All 14 Star Trek Movies Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes

"Star Trek" has long been one of the most renowned and expansive science fiction franchises ever created, with comics, books, video games, and over a dozen movies. It took a while for the franchise to get to the point where it produced a feature film, which was made possible partly due to its fans. After "Star Trek's" cancellation in 1969, it seemed like that was it for the Enterprise.

Fortunately, plenty of Trekkies gathered to celebrate the show, keeping it alive until the first film hit theaters in 1979, a decade after the series left the airwaves. While "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" got off to a rocky start, it laid the groundwork, and in the years since, there have been 14 movies across the "Star Trek" franchise, encompassing both the original cast and those from later series.

While everyone bases their favorite "Star Trek" movies on various criteria, Rotten Tomatoes isn't as particular. Every film gets a Tomatometer rating, and they all stack up fairly, though some might rank a bit higher or lower than the fans might expect. Here's all 14 "Star Trek" movies ranked according to their scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Leonard Nimoy directed the third and fourth "Star Trek" movies and, thanks to a "favored nation" clause in William Shatner's contract requiring equal opportunities, he was given the helm on what would be the worst film in the franchise. "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" holds a 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's easy to see why, as the film is dull and underdeveloped.

It introduces Spock's older half-brother, Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), a renegade Vulcan who balks at his race's embrace of logic over emotions. The story involves Sybok kidnapping a Romulan, Klingon, and Federation ambassador from Nimbus III in his plot to breach the Great Barrier, where he plans to meet "god," following a vision calling him there.

It's at the end where Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) utters his infamous line, "Excuse me. Excuse me, I'd just like to ask a question. What does god need with a starship?" The film flopped financially and was destroyed by critics. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shatner discussed his directorial debut, saying, "I failed. ... I regret not being equipped emotionally to deal with a large motion picture."

As of writing, only one feature film in the "Star Trek" franchise wasn't released in theaters, and it was a wise decision. "Star Trek: Section 31" is a heist movie centered around Empress Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), introduced in "Star Trek: Discovery." She is the former ruler of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe, and after she's sent back in time, she joins Section 31.

That's the organization outlined in Starfleet's charter that operates much like the CIA, as it's all about espionage. Georgiou operates outside Federation space as Madame du Franc and joins a group of rogues on a mission to find a weapon called the "Godsend." What follows is a hi-tech sci-fi caper that has excellent special effects, some interesting characters, and that's about it.

The film managed to score a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a shame, seeing as it's led by an impressive Academy Award-winning actor. Still, as Audrey Fox wrote in her review of "Section 31" for Looper, the film's lifeless plot drags down an otherwise great performance from an amazing actor, who is surrounded by cringy humor and given too little time to get to know the ensemble cast.

The last feature film centered around the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was the worst, according to its 37% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. "Star Trek: Nemesis" is filled with talent, including Tom Hardy playing Shinzon, a clone of Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart). The film starts out with Shinzon killing the Romulan Senate to take control of their empire.

While it begins with a promising premise, it devolves into a revenge story as Shinzon pretends to make peace in order to meet his progenitor in the flesh. He then sets about on a quest to annihilate all of Earth with the same deadly thalaron weapon he used to kill the Senate. The crew of the Enterprise-E fights him off, crippling both ships, and Data (Brent Spiner) is lost.

The film isn't terrible in that it has a decent hook, an excellent cast, and great action sequences, but it's squandered on the tiresome vengeance plot. By the time "Nemesis" hit the silver screen, its focus on vengeance wasn't anything new. "Wrath of Khan" did it better, and with an antagonist the fans cared about — the same is not true of Shinzon.

When it came time to produce the first feature film starring the cast of "The Next Generation," the premise was designed around the concept of passing the torch. In this capacity, "Star Trek Generations" includes three characters from the original series: Capt. Kirk, Capt. Scott (James Doohan), and Cdr. Chekov (Walter Koenig). They're onboard the Enterprise-B for its first mission, a shakedown cruise.

With few of its systems installed, the ship sees the supposed death of Kirk during a rescue mission, transitioning the story into the 24th century with the crew of the Enterprise-D. The story continues with a star-destroying bad guy played by Malcolm McDowell, and it ends with the destruction of the Enterprise-D, the saving of a solar system, and the true death of Kirk.

While "Generations" holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 48%, it's not a terrible movie. Arguably, it could have worked better as a two-part episode of the television show, but as a film, it features plenty of action and real consequences. The concept of a changing of the guard story wasn't necessary, but it did add some closure for Kirk, albeit in a way some fans didn't entirely appreciate.

