star trek the movies 1 6

Star Trek movies in order: Chronological and release

Untangle the different timelines and get the popcorn: Here are the Star Trek movies in order — both chronological and release.

• Chronological order
• Prime Timeline

The Original Series movies

The next generation movies.

• Kelvin Timeline
• Release order

Upcoming Star Trek movies

We've got a guide to watching the Star Trek movies in order, decloaking off our starboard side!

So long as movies stick numbers on the ends of their titles, it’s easy to watch them in order. Once they start branching out, however, things can get a little muddled, especially when reboots come along and start the whole process over from scratch. 

You may have heard that the even-numbered ones are good and the odd-numbered ones are not. That’s spot on for the films starring the cast of The Original Series (aka Kirk and friends) falls apart once you reach the tenth entry in the series. It would probably be worth your while to have this list of the Star Trek movies, ranked worst to best around to steer clear of the clunkers. Look, we’re not going to pretend everything here is worth two hours of your day, we’re just letting you know which came out after which.

Should your Trek appetite remain unsatiated after your movie watchathon, feel free to pull from either our list of the best Star Trek: The Original series episode s or best Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes . Either one will set you up for a weekend jam-packed with great Trek moments. Consult our Star Trek streaming guide for all the details on where to watch the movies and shows online 

Star Trek movies: Chronological order

Below is the quick version of our list if you just need to check something to win an argument, but it comes with a lot of in-universe time travel-related caveats that we'll explain below.

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
• Star Trek: Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek: Nemesis
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek: Prime Timeline

The first thing you need to know about the Star Trek films is that while they travel back and forth in time, they also diverge into two (for now) different timelines. The films of the original crew (well, the first iteration of them, anyway – more on that later) are all in what is known as the Prime Timeline. 

Within the Prime Timeline, the movies are then split between The Original Series movies and The Next Generation movies.

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture

• Release date: December 8, 1979
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

This is the film that brought the voyages of the U.S.S. Enterprise to the big screen. An energy cloud is making its way toward Earth, destroying everything in its path. Kirk and crew intercept it and discover an ancient NASA probe at the heart of the cloud. Voyager – known as V’ger now – encountered a planet of living machines, learned all it could, and returned home to report its findings, only to find no one who knew how to answer. It’s a slow-paced film, and the costumes are about as 70s as they come, but there’s classic Star Trek at the heart of this film.

2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

• Release date: June 4, 1982
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban

Ask a Star Trek fan what the best Star Trek movie is and more often than not, you’ll get Khan as your answer. A sequel to the events of the “Space Seed” episode of The Original Series, Khan is a retelling of Moby Dick with Khan throwing reason to the wind as he hunts his nemesis, James T. Kirk. Montalban delivers a pitch-perfect performance, giving us a Khan with charisma and obsession in equal parts.

3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

• Release date: June 1, 1984

Spock might have died in The Wrath of Khan, but this third entry set up the premise for his return, with the creation of the Genesis planet. Essentially a heist movie in reverse, Search for Spock has the crew defying orders from Starfleet in an attempt to reunite Spock’s consciousness with his newly-rejuvenated body. It’s not a great movie, but it does include two very important events: the rebirth of Spock and the death of Kirk’s son at the hands of the Klingons. That’ll be important a few flicks from now.   

4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

• Release date: November 26, 1986
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Catherine Hicks

If Star Trek fans don’t say Khan is the best Star Trek movie, odds are very high they say Voyage Home is. It’s a funny film where the mission isn’t destruction, but creation – or more accurately, repairing the devastating effects of humankind’s ecological short-sightedness. 

A probe arrives at Earth, knocking out the power of everything in its path as it looks for someone to respond to its message (yeah, it happens a lot). This time, however, the intended recipient is the long-extinct blue whale. To save Earth, Kirk and co. go back in time to 1980s San Francisco to snag some blue whales. The eco-messaging isn’t exactly subtle, but it doesn’t get in the way of a highly enjoyable movie.

5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

• Release date: June 9, 1989

A writers’ strike and Shatner’s directorial skills (or lack thereof) doomed this film before a single scene was shot. The core plot is actually pretty good: Spock’s half-brother hijacks the Enterprise so that he can meet God, which he believes to be… himself. Some Star Trek fans have an odd fondness for this movie, as it showcases the camaraderie of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy when they’re off-duty.

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

• Release date: December 6, 1991
• Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Plummer

Right, so if that Star Trek fan you’ve been talking to doesn’t choose either Khan or Voyage Home as the best Star Trek movie ever, they almost certainly name Undiscovered Country (and if they don’t, they have highly questionable taste, frankly). The Klingon moon of Praxis explodes, putting the entire Klingon race at risk. The Enterprise hosts a diplomatic entourage of Klingons, much to Kirk’s discomfort. 

Remember how Klingons murdered Kirk’s son? Well, he certainly hasn’t forgotten. Kirk’s lingering rage makes him the perfect patsy for the murder of the Klingon Chancellor, sending him and McCoy to a prison planet and setting the stage for war. Christopher Plummer is perfection as a Shakespeare-quoting Klingon general with no taste for peace.

7. Star Trek: Generations

• Release date: November 18, 1994
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner

And thus the torch is passed from the crew of The Original Series to that of The Next Generation. It’s a bit of a fumble, to be honest, but they all did their best to get Kirk and Picard into the same film and have it make sense. Malcolm McDowell plays Soran, a scientist who will stop at nothing to control the Nexus, a giant space rainbow that exists outside of space-time. 

Soran lost his family when his home world was destroyed and he wants to re-join them (or at least an illusion of them) in the Nexus. He’s not so much a villain as a tragic figure, but the Nexus makes a meeting between Kirk and Picard possible. Not all that sensible, but possible.

8. Star Trek: First Contact

• Release date: November 22, 1996
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Alice Krige

Okay, no, for real, if your Star Trek pal didn’t pick Khan or Voyage Home or… oh, nevermind. Cueing off the iconic two-part episode “Best of Both Worlds,” in which Picard is assimilated by the Borg, First Contact sees the collective traveling back in time in order to disrupt First Contact, the day Earth’s first foray into space attracted the attention of the Vulcans, kicking off the events that would eventually lead to Starfleet’s victory over the Borg. The Borg Queen torments Picard with visions of the past and tempts Data with humanity, going so far as to give him some human skin. 

The fight with the Borg aboard the Enterprise is thrilling, and the work on the surface to get first contact back on track is fun. Plus, there’s just nothing like Patrick Stewart turning it up to 11 as he lashes out at the enemy that haunts his dreams.

