Why the Star Trek TOS Movies Are Brilliant

[@OrangeRiver]

Thanks for the overwhelmingly warm reception to this video! I'm super happy with how it turned out. A couple notes: 1) Yes, I know I mixed up the release year for The Wrath of Khan -- it was a genuine slip of the tongue. Y'all can stop leaving comments about it now 😅 2) Please don't disparage others for how they rank the films. A lot of that is subjective, and with these retrospectives, I mainly want to focus on the lore contributions while also critiquing and reviewing where I feel necessary. LLAP!

[@darricshhh]

You still deserve more views.

[@HardestTargett]

2,3,1,5,6,4

[@jerr0.]

I think note #2 is unnecessary. If you put your opinion out into the world, it's now open to other people's opinions and discussion

[@crosana01]

Are you aware if any of the early draft scripts for Star Trek II and III are available to read? I've had a considerable interest in alternate versions or prototypes of these two films since childhood where I would have many reoccurring dreams of sometimes vastly different stories for these two films.

[@HardestTargett]

@@crosana01 do you know about the novels. All Star Trek novels 1-6 add quite a bit of information to the story especially part 3 because the movie part doesn’t even start until very far into the novel and they aren’t up against Klingons, it’s Romulans etc. I think Star Trek 2 novel explains how Chekov and Khan know each other, etc. I’ve actually only read 1,3,5. 5 really filled in a lot of the plot holes etc of 5.

[@sugartbube]

Wrath of Khan is quite frankly one of the best motion pictures of all time. I've literally seen that movie over 20 times. It's one of best movies ever not just Star Trek

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I follow a few other channels who cover TV and movies. He listed his 25 top movies of all time and I listed mine just for fun too. II and VI were both on mine.

[@DemoDick1]

Saw it in theater with my big brother (without whom I would never have been admitted). To this day, the score gets my heart beating.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

I think it’s overrated, The Undiscovered Country does a similar story with a similar vibe so much better. But I know that’s an unpopular opinion 😂 Now, The Voyage Home on the other hand… _there’s_ one of the greatest films of all time!

[@mudspud]

​@@DissociatedWomenIncorporated Agreed

[@Dc-alpha]

@@DissociatedWomenIncorporated TWOK is hands down the greatest cold war era submarine movie ever. Kirk and Khan never meet, it is purely a battle of wills, wits, teams and ideologies. It should be number one on any list, it's the Trek movie a non Trekkie, or even non Sci-Fi fan can just get. And quickly. Easily accessible to everyone. Modern day dizzy, bad reboot and hollyweird at large can learn a lot from it. Hell, the 6 TOS movies are a masterclass. TMP, you need a lot of goodwill for a successful art piece. 2-4 just yes, do that. 5 don't let ego run the show and sometimes goodwill ain't enough. 6, go at the right time, in the right way and they will miss you.

[@smartalec2001]

I admit Wrath of Khan is the superior movie, but Undiscovered Country is my favourite.

[@IvoJim]

I feel the very same, Wrath of Khan is cinema at its very best, but Undiscovered Country is so much fun

[@Draliseth]

I refuse to admit the former, but will gleefully concur with the latter.

[@zacharythomas8617]

Which is more: Star Trek though?

[@chriswright6245]

Mine is TMP, 2 and then 6.

[@schnittmagier5515]

I used to rank 4 first then 6 3 2 when i saw them back then. But I think that 2 is ageing better than 4.

[@miguelvelez7221]

"And Grandma even gets a new kidney." 😂😂😂😂 A favorite not only for the comedy but it, like most of the hospital sequence, is such a good showcase for Bones. He may seem a curmudgeon but his heart is always about helping when he can, time travel rules be damned.

[@russellharrell2747]

And Grandma went on to live another 40 years and was known as the tyrant leader taking over half the world, Grandma Singh, en stating a policy that no political office will be held by anyone under that age of 65.

[@pokepress]

It also follows on from “City on the Edge of Forever” where he saved Edith Keeler, forcing Kirk and Spock to go back and fix the timeline.

[@balung]

Everyone overlooks how the Prime Directive was violated in this movie.

[@brigidsingleton1596]

​@@balung Now who's being a curmudgeon?!! How many times was the Prime Directive ignored?!

[@DavidELD]

My Dad was a doctor, he absolutely loved that bit. "DIalysis?... What is this, the Dark Ages?..."

[@thomasalvarez6456]

Because they have heart. They don’t all have to be about saving the Earth or the universe. Just good stories and characters.

[@SMacCuUladh]

it could be about saving just one person and it would be good, i.e. the search for Spock.

[@beezelbuzzel]

"Double dumbass on you, and so forth" is peak Trek humor. 6 is my favorite though.

[@aldunlop4622]

I like "Should we tell Starfleet?" Sulu answers "Are you kidding?" in 6.

[@trhansen3244]

@@aldunlop4622 I got to see George Takei at a convention. Listening to him you would think he is the reason Star Trek was a success. It was very bizarre. I used to like him but he comes out of the closet decades after it was controversial and he acts like he is some kind of trailblazer.

[@aldunlop4622]

@@trhansen3244 Oh yeah, he's 100% the cause of the problem with Bill. He's an arrogant man and wanted to be the star of the show on Star Trek. The stars were Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley. He felt like he was the star of the show. They eventually gave him his own ship in ST6 just to get rid of him.

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

​@@toddkurzbardplayed by Kirk Thatcher, who actually wrote the song "I Hate You" playing on his boom box, or ghettoblaster. He also co-produced the film, which is something I did not know. Check out his IMDb entry.

[@hrdley911]

The first time I saw TWOK, I was blown away when Ricardo Montalban delivered the line "This is Ceti Alpha 5"! 😮

[@MrWhipple42]

My car's license plate is KHAAAAN. Yes, I'm serious.

