The 3 best Star Trek films across each and every era of films

Star Trek has had a lot of great films, but which ones stand out from each era?

Star Trek has had three very distinct eras of films. One that has spanned multiple decades in the process. The first featured William Shatner and the original crew of the Star Trek original series, the next featured Patrick Stewart and the cast of The Next Generation, while an original cast came in for the 2009 reboot, which starred Chris Pine.

Each era is known for something unique and spectacular, and while all the films have their fans and detractors, there are three that are largely seen as the best films from each generation. Now, if you don’t agree, that’s okay, as we don’t necessarily agree with each pick. These are just the three films that get the most loved from era to era.

So let’s take a look at the three films that stand out the most.

The three best Star Trek films from each era of the film franchise

The Original Series Era – The Wrath of Khan

When we’re looking at the original era, which spans from the late 1970s to the start of the 1990s, the film that gets the most love is the second film of six, The Wrath of Khan, and for good reason. It’s one of the most cinematic films in the series that keeps a tight story that’s easy to follow. The other two films with a claim to this throne are the sixth film, the Undiscovered Country, followed by the fourth film, The Voyage Home.

The Next Generation Era – First Contact

While Star Trek Generations (Trek VII) and Insurrection (Trek IX) have their supporters, the out-and-out best film in the second era of films is First Contact. It resolved the biggest storylines from the show and introduced a villain that would be used across multiple series to come in the Borg Queen.

Kelvin Timeline Era – Star Trek 2009

Beyond and Into Darkness appeal to different fans of the product, but Star Trek 2009 is largely seen as the best of the three films by everyone involved, and it introduced one of the more interesting one-off villains of the franchise in Era Bana’s Nero. It also rebooted the Star Trek story while also continuing it as well.