9. Star Trek: Insurrection

• Release date: December 11, 1998
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, F. Murray Abraham

Essentially an episode inflated for the big screen, Insurrection is about the Federation conspiring to displace a planet’s population in order to harvest the planet’s unique resource – super healing metaphasic particles. In addition to the rejuvenating natural resource, the Ba’ku also have access to exceptional technology, which they shun in favor of a more simple lifestyle. 

Data malfunctions, the villains are Federation allies (and former Ba’ku!), Picard gets to knock boots with a local – Insurrection is the very definition of “fine.” Chronologically, Insurrection is relevant for rekindling the romance between Riker and Troi, but not much else.

10. Star Trek: Nemesis

• Release date: December 13, 2002
• Cast: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Tom Hardy

Before he mumbled his way into our hearts as Bane, Tom Hardy was Shinzon, a clone of Picard the Romulans created in an eventually abandoned attempt to infiltrate Starfleet. Shinzon is dying, and all that will save him is a transfusion of Picard’s blood. Unfortunately, Shinzon also happens to be a megalomaniac who happens to want to destroy all life on Earth and maybe a few other planets, too, if he’s feeling saucy. 

Nemesis is notable mostly for killing Data with a noble sacrifice, only to resurrect him moments later in a duplicate body found earlier by the Enterprise crew.

Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline

The last of the Prime Timeline movies failed to impress at the box office, so it was a few years before anyone tried to bring the Enterprise back to the big screen. Rather than lean on any of the TV crews, this new slate of movies would serve as a reboot, welcoming new audiences while honoring long-time fans. Welcome to the Kelvin Timeline. (For all the ins and outs, check out our Star Trek: Kelvin Timeline explained article).

11. Star Trek

• Release date: May 8, 2009
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban

Back to the beginning! Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk, Spock, and “Bones” McCoy as they meet and join the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Though the plot is a relatively straightforward affair of a Romulan named Nero trying to destroy the Earth. His anger borne out of grief, what matters most is how it all came to be. In the future, Spock – the Prime Timeline version – tries to save Romulus from being destroyed by a supernova, but fails. Both his ship and Nero’s are kicked back in time, setting off a chain of events that diverge from the original, “true” timeline. 

The name “Kelvin” refers to the U.S.S. Kelvin, the ship heroically captained by Kirk’s father, which is destroyed in the opening moments of the movie.

12. Star Trek Into Darkness

• Release date: May 16, 2013
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch

The benefit of the Kelvin Timeline is that it not only allows Star Trek to explore canon material – such as Khan (he of the Wrath) – but to do something completely new with it. Khan features heavily in Into Darkness, but he has no beef with Kirk. Instead, a Starfleet Admiral is threatening the lives of Khan’s crew, forcing them to craft weapons of mass destruction. 

Khan inevitably eludes captivity and strikes out against Starfleet, killing Captain Pike (and a bunch of others) in the process. Kirk and company eventually take Khan down, but not before Kirk sacrifices himself to save his crew. Don’t worry, these things don’t last in either Star Trek timeline, as Kirk gets better moments later thanks to *checks notes* Khan's super blood.

13. Star Trek Beyond

• Release date: July 22, 2016
• Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba

Beyond leans into the camaraderie of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy now that they’ve had some time together, much to the movie’s benefit. The Enterprise is lured to Altamid under false pretenses, leading to much of the crew being marooned on the planet. The architect of the deception was Krall, who wants an opportunity to return to a galaxy where war is the order of the day. 

Beyond is a significant point in the timeline for two reasons. First, it sadly marked the death of Spock Prime due to the passing of Leonard Nimoy. Second, it culminates in the Enterprise embarking on the five-year-mission that started everything back in 1966.

Star Trek movies: Release order

If you can't be bothered remembering two different orders for the Star Trek movies then we've got good news for you — the release order is identical to the chronological order that we've shown above (accounting for the Kelvin timeline as it's own entity anyway).

The full run of Star Trek films currently tops out at 13 entries; the fate of the 14th was hidden within a nebula of conflicting information. “Star Trek 4” was slated for December 22, 2023, but given that filming had yet to begin as of July 2022, it seems inevitable that date will change. Back in February 2022, Paramount that the principal cast would be returning for the fourth installment of the Kelvin timeline, a claim quickly disputed by the agents of those selfsame actors. Awkward.

Soon after, however, Chris Pine eventually signed on the dotted line, and his shipmates reached their own agreements. As of right now, Kirk (Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), McCoy (Karl Urban, assuming he can make it work around filming of The Boys), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Uhura (Zoe Saldaña), and Sulu (John Cho) are all ready to beam up and get filming. Sadly, this will be the first of the Kelvin films to not feature Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov. Yelchin died in an accident at his home in 2016. It’s currently unclear if Chekov will be recast or if a different character will take his place on the bridge of the Enterprise.

Though the Kelvin timeline is often referred to as “J.J. Abrams Trek,” he won’t be directing Star Trek 4; Matt Shakman will take on that responsibility, leaving Abrams to produce. As for what it will be about, that’s anyone’s guess, but Chris Pine told Deadline he hopes this one tells a smaller story that appeals to the core Trek audience. “Let’s make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek,” he said. “Let’s make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great.” It’s a strategy that makes sense; the disappointment with recent Trek films hasn’t been their content so much as their box office. A Trek film with a smaller scope (and budget) would almost certainly have a very healthy profit margin while also resonating with the fanbase.   

With no new announcements coming from San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it seems that we’ll have to wait for any more insight into the next Star Trek film. Sill, recent comments from Paramount CEO Brian Robbins have us cautiously optimistic: “We’re deep into [Star Trek 4] with J.J. Abrams, and it feels like we’re getting close to the starting line and excited about where we’re going creatively,” he told Variety . 

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Susan Arendt is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant living in Burleson, TX. She's a huge sci-fi TV and movie buff, and will talk your Vulcan ears off about Star Trek. You can find more of her work at Wired, IGN, Polygon, or look for her on Twitter: @SusanArendt. Be prepared to see too many pictures of her dogs.

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Where To Watch Every Star Trek TV Show and Movie in Order

Published on.

Rachel Ulatowski

Official JustWatch writer

Paramount has ushered in a new era of Star Trek. Following the conclusion of Star Trek: Discovery , the studio ordered multiple new series and began developing the TV movie Star Trek: Chapter 31 , which will star Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. Given its revitalization, now is the perfect time to delve into the franchise. This guide will demonstrate where and how to watch every Star Trek movie and TV show in order.

