Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is a surprising but fitting ending for the original crew

Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country is a surprising but fitting ending for the original crew

Posted inFilms, Geek Stuff
There is something compelling about the idea of a franchise that has always been about exploring new frontiers ending its run by exploring a truly undiscovered frontier: peace in our time. It would have been easy (and obvious) to end things with a grand space adventure, with a galactic war or massive alien threat that puts Vygr to shame or with the Enterprise in some far-flung corner of the universe seeing sights we've never seen before. Instead, The Undiscovered Country centers around diplomatic missions, peace talks, and political negotiations. When talks go astray, it becomes equal parts prison story and…
Star Trek: The Final Frontier is a movie you should never, ever watch

Star Trek: The Final Frontier is a movie you should never, ever watch

Posted inFilms, Geek Stuff
The rule of thumb on Trek films is said to be that even numbered films are good, odd numbered films are not. I'm of the view that The Motion Picture is a fine and enjoyable (albeit slow) bit of filmmaking, but if I concede that my view on that movie is an outlier, then I also have to concede that the even/odd theory works pretty well, because The Final Frontier is kind of a terrible. From the groan-worthy Kirk rock climbing sequence to the vague nature of what the crew are facing to the Klingons inserted into the movie solely…
Star Trek: The Search For Spock (aka the Search for a Good Movie)

Star Trek: The Search For Spock (aka the Search for a Good Movie)

Posted inFilms, Geek Stuff
On the surface, it may seem like a bad idea to devote a feature-length film to a slightly convoluted, comic booky story about bringing a popular character back from the dead, but the truth is … Who am I kidding? It IS a bad idea. The stakes have gotten more personal with each consecutive Star Trek movie, first with a threat that could destroy Earth and potentially endanger the entire galaxy, then a tale of personal revenge that also includes a device that could destroy a planet, and finally this story about a man’s sacrifice for a dear friend. That…
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is ridiculously awesome

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan is ridiculously awesome

Posted inFilms, Geek Stuff
If Star Trek: The Motion Picture is universally considered a misguided misstep for the beloved franchise, The Wrath of Khan is the opposite, a universally beloved movie that almost every Trek fan considers the best. That feeling extends outside of Trek fandom, too. Even non-Trek fans concede that The Wrath of Khan is not just good Trek, it’s just plain good, a movie that transcends its franchise and is simply one of the best of the sci-fi genre. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ranked list of these movies that didn’t place it on top. Sure, there…
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is not as bad as you think

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is not as bad as you think

Posted inFilms, Geek Stuff
Time has not been kind to the reputation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the first big screen journey taken by Captain Kirk and the Enterprise. Though it got fairly positive reviews in its day, some audiences found it slow and plodding. Once The Wrath of Khan came out and became an instant classic, The Motion Picture was treated like that boring cousin you only think about when you see him at weddings, ignored all year long until you're forced to think about him. That's too bad, because the cousin is far more interesting than he's given credit for. The…