[@aldrinmilespartosa1578]

lol thats great

[@joseaguilar3323]

I still remember the chills I felt at Shatner's delivery of "Let them die".

[@thedirectorschair1054]

The Producers, and Shatner, weren't afraid to make Kirk human. Unlike modern day heroes who are all completely perfect, infallible and utterly boring.

[@johnhafford1970]

Shatners best line is “Here it comes” before unleashing on the Reliant in Wrath of Kahn.

[@trhansen3244]

He was right, too. They should have let the Klingons die. The Klingons are awful.

[@robertcornhole5197]

Love that the punk on the bus in "The Voyage Home" was actually the movie's producer Kirk Thatcher. They didn't want to use copyrighted music, so he created that punk track "I Hate You" especially for his role! Also I really like the continuity "The Undiscovered Country" has with "The Voyage Home". For instance Admiral Cartwright returns, and Sulu, having remarked at the end of "Voyage Home" that he wants to command Excelsior, finally got his wish.

[@vinnynj78]

In an interview he goes into extensive details over the work put into that small scene including having to spike his own hair for the duration of the time that part of the movie was being filmed. The first time he walked on set in full costume he bumped into DeForest Kelley. Kelley looked him over with his signature grin, remarked "Nice shoes'" and walked off--such a small moment but so hilarious.

[@martenw8341]

Despite all the flaws of the Picard series one hilarious detail in season two is that they honour the bus scene by doing a similar situation with seven of nine and the song playing now has the lyrics "I Still hate you" lmao. 😂

[@CanuckGod]

@@martenw8341 A much older Kirk Thatcher, but I loved that callback, and he did seem to have mellowed out in his later years 😂

[@MrEscape314]

21:07 I always assumed that Khan memorized the entire crew of the Enterprise from the library.

[@rickjohnston2667]

Obviously (or maybe not so obviously), Chekov was an Ensign that had just been assigned to the Enterprise and was in engineering, when Khan took it over. Kind of like how Kevin Riley, a bridge officer in 2 episodes, was transferred from the bridge back down to engineering in "The Conscience of the King" episode from the 1st season.

[@AaronLitz]

@@rickjohnston2667Exactly; just because Chekov wasn't a bridge officer yet doesn't mean he wasn't serving on the ship somewhere.

[@middleagenerd]

Phase II would have failed.

[@badladyami]

@@middleagenerd The show that reused the ship design certainly was a wet fart.

[@phillipblanc4846]

“What does god need with a starship?” Five is underrated.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I've always had a soft spot for V too. It has flaws but it tries to do something different. I love emotional weight it had. Many stories have such wide ramifications for the the Federation, but this was personnel, I love Sybok showing them their pain and McCoy tried to fight it, Spock accepts it and Kirk rejects it all together.

[@ethankane7854]

I like the idea of V, and I even like some parts of it, but on the whole the movie leaves a lot to be desired. It has poor pacing, and the Klingon villains didn't really need to be there. I'm actually fine with the idea of Spock having a brother we've never heard of before. Having him be the criminally insane, black sheep of the family is a good reason why he's never been mentioned. I think, with a bit more refinement, Sybok could have been a pretty good villain, but as he is now, he's just a little too plain. The, "What does god need with a starship" line was pretty good. At least that specific moment.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

@@ethankane7854 Spock has never been the most forthcoming about family. The episode 'Journey to Babel' proves that. But there was fault on both sides.

[@white-dragon4424]

That, and "God" firing exploding tennis balls from his eyes.

[@Kable_TV]

The way they sing row your boat is hilarious

[@ralphsexton8531]

In a live event when I was 12 or 13 (1990-1991), George Takei visited my area. He told us many fun stories, including that both the Taxi/"Double-Dumb-Ass-on-You" and the lady helping Checkov with the "Nucleear Wessels" were honest encounters on the street, that took asking for signed releases to use. They had to track the Taxi back to his dispatch, though they caught the lady at the end of the street. Wonderful random encounters.

[@John-ct9zs]

I can see the lady with the "Nucleear Wessels" being a real encounter on the street, she acts like a person off the street and not an actor. But the guy in the taxi? Would director Leonard Nimoy and the filmmakers risk the life of everyone walking onto a busy traffic street just to get that scene?

[@igrim4777]

That women was an extra who disobeyed the assistant directors instructions to not answer. The only paperwork required was for her joining the Screen Actors Guild when they decided to keep her in the film since she took on, of her own accord, a speaking role. The taxi scene was _not_ an accident. You can see on youtube behind the scenes making of footage showing it being repeated multiple times. Differences include Shatner fluffing the double dumb line starting "huh" or something instead of "well", him raising his hand fingers up palm towards his face versus him pointing twice his index finger at the driver, putting two hands on the car when he's in front of it when it stops or one hand when it stops and he's not in front of it, entirely different people on the corner across the street, sometimes just a few people with one guy in a red top leaning on a post watching, sometimes a whole bunch of people but the red shirt man is gone but now there's a kid and little old Asian lady with her groceries and a guy in a blue shirt leaning talking into the window of a dark parked car. I don't know why Takei told that story but it's not true.

[@ralphsexton8531]

@igrim4777 Strange. I don't know why he said that, in that case.

[@daviddyster4145]

Just glad we had those six movies to feed us.

[@thork6974]

Regarding Kobayashi Maru: Kirk Prime tells us he reprogrammed the simulation so that it was *possible* to win; Kelvin Kirk's alteration clearly makes it *impossible* for him to lose. I like that Kirk Prime was only asking for a fair chance; presumably it was this argument that earned him that commendation...

[@kevinkorenke3569]

I agree wholeheartedly, so many events from the reboot movies were simply the characters being dumb to down to the point of mockery because the directors simply wasn't intelligent enough to envision someone being clever. The less spoken about the failed reboots the better.