The Star Trek franchise began in 1966 with the premiere of Star Trek , also known as Star Trek: The Original Series. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the sci-fi series follows Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) as they guide the Enterprise on a mission of intergalactic space exploration. While the show received poor ratings during its three-season run, broadcast syndication and reruns breathed new life into the franchise, garnering it a cult following after its 1969 cancelation.

Following the show’s re-evaluation, Roddenberry convinced Paramount to continue the original series on the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Although it wasn’t a huge box-office hit, it did well enough to earn five more sequels, for which Roddenberry was a consultant.

As Star Trek: The Original Series remained one of the most popular syndicated TV shows years after its release, Paramount and Gene Roddenberry began working on another live-action series: Star Trek: The Next Generation . The series takes place aboard a new Enterprise one century after the events of the original series, with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) at the helm. Along with his crew, Captain Picard carries on his predecessors' mission of exploring new worlds.

Star Trek: The Next Generation also continued on the big screen after its conclusion, receiving four feature films. While films like Star Trek: First Contact were well-received, Star Trek: Nemesis was a critical and financial failure. The failure of Star Trek: Nemesis was followed by another blow as the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled amid low ratings.

Paramount switched directions on the big screen and released what many consider a “reboot” trilogy. However, the films aren’t an official reboot as they merely explore an alternate timeline known as the Kelvin Timeline and see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto take over as Captain Kirk and Spock, respectively.

While the Kelvin Timeline film series played out, Star Trek went on a hiatus on the small screen. After a 12-year break, Paramount revived the franchise, aiming to create Star Trek shows specifically for its streaming service, CBS All Access (now Paramount+). In 2017, it released Star Trek: Discovery, followed by a new round of shows, including Star Trek: Picard , which continued Captain Picard’s story after Star Trek: The Next Generation.

There are no signs of the franchise slowing down, with the first TV movie, Star Trek: Chapter 31, on the way and Paramount showing interest in further Star Trek TV films, theatrical films, and shows.

How to watch the Star Trek franchise in order

Viewers can watch the Star Trek franchise either by release date order or chronologically. Those hoping to watch chronologically should know that the Kelvin Timeline trilogy takes place outside of the timeline of the other shows and movies, so they can technically be watched at any point. Star Trek: Short Treks also does not fit in the chronological order as it is an anthology series. Additionally, viewers may have to jump between shows occasionally due to time jumps in series like Star Trek: Discovery.

See below for the chronological order of every Star Trek show and movie:

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 - 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star trek ii: the wrath of khan, star trek iii: the search for spock, star trek iv: the voyage home, star trek v: the final frontier, star trek vi: the undiscovered country, star trek: the next generation, star trek: generations, star trek: first contact, star trek: insurrection, star trek: nemesis, star trek: deep space nine, star trek: voyager.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 3 - 5

Viewers can also watch the Star Trek franchise by the release date order detailed below. Read on to find out where to stream every Star Trek movie and TV show in the United States!

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew. The show is set in the Milky Way galaxy, roughly during the 2260s. The crew is headed by Captain James T. Kirk, first officer Spock, and chief medical officer Leonard McCoy. Shatner's voice-over introduction during each episode's opening credits stated the starship's purpose: The series was produced from 1966-67 by Desilu Productions, and by Paramount Television from 1968-69. Star Trek aired on NBC from September 8, 1966 to June 3, 1969. Although this television series had the title of Star Trek, it later acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began. Star Trek's Nielsen ratings while on NBC were low, and the network canceled it after three seasons and 79 episodes. Nevertheless, the show had a major influence on popular culture and it became a cult classic in broadcast syndication during the 1970s. The show eventually spawned a franchise, consisting of five additional television series, 12 theatrical films, and numerous books, games, toys, and other products.

The animated adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.

The starship Enterprise and its crew is pulled back into action when old nemesis, Khan, steals a top secret device called Project Genesis.

A surprise visit from Spock's father provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock's living essence.

When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize earths oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet.

Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.

A renegade Vulcan with a startling secret hijacks the U.S.S. Enterprise in order to find a mythical planet.

After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter.

At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected problems that come their way.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves at odds with the renegade scientist Soran who is destroying entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soran's scheme...and he's been dead for seventy-eight years.

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is 75 years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.

When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as the very ideals upon which the Federation itself was founded.

During the mid-22nd century, a century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

En route to the honeymoon of William Riker to Deanna Troi on her home planet of Betazed, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise receives word from Starfleet that a coup has resulted in the installation of a new Romulan political leader, Shinzon, who claims to seek peace with the human-backed United Federation of Planets. Once in enemy territory, the captain and his crew make a startling discovery: Shinzon is human, a slave from the Romulan sister planet of Remus, and has a secret, shocking relationship to Picard himself.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

Star Trek Into Darkness

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Star Trek Beyond

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Star Trek: Discovery

Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.

How to watch Star Trek in order

Whether you're wanting to check out the Original Series or Discovery, figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order is a breeze with this easy guide!

Is it just us or is figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order getting more and more complex with each passing year? The prospect of watching Star Trek in order would be daunting for even the most decorated of starship captains with multiple series being brought to life on both the big and small screens. But fear not Trekkies - we've got you covered!

If you've ever tried to watch the Marvel movies in order , you'd be forgiven for thinking that was the most complicated franchise on the planet, but we kid you not - it has nothing on Star Trek. The 55-year-old sci-fi franchise includes nine (soon to be 11) TV shows and 13 movies and it spans 1000 years, making for one super complicated and vast timeline.

So, what is the best way to watch Star Trek in order? Well, that depends. For you purists out there, you might like to opt for viewing this franchise by release date, just like all the original Trekkie fans did back in the day. This will allow you to follow along as they did and get a similar experience. While the timeline does jump around, ( Star Trek: Discovery , for example, is set at the end of the 32nd century but was released before Star Trek: Picard , which is set in the 24th century), it gives you a more complete picture. 

Because the Star Trek franchise involves movies and TV series that take place at different times, another option is to watch everything in chronological order. This means you get to start with something a little bit more modern, but the one problem with this is that references will often be made to films you've not yet seen, which could make certain elements difficult to follow. 

To be honest, just like we recommend in our guide to how to watch the Star Wars movies in order , it really is a matter of personal preference. As long as you have one of the best TVs , you'll find you enjoy this franchise no matter what order you decide to watch it in.

So, without further ado, here's how to watch Star Trek in order - based on release date and in-universe continuity...

Star Trek TV shows and movies in chronological order

This is probably the list you're looking for if you're trying to figure out how to watch Star Trek in order. It's where things get really interesting, as Star Trek movies and TV shows have a habit of jumping around the franchise's chronology with sequels, prequels and bits in between. There are even two distinct timelines – but don't worry, we'll explain all that.

