Every Star Trek Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country takes the franchise back to its Cold War roots, except within the context of its decline, having released during the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Star Trek was always an intelligent show, but The Undiscovered Country really is something special. It provided the cast of The Original Series with a chance to exit gracefully, but it also offered a measured and thoughtful response to the end of a conflict that had dominated political and popular culture for over forty years. It was a major event, releasing but a few short days after the series' creator - Gene Roddenberry - passed away, and while Shatner and Nimoy would go on to reprise their roles later down the line, this was still TOS' farewell.
Of all the Star Trek films, The Undiscovered Country feels like the most genuine. Not just because the events of the film were thematically tied to the present, but because there was a real purpose to its story and its production. Kirk has to overcome his prejudices against the Klingons, and the film itself also features some fantastic commentary and criticism on those opposed to peace, namely from political hawks and, although tacitly, a military-industrial-complex too - both of which manifest across the Federation, Klingon and Romulan forces.
It's not without its faults, but the Undiscovered Country is one of the few truly great Star Trek films.