I wouldn't even be on here now, but I have a confession to make:
I am a Trekkie.
There. I said it. Now I am a self-confessed Trekkie.
Not that there's anything wrong with liking a tv show. . .but Star Trek is different.
I've seen every single episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. I've seen all but a few episodes of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I'm working on Star Trek: Deep Space 9. I've also seen 7 out of 10 star trek films. (The newest film, "Star Trek" does not count as Star Trek canon and should never have been made, in my opinion, because it is the first film since Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Star Trek 1) to have no heart value or deeper message woven into the action film part of it.)
I wish I could rank the TV series for you, but there is so much variation between episodes, and I haven't seen much of DS9 yet, so it wouldn't be complete. My advice on the TV shows is to watch them all. They're all different, all have their high and low spots, and their individual quirks. But the heart and beauty of Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future shines through in every episode, every human interaction, every adventure the crews encounter through every series. They're all beautiful.
But every person on the planet needs to see Voyager and The Next Generation.
:-D
However, I can rate the films. And here, for your perusal, are my top five favorite Star Trek films, ranked from last to first.
5: Star Trek: Generations
Captain Kirk is presumed lost on the maiden voyage of the Enterprise-B, when an encounter with a strange energy ribbon sweeps him into space. Seventy years later, Captain Picard is sent on an urgent mission to stop a madman before he destroys an entire solar system. Through a strange set of circumstances, Picard finds that Kirk is alive and well, and the two greatest captains in history join forces to fight for the protection of an entire race.
4: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Admiral James T. Kirk takes the Enterprise – officially under the command of Captain Spock – out for a shakedown cruise, and possibly his last mission in space. But Khan Noonien Singh (a villain introduced in the original tv series) has captured another starship and is bent of revenge. Kirk takes command of the Enterprise due to the emergency situation, and must prevent Khan from acquiring the most deadly weapon ever invented.
3: Star Trek: Insurrection
Captain Picard uncovers a conspiracy to violate the prime directive; and ends up a little more involved than he expected. But, being "Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise", and having a stalwart crew of the best in Starfleet behind him, he is, of course, equal to the task of righting every wrong. Absolutely classic.
This one is almost #2, except for the quirky charm of The Voyage Home.
2: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
The crew of the original Enterprise, under command of Captain Kirk, travels back in time to 1980s century San Francisco to –what else? – save the whales. Only, this is Star Trek, so of course more than the future of one species is at stake. The whole earth will be destroyed in the twenty-third century if Kirk can't save the humpbacks in the twentieth...
Highlights include watching Kirk and Spock try to adjust to the culture of 1980s San Francisco, and dealing with the crudeness of twentieth century technology.
1: Star Trek: First Contact
The Next Generation films were famous for having nice, complex plots, and First Contact is one of the best. The finale of the conflict with the Federation's greatest nemesis, the Borg (introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation tv show, and continued through Deep Space 9 and Voyager), seeing the Enterprise E put through it's paces in a time-travel scenario (which Star Trek is famous for); all wrapped up in a story about Zefram Cochrane and humanity's first warp flight...what could be better?