The original ‘Prime’ timeline was started by the Original Series, the Next Generation-era TV shows, and the first ten movies, The alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline, meanwhile, was created in JJ Abrams’ first Star Trek (2009) to allow the familiar Enterprise crew of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov to have new adventures without contradicting canon . To avoid confusion, we've defined the two timelines as separate entities below.

This list doesn't, however, include all of the brief Short Treks – short stories which are mostly set around the Star Trek: Discovery era – and adventures where Starfleet crews time-travelled to the eras before any of the shows/movies are set (eg visits to 1986 in The Voyage Home and 2063 in First Contact). We've also left out upcoming Discovery spin-off Star Trek: Section 31 , since it's not yet in production. (Also, we're not entirely sure exactly when it'll be set.)

Let's start with everything in one big list. 

• Star Trek: Enterprise (seasons 1-4)
• ‘The Cage’
• Star Trek: Discovery (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
• Star Trek: The Original Series  (seasons 1-3)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series 
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture 
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan 
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock 
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home 
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier 
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country 
• Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 1-5)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 6-7), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: Generations
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 3-4), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 1-2)
• Star Trek: First Contact 
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 5-6), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 3-4)
• Star Trek: Insurrection 
• S tar Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 7), Star Trek: Voyager (season 5)
• Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 6-7)
• Star Trek: Nemesis 
• Star Trek: Lower Decks
• Star Trek: Prodigy
• Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences
• Star Trek: Picard
• Star Trek: Discovery (season 3-)
• Short Treks: 'Calypso'

If you watch in the order given above, you'll get a continuous ‘history’ of the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 32nd centuries according to the Star Trek timeline. That said, you will notice some odd discrepancies – thanks to the time in which respective shows were made, the technology in prequel show Star Trek: Discovery is significantly more advanced than what Kirk and Spock used in the Original Series.

Below, we'll explain how the different eras of the shows and movies break down for context. 

Note that Gene Roddenberry's original pre-Kirk Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage', is counted as an instalment of the Original Series. You'll usually find it listed as a bonus episode as part of season one when you're watching it on streaming services.

Star Trek: Enterprise era (22nd century) Begins and ends with: Star Trek Enterprise seasons 1-4

About a century before James T Kirk and his crew embark on their famous five-year mission in Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Jonathan Archer leads Earth's first steps into the wider universe.

Star Trek: The Original Series era (23rd century) Begins with: 'The Cage' Ends with: Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)

For many this is the most familiar era of Star Trek, since it involves Kirk, Spock and the classic Enterprise crew.  

This section of the Trek timeline kicks off with the original unaired Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage' . Next up in franchise chronology are the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , which work as a prequel to the Original Series (they even feature a younger version of Spock), but it's all change in season 3 – the events of the season 2 finale send the crew into the distant future of the 32nd century. More on that later...

Upcoming spin-off Strange New Worlds will follow the adventures of Captain Pike, Number One and Spock on the Enterprise after the USS Discovery travelled to the future. And at some point after that, Captain James T Kirk will take command of Starfleet's most famous ship – a role he filled throughout The Original Series , The Animated Series and the first six Star Trek movies ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ).

The latest point we've seen (so far) in the 23rd century era is James T Kirk being taken away by the Nexus ribbon in the prologue of Star Trek: Generations . This is the event that allows Kirk to meet Picard when the Next Generation crew take on the mantle of headlining the big screen franchise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation era (24th century) Begins with: Star Trek: The Next Generation Ends with: Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences

The richest, most complicated period in Star Trek chronology. During The Next Generation era, Star Trek was experimenting with the idea of a shared universe years before Marvel got in on the act, with three TV shows (TNG, Deep Space Nine and Voyager ) and four movies ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) interweaving through the same timeline – Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway even shows up in Star Trek: Nemesis as a newly promoted admiral.

New animated comedy spin-off Lower Decks is set a year after Picard and the Next Generation crew's final mission in Star Trek: Nemesis, while Nickelodeon kids' cartoon Star Trek: Prodigy will see Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Voyager's captain, Kathryn Janeway. That suggests it will presumably be set at a similar point in the Star Trek timeline.

In JJ Abrams' first Star Trek movie (2009), the destruction of Romulus and Spock Prime's accidental trip back to the pre-Original Series era (in the Kelvin timeline) also take place after the events of Nemesis.

In the list above, we've shown how the movies (roughly) fit into the chronology of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. 

Picard era (turn of the 25th century) Begins with: Picard Ends with: ???

Aside from glimpses of the destruction of Romulus in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Picard gives us our first post-Star Trek: Nemesis look at what the United Federation of Planets has become. 

Since we last saw Jean-Luc Picard, he's retired to his vineyard in France, an android uprising on Mars has led to a ban on all synthetic life, and a disabled Borg Cube (known simply as the 'Artifact') is being mined for technology.

Distant future (32nd century) Begins with : Star Trek: Discovery season 2 (finale) Ends with: ???

In order to save the galaxy, the brave crew of the USS Discovery set off on a one-way mission 900 years into the future in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 2 finale. Their 32nd century destination is new territory for Star Trek – thanks to the mysterious 'Burn', most of the dilithium in the galaxy has been destroyed, making warp travel impossible. As a result, the Federation is a shadow of its former self – even Earth has decided to go it alone.

This isn't, however, the furthest Star Trek has ventured into the future – Short Trek ' Calypso ' is set on the Discovery in a distant future where the ship's computer has become sentient.

Star Trek's alternate 'Kelvin' timeline explained

In 2009's Star Trek movie directed by JJ Abrams, Spock Prime tries to save Romulus from a supernova, inadvertently creates a black hole while doing so, and gets pulled into the past, along with Romulan mining vessel the Narada. Once there, the Narada attacks the USS Kelvin on the day James T Kirk is born. The ship is destroyed as Kirk's father, George, sacrifices himself to save the rest of the crew. 

When all that happens, the alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline is created, with events unfolding in parallel (but with remarkable similarity) to the original Prime timeline.

Got all that? There are just three movies set in the Kelvin timeline:

• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek TV shows and movies in release date order

• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986)
• ‘The Cage’ (previously unavailable Star Trek pilot from 1965, given VHS release in 1986)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) 
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017-)
• Short Treks (2018-2020)
• Star Trek: Picard (2020-)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-)
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2021, TBC)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TBC)

Considering The Original Series was cancelled after just three seasons in 1969, it's remarkable that Star Trek is still around half a century later. But as the show's popularity grew in syndication on US TV, Trek fandom became a big enough force for the five-year mission to resume via Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1973. Most of the original cast – with the notable exception of Walter Koenig (Chekov) – were enticed back to voice their characters. 

