Since 1979, television’s “Star Trek” has boldly gone where it had never gone before: into theaters.
With the ninth “Trek” movie, “Star Trek Insurrection,” now in theaters, what better time to take another look at the movies that preceded it? At a combined 17 hours, these films form a series of their own, lasting as long as an entire season of “Voyager” or “Deep Space Nine,” without the commercials.
All you have to do is prepare your VCR at warp speed and — “Engage!”
– “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979, G, 143 minutes).
Director: Robert Wise (“West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music”).
Plot: The original Enterprise crew reunites to stop a massive space “thing” from destroying Earth.
Best line: Spock to McCoy, in response to McCoy’s joke that the Vulcan hasn’t changed a bit: “Nor have you, doctor, as your continued predilection for irrelevancy demonstrates.”
Trivia: The longest and only G-rated Trek film. On video it has 12 extra minutes.
Analysis: It’s ponderous, the effects eclipse the characters, and the uniforms are drab. But “Trek’s” rebirth still had a special sense of reaffirmation. It was grand seeing the crew again, and the production values went light years beyond the original show. Also, the cast was never younger in a movie; William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were 48 here. Jerry Goldsmith won a deserved Oscar nomination for his rousing and romantic score, whose main-title theme was lifted for “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
– “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982, PG, 113 minutes).
Director: Nicholas Meyer (“Time After Time”).
Plot: The arrogant superhuman Khan (Ricardo Montalban) of the ’60s show returns to take vengeance on the Enterprise crew that marooned him. Spock must sacrifice himself to save the ship.
Best line: A dying Spock to Kirk: “I have been and always shall be your friend.”
Trivia: Kirstie Alley could have been a “Trek” icon. Instead, she quit her role as Lt. Saavik to make some obscure TV shows, such as “Cheers” and “Veronica’s Closet.” (Robin Curtis played Saavik in Trek’s “III” and “IV.”) Composer James Horner, fresh from Roger Corman’s film factory, went on to score “Trek III” and “Titanic.”
Analysis: This galvanizing space-opera is the most vibrant and exciting Trek movie. Montalban is obsessive yet charismatic, and the climax melds teeth-gnashing action with gut-wrenching tragedy.
– “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” (1984, PG, 105 minutes).
Director: Leonard Nimoy.
Plot: The crew steals a decommissioned Enterprise in hopes of bringing Spock back to life, even if it means fighting Klingons over the planet-shifting Genesis device. Spock returns, but the Enterprise — and Kirk’s son — are lost.
Best line: From a rebellious Kirk: “The word is no. I am therefore going anyway.”
Trivia: Mark Lenard of the original series returns as Spock’s father. Miguel Ferrer (“Twin Peaks”) and John Larroquette (“Night Court”) have bit parts. The USS Grissom clearly is named after the late Mercury astronaut Gus Grissom.
Analysis: Nimoy proves an able director in this dramatic tale that brings his character back to life quite logically. An emotional, strong film, even with Christopher Lloyd’s miscasting as a heinous Klingon.
– “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986, PG, 119 minutes).
Director: Leonard Nimoy.
Plot: Another space “thing” threatens Earth, but the Enterprise intervenes by time-traveling to 1980s San Francisco and rescuing two whales. Incredibly, it makes sense.
Best line: From Kirk, when leaving a spaceship in Golden Gate Park: “Everybody remember where we parked.”
Trivia: Eddie Murphy almost was cast as a 20th Century con artist.
Analysis: Comedy was hardly alien to Trek after such ’60s episodes as “The Trouble With Tribbles,” but for the movies this was a turning point — and it struck a chord. Earning $109 million domestically, this became Trek’s top-grossing film, even with Leonard Rosenman’s lousy score.
– “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” (1989, PG, 107 minutes).
Director: William Shatner.
Plot: The Enterprise crew tangles with Klingons and a misguided Vulcan (Laurence Luckinbill as Spock’s half-brother) who seeks God.
Best line: McCoy to Kirk: “Jim, you don’t ask the Almighty for His ID.”
Trivia: Melanie Shatner — William Shatner’s daughter — appears as a yeoman.
Analysis: Shatner got his shot at directing — and almost shot down the series. His story is weak, and his directing is more heavy-handed than his acting.
– “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” (1991, PG, 113 minutes).
Director: Nicholas Meyer.
Plot: This sci-fi analogy echoes the Soviet Union’s demise and the Chernobyl accident. An explosion threatens the Klingon Empire, and the Enterprise is caught between doves and hawks as the Federation tries to make peace despite treachery.
Best line: From Spock: “I’ve been dead before.”
Trivia: Christian Slater has a cameo, while Michael Dorn starts the “Next Generation” crossover by playing a Klingon. David Warner of “Trek V” plays a different role here. “Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry died six weeks before the film’s release.
Analysis: The ’60s stars look ready for retirement, but their swan song is a well-written adventure. Credit Meyer, the series’ best director, and Nimoy, who returned to power behind the scenes as executive producer and co-writer.
– “Star Trek: Generations” (1994, PG, 117 minutes).
Director: David Carson (a veteran of Trek’s TV series).
Plot: Nasty scientist Malcolm McDowell seeks a destructive Nexus — another space “thing” — to gain immortality. Picard (Patrick Stewart) of the “Next Gen” crew somehow enlists Kirk’s aid decades after his demise — at which point Kirk dies again. Or something.
Best line: From a female Klingon to McDowell after he’s drawn blood: “I hope for your sake you were initiating a mating ritual.”
Trivia: Tim Russ, later of “Star Trek: Voyager,” has a cameo.
Analysis: The “Next Gen” cast veers from weepy sentiment to silly self-indulgence, via costume plays on the Holodeck. The script is an obtuse disaster, but at least Brent Spiner gets to be funny after his android, Data, gains an “emotion chip.” Kirk’s death scenes are clumsily staged, unlike Spock’s stirring farewell. A dull detour at the climax is padded just so Shatner can show off his horsemanship.
– “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996, PG-13, 110 minutes).
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Plot: The Enterprise time-travels (here we go again) to 21st Century Earth to battle the Borg and ensure that a rocket launch links Earth to the idealistic Federation.
Best line: From Worf, blasting the Borg: “Assimilate this!”
Trivia: Dark and violent, it’s the only PG-13 Trek film. Robert Picardo and Ethan Phillips of “Star Trek: Voyager” pop up as holographs, and Kelsey Grammer has a voice-only cameo.
Analysis: Frakes proves as able as Nimoy as an actor-turned-director. After their bland debut, the “Next Gen” crew has an exciting adventure with enough humor and humanism to offset its grim side. Led by the creepy Alice Krige, the Borg make bizarre, scary foes, and James Cromwell (“Babe”) steals the show as a rock-‘n’-rolling inventor. Like “Trek II,” this is closely tied to a TV episode and is awash in “Moby Dick” themes.
– “Star Trek: Insurrection” (1998, PG, 99 minutes).
Director: Jonathan Frakes.
Plot: The Enterprise goes to a planet that’s a virtual fountain of youth. When Picard learns of a conspiracy to exploit it, he leads a fight to protect the idyllic world.
Trivia: “Trek” gets its shortest film, at 99 minutes.
