All 3 Eras Of Star Trek Movies, Ranked

Published Aug 16, 2026, 10:00 AM EDT

Dalton is a freelance writer, novelist, and filmmaker from Orlando Florida. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and pursues writing full-time. He is an avid reader, film buff, and amateur historian who also publishes novels on the side. Dalton graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BFA in Film and he often applies his industry-specific knowledge when writing about film and television. Along with his blog, Dalton's critical essays on film have been published in various places online. 

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There have been three distinct eras of the Star Trek franchise on the big screen, but which of them best represents the final frontier? While Star Trek will always be known for its numerous TV shows, there's no denying that the franchise has been a bona fide force at the movies for more than 40 years.

The franchise's utopian future has never stopped appealing to fans, and it offers a distinct view of humanity that is optimistic and hopeful. Even when translated to the medium of film, the guiding principles of Star Trek's philosophy have never changed. On the other hand, the movie franchise itself has changed quite a bit across its various eras. Each decade seems to produce a new take on Star Trek.

Most of the movies are based directly on characters from established TV shows like The Original Series or The Next Generation, but Star Trek's third era acts as something of a reboot. This illustrates the unlimited possibilities of the fictional universe, and perhaps points the way for the new era that's currently in the works. Star Trek is on the rocks right now, but a triumphant return is almost guaranteed.

Eventually, this list will need to be expanded to include whatever new movie era is born. There's no telling how it will turn out, but it must embrace the core beliefs that Gene Roddenberry established all those years ago. The three eras of Star Trek cinema are not created equal, and some are much better than others.

3 The Next Generation Era (1994-2002)

The movies based on Star Trek: The Next Generation fall to the bottom of the list, and it is the worst overall era for Star Trek cinema. Across four films, the TNG movie era only produced one installment to write home about. As great as Star Trek: First Contact is, it's a bright spot among quite a bit of dreck. Even that stellar action flick is a poor representation of the characters and their philosophy.

Star Trek: TNG Movie	Release Year	Rotten Tomatoes Score
Star Trek Generations	1994	48%
Star Trek: First Contact	1996	93%
Star Trek: Insurrection	1998	54%
Star Trek: Nemesis	2002	37%

The biggest issue with the TNG era, besides the uninspired stories, is that the characters are incredibly inconsistent with their TV show selves. Picard is often portrayed as violent and irrational, and nobody else in the main cast sees any significant growth. The Star Trek movies are supposed to feel bigger and better than their episodic counterparts, but the TNG movie series failed to hit that mark.

2 The Kelvin Era (2009-2016)

Though it's the shortest era so far, the Kelvin Timeline movies pack a pretty powerful punch. The brilliance of the trilogy is that it features the characters from the TOS era, but it is set in an alternate universe so it doesn't mess up the established canon. This also allows J.J. Abrams and others to toy around with the tone of the franchise. The Kelvin movies are funnier and more bombastic, but are still recognizably Star Trek.

Star Trek Kelvin Movie	Release Year	Rotten Tomatoes Score
Star Trek	2009	94%
Star Trek Into Darkness	2013	84%
Star Trek Beyond	2016	86%

While they aren't perfect, they represent a strong trio of films that work on their own as isolated pieces of entertainment. They may eschew the rigid philosophy of Star Trek (a bit), but that's arguably what was needed in a reboot at the time. The Kelvin Star Trek movies adapt the franchise to the 2010s, embracing the larger-than-life blockbuster cinema that was all the rage at the time.

1 The Original Series Era (1979-1991)

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No matter how good the future Star Trek movies turn out to be, it's unlikely they will top the original era. Picking up more than a decade after the cancellation of The Original Series, the TOS era of movies got off to a pretty shaky start. The Motion Picture wasn't what fans were looking for, but the franchise immediately corrected course with The Wrath of Khan. The second Star Trek movie is not only the best of the franchise, but is among the greatest science fiction films ever made.

Star Trek: TOS Movie	Release Year	Rotten Tomatoes Score
Star Trek: The Motion Picture	1979	51%
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan	1982	87%
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock	1984	78%
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home	1986	81%
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier	1989	22%
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country	1991	84%

What makes the TOS era of movies special is that they not only deliver nostalgic fan service, but also take time to develop the characters. Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew learn valuable lessons, and they don't stay stagnant across all six movies. Even though The Original Series movies have their ups and downs, they remain pretty consistent. Furthermore, the tone and style of the TOS movies shaped the development of the Star Trek franchise for generations.