Then, helped by Star Wars turning sci-fi into the hottest genre in Hollywood, Star Trek beamed onto the big screen with 1979's The Motion Picture . The original crew headed up five more movies ( The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ) before bowing out in 1991. The ’80s also gave the world a hint of the Star Trek that never was when 'The Cage' , the original unaired pilot, was released on VHS in 1986 (it appeared on TV two years later). Of the pilot crew, only Leonard Nimoy's Spock went on to reprise his role in the TV show, though footage from 'The Cage' was used extensively in the Original Series’ only two-parter, 'The Menagerie'. 

While the Enterprise was making it big in cinemas, the franchise returned to its TV roots in 1987 with The Next Generation . Set over 70 years after Kirk and Spock's final mission, it featured a new crew – led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard – on board a new starship Enterprise. The Next Generation was arguably even more successful than the Original Series, spawning two spin-off series: Deep Space Nine (which began in 1993) played with the Trek format by focusing on a space station, while Voyager (1995) dumped its crew on the other side of the galaxy, hundreds of light years from home. 

The Next Generation crew also fronted four movies of their own ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) between 1995 and 2002.

After Voyager came to an end in 2001, Star Trek left the Next Generation era behind, and went in a completely different direction – Star Trek: Enterprise was a prequel set a century before Kirk and Spock's adventures. Enterprise lasted only four seasons, however (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager all made it to seven), and was canceled in 2005.

These were also dark times for the movie branch of the Trek franchise, as the disappointing box office performance of Nemesis had put the film saga on hiatus – it wasn't until 2009 that Star Trek warped back onto the big screen. 

Future Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams (already hot property as director of Mission: Impossible 3 and co-creator of Lost) gave the franchise an action blockbuster makeover, recasting Kirk, Spock and the rest of the original crew as rookies on their first mission. The reboot, simply titled Star Trek , made more than twice as much at the box office as any of its predecessors, and two sequels ( Star Trek into Darkness , Star Trek Beyond ) followed. 

Star Trek belatedly returned to TV in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery . Set a decade before the Original Series, it was a darker, more serialized Trek than we’d seen before – more in tune with the prestige shows of the so-called Golden Age of TV. As it’s turned out, it was just the beginning of Star Trek's renewed assault on TV...

A series of brief Short Treks appeared online ahead of Discovery's second season, while The Next Generation follow-up Star Trek: Picard left spacedock in January 2020. Animated series Lower Decks followed in August 2020, and Discovery spin-off Strange New Worlds – featuring Anson Mount's Captain Pike, Rebecca Romijn's Number One and Ethan Peck's Spock on the pre-Kirk Enterprise – is now in production. 

There's also another cartoon offering heading for the Alpha Quadrant, in the form of animated kids show Star Trek: Prodigy.

And there's potentially even more to come, as the much-talked about Michelle Yeoh vehicle Section 31 is still in development. But with Paramount Plus programming boss Julie McNamara telling Variety that the streaming service's current aim is to debut "a new Trek every quarter", we may have to wait for Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks and/or Strange New Worlds to stand aside before we get a new TV iteration of Trek.

To keep things simple, all the shows above are listed by the date their first episode aired. While the chronology does jump around if you watch Star Trek in order of release date, there are some benefits. For example, the prequel shows assume a fair bit of knowledge of earlier series, like the Borg's appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise episode 'Regeneration', or Star Trek: Discovery's revelations about the ultimate fate of Christopher Pike (the Enterprise captain in 'The Cage', who later shows up in 'The Menagerie'). Moments like that undoubtedly make more sense in the context of later events in the Star Trek timeline. 

How to stream Star Trek TV shows and movies

If you just want to know how to stream the 13 Star Trek movies and eight TV shows in the US and the UK, we've laid it out below. 

In the US, the newly rebranded Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access) is definitely the place to go, with every TV show available to watch. In the UK, Netflix hosts all the Star Trek series except for Picard and Lower Decks.

Watching the 13 Trek movies is a rather more complex affair, with the films spread across numerous streaming services in the US and UK – and some of them you'll have to pay to rent/buy.

The TV shows

• Star Trek: The Original Series ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Voyager ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Enterprise ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Discovery ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
• Star Trek: Picard ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (US: Paramount Plus US: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Generations ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek: First Contact ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Insurrection ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek: Nemesis ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Only available to rent/buy)
• Star Trek 2009 ( US: DirectTV UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
• Star Trek Into Darkness ( US : FX Now UK: Amazon Prime Video)
• Star Trek Beyond ( US: Amazon Prime, Hulu UK: Amazon Prime Video)

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Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard's happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he'll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard's name was Winter.

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All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Star Trek (2009) celebrates its 15th anniversary!

We’re boldly ranking the Star Trek movies by Tomatometer, from the original film series (1979’s The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country ), into the handoff to films featuring the Next Generation cast ( Generations to Nemesis ), and through to the reboot series (2009’s Trek to Beyond ).

Star Trek (2009) 94%

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) 93%

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) 87%

Star Trek Beyond (2016) 86%

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) 84%

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) 83%

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) 82%

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) 79%

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) 55%

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) 53%

Star Trek Generations (1994) 48%

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) 38%

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) 23%

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TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Trailer, poster art revealed

Emmy Award winner Paul Giamatti cast in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 + complete series box set arrives on Blu-ray & DVD in August

Star Trek receives prestigious Peabody Award for franchise’s impact on American broadcasting

A second Star Trek: Strange New Worlds novel coming April 2025

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episodes 1–3 Review: It’s good to be back

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Pliable Truths book review: An important story connecting DS9 and TNG

Star Trek: Discovery Series Finale Review: “Life, Itself” An embodiment of Roddenberry’s lofty ideals

Star Trek: Discovery 509 “Lagrange Point” Review: A Black Hole of Poor Execution

Star Trek: Discovery 508 “Labyrinths” Review: The (Inner) Voyage Home

Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer look back on Star Trek: Enterprise, and ahead to their new web series The D-Con Chamber

From TNG to Enterprise, Star Trek VFX Maestro, Adam Howard, shares stories from his career

Strange New Worlds director Jordan Canning talks “Charades,” the versatility of the series & Star Trek fandom

‘Star Trek Online’ lead designer talks the game’s longevity, honoring the franchise, and seeing his work come to life in ‘Picard’

Gates McFadden talks Star Trek: Picard, reuniting with her TNG castmates, InvestiGates, and the Human Condition