[@_theoriginalb4handles_Genflag]

​@@kevinkorenke3569 that's pretty much the best description of Jar Jar Abrams' thought process while writing and directing. "I'm not particularly intelligent, and neither is my audience, so my characters can't be either." - Jar Jar Abrams (probably)

[@Gunnberg85]

I'd recommend reading the Kobayashi Maru book, or even listen to it since James Doohan narrated it.

[@brettcooper3893]

​@@Gunnberg85"the dead helmsman's laughter broke the solemnity of the moment."

[@Gunnberg85]

@brettcooper3893 "On his third attempt, he alters the computer's programming so that the Klingon commander attacking him stands down upon learning that he is up against "Captain James T. Kirk". The Klingons agree to provide Kirk and his crew with an escort to save the stranded freighter. This stratagem impresses Kirk's superiors and becomes the first of the many famous acts of his career."

[@liljenborg2517]

I've seen all the Trek movies when they first came out in theaters. Watching Star Trek 3 in theaters was the first time I'd ever been in a movie theater and you could hear people audibly sobbing all over the theater as we watched the Enterprise burn down through the Genesis planet's atmosphere. I didn't hear people crying when Spock died. But the Enterprise dying - that made us ball, out loud, in a movie theater sitting next to total strangers. The only other time like that was the end of Return of the King. My dad said it was like that at the end of Old Yeller.

[@Draliseth]

I think, if you're a Star Trek fan at heart, hearing the Jerry Goldsmith score over shots of the ship is enough to make anyone tear up.

[@matthahnke8855]

Or the Horner score

[@trhansen3244]

Star Trek was lucky to have two of the all time best film composers. Goldsmith's STTMP score is one of the very best ever and I do enjoy his score in First Contact. And Horner's scores in II and III were beautiful.

[@lonelystarslibrary9326]

So true

[@nathanmintier6838]

One of your very best creations ever. Nice mix of storyline and behind the scenes details. Having watched TOS in my formative years, and the movies as a young adult I found this very nostalgic and nice to revisit. Thanks so much! 🥰

[@OrangeRiver]

Thanks Nathan!

[@rickjohnston2667]

I totally agree. Tyler, you one again knocked it out of the park. You deserve a commendation for original thinking, to paraphrase Kirk from Wrath of Khan.

[@lucawits648]

The motion picture will always be in my top 5 movies.

[@MLea714]

Wrath of Khan is a spectacular film. The score. The effects. The costume and production design. But the script and story has everything. This film has so many rich layers. High Sci-Fi with the Genesis macguffin. High drama with the villain arc. Great characterizations throughout. Rich themes with the Kobayashi Maru throughout - fathers and sons - fraternal friendship - mentor and student - vengeance at any cost - sacrifice for others. I really, really like Undiscovered Country. I love Wrath of Khan. To me, Star Trek II is trek taken to its most aspirational and realizing its maximum potential.

[@originaldarkwater]

Spock attributing the Arthur Conan Doyle quote to an ancestor of his could also have been a subtle joke, since (re)acquiring a sense of humor as part of integrating his human side was part of his character arc over the course of the movies.

[@zqxzqxzqx1]

Let's also not forget the old, Vulcan proverb, "Only Nixon could go to China."

[@sonnieslim5973]

In wrath of Khan when Carol says Starfleet kept the peace she was referring to what her son said about scientists always being pawns of the military. She meant they had kept the peace between them and the scientific community

[@lindaschulman1789]

Long time fan, early 1970’s. “Search for Spock “ is my favorite, because it is most like an episode of TOS. It’s about the 3 of them.

[@feenix219]

That is exactly why I love the final frontier. It feels like a big screen TOS episode. Action, adventure, Kirk versus a god-like entity.... So many iconic moments in this movie.

[@janomacko5764]

Respect for all the research and knowledge needed to make this video!

[@SpotAllen]

Thanks!

[@miguelvelez7221]

TMP: I don't hate it and it elevated the aesthetics of TOS. I can't tell anyone they are "wrong" for not liking it though. It's not particularly compelling because of the pacing and the specifics of the script and story has characters and relationships feeling off kilter in some way to TOS fans, or just cold and distant to newbies. But it's such a grand production and it does feel inline with a vision of scifi that Roddenberry had which wanted ideas and concepts at the forefront and not just action. Bob Wise definitely added SCOPE to Trek. Without something like it Trek would be relegated to "cheesy 60's show" I suspect. STII: What else can be said? It's probably still the best Trek film and it's effect on the franchise can't be overstated. Love the uniforms, the score, the characterization and relationships... It's a win from start to finish. Nuff said. STIII: Yeah... The Odd Films Suck theory just never holds water for me because this movie exists as the ALMOST pitch oerfect follow up to WOK. I think that it's only flaw is Kruge isn't quite Khan level as an antagonist, but Lloyd is still really good, he just isn't Khan level and that's fine. Otherwise it's such a fun and satisfying romp. Nimoy certainly earned the right to direct the next one. STIV: Again... What more can be said? Maybe the best example of doing a Trek film that also evokes the show in all the best ways possible. The end of an unofficial trilogy starting from WOK, this could have been the last TOS crew film and I would have been happy. STV: Bill... What the hell were you thinking? 😂 STVI: I can't lie... It's got so much good stuff in it and everyone tries their best but I think the cast shows their age too much in this one as much as it does have good character and lore contributions . If this has been the story for STV with Meyers helming it maybe it would have come off better to me. Not terrible, but the vibe is just a little off. I gotta be me and put it a hairsbreadth above TMP but under STIII in my rankings.

[@MetisRose95]

I'll admit The Final Frontier is a guilty pleasure movie for me! Plus there are some genuinely great moments.