It took a decade, but "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry saw his TV show arrive on the silver screen with 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The film picks up the story of the crew of the USS Enterprise in the 2270s, a few years past the final episode of the series, and well after the initial five-year mission. A massive, destructive alien cloud is approaching Earth, so the Enterprise steps in to help.

It's revealed that the cloud, called V'Ger, is actually Earth's Voyager 6 probe, which was reprogrammed and made sentient by a race of living machines across the galaxy. The premise is interesting, but the execution was achingly slow-paced, making a film that stretches for 132 minutes feel like a cinematic eternity.

Pacing is tricky with sci-fi, but in the case of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," much of the dialogue-heavy story is a slog. It holds a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, and wasn't a great film debut for the franchise. Fortunately, the film made money at the box office, earning $82.7 million on a $35 million budget, so fans got a sequel that turned everything around.

You know that a movie has problems when "Star Trek: Insurrection" nearly made Brent Spiner and Patrick Stewart quit. That's never a good sign, and seeing as it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 54%, they might have been on to something. The biggest complaint the film tends to receive from fans is that it feels like a long episode. Its story is largely uninteresting, and its villain isn't nearly as foreboding as he should be.

That's a shame, as Ru'afo is played by Academy Award-winning actor F. Murray Abraham. Still if you give an amazing actor a bad character to play, there may not be a lot they can do, even if they try their hardest. That's the main problem with "Insurrection," which focuses on the Son'a people, who are attempting to steal a vital resource from the Ba'Ku's planet with the help of a corrupt Starfleet Vice Admiral.

There's a long sequence of Starfleet personnel hiding folks in caves and marching them across the surface. It's not the most exciting plot in the franchise, nor did it achieve much success at the box office. It all makes "Star Trek: Insurrection" a disappointing follow-up to its predecessor.

While the preceding "Star Trek" films were largely disappointing, they only go up from here. The trend starts with "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," which holds a rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes. This was Leonard Nimoy's debut as a director, and it's set shortly after the death of his iconic character, Spock. The Genesis planet, where his body was sent, is found to emanate unusual life signs.

The Genesis Device resurrected Spock as a child, though without his memories. Before dying in the previous movie, Spock transferred his Katra, his living spirit, to Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley). The film follows the Enterprise and its crew as they attempt to recover Spock so his memories can be transferred back to him on Vulcan.

To do so, Adm. Kirk steals the Enterprise, violates the Genesis quarantine, and fights the Klingons. His son is killed and the Enterprise is lost, earning Kirk a demotion to Captain. Of course, he's happy with this, as he's allowed to take command of a starship once more. Unfortunately, at the end of the movie, after Spock is restored, the only thing they have left is a Klingon Bird of Prey.

While "Star Trek" always had some elements of humor, it became a central feature of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," and it works splendidly. The film sees Capt. Kirk and company pilot their stolen Klingon Bird of Prey into the past to find humpback whales. They're needed to counter an alien threat seeking the extinct species on Earth in the 23rd century.

They travel to San Francisco in 1986, where they find two whales in an aquarium. While trying to avoid upsetting the timeline, many of the crewmembers engage with the locals, leading to a hilarious moment where Chekov asks a police officer for directions to nuclear vessels in his Russian accent (during the Cold War). It also includes an infamous moment with an extra who wasn't supposed to speak, and the whole thing is funny and outright entertaining.

Many fans cite "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" as one of their favorite movies, and it holds a rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. After the death and rebirth of Spock, this movie offered what amounts to a feel-good story, taking what were planet-ending stakes and making it into a light story about ecological conservation.

The "Next Generation" films didn't do as well as expected, so instead of forging ahead, the franchise split into what is known as the Kelvin Timeline. The new series of films offered a modern take on an older premise and characters, and the second film, "Star Trek Into Darkness," built its plot around none other than Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The film holds a rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while some didn't appreciate the recycling of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," the story is refreshed and original. In the film, Khan works to free his genetically altered people from suspended animation by working with Starfleet to construct the USS Vengeance. It's not a ship of exploration; it's instead meant for war.

The film is packed with excellently choreographed fighting scenes and plenty of action. The producers kept the role of Khan quiet before release, but ultimately, "Star Trek Into Darkness" fumbled the Khan mystery. Despite this, fans enjoyed Cumberbatch's take on the classic "Star Trek" villain and the movie was a massive success, bringing in over $467 million on a budget of around $190 million. It helped keep the franchise going.

While "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" was a misfire for the franchise, its follow-up, "Star Trek: VI: The Undiscovered Country," was a monumental success, boasting a rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film sees the Enterprise and its crew take part in the Federation's plans to forge a lasting peace with the Klingon Empire following a catastrophe on a Klingon moon.