57-Year Mission set to beam 160+ Star Trek guests down to Las Vegas

John Billingsley discusses what he’d want in a fifth season of Enterprise, playing Phlox and this weekend’s Trek Talks 2 event

Veteran Star Trek director David Livingston looks back on his legendary career ahead of Trek Talks 2 event

ReedPop’s Star Trek: Mission Seattle convention has been cancelled

56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention

New photos + a sneak peek from the Star Trek: Discovery series finale “Life, Itself”

New photos + a sneak peek at Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 9 “Lagrange Point”

Star Trek: Picard — Firewall Review: The Renaissance of Seven of Nine

2023: A banner year for Star Trek — here’s why [Op-Ed]

‘Making It So’ Review: Patrick Stewart’s journey from stage to starship

54-Disc Picard Legacy Collection, Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Complete Series Blu-ray box sets announced

Star Trek: Picard series finale “The Last Generation” Review: A perfect sendoff to an unforgettable crew

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD this December

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Hegemony” Review: An underwhelming end to the series’ sophomore season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finale “Hegemony” preview + new photos

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 “Subspace Rhapsody” Review: All systems stable… but why are we singing?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” preview + new photos

Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals

Paramount+ Launches with 1-Month Free Trial, Streaming Every Star Trek Episode

Paramount+ to Officially Launch March 4, Taking Place of CBS All Access

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Season 2 Now Streaming For Free (in the U.S.)

[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations

‘U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook’ Review: A must-read Star Trek: Lower Decks fans

New photos from this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale

Star Trek: Lower Decks “The Inner Fight” Review: Lost stars and hidden battles

New photos from this week’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Warps to Netflix in July

Star Trek: Prodigy begins streaming December 25th on Netflix

Revisiting “Star Trek: Legacies – Captain to Captain” Retro Review

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Star Trek: The Original Series “Harm’s Way” Book Review

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First Six Star Trek Movies getting 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray collection, standalone releases

The comprehensive 15-disc collection includes the first six big-screen adventures featuring the original series crew in 4K Ultra HD

Star Trek fans will soon have new items to add to their home media shelves, as the first six Star Trek movies are getting released in 4K/HDR Ultra-HD — both as part of the 15-disc Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection and as single-film releases. The Director’s Edition of The Motion Picture released earlier this year on Paramount+ is also getting a special home media release.

Fans can already watch the first four Star Trek movies in 4K/HDR thanks to the excellent Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection released last year. But now Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (which has taken on renewed attention recently thanks to a certain Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode ), and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , the last TOS- era Star Trek movie, will be watchable in 4K/HDR for the first time ever as part of Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection , and as standalone releases.

The Star Trek: The Motion Picture included in The Original Motion Picture Collection is the painstakingly restored Director’s Edition, which recently became available for streaming on Paramount+. The Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan release includes that movie’s director’s cut, which was released in 2016, and theatrical cut. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is only presented in its theatrical cut, as is Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . The Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country release includes the theatrical cut of the film, as well as the Director’s Cut that was released in 2004 .

The Director’s Edition of The Motion Picture is getting a limited-edition collector’s set release, which you can pre-order here . This edition includes that movie’s theatrical cut and the “first-ever widescreen presentation of the Special Longer Version of  Star Trek: The Motion Picture , originally created for broadcast television in 1983,” according to the press release, as well as deluxe packaging with exclusive collectibles, including reproductions of original promotional material, a booklet with behind-the-scenes images, stickers, and more.

Check out a full list of features below.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition 4K Ultra HD

Ultra HD Disc bonus features

• Audio Commentary with David C. Fein, Mike Matessino, and Daren R. Dochterman — NEW!
• Audio Commentary by Robert Wise, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Jerry Goldsmith, and Stephen Collins​
• Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda​

Blu-ray Disc ™  bonus features

• Preparing the Future  – How the remastering began
• A Wise Choice  – The storied history of Robert Wise
• Refitting the Enterprise  – How the Enterprise design shaped future federation starships
• Sounding Off  – Exploring new dimensions of sound in Dolby Atmos
• V’ger  – The conception and restoration of an iconic alien antagonist
• Return to Tomorrow  – Reaching an already high bar with new CGI effects
• A Grand Theme  – Behind the iconic, influential music score that shaped the franchise’s future
• The Grand Vision  – The legacy and evolving reputation of this classic movie
• Deleted Scenes— NEW!
• Effects Tests— NEW!
• Costume Tests— NEW!
• Computer Display Graphics— NEW!
• Additional legacy bonus content

Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Cut — The Complete Adventure 4K Ultra HD

This Limited-Edition Collector’s Set includes all of the above, plus an additional 4K Ultra HD disc containing:

• The Theatrical Cut
• The first-ever widescreen presentation of the Special Longer Version of  Star Trek: The Motion Picture , originally created for broadcast television in 1983 

The set is presented in deluxe packaging along with exclusive collectibles, including reproductions of original promotional material, a booklet with behind-the-scenes images, stickers, and more.

Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection

This comprehensive 15-disc collection includes the first six big-screen adventures featuring the original series crew in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision and HDR-10. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture—The Director’s Edition  also includes Dolby Atmos).  Both  Star Trek V: The Final Frontier  and  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  are making their 4K Ultra HD debuts.  The set also includes access to Digital copies of each of the six films, as well as hours of new and legacy bonus content.  Below is a breakdown of disc contents:

• Additional Blu-ray with bonus content
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Theatrical Cut) – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
• Includes Director’s Cut
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
• Includes Director’s Cut 

The Original Motion Picture Collection , as well as the single-film releases, will be available on September 6, 2022 . Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for reviews of these items as they become available.

Check out the official packaging art below.

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the news on Star Trek merchandise releases, along with the latest details on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and more.

You can follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram .

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

July 6, 2022 at 3:10 pm

Anyone know if iTunes will auto-upgrade digital copies of each to 4K if they were previously purchased? Only asking because I think that that’s typically what they do, correct?

July 7, 2022 at 2:16 pm

Soooo… what if I’m interested in all six UHD releases, but want the extra TMP Theatrical/Longer Cut disc? I have to forego the set and buy them all individually?

Martin Paternoster

July 13, 2022 at 1:06 pm

You could but the individuals for II thru VI, and the Complete Adventure set. Then you’d have it all content-wise in 4K.

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Star Trek 4K 6-Movie Collection Boxset Review

Coming to our screens straight from the 70s, 80s, and 90s is this year’s Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection . From The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country . The movies have all been re-mastered for the second time this century, this time in 4K. This release follows on from last year’s I – IV set. This, at the time, oddly omitted the final two silver screen outings for the original cast on 4k and blu-ray. But what would we Trek fans be if not eagerly ready to double dip? Especially on what will likely be the ultimate releases of these films.