[@Lonely_Soldier]

everyone is always way too hard on Star Trek 5, Final Frontier may have lots of flaws but it went through development hell and extreme amounts of studio interference. Final Frontier is honestly too short of a movie, but it has some of the most heartfelt and funny character moments that shows how close the crew was as friends after so many years as shipmates. Also i think the musical score for Final Frontier has some very emotional and beautiful pieces in it, my favourite scene is when the Enterprise goes through the Great Barrier, the music is so perfectly placed for that scene, a mix of tension, serenity and wonder all wrapped together in a beautiful composition.

[@antimatterhorn]

37:00 falsely attributing things to one's own culture is as old as TOS, with Chekhov quipping that Scotch was invented by a little old lady in Leningrad. it is also in keeping with Chang quoting Shakespeare in "the original" Klingon. i think the point is that this is so far in the future that nobody really remembers where cultural nuggets like that came from, not that Spock is actually descended from Doyle.

[@miguelvelez7221]

I got someone doing FARSCAPE reactions AND OrangeRiver doing classic Trek films? Today might not be so bad.

[@imperfectxennial3008]

The Undiscovered Country is my favorite.

[@russellharrell2747]

V’ger came from an alternate universe Cybertron that never knew war.

[@danielseelye6005]

Now I'm wanting to have had V'Ger speak at the climax of TMP instead of using Ilia...with Peter Cullen's voice.

[@chriswright6245]

​@@danielseelye6005transform and roll out

[@darrensmith6999]

Great Job as always Tyler , Thank You (:

[@TheJuggtron]

ST5 still has Kirk's best line "What does God need with a Starship?"

[@SynchronicityScenario144]

That whole McCoy bar scene is hilarious lol. "Place you name, money I name, otherwise bargain no!...GENESIS?!!"

[@artonline01]

fan of the electric universe?

[@RockyRailroadProductions_B0SS]

It is not logical for one to order poison as a beverage

[@SynchronicityScenario144]

@@artonline01 Oh you recognize the plasma man. Yea, I find the electric universe intriguing.

[@xxHUNGRY4THETRUTHxx]

Genesis allowed is not! It's planet forbidden!

[@4541studios]

"how can you be deaf, with ears like that!?!"

[@joseaguilar3323]

STV >>>>>>>>> ST Nemesis. Five can at least work in a so bad its good level, Nemesis is too awful to even enjoy on that level.

[@MajorVanBloodnok]

Final Frontier is not awful. It’s the closest one to TOS. Goofy at times. Some corners are cut, mainly due to budget. And the plot is pretty much a contrivance to deliver what’s so great.. Charm, character, wit, a great score, some of the best performances in all Trek. We have some truly gut wrenching character development. Therefore it’s the best ‘Star Trek’ film..

[@calebleland8390]

Wrath of Khan is the best Star Trek film ever. That being said, I agree with you on Insurrection, but I'm one of the few that actually liked, or at least, enjoyed, much of Nemesis. It's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel like there's a really good story that needed another rewrite or two.

[@yakaranubis]

I enjoyed Nemesis also. They made some silly marketing choices and tried to promote it as an “action” movie over sci-fi if that has some action. I thought the Remans were interesting.

[@trhansen3244]

I hate Nemesis. It showed once again the crew of TNG were never good on the big screen. First Contact succeeds because of the Borg, Stewart and some quality performances by others not part of TNG, like Cromwell and Woodard. The TNG crew cannot act. Period. No matter how much they tried. But Nemesis also made Stewart look like a bad actor. And with a terrible story and some really shoddy effects. The only good thing I can say about Nemesis is it isn't Star Trek V.

[@samuelgordino]

I had a friend saying the same thing and in reply I said I hate that movie. After almost an hour of discussion, we agree to disagree 😂😂

[@jv-lk7bc]

"too much LDS in the seventies" was a slip of the tongue for the character but not the writers.

[@utterlee]

Wrath of Khan is undoubtedly brilliant but The Search for Spock is massively up there for me thanks to all the amazing character moments, the emotional punches, and the visual world building that sets Trek up for many future adventures with Spacedock, the Grissom, Excelsior, Klingon Bird-of-Prey, Vulcan, etc. I'd rate the Undiscovered Country right up there if it didn't look so damned cheap, with all the obvious Next Gen set re-uses. The Final Frontier is poor by the standards of the other films, but still has some nice character bits.

[@ELEKTROSKANSEN]

Call me a heretic, but there is only one TOS movie that I tend to skip when I rewatch the "series" and it's... The Voyage Home. It just doesn't do anything for me. Ironically, I can describe it using words people usually use to diss The Final Frontier: to me TVH turns Star Trek into a farce and is just too silly of a concept for me to take it seriously. Star Trek V on the other hand - I unironically love. It's both cheap and epic; both silly and dramatic; both thought-provoking and entertaining. Just like the show was! It's the best of all of them in realizing the idea of making a typical TOS episode into a Hollywood motion picture. Not the "best TOS movie" by any means - that's reserved for The Motion Picture of course, followed by Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country - but the best "feature length TOS episode" out of all of them. I always enjoy watching it. And I always get a teary eye when Kirk reflects upon dying alone, knowing that in our reality Nimoy and Kelley are no longer with us... Not trying to convince anyone they're wrong with their preference; just sharing my unpopular perception 😊

[@rickjohnston2667]

I don't totally agree with your assessment, but I thank you for sharing and articulating it. And explaining your reasoning.

[@ELEKTROSKANSEN]

​@@rickjohnston2667 thanks! 😊

[@markmarshall2187]

Fantastic review I'm glad you didn't put Star Trek the motion picture at the very bottom

[@joseaguilar3323]

As long as STV exists, it's safe

[@consonaadversapars]

The Motion Picture is easily the best Star Trek film to this date.

[@trhansen3244]

I put TMP at the top. The Director's Cut, that is.

