Now, obviously, this will be a somewhat objective exercise. Naturally, I have my personal favorites and that will impact my judgment somewhat here, however I don’t hold any major biases and I certainly am familiar enough with all of the Star Trek movies. So, for this post, I will assume that you haven’t seen any of the Star Trek films and are looking for a good entry point to become familiar with the series. I also have no bias as far as TNG vs. TOS or Picard vs. Kirk as I believe that, in and of itself, shouldn’t be a deciding factor in this kind of discussion.

I believe the best Star Trek movie debate comes down to just four finalists which, not surprisingly, are all even number films. (In case you haven’t heard of the Star Trek movie curse, it is a fact that the even numbered sequels have generally been much better than the odd numbered sequels. Make of that what you will.) I believe that the discussion for this honor must include the following films: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: First Contact. I believe that nearly all Trekkies will agree that the title of best Star Trek movie must be awarded to one of the listed films. It is almost inconceivable to think that one of the other films could be mentioned as the best Star Trek movie over one of the above. However, there is a huge caveat here. I have not seen the new Star Trek movie (which has not yet been released) and I have been hearing fantastic buzz about it. I am hopeful that the new film will one day be included in the best Star Trek movie debate. But for now, it doesn’t make sense to include it.

So let’s look at each film and weigh its relative merits before making a determination of which is the best of the Star Trek universe. First up is Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. Khan came at a time when the Star Trek franchise needed a hit. The first film had been a bore (though it did well at the box office) and if the series was going to continue it needed a shot in the arm. It got one it a big way. The powers that be brought a young writer/director, Nick Meyers, into the fold to both write the script and direct the film. Harv Bennet was additionally hired to produce the film. The result was fresh and energetic featuring a classicly theatrical story focusing on revenge and weaved about with many interesting themes.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is simply something different for the crew of the Enterprise. Here is a Star Trek movie that doesn’t have a single space battle and is light on special effects. The majority of the film takes place in San Francisco of the 1980s. The dialogue is sharp and funny and the fish out of water storyline works well. Again Nick Meyers was brought in to develop the screen play and he wrote the entire middle section which was set in the 1980s. As you’ll see with the even numbered Star Trek movies Nicholas Meyer had a strong hand in each of the ones featuring the original cast.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country serves as an allegory to end of the cold war between the United States and the USSR which was a current event at the time of production. Again, Nick Meyers was brought on board to direct and co-write the screenplay. The story features political intrigue and some old fashioned “hamming it up” between William Shatner and Cristopher Plummer. It is a delightful entry into the franchise.

Star Trek: First Contact is the only film featuring the Next Generation crew that would get any consideration for the best Star Trek movie. This film features a story involving time travel, the Borg and humanity’s development of warp drive. While at times First Contact feels more like a zombie movie than a Star Trek film, it is crisp and well made. It is too bad that the other Star Trek movies featuring TNG cast were so badly bungled.

So of these four which is the best Star Trek movie? It really isn’t that tough for me to pick my favorite. I believe that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best of the lot. That’s my pick for the best Star Trek movie ever made. What’s yours? Leave a comment below to voice your opinion.

Also, when I am recommending a particular episode as perhaps the best of Trek I always stick to TNG and TOS. There later series, while very good and even excellent at times, I’ve found to be a little less accessible than the first two live action series just because the first two are fixtures in the popular consciousness. Even if a person has never seen a Star Trek episode or movie they are likely to have heard of Spock and Picard. And therefore I believe those episodes translate better to casual fans.

So, how do I chose the best Star Trek episode? By what criteria? Well, for me, I am looking for episodes which epitomize the best characteristics of the show. They are well written, well acted and definitely come with a hard sci-fi edge. Certain episodes, while effective do not carry a heavy sci-fi element with them and therefore don’t seem to be the best choice for a science fiction show.

I considered several episodes as I contemplated writing this blog post. But after some consideration I have whittled the prospects down to two. I believe the best Star Trek episode is either the original series’ “City on the Edge of Forever” or the next generation’s “Best of Both Worlds.” Here’s the case for each.

“City on the Edge of Forever” is a fascinating look at destiny, love and inevitability written (originally) by the great Harlan Ellison. I think that this episodes encapsulates the things that were best about Star Trek. It has a unique sci-fi angle being, among other things, a time travel story but it also packs a lot of heart. The performances are terrific and I believe that this show represents the best of what the original series was about.

In the other corner is “Best of Both Worlds” from Star Trek: The Next Generation. I think this episode, the first part a cliffhanger ending to season 3 and the second part the season opener from season four, really represents the moment when TNG hit its stride. I think the first part is superior to the second, however the entire two-part episode works exceptionally well over all.

In “Best of Both Worlds” the Borg make a long-feared incursion into federation space and attempt to assimilate the human race. The writing is terrific as are the performances and again the episode features a strong sci-fi arc. I think this show represents the very best of TNG.

When considering, of these two, which is the best Star Trek episode, I simply can not decide between them. Both are truly fascinating, fantastic pieces of science fiction entertainment and both are the first two recommendations out of my mouth when asked what is the best Star Trek episode.

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) – The first Star Trek feature film was released in 1979 and featured the original cast of William Shatnet, et al. The first feature film lacks a strong theatrical antagonist and has been called more of a tone poem than a sci-fi adventure movie. Two and a half stars.

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) – The second Star Trek motion picture delivers big thrills with a smart, thoughtful script. Great performances and direction make this story of Khan’s desperation to avenge the death of his wife, a pinnacle achievement in the Star Trek saga. Four stars.

3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) – Leonard Nimoy (Spock) makes his debut as a director and the result is an interesting (if sometimes campy) romp of a film. Probably the best odd numbered release. Three stars.

4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) – In a film that is both funny and “nice”, the crew of the Enterprise returns to present day San Francisco in an attempt to find the humpback whales needed to save the earth from destruction. A winner. Four stars.

5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) – William Shatner makes his feature film directorial debut with a very uneven tale that finds the crew of the Enterprise searching after God. It’s a well-intentioned but flawed film though it has improved with age. Two stars.

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) – Nicolas Meyer directs for the first time since Wrath of Khan and all is once again right with the world. It’s more political thriller than sci-fi romp, but it’s a nice note for the original crew to go out on. Four stars.

7. Star Trek: Generations (1994) – Kirk meets Picard in this mostly Next Generation feature film. The story involving a timeless Nexus isn’t particularly strong and Kirk’s death scene leaves little more than a faint impression even for this die hard Trekkie. Two stars.

8. Star Trek: First Contact (1996) – The crew of the Enterprise must travel back in time to 21st century earth to stop the Borg from assimilating the planet earth. First contact is by far the best of the TNG features with excellent performances and production values. Three stars.

9. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – In this uninteresting episode, the crew of the enterprise must save a planet full of peaceful aliens from the predatory race that seeks to supplant them from their magical planet. This feature continues the Star Trek movie curse wherein the odds are drastically inferior to the evens. One star.

10. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – In the final TNG adventure Picard must battle his own clone hell bent on destroying the federation. In some ways Nemesis works, but it often falls flat. Two stars.

11. Star Trek (2009) – J.J. Abrams attempts to rescue the Star Trek franchise with a new cast in a big budget adventure.

There you have it. A list of Star Trek movies.