In these days of streaming services, fans are learning who owns what copyrights to track down their favorite shows. TheStar Trekfranchise changed hands a few times in the past generation or two but is now more or less home in the hands of Paramount, and the brand has returned to dominate not only this production company but also the cable networks that handle the shows for conventional television.
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You don’t have to be a Trekker toStar Trekand chill, especially with the variety of showsParamount+currently has to offer. Not everyStar Trekproperty ever made is here, withNetflixandCBS All Accessalso taking a share, but it’s still an impressive list.
13Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
It was considered to be a failure in its time, but modern viewers are finallygiving this movie the credit it deserves.
The visuals are a sight to behold, with the design, music, and long shots reminiscent of2001: A Space OdysseythanStar Wars, which is one of the reasons people didn’t see it.
12Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)
Most people mistakenly think this was the firstStar Trekmovie because it made a much bigger impact than the previous one.
The idea of taking a dropped story thread from The Original Series was brilliant, and the action and intrigue resonated better with audiences.
11Star Trek 3: The Seach For Spock (1984)
An adventure that ties up the unresolved issues of the previous one,Star Trek III: The Seach For Spockis more fantasy than science.
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A small deviation to bring back everyone’s favorite character, however, is something that audiences can tolerate.
10Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986)
The ultimate crowd pleaser and still the most successful movie in this franchise to date, this is the movie where the crew of theStar TrekEnterprise (using another ship, however) saves the whales, the world, and most of the known universe.
That’s an actual description of the plot, and it has to be seen to understand how well it works.
9Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989)
As if to balance out the success of the last movie, the fifth installment made less of a positive impact and fueled fan rumors of the odd-numbered curse.
It’s still not exactly the worst movie ever, focusing mostly on Spock, and still has a few fun and classic Trek moments in a mostly weak plot.
8Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
A Star Trek story that uses political intrigue and real-world stakes, it might not be the most exciting installment, but it holds its own as a compelling movie.
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It makes sense for more dialogue and less action since this was the last mission the crew would complete together before pulling into spacedock for the last time.
7Star Trek 7: Generations (1994)
Star Trek: The Next Generationwas one of themost popular shows on television in the 1990s, and it made perfect sense that the new captain and crew would take over.
At least it seemed to make perfect sense, but this is another time whenStar Trekgoes more fantasy than science. The Klingon characters and the exposition connected to their race is an interesting feature.
6Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
It’s a shakeyBorg-related plot with more fanservicethan reality, this might have worked better as a two-part TV special than a Hollywood-financed big-ticket film.
This isn’t the last movie made using the main timeline, but a lot of people think it is becauseStar Trek: Nemesiswas notoriously bad and seems to have fallen off the radar of any streaming services, including Paramount+.
5Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
Ironically, theStar Trekshow for a new millennium turned out to be a prequel.Star Trek: Enterprisewas about the pre-Federation days of space exploration.
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The adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of the United Earth Ship Enterprise weren’t for everyone, but it was an interesting look into an obscure but of galactic history.
4Star Trek: Discovery (2017- )
Apparently, Spock had a sister, and her adventures were so amazing that her very existence was classified. Despite a meandering storyline there is a lot of cool stuff to see inDiscovery.
A stellar cast and some impressive set designs made this a popular show, and it’s still running on both CBS and Paramount+.