[@ramonaflowers5052]

Thanks for another great video. I agree with your ranking, except I'd flip the top 2 positions with Wrath of Khan as my fav, and Voyage Home as second, but both are excellent. I love the TOS movie era ship designs, and Wrath of Khan uniforms, and wish there was a new series set during this time. I agree with you that this is also my favorite incarnation of the Star Trek universe, and I would also be happy living there. I hope you go into even more depth into this era at some point in the future.

[@bizarrebraincomics7819]

Undiscovered Country. Spock was referring to Holmes being an ancestor. It was an inside joke because Nimoy played Holmes on stage and Myer had written Holmes novels and directed the movies.

[@LewisChristisonVids]

I think the more "militarized" Starfleet is fine. That doesn't mean they're warlike; just highly disciplined. These ships take a lot of time and resources to build and have hundreds of lives aboard. You want everyone to be able to do their job blindfolded and backwards.

[@dannywebb8718]

I hate being this guy, but ST 2 was released in 1982 not 84. I know it was a slip of the tongue though. Just saying

[@techtubeB]

Star Trek 2 The Wath Of Kahn was released in June 1982,the same year Tron was released not 1984.

[@thork6974]

I've always read Spock quoting Sherlock Holmes as him simply acknowledging his human side, not evidence of an actual bloodline. There's a lot in Nimoy's performances to suggest that post-Genesis Spock is a substantially different person, more enlightened and more in touch with himself.

[@stevencoardvenice]

Tyler *tasks* me. He TASKS me

[@scottrubin4478]

Excellent "sabotage" reference. Shatner was the worst when recording audio!

[@OdariArt]

Thanks for the fantastic video, Tyler! Really enjoyed it! I must say, The Wrath of Khan is my top one. I remember seeing that as a kid with my dad. Most epic space battle of the 80's.

[@Crosmatron]

I have a soft spot for Star Trek V. It's like a dream dimension version of Star Trek - and I think it basically works if you watch it with that in mind. There's also some great character stuff, maybe even the best character stuff.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

Great Video! ST2 and ST6 will NEVER be Beaten by future Star Trek Films... Yes I said *NEVER!*

[@rickjohnston2667]

Never say never. But 2 and 6 are still the best to date.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

@@rickjohnston2667 indeed

[@visionaryventures12]

Thank you for filling in some bits of the timeline leading up to the first motion picture. Material I hadn’t even been aware of, such as the “Cattleman” script.

[@hrdley911]

Star Wars (not the last 3 from Disney) and Star Trek were the only two frachises that I saw in their entirety in theaters. 😊

[@lpeabody]

I can get on board with Shatners reasoning for writing V.

[@AndDiracisHisProphet]

I agree. Also the line: "What does god need with a Star Ship". Absolut gold. But the rest....oh boy.

[@brettcooper3893]

"Martiya" was in real life married to David Bowie.

[@RockyRailroadProductions_B0SS]

My peak favorite era and "type" of Star Trek, combination of the high concept grandiose storytelling from the Original Series and the gorgeous and creative special effects of Industrial Light and Magic, along with the original cast acting at their best, I feel, while still getting plenty of opportunities to ham it up when needed. (ranging from "How does history get past someone like me?" to "I... HAVE HAD.... ENOUGH OF... YOU!") Personally, The Motion Picture has really grown on me over time, and it's now a firm favorite, though it is also a running joke among friends and such who never manage to stay awake to the end to see my cold, dead, unfeeling heart start to feel things and ugly-cry at the concept of V'Ger.

[@AIainMConnachie]

Everyone shites on STTMP. Yes the plot is a rework of a TV episode. Yes it has some problems. Yet it's pretty much the only ST film that's not basically just a protagonist / antagonist space opera, but actually quite pure science fiction. It keeps closer company with 2001 A Space Odyssey than any other ST movie.

[@jcavonpark]

I’d love to see you go through and review every Trek movie, maybe explain the behind the scenes stuff and how it got made. That would be a lot of fun!

[@OrangeRiver]

I just released a 50 minute video called "Why the Star Trek TOS Movies Are Brilliant" with Khan in the thumbnail where I do exactly that! 😅

[@Malkiore1]

I loved Star Trek 5 but 6 was my fav. I know most say 2 but 6 was the best for me. Yea but I loved ST5 and never understood the hate being ST3 was the one I hated the most.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I've always had that soft spot for V. I remember seeing show on TV when I was little and if I think about it IV was probably the first one I saw, it was played a lot on TV as it was great family viewing. As things have gone on though it's probably my least favourite now. Not that it's in any way a bad movie, but I like being in the 23rd Century. III had some amazing moments, The introduction of the Excelsior, the stealing of the Enterprise, the destruction of the Enterprise and McCoy's small Speech, David's death and Spock's recovery. Really emotional scenes.

[@MartinCox-ny2rv]

My pick's were :2,3,4,6,1,5. Yes motion picture was too slow. Wrath of Khan ,search for Spock ,voyage home excellent! 5--- well....and 6 also good. Thanks; enjoyed the video.

[@joe9739]

Star Trek 3 will always be my favorite, and it's Kirk at his absolute best. Wonderful score, and it introduces alot to the franchise. And, I think Kruge Is my favorite Trek movie villain. I'll admit 2,4 and 6 are better movies, but this is my personal favorite.

[@philiprolenick4475]

The scene where The Bounty hears the Stay Away message from Earth, figures out the probe is trying to contact whales, and decides to go to the past to get some is Trek's "brainstorming" mode distilled to it's quintessence. That film, and The Devil In The Dark from the first season of TOS are the best points of entry for new fans to Star Trek.

[@MukiBlalock]

ONCE AGAIN, OUTSTANDING JOB 👍💯👍😎!

