3. Star Trek: First Contact
Like Wrath of Khan, this film relied on a pre-existing villain known to fans of Next Generation: the Borg. Also like Khan, the film succeeded by balancing action with explorations of its central characters. The opening space battle and the fight with the Borg during a spacewalk were both well executed. Picard must grapple with his guilt about his assimilation by the Borg and his almost blind desire to prevent their assimilation of his ship and Earth. Picard, already responsible for the death of thousands of Star Fleet officers, does not want to be responsible for the destruction of humanity as well. Data, meanwhile, struggles with his duties and loyalty to his friends as the Borg Queen offers him what he desires most of all: a chance to be human. Ultimately Picard offers to sacrifice himself to save Data, while Data rejects the offer of the Borg Queen and Earth is saved.
2. Star Trek (Reboot)
J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the Star Trek franchise understands the core relationships that defined Star Trek and employed them to create summer blockbusters. The cast largely embody the traits of their characters without falling into slavish impersonations. Chris Pine portrays Kirk’s brashness well. Zachary Quinto manages to demonstrate Spock’s relentless logic while also providing a window into his struggles with his own humanity. The film also plays with key themes from the previous films, but spins them in interesting ways, suggesting that no matter what changes in the timeline, these relationships and themes recur (a sort of BSG approach). By the end of the film, the characters are in place where they need to be for future films. Additionally Abrams never forgets to imbibe the film with a sense of humor and fun that attracted so many fans to Star Trek in the first place. Karl Urban’s McCoy and Simon Pegg’s Scotty carry much of the humor in the films and to great effect.
1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Wrath of
Khan remains the best of all of the Star Trek films. Installing Khan as the
villain gave the audience a preexisting and antagonistic relationship with the
highest of stakes. The film features strong action and character moments. The
battle in the nebula between the Enterprise
and the Reliant still plays well
as two technologically advanced ships have to rely on the skills of their
captains in order to survive. Kirk and Spock’s philosophical discussion about
the needs of the many and the needs of the few highlights the core of their
respective characters. Kirk always acted in the manner he thought best, regardless
of the rules, and refused to accept the inevitability of death. Spock measured
his actions carefully with the broader situation and when the situation called
for it; he sacrificed himself to save the rest of the crew. The film provided a
strong blend of action and character moments that represented the best a Star
Trek film could be.
Next time: The Real Hero of Ghostbusters.
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