Star Trek - The Motion Pictures Collection (10 Films)
Spanning two decades and countless light years of interstellar adventure,Star Trek: The Motion Pictures Collectionis a testament to the enduring goodwill of Gene Roddenberry's optimistic sci-fi concept. Long beforeStar Warssparked an explosion of big-screen science fiction, Roddenberry had planned a secondStar TrekTV series; the project fizzled, but its pilot script evolved into the first film in Paramount's most lucrative movie franchise. Despite its sluggish pace and bland "pajama" costuming,Star Trek: The Motion Picture(1979) offered a welcomed reunion of the "ClassicTrek" cast, packed with Douglas Trumbull's still-dazzling special effects. Trekkers were even more ecstatic whenThe Wrath of Khan(1982) revived the spirit of the original series, even though director Nicholas Meyer was aTrekneophyte. With Leonard Nimoy directing,The Search for Spock(1984) began whereKhanleft off, with a thrilling (albeit contrived) obligation to resurrect the formerly ill-fated Mr. Spock.A box-office smash, Nimoy'sThe Voyage Home(1986)  is the franchise's most accessible adventure--a high point offset by William Shatner's comparatively dreadfulStar Trek V: The Final Frontier(1989). Meyer (and his penchant for quoting Shakespeare) returned forThe Undiscovered Country(1991), a conspiracy thriller that put the series back on track, inspiring fans to invoke the "even number" rule in rating their franchise favorites.Generations(1994) gracefully passed the torch to TV'sThe Next Generation, bidding farewell to Captain Kirk with honor and integrity intact. Highlighted by the evolving humanity of Brent Spiner's android Lt. Cmdr. Data,First Contact(1996) exploredStar Trekhistory with a logical (hint) surprise encounter, andInsurrection(1998) provided an adequate expansion of the successfulNextGenseries. Taken as a whole, these ten films demonstrate the consistent vitality of Roddenberry's original vision, stoking any Trekker's appetite for "ongoing missions" inNemesisand beyond.--Jeff Shannon