[@MukiBlalock]

I forget which movie it was (Starring "KIRK, BONES, &, SPOCK) BUT ANYWAY, THEY'RE ALL ON "VACATION " 🏕️ CAMPING AROUND A CAMP FIRE SINGING A LONG FORGOTTEN SONG "ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT" ⛵ WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN A GIANT ASSED STARFLEET SHUTTLE COMES LANDING DOWN ON THE CAMP SIGHT WITH BIG 'OL BRIGHT LIGHTS WHEN KIRK SAYS "GET THAT DAMN LIGHT OUTTA MY FACE!" THAT WAS ONEOF THE FUNNIEST LINES I'VE EVER HEARD IN A MOVIE!😂😂😂🎉❤

[@WhiteChocolate74]

Star Trek V

[@TeamVVV]

An excellent video. A few notes; The Motion Picture is best enjoyed on the biggest screen you can find, in the cinema it really was a wonder to behold. Some more action and a slightly tighter edit could have perfected it. ST2 was just perfect as it was, despite oddly reusing the MP 'leaving drydock' sequence. ST3 was bloomin exciting to see at the cinema, stealing the Enterprise may be my favourite ST TOS movie sequence and that soundtrack moment, still makes me tingle. Wish they had added a scene at Starfleet when Grissom was destroyed, something along the lines of: "Admiral Morrow, we've lost contact with the Grissom in Genesis sector" "Copy commander, do we have any ships in the sector?" "Nothing sir, Excelsior is out of action, and no other Federation ships in close range....apart from... the Enterprise" Morrow nods..... "Convene an urgent meeting with the council, I'll apprise them of the situation" "Yes sir!" *Looks out of window* "you're on your own now Jim, we're counting on you more then you know." *Jumps back to Enterprise at warp.* ST4 was great, odd in some ways, but I liked the high scf-fi aspect and it nicely completed the trilogy. ST5 was a mess but did have some potential, it wasn't the full vision but the scene with Sybok/Kirk/Bones was heavy and possibly one of the most emotional scenes in the entire franchise. Sound mix was terrible in the cinema, couldn't understand the God thingy and it was way too loud. ST6, a step back to form, though I wasn't keen on the handling of the prison planet stuff, felt very set based while the actress playing Martia, just didn't work for me. A revised prison planet and final assassination scene would have perfected it.

[@TershMeridian]

Sorry, Tyler @17:45, you say this was released in 1984. I'm sure it's 1982 release for Khan. You're doing great with STAR TREK my dude❤

[@TershMeridian]

Sorry sir. I don't mean to gang up on you. You're doing a great job editing & putting these videos for us to absorb. 😄

[@kadmii]

I still like to believe that QuonoS of the TNG era is effectively a new planet from the one referred to in ST6, and that it's technically New QuonoS

[@rickjohnston2667]

I believe that after the events of Star Trek 6, the Federation developed technology to help the Klingons repair the environmental damage caused by Praxis explosion.

[@robertweeks4240]

VERY NICE presentation and thoughtful insights!

[@Aragorn7884]

TBH as flawed as Nemesis is, I enjoyed it. Admittedly, it's meh, but fun.

[@pooshkahnla6074]

My issue with it is with the demise of Data - we have the massive sucker-punch that he's destroyed, then they just...replace him..? I just didn't get that. There's no loss, so why include it in the plot?

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I didn't think it was terrible either. My issue is the B4 subplot. Spending more time with the Romulan Commanders would have been better. Have them uncover Shinzon and the Vicroy's plot. The jeep and location shooting were a financial drain as well as a time waste.

[@AndDiracisHisProphet]

@@jamesabernethy7896 What I disliked about it, besides Action Star Picard, was....why did Shinzon want to destroy earth? For the sake of being evil? He had absolutly no motivation to do so.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

@@AndDiracisHisProphet plot contrivances mostly. Attacking earth, in theory, ensures Mutually Assured Destruction with the Romulans and the Federation. He hates HIS human nature because that is why the Romulans hated him more than the Remans. What springs to mind is what someone said about a certain Austrian who shall not be named. He tried to breed the Aryan race who were blond haired and blue eyed. He himself had dark hair and dark eyes. He would be unique in the world of his own creation.

[@gregcampwriter]

The Motion Picture always felt like an episode of the TV show. Perhaps it could have been titled, "The Changeling."

[@white-dragon4424]

It might have been confused with the horror movie of the same name.

[@joeboxter3635]

Father of Changeling -- The one in ToS TV is a "child" of the original at the center of V'ger. The first V'ger in its travels after landing on the machine planet derived it's "mission" learn all that is. In its travels, it is the "other" that the ToS Nomad ran into. Nomads mission of perfection was acquired from V'ger as was it's advance capabilities. Nomad was the herald of V'ger so to speak. Possibly the borg are also children of V'ger. The great thing about science fiction is you can pretty much make up almost anything -- lol.

[@smartalec2001]

Ironically, it could probably be called The Voyage Home.

[@trhansen3244]

There is nothing about TMP that says 'tv show'. It is by far the most theatrical, the most epic, of the Star Trek films.

[@smartalec2001]

@@trhansen3244 An extremely epic, very theatrical version of an episode of the tv show.

[@pooshkahnla6074]

I'll never not adore The Voyage Home, so that's my number 1, but have a soft spot for the 2 parter (as I see it) Khan and Search for Spock. It was at a marathon showing of 1, 2 and 3 when 3 first came out, that I really became a Trek fan. Then Voyage Home just hooked me right in! 5 is abysmal, and it's not for nothing that 1 is referred to as The Motionless Picture, so that leaves 6 at slot 4, although it's a shame as it is a great film...And, sadly, as much as I love TNG, apart from First Contact, their films were very disappointing for me, so I agree with you there!

