Best Star Trek Movie

[Woochifer]

If you watch the xtras on Wrath of Khan DVD, the original story line was that Spock would die at end with no resurrection. But Nimoy and producer changed their mind about the ending and had to argue with Nicholos Meyer to reshoot the ending- as Meyer said he would have non of that. He said in the interview that story call for Spok to die for good and we should have left it that way.

That's because Meyer came into the production with no history with the Star Trek franchise. The final story (which Meyer did all the script doctoring on) centered around mortality and the hubris of cheating death. Having Spock die at the end would have played into that theme more consistently.

Actually, my understanding is that Nimoy originally WANTED Spock to die (the Wikipedia entry says that Nimoy only agreed to reprise the Spock role if the character would die at the end). It was only when the bean counters wanted another sequel (and Nimoy changed his mind) that they reshot the death scene to make it more open-ended. Nimoy only agreed to continue with the Star Trek franchise when he was offered the director's chair (he directed III and IV, and produced VI with Meyer again directing).

I recall Meyer objecting to the revised ending, but after he still got called back to direct The Undiscovered Country -- a movie that probably wouldn't have been made if he had his way with Wrath of Khan.

[emesbee]

In my opinion, The Undiscovered Country is the best star trek movie by far. It had the best plot, and mixed in the humourous aspects rather more successfully than most of the others. (I really like the dining scene with the Klingons.) I found it the most entertaining of the movies.

[3-LockBox]

Okay. I voted for #1 BECAUSE... I was a fan way back when the first one was released; it set the stage and the pace for each one that followed and I, along with my brothers and friends, watched all three seasons on my family's first RCA color TV when the show ran from '66 to '68.

I was around 2 or 3 when the TV show first aired, but I had an older brother who was a fan. I can actually remember my brother arguing with one of my sisters about which show to watch, Star Trek or Gomer Pyle. I did catch every episode in syndication and was a major fan. Then, while our family was at the theater for a showing Superman:The Movie, we saw a preview for Star Trek:The Motion Picture, and I was floored - all those 'fly-by' sequences outside the Enterprise just enthralled me. I begged my parents on the spot to take me when it came out. But gawd, what a boring movie. Great plot idea, but executed by people who apparently didn't care for the original, or hadn't seen it. They tried to make it look like 2001:Space Odyssey, but the pacing and cinematography was clumsy (in hindsight). The video version was even clumsier. Clearly a case of someone trying to fix something that wasn't broke.

[Feanor]

... Then, while our family was at the theater for a showing Superman:The Movie, we saw a preview for Star Trek:The Motion Picture, and I was floored - all those 'fly-by' sequences outside the Enterprise just enthralled me. I begged my parents on the spot to take me when it came out. But gawd, what a boring movie. ...

Yes, it would have made a great hour TV episode but it was a tedious 2.5 hour movie.

[eisforelectronic]

The Motion Picture was basically a movie starring the Enterprise, everything else was a supporting role.