This sees Kirk, who has no love for the Klingons, work against his feelings as a diplomat. Unfortunately, a conspiracy results in several Klingon deaths and the conviction of Dr. McCoy and Capt. Kirk, who are condemned to the Rura Penthe prison for life. Spock and the rest of the crew work together, alongside Capt. Sulu (George Takei) and the USS Excelsior, to free them and unmask the conspiracy.

The film ends at the Khitomer Conference, forging a path toward peace. "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" is the movie that fans needed after its predecessor lowered the bar to the floor. It features a brilliant performance by Shatner, digging deep as Kirk struggles to find a path to peace with the people responsible for the death of his son.

The final film in the Kelvin Timeline is "Star Trek Beyond," which holds a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film sees the crew of the Enterprise dive into an uncharted nebula, where an encounter with a swarm of small drones forces the saucer section to crash on the planet Altamid. They meet Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, pictured), working together to fight Krall (Idris Elba), and make their way off the planet.

Once they find their way out, the crew manages to drop the drone swarm in the best way possible: by blasting the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" to jam their frequencies. Eventually, the truth of Krall's identity is discovered, leading to a confrontation that threatens every life aboard Starbase Yorktown. Fortunately, Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine) doesn't take this lightly and tears down the bad guy.

The film's action sequences and effects are all over the top, delivering on the rebooted franchise's continuous dive into the core of what makes the franchise so enjoyable. The movie absolutely deserved a sequel, but "Star Trek Beyond" didn't make a ton of cash for Paramount. The untitled "Star Trek 4" never happened, though that could change in the future.

If you were to ask a random Trekkie what their favorite movie was from the original six, there's no doubt they'd say "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." While the first movie suffered from terrible pacing, "Wrath of Khan" does not. It's the space-based equivalent of cinematic submarine warfare, and there's no denying that "The Wrath of Khan" changed "Star Trek" movies moving forward.

It's a classic revenge story, where Khan (Ricardo Montalban) steals a starship to destroy his enemy, making Kirk into a white whale and Khan becoming the Ahab of this story. Kirk's objection to no-win scenarios plays out brilliantly, as there's little hope for success. Ultimately, Khan is defeated, but not without great cost to Kirk and the crew, serving up a Pyrrhic victory instead of a happy ending.

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is an undeniably excellent movie, one that works because of its two leads. Kirk and Khan are strong characters who are antithetical to one another, while still being very much alike. This juxtaposition, coupled with the film's constant tension, makes for excellent entertainment. It's no wonder that the film holds an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

For films featuring "The Next Generation" cast, you need look no further than "Star Trek: First Contact" for your best experience. It's the movie that Patrick Stewart loves because it was Jonathan Frakes' directorial film debut, though he'd done a number of "Trek" episodes. Frakes would continue to direct for the franchise long after. 

The movie begins with the Enterprise-E, which is kept from defending Earth from a Borg invasion. Capt. Picard ultimately guides his ship there anyway, finding devastation. After taking command of the fleet, he destroys the Borg cube, but a sphere fires off to Earth, altering history. The Enterprise follows into the past to save Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell), ensuring that first contact with Vulcan happens as it historically did, but the Borg do not gently concede the fight.

Picard dives into the lion's den to save Data, confronting the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) before achieving victory. The film is a stunning achievement in storytelling, in how it handles both franchise lore and its characters, and everything else in between. It offers a complex look at Picard's struggle post-assimilation, and stands as one of the best movies in the franchise, with a rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while, a movie franchise is rebooted with something truly amazing. That happened in 2009 with the release of "Star Trek," a film that features a new cast playing the franchise's familiar characters. Its efforts were rewarded with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. To ensure it wasn't a copy and paste job of the OG "Star Trek," it includes a watershed moment of altered history, set off by the Romulans.

The change is the destruction of the USS Kelvin and the death of Lt. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth); hence, the rebooted films are within the Kelvin Timeline. With the ship's destruction and parental loss on Kirk's (Chris Pine) literal birthday, his life is shifted. Still, he joins Starfleet, and through a confluence of incidents that align with the destruction of the Kelvin, Kirk is made Captain of the Enterprise straight out of Starfleet Academy.

This sets the stage for Kirk's development as a leader while he forges a friendship with Spock (Zachary Quinto), whom the future Spock (Nimoy), attempting to fix history, tells him he must befriend. It's excellent storytelling, the movie features intense action sequences, a few too many lens flares, and portrayals of classic characters by actors who honorably stepped into some big shoes.