Fortunately, for those that purchased last year’s 4-movie set. Or those that really, really hate The Final Frontier . The films have all now been released separately. Before picking up the 6-movie set, it’s worth noting Star Trek: First Contac t was spotted in 4K on Paramount+ US earlier this year. So there’s a good chance The Next Generation movies will follow soon. So, if you want to be a little more frugal, it’s worth waiting for a complete movie set.

Although much like they did with the original blu-ray masters back in 2009, they may (and are likely to) release a TOS and TNG package separately alongside the complete set. 

The Packaging

The Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection box set includes the new masters in HDR and on standard Bluray. But trust this reviewer when he says that it’s worth buying one for The Motion Picture Director’s Cut alone. The disks themselves come in two ‘jumbo’ blu-ray cases. One for the 4K disks (in black) and one in the traditional blue for the standard Blu-Rays (including The T MP bonus disk).  The cover art continues the theme of last year’s release. A somewhat scattergun approach portraying The Original Series cast with images used from at least three different films. Also included are their villains and, oddly enough, the Phase II Enterprise again. The Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection’s inner cases have the same key art but are strangely utilized to create tall, cut-off portraits of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura. Even weirder, the art is still the same on the 4K and standard Blu-ray cases. You would have thought they would swap Uhura and Scotty out for Chekov and Sulu on one, at least. 

The sets’ disks themselves are uninspired. They have the standard reflective silver no-art, an approach that has become a staple of Paramount Trek releases. Another weird addition is a disk-shaped cut-out of the boxset art that’s included in the 4K box for some reason. I can’t see the purpose of it, it certainly won’t be featured on my wall any time soon. 

The Films – Technical advisories and historical context

My review of the Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection is based on viewing via a 4K HDR display. It has been noted in other reviews that the downsampling of the 4K scans to 1080p for the Blu-ray has led to some scenes feeling overly bright. This is partly due to the lack of HDR on that format, and a soft colour shift under some lighting, the screencaps provided here are from the Blu-rays.

In another oddity of this set, the Director’s Cut of The Undiscovered Country is only available in 4K. The Dolby Atmos logo is plastered all over the sets, but The Motion Picture Director’s edition is the only film with an Atmos track. While some may fondly put their 2009 master copies of the films on the TV and enjoy the experience, as a film student at the time I always found them oddly off-putting and ‘unnatural’ looking. It wasn’t until I discovered the process that had been used in their creation – Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) – that I understood why.

When the prints were scanned for blu-ray, at the time it was popular to erase the 35mm film grain much loved by more ‘traditional’ directors. To do this an automated tool went through and essentially blurred the image until it was no longer apparent, then went back through and sharpened the image to give the appearance of the resolution being restored. 

The film that suffered from this the most and so is most improved since the 2009 master in this release was The Undiscovered Country . Spock especially in various shots looked like he’d been taken right off a plinth at Madame Tussauds. I’m pleased to say this release has corrected the overzealous use of DNR. However, fair warning to those used to their 2009 blu-rays – the image does now appear softer – but this is as the directors intended. 

The Motion Picture – Directors Edition

Following the Paramount+ release in the US, the director’s edition of The Motion Picture has finally hit UK shores. While it certainly is an odd choice only to give this version of the film an Atmos track, it has never sounded or looked better. A lot of work has gone into this grounds-up remaster and it shows, building on the template Robert Wise set out in 2001 this film finally feels close to what TMP should have been from day 1. For example, the wonky effects shots are gone in favor of re-composited original footage that was found during the remaster and the odd bit of CGI to fill in the gaps – but you wouldn’t be able to tell while watching. 

My memory, like I assume many others, is of TMP as a fairly colorless film (in no small part due to costuming choices). This release has turned that on its head. The film truly ‘pops’ for lack of a better term in a way I never thought possible. It’s clear it’s been a labor of love for those involved and the light bouncing off the hull of the Enterprise truly makes you appreciate the artistry of those that built that iconic model.

The Wrath of Khan

The most popular of the original cast’s filmography finally makes it to 4K in a physical format! After causing many raised eyebrows following the 2015 re-release of the Director’s Cut and Theatrical editions only on standard blu-ray. Only for it to be spotted in the following years on the likes of iTunes in 4K. This release is however the least interesting in this box set given that it is just a re-release (on blu-ray at least), however like with the other films the HDR really elevates the color to another level. Unsurprisingly, the later scenes of the movie are the ones that benefit the most, the iconic 1701 reaches a new level of beauty pitted against the backdrop of the Mutara nebula as James Horner’s score fills your speakers.

The Search for Spock

The 2009 release of The Search for Spock , often referred to as the un (or less) loved middle child of the Genesis trilogy, was plagued with several issues. Colour timing – for example, the Enterprise bridge had a blue hue, not red, after its final battle. Then the opening credits are pillar boxed – a change that wasn’t present in any previous (or now later) release. I’m happy to report these issues alongside the DNR mentioned above have been fixed. Returning the film to what is likely to be the closest to the opening night theatre experience that we will get. While some effects shots don’t hold up too well, thinking specifically about Kruge’s fall. The majority of the film makes the journey to 4K in good standing. The destruction of the Enterprise and the death of David remain an emotional one-two gut punch. Additionally, the vibrant sunset as the Enterprise streaks across the sky takes on new life with HDR.

The Voyage Home

The joyous time travel romp that closes out the Genesis Trilogy was one of the better, though still troubled parts of the 2009 release. It was helped in a lot of ways by the nature of the film and how it took place on contemporary Earth. I imagine this made the color timing easier for those doing the master back in 2009, but there were still plenty of issues. Most notably the odd cyan tint that seemed to affect almost everything. The film is set in the present day and uses more live locations compared to the previous TMP era films did however cause some of the effects shots to look particularly bad after they had been through DNR and sharpening. The fishing boat at the end was a prime example with it looking like a toy that had been hastily put in with Microsoft paint when superimposed with the Bird of Prey. This new master fixes those issues and returns the film to its delightfully 80s natural state. It also reflects the sunny conditions under which a number of scenes were shot instead of it looking somewhat gloomy, much in contrast to the general tone of the film.

The Final Frontier

Despite having a bit of a tongue-in-cheek resurgence with its many references in Star Trek: Lower Decks The Final Frontier doesn’t hold a high position in many fans’ rankings. The film suffered from budget issues that are apparent throughout, especially in the effects department with it being the first Trek film not to rely on the talents of Industrial Light & Magic due to budget constraints. The previous master of the film seemed to take the approach that as much of this as possible should be covered up by cranking the saturation up in a number of scenes, most notably the ‘God’ encounter in the final act. The final result is that you could probably light up half of New York if you paused it at the wrong moment. This is thankfully fixed in this version, while also giving us a split-second look at the cut-for-budget rock monster that was originally intended to make an appearance and later found life in Trek fan favourite film Galaxy Quest .

