of the Mutara Nebula. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/43 "2009-01-23T19:17:43Z")
1. The Wrath of Khan 2. The Search for Spock / The Voyage Home / First Contact(tie) 3. The Undiscovered Country 4. Nemesis / Insurrection / Generations (tie) 5. The Motion Picture 6. Vacant All rumors to the contrary, no such mvovie as The Final Frontier was ever made. You guys all had some bad acid that month. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/44 "2009-01-23T19:18:53Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Wha? > > I thought the Genesis Device turned dead planets into living ones (and living ones into living ones with different stuff on them or something). Whence your comments about making star systems out of nebulae? Rewatch the movie. The planet from #3 was created from the Mutara Nebula in #2. ---
**Author:** ![DoubleJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@DoubleJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoubleJ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/45 "2009-01-23T19:23:21Z")
What **mlees** said. The demo reel (cutting-edge computer animation at the time) showed it working on a planet (maybe a moon)\* but the actual detonation was in the Mutara Nebula that Khan, on _Reliant_, chased _Enterprise_ into. The Genesis device blowed up real good, and where there used to be a purple-pink cloud of gas with hellacious lightning there was now a star and a planet that was rapidly degenerating. Was it TSfS movie or novelization that had one of the scientists remarking about the “stellar creation subroutines” kicking in? - Probably old hat for everybody here, but in case you hadn’t heard about it before: In the animation, the camera flew through the newly-formed mountain range. Rather than spend the time and money to re-compute the whole thing, they cut a valley into the mountains of the camera to fly through. Watch closely and you can see a hunk of rock just disappear as the fly-by happens. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/46 "2009-01-23T19:24:44Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > 1. ST II: The Wrath of Khan > > …then ten empty slots… > > 1. ST IV: The Voyage Home. > > … then five empty slots… > > 1. ST VI: The Undiscovered Country > 2. ST III: The Search for Spock > 3. ST: First Contact > 4. ST: TMP > > … then five empty slots… > > 1. ST: Generations > 2. ST: Nemesis > > … then 15 empty slots… > > 1. ST V: The Final Frontier > > … then 50 empty slots… > > 1. ST: Insurrection Insurrection belongs higher, as it has Donna Murphy in it, who, being Donna Murphy, is NOT TO BE MOCKED! ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/47 "2009-01-23T19:30:25Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Insurrection belongs higher, as it has Donna Murphy in it, who, being Donna Murphy, is NOT TO BE MOCKED! Who the heck is Donna Murphy? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/48 "2009-01-23T19:34:36Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Who the heck is Donna Murphy? At long last, proof you’re not me! Donna Murphy was the love interest in Insurrection. More importantly, she won a Tony award in '94 for her performance in Stephen Sondheim’s _Passion_ (otherwise known as the best damn muscial ever made). She also played Mrs. Octavius in Spider-Man 2. Just so you know, I am fighting to restrain my enthusiasm. Asking me a casual question about Donna Murphy is like asking you about Heinlein & Tolkien at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/49 "2009-01-23T19:35:28Z")
[Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1714591744/tt0120844) (Photo of Donna Murphy in film to jog memories.) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/50 "2009-01-23T20:08:18Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > At long last, proof you’re not me! > > Donna Murphy was the love interest in Insurrection. More importantly, she won a Tony award in '94 for her performance in Stephen Sondheim’s _Passion_ (otherwise known as the best damn muscial ever made). She also played Mrs. Octavius in Spider-Man 2. > > Just so you know, I am fighting to restrain my enthusiasm. Asking me a casual question about Donna Murphy is like asking you about Heinlein & Tolkien at the same time. BTW **Skald** , I think \*West Side Story \*is the greatest musical ever made. But to each their own. > [@mlees](#): > > [http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1714591744/tt0120844](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1714591744/tt0120844) (Photo of Donna Murphy in film to jog memories.) I have somehow never noticed her before. Though in fairness her movie & TV credits are not really major. I barely remember the movie _Insurrection_, I did place it lower than V as you can see above. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/51 "2009-01-23T20:14:44Z")
1. ST IV: The Voyage Home. 2. ST II: The Wrath of Khan 3. ST: TMP 4. ST III: The Search for Spock 5. ST: Insurrection 6. ST VI: The Undiscoverd Country 7. ST: First Contact 8. ST: Generations 9 ST V: The Final Frontier 9. ST: Nemesis ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/52 "2009-01-23T20:15:39Z")