[@marvinlopez6881]

Imagine Eddie Murphy in the Voyage Home. What a missed opportunity! LOL

[@michaelchancey5505]

Excellent discussions. Thanks! LLAP 🖖

[@sebastianstraubel7846]

Thanks for the work you clearly put into this one! These days, I find it more worthwile to go back to the older Star Trek, revisiting shows, movies, novels and secondary literature... the ones I grew up with. It just felt less dystopian back then.

[@christian-michaelhansen471]

I was pleasantly surprised to see that you and I rank the TOS movies in exactly the same order. Star Trek 6 (aka: The Great Apology) was made just so 5 wouldn’t stand as the original cast’s last hurrah. Having Nic Meyer direct it, I felt, was a way of tying 2 to 6, 2 being amongst the finest TOS made, with things like fire extinguishers on the wall etc. Long may the Original Cast Reign!

[@tommytwotacos8106]

That scene with Mariner in the prison cell with the Klingon talking about her friend is the most Star Trek thing that has been written since the end of DS9.

[@NHT2]

Just started watching, but I've always considered the tone shift between TOS and the movies as the end of the cowboy era. Space was well settled and it was time to start being "civilized".

[@jamesabernethy7896]

There's clearly a shift in format from a weekly TV series to an engaging movie. The show was about exploring, the movies were about protecting the things you love.

[@rdhunkins]

19:43 In many ways, Star fleet reflects the British Royal Navy of the 19th Century. They were engaged in war, but they also pursued Scientific missions. I like that reflection. Kirk is both a warrior and an explorer.

[@STSWB5SG1FAN]

Not surprising, thematically _Star Trek_ is basically "Horatio Hornblower in Space"

[@rosefarrell2440]

We British CONQUERED. we Had our Empire. Now we can't EVEN DEFEND OUR ISLAND!!!!😂

[@philly83]

"and Grandma even gets a new kidney." 😂

[@nitehawk86]

The entire hospital scene in IV is some of the best Trek. "My god we are in the dark ages."

[@TershMeridian]

Hey do I really have a bigger fan of TREK here in Philly? I live in Philly.

[@vladimirkurtovic]

Epic

[@chaoslord8918]

The Final Frontier is actually one of my favorites. The campfire scenes at the beginning and end are quintessential Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. The antagonist is a dynamic, complicated character who puts the crew in a truly tense situation by taking over their ship and brainwashing the crew. The movie has serious discussions about life, death, and what it means to be human, which to me is what Star Trek is all about.

[@tommytwotacos8106]

Chistopher Lloyd's Captain Kruge is probably the Klingon who most loves his Klingon-ess, and throws himself into the whole idea of Klingons as a full and complete civilization with a culture, ambitions, and real personalities. Gowron, on the other hand, is the most Klingon out of all Klingons ever played. He doesn't feel like he intellectually has the same grasp on what being a Klingon might mean or imply, but he instinctually knows exactly how a Klingon would act in whatever situation he finds himself in. In more black and white terms, Lloyd is the Klingon who really seems to epitomize the philosophy, or the brains, of a true Klingon, while Gowron seems to epitomize the emotions, or the heart, of the true Klingon. I've always loved these two portrayals of Klingons, and they've really set the tone for all of the Klingons who cane after they did.

[@raincoast_bear]

Wouldn't it be fun to see Lloyd reprise the role Kruge on Strange New Worlds? We can only hope...

[@tommytwotacos8106]

@@raincoast_bear they'd have to spend a fortune on deaging him for the role, since SNW is almost 25 years before Search For Spock. It would be amazing amounts of fun, however. For a long long time, I've wanted a Star Trek show that follows a Starfleet officer who serves on a Klingon vessel, and the Captain that I've always pictured as commanding the ship that the Starfleet officer serves on is my direct pastiche version of Kruge. It would just be fun to watch a Starfleet officer start off like he's going to be another regular, by the book, steady as she goes kind of officer but grows into the truest Klingon warrior on this side of Galorndon Core (which I always thought sounded like a place in Ireland).

[@thishandleistacken]

I've seen all of TNG and DS9 at least 4 times, Voyager twice and the first season of Enterprise once... I have no clue why I have not given TOS a chance but I'm gonna rectify that by watching the films.

[@cloverfield911]

17:48 I believe u meant June 1982!!

[@stewartbugler]

Wanna hear something funny... The only movie that actually got me into Star Trek was Star Trek 5... This was when I was a kid mind... So a lot of the things which are actually really good was flying straight over my head. There's a lot of heart the star trek 5 like in many ways I know how to be a true friend by the way McCoy Spock and Kirk interact with each other the whole movie. N then they get to the end and though they have broken the brainwashing of Sybok they still had to find out. It was this scientific curiosities that even brings the damn good question. What would God do with a Star Ship? It's completely ludicrous and then just bombing that thing out of existence isn't like science slaying God... More science doing God's work... I honestly believe it's a good contention that either the writer of any story must take the stance of God or the Devil to weave a narrative to begin with... So that means like the Doctor fighting the literal devil in Doctor who. Sometimes the plans of God aren't obvious till afterwards. That the Enterprise made it to Shakari because a God didn't want this false God to escape.

