I intended to make my watching of the Star Trek movies into a series where I reviewed each. I watched the original, and then they all disappeared off Paramount+. I could not find an official reason, but I assume it was a rights issue. Paramount+ has the rights to every episode of every series that does not include the movies. It was not until very recently that I learned that the movies were on HBOMax. Since it had been over a month since I watched the original, I decided not to do full reviews and do this instead. Plus, I could not get to a movie with the weather like it was in Buffalo this past weekend.

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture"

I will say this; it is impressive that there was enough love for "Star Trek" to get made a decade after the network canceled the show. That being said, it is a very underwhelming return to the world of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The Federation detects an alien spaceship heading for Earth and tasks Kirk and his crew to stop it. The premise is simple enough and could have easily been an episode of the show. That is my biggest issue; it felt like an extended show episode, not a movie. The story didn't feel worthy of a movie. Nothing interesting happened until the last 15-20 minutes. Sure, the effects were a little better; after all, I watched the new 4K extended edition.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

This is widely considered the best "Star Trek" movie, and I am not here to disagree with that sentiment. Khan was a villain who appeared only once in the show but was one of the most memorable. He was both intelligent and strong. Kirk and crew needed to outwit him as much as overpower him.

The best part of this movie is that it highlights the friendship between Kirk and Spock. The most memorable scene from the movie highlights this relationship. Spock has repaired the Enterprise's engines. He gets a lethal dose of radiation in the process. Kirk runs to the engine room to try to save this friend. They exchange words as Spock dies behind the glass. Spock tells Kirk, "You have been, and always will be, my friend." The whole scene means more once you have watched the series. Watching Kirk and Spock's friendship grow throughout the show makes this scene mean more. This scene is one of many reasons this is the best of the series.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

We go from one of the best of the series to one of the worst. When the crew learns that Spock transferred his spirit to Bones' body, they steal the now decommissioned U.S.S Enterprise and travel back to Genisis Planet in hopes of recovering Spock's body.

The only way for me to describe this movie is "a nothing burger." As I sit here, having just watched it a few days ago, I cannot pull out anything important. Nothing of real consequence happens in the movie. Yes, Spock's spirit is eventually reunited with his body, but was that a surprise? This movie feels like more of a setup for future movies than one that stands on its own.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

It is surprising how many people call this movie their first "Star Trek" experience. I had gotten my Wisdom Teeth out, and a family friend lent me this VHS to watch while I recovered. I spent much time watching movies over the two days as I sat in the basement.

An alien spacecraft arrives over Earth, sending out an odd signal. It is up to the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise to travel back in time to find a solution. I have a friend who is a Trekkie, and when we talked about Star Trek for the first time, I told him I had only seen "the one with the whales." Even now, I know there are some of you reading this and realizing that you have seen a "Star Trek." "The Voyage Home" still holds up. It is fun and entertaining and doesn't feel like a Star Trek movie, minus the time travel.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Leonard Nimoy co-wrote "The Voyage Home." William Shatner co-wrote this one. As I watched it, I couldn't help but think, "Is Shatner bitter that Nimoy wrote a better Star Trek movie than he did?"

The plot of this one boils down to The Enterprise crew meeting God-or some version of a deity. The B-plot involves a rogue Klingon officer obsessively chasing Kirk. An offscreen conversation is how this plot point gets resolved. It could have been a very interesting movie if that had been the main plot and given a proper conclusion.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Going into this movie, I was expecting to be underwhelmed. "Khan" and "Voyage Home" are frequently mentioned as the best. "Undiscovered Country" is rarely talked about at all. I thought that was one of the better ones. The Enterprise was escorting a Klingon ambassador to negotiations of peace with the United Federation of Planets, and his ship was attacked, and he was killed. It appears that The Enterprise fired on the Klingon ship, and some of the crew boarded the ship and fired on the Klingon crew.

It was an intriguing movie. Kirk and Bones were on trial, and the crew on The Enterprise spent time looking for clues to prove their innocence. It was as close to a Star Trek "whodunit" as I have seen so far. Honestly, I expected to check out a few times during this movie, but I was riveted. This might be the most underrated "Star Trek" movie.

It has been said that all the even-numbered Star Trek movies are good, and all the odd-numbered ones are bad. I think the 900-plus words above are proof of that. With that, I have finished my watch of The Original Series. Next year, I plan to move on to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and as many of the series after it as possible.