> [@DoubleJ](#): > > What **mlees** said. The demo reel (cutting-edge computer animation at the time) showed it working on a planet (maybe a moon)\* but the actual detonation was in the Mutara Nebula that Khan, on _Reliant_, chased _Enterprise_ into. The Genesis device blowed up real good, and where there used to be a purple-pink cloud of gas with hellacious lightning there was now a star and a planet that was rapidly degenerating. > > . I never noticed the planet showing up after the detonation. I always thought the Genesis Planet was just the planet the research team had been orbitting, now moved on to the next stage of development or something. Oops. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/53 "2009-01-23T20:24:00Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I never noticed the planet showing up after the detonation. > > I always thought the Genesis Planet was just the planet the research team had been orbitting, now moved on to the next stage of development or something. > > Oops. > > -FrL- At the end of ST:II, you have a shot of McCoy asking Kirk (located on the bridge of the Big E) “How do you feel?” “I feel… young.” Anywhoo… there is a shot over their shoulders, focused on the viewscreen in front of them, with a view of the planet coming together. (Kinda still looks molten at this point.) I don’t remember which movie had the “funeral”, with a view of the torpedo casing/coffin being shot towards the (now fully formed and cooler) planet. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/54 "2009-01-23T20:27:56Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > BTW **Skald** , I think \*West Side Story \*is the greatest musical ever made. Fool of a Took! There. I feel better than James Brown. I feel better now. Sondheim only wrote the lyrics to WSS; the score is not his. Thus is its brilliance limited. And she’s the only thing I remember about Insurrection. I was very careful to program the neuralizer so that she was all that remained. Go buy the Passion cast album–the Broadway version, not the London. You’ll thank me. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/55 "2009-01-23T20:28:20Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I don’t remember which movie had the “funeral”, with a view of the torpedo casing/coffin being shot towards the (now fully formed and cooler) planet. That was the end of ST II with Scotty playing amazing grace and I think it was shown again in the beginning of ST III. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/56 "2009-01-23T20:31:43Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Who the heck is Donna Murphy? I can’t say I’m a huge fan of her, but I remember that she was also very good as the long-suffering wife of Stanley Tucci’s evil-billionaire character in the first season of _Murder One_. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/57 "2009-01-23T20:36:56Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > At the end of ST:II, you have a shot of McCoy asking Kirk (located on the bridge of the Big E) “How do you feel?” “I feel… young.” > > Anywhoo… there is a shot over their shoulders, focused on the viewscreen in front of them, with a view of the planet coming together. (Kinda still looks molten at this point.) It is possible this explains exactly why I’ve missed this bit of information. I remember finding the line “I feel… young” sort of puzzling. I bet, then, that when I heard the line, I looked up at others in the room watching with me, to see if they were puzzled too. And I bet that’s when I missed seeing the forming of the Genesis planet! -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/58 "2009-01-23T20:52:18Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > It is possible this explains exactly why I’ve missed this bit of information. I remember finding the line “I feel… young” sort of puzzling. I bet, then, that when I heard the line, I looked up at others in the room watching with me, to see if they were puzzled too. And I bet that’s when I missed seeing the forming of the Genesis planet!.. For years - until I was set right in another SDMD thread - I thought Kirk’s line was “I feel… yeah!”, as if he was just expressing a generally positive outlook. Before that it was always a WTF? moment for me when I watched that scene. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/59 "2009-01-23T20:53:34Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > It is possible this explains exactly why I’ve missed this bit of information. I remember finding the line “I feel… young” sort of puzzling. I bet, then, that when I heard the line, I looked up at others in the room watching with me, to see if they were puzzled too. And I bet that’s when I missed seeing the forming of the Genesis planet! > > -FrL- Kirk, back inside the test planetoid, said he was feeling old (his son he never got to know was just killed by a man he hadn’t seen in a long time). Dr. Carol Marcus said that she had something to show Kirk that would make him feel young again (as it did her). I guess the wonder at seeing lush life spring from nothingness might do that for some folks. But the “I feel… young.” was a sorta reference back to that scene. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551/60 "2009-01-23T21:19:21Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Kirk, back inside the test planetoid, said he was feeling old (his son he never got to know was just killed by a man he hadn’t seen in a long time). > > Dr. Carol Marcus said that she had something to show Kirk that would make him feel young again (as it did her). > > I guess the wonder at seeing lush life spring from nothingness might do that for some folks. > > But the “I feel… young.” was a sorta reference back to that scene. That would have totally made sense to me if I’d noticed the Genesis planet out the window! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rank-the-star-trek-movies-from-best-to-worst/482551.md?page=4)