[@ISCREAM.STORE1]

Wrath of Khan was the first star trek film I saw, I had no idea it was a sequel and took it at face value, I was so young and found a vhs with it on, the music and movie tie in together so perfectly, all the themes and colours are working together to create a true epic! I could talk for a long time about the sequel but i would point out that in my opinion, the story of the 2nd and 3rd instalments working together is probably why i like 3 so much, plus Christopher Lloyd is great as Kruge, and the recurring themes of Kirk avoiding a kobayashi maru moment is probably the core of what makes both 2 and 3 so tense and exciting. The main threat was always the Genesis device or weapon as the Klingons called it, and more then once was responsible for it to seem like the Enterprise and her crew were doomed, but somehow are saved, either by Spocks sacrifice in the 2nd or Kirks ingenuity with the self destruct plot in the third, and even then the Genesis planet is still the big bad threat as it begins to tear itself apart. Despite any flaws the third movie had, there is not a single true trek fan that would not feel something deep when they see the enterprise self destruct, the musical score is a recurring emotional theme that cuts back to Kirk Kirk: What have i done?! Bones:What you always do, turn death into a fighting chance to live. If this scene does not make you feel something then please report to sickbay for a full medical examination. This scene also works well because the audience being me, was still feeling the loss of Spock and how he sacrificed himself and i am sure this is also reflected in the score how the sacrifice means the crew can have 1 more chance to live. I think 3 is probably the most under rated one of the series, and the first few scenes is introducing the new stuff, Genesis planet, Kruge etc and then becomes a heist movie to steal the Enterprise following the best movie ever created (Wrath of Khan) was no small feat and i think the film stands as a pretty strong one in the series but thats just my opinion. A fun exercise would be to get someone who has not seen the Wrath of Khan to listen to the OST and then imagine and describe what they think the story/movie is about, the score is incredible so it would be interesting to see how it could be interpreted by those who have not seen the movie.

[@philly83]

Khan had to go to the bathroom but it was occupied by Chekov. That's why he remembers him 😂

[@rickjohnston2667]

Lol.

[@keirfarnum6811]

You mean the “head?”

[@ennayanne]

i unironically think of you as the tendi guy

[@RationallySkeptical]

Id agree IF we could ignore 5. But we cannot. So youre juat wrong

[@LogicBlaster]

A decent analysis of the films. Like others, I view The Wrath of Khan as the best of these films. I do very much appreciate all the extensive background info you gave in this video, very interesting!👍

[@laz7354]

I mostly agree with your rank/ordering, with the top two just barely swapped for me only because Wrath of Kahn is my personal favorite.

[@parrot849]

Excellent commentary on the TOS world in cinema form. You hit the nail on the head. I think your thoughts on what is good and poor with each of these films is what a very large percentage of StarTrek fans would agree is true. And yes, StarTrek V is truly a hot mess, but if for nothing else, Larry Luckinbill’s outstanding performance as the bazaar behaving Vulcan prophet is always the single element that makes this film worthy an occasional rewatch in my humble opinion

[@davidsandy5917]

At least in Star Trek V they dropped the idea of the "Rock Monsters".

[@artonline01]

After so long I was wondering where is Tyler? and in fact he is here.

[@kristadisgumundsdottir3658]

I loved the Wrath of Khan and I like the idea of Vger in the Motion Picture.

[@angstony459]

Good times were had with the Sherlock hot take! Great breakdown as always! 🙂

[@nikkilev78]

Great vid and great intro to your station! Sooo, I grew up with TOS reruns playing when I was like 6-8 years old turning me into an instant fan, probably to a much higher degree than Star Wars even. And the VHS copy we had of Wrath of Khan got many a watch, then lo and behold I saw 3-6 in theaters as they came out. TOS has always been my favorite. But as an adult, the ability to watch the original series has waned, while the movies get a repeat watch every few years still. And while I followed Star Trek through TNG, Voyager, Enterprise and the reboot movies (and pretty much nothing else), the TOS movies have stayed my favorite Star Wars media and my ranking is as follows (1-4 star ranking): 6. Star Trek V: God Stuff: I mean, its bad, but its not the worst thing ever. I have a soft spot for the Yosemite scenes and the dumb campfire singing. 2 Stars 5. Star Trek III: Search for Spock. Perhaps a low ranking for a movie that was so formative, however, I love all these movies except for V. A good practice run for Nimoy on the way to becoming a successful director. Deforest Kelly caries the movie, he is so good! Nice to see Christopher Lloyd in there. David dies too quick, all that stuff lacks impact. The ending is beautiful. 3 Stars 4. Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Good movie! Yea its slow, but I would claim it as the best looking Star Trek TOS movie and I love the 2001ish overtones. The 70s outfits for the crew are funny. The bald actress is gorgeous. Not mentioned in your video: directed by Robert Wise who directed Sound of Music (!?) 3 Stars. 3. Star Trek 6: Undiscovered Country. Definitely a favorite from when it came out til now. Smart to bring my Nicholas Myer to fix up the place again. Kim Catrall is great. The shape shifter played by Iman, David Bowie''s wife! Prison planet high jinx forevah. 3.5 Stars. 2. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan. I mean, I GUESS you could say its objectively the best but here it is in second place. This movie is almost elemental in how iconic it is and how much world building it does. BUT the somber tone and death scene make it a movie you really HAVE to be in the mood to watch, to take that cathartic ugly crying journey, which by the way, I did many times as a kid. I even read the novelization and bawled at that too. 4 Stars. 1. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. I mean, yea its the one for me. It came out when I was 8 years old and at the height of my fandom. My dad took me to a Trek convention months before the movie was released, and Leonard Nimoy was there and did a whole ass talk and showed clips from the upcoming movie. ALSO, I lived in the SF Bay Area so as I've grown older, the SF footage has just become more and more nostalgic because I was there, man. And finally, yea, its the funniest one! Nimoy directs the core TOS ensemble to some of their best performances, and I dig the Whale scientist lady too, great Shatner love interest. The only thing that could have made this movie better is well.. Eddie Murphy probably. Just a fun, easy, humorous and pro environmental movie, while, perhaps not as impactful as Khan, still a perfect way to end the internal trilogy. 4 Stars.

[@RealHypeFox]

Never been so early! Let's get it!

[@alfredvalrie5541]

I dare say the boldness to number the TOS like chapters in a grand novel is a feature which will stand the test of time.

[@IN-tm8mw]

I did my own rankings of the TOS films before watching yours and it was exactly the same order. Wow, I didn't expect that.