The Undiscovered Country

We now come to the final Trek film to grace our screens in 4K (at least until – fingers crossed – next year) and it’s The Original Series casts swan song. This film when released in 2009 was a tough watch. On top of the DNR, there were also the color timing changes which amongst other things made Spock look slightly green and ill in many sequences. Well, that is gone in favor of much more natural skin tones in this master. The 4K disk as mentioned also includes the Director’s Cut. Featuring the late and great René Auberjonois in the Colonel West Scooby Doo-esque subplot. Much of the effects work is improved as well with improved contrast in HDR, be fairly warned though that this does not include the very 90s CG pink blood. Which sticks out like a sore thumb to this day (while also making no sense with every other Klingon appearance).

If you’re looking to re-live the theatre experience of the original casts’ movies, you’re not going to get any closer than having the Star Trek 4K 6-Movie Collection editions with a good quality screen, some may argue it’s even an improved experience. Having only watched the Director’s Edition and Wrath of Khan re-release in cinemas this past summer in the UK I won’t make that claim on behalf of all of the films though.

It’s undeniable that these are improved (even on the standard Blu-ray versions) over the 2009 masters though. The films all have a much more natural look to them and are rid of (invented) excess detail. The Star Trek Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection is available now from all retailers.

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You Can Finally Stream All the Star Trek Movies in One Place

Surely, the best of times.

Most science fiction movie franchises that get past six films are fairly impressive. Way back before the MCU blew up in 2012 or the Star Wars sequels began in 2015, sci-fi film franchises generally didn’t get into the double-digits. In fact, the seemingly immortal Planet of the Apes franchise just now released its 10th film overall. Star Wars has 11 theatrical films, but five of those all came out in the last nine years. This summer, the Alien franchise will release its ninth film in very fragmented continuity, which funnily enough, has the subtitle Romulus , a term that was arguably popularized by the scrappiest science fiction franchise of them all — Star Trek .

While it's tempting to think of Star Trek as primarily a TV sci-fi empire (there are 11 distinct shows, with a 12th in production) the fact is, as a film franchise, Star Trek is not only massive but also extremely durable. And as of right now, every single Star Trek movie — from 1979 to 2016 — are all streaming on Paramount+. Here’s why even someone with a casual interest in science fiction or Star Trek should binge these movies ASAP.

In 1979, a TV series getting turned into a major motion picture was not common. Before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the best examples of TV shows having feature film versions were the 1954 Dragnet and the 1966 Adam West-led Batman . What made Star Trek: The Motion Picture significant is that not only was it a TV series-turned-movie, but it was also released a decade after the show had been canceled. On top of this, it was a major aesthetic redesign for the entire concept. While Star Trek: The Original Series was known for its over-the-top colors and melodramatic action-adventure-oriented directorial choices, The Motion Picture was a contemplative epic, directed by cinema legend Robert Wise, with a graceful score from Jerry Goldsmith. For any of its faults, Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t an attempt to emulate Star Wars. If anything, it was the exact opposite.

And from 1979, each Star Trek movie — to some degree — has been a departure from the previous installment. While the films sometimes struggled to translate the smaller-stakes brilliance of the episodes of the various series into big tentpole events, there’s no denying that each Star Trek film is utterly dissimilar to all other Star Trek films. With 1982’s crowd-pleasing favorite The Wrath of Khan , director Nicholas Meyer solidified a nautical flavor and mashed it up with a revenge thriller. Directing two back-to-back films, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home , Leonard Nimoy created one movie about a spiritual journey and another film about environmentalism. By the time you get to Meyer’s other Trek film, The Undiscovered Country , you’re dealing with a deeply political film with smart commentary on the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the dangers of nationalism in general.

And that only covers through 1991! The four films spanning The Next Generation crew’s jump to the big screen are equally diverse in themes and concepts. While 1994’s Generations explores ideas of mortality and addiction, 1996’s First Contact reimagined the Trek revenge film with the hero as the person at fault. And though Insurrection (1998) and Nemesis (2002) are generally considered some of the weakest films in the franchise, the performances from guest villains F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hardy are outstanding.

Data (Brent Spiner) and Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) battle the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact .

In 2009, J.J. Abrams famously rebooted the Trek franchise with a new film simply titled Star Trek . While this film still creates a fair amount of controversy in hardcore Trekkie fandom circles, it is probably the best J.J. Abrams movie ever, and holds up extremely well as a great contemporary blockbuster, 15 years after its release. Star Trek Into Darkness , its 2013 sequel, is probably one of the least-loved Trek films of all time, but that doesn’t mean that Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on Khan isn’t fantastic. Nor, can anyone ignore the brilliant spectacle of the film in general. But it was 2016’s Star Trek Beyond that provided one of the most well-balanced Trek movies since The Wrath of Khan. Helmed by Fast and Furious alum Justin Lin with a script co-written by Lin, Simon Pegg, and Doug Jung, Into Darkness’ much-superior follow-up movie showed a deep, deep love for the flavor of The Original Series.

Since 2016, there have been no new Star Trek films in theaters. Instead, the franchise has expanded significantly in the medium of streaming TV, while various plans for a new Star Trek movie have remained stalled for more reasons than even Data could recall off the top of his head. Late 2024 will see the release of the first direct-to-streaming Trek movie — the highly anticipated sci-fi spy flick Star Trek: Section 31 , starring Michelle Yeoh. After that, a new Trek “origin story” movie, directed by Toby Haynes, is expected sometime in 2026, just in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.

Whether or not that movie will actually beam down is unclear. But, until then, if you want to experience a wide variety of sci-fi adventures, set in a cozy, yet compelling future, you can’t do much worse than to binge all the Trek movies, starting at the very beginning.

All 13 Star Trek feature films are streaming on Paramount+.

• Science Fiction

The 25 best time travel movies ever made, based on data—and no, #1 isn't 'Back to the Future'

Posted: July 6, 2024 | Last updated: July 6, 2024

Best time travel movies

Many films come with an escapism element, the ability to separate ourselves from our current timeline and reality to imagine an alternate time or place. It is a common feature in entertainment, which can serve as an outlet to explore our fears, dreams, and hopes for the future. Many movies take their characters on a journey to the past or future in hopes of teaching profound lessons, offering new perspectives, or simply presenting a challenge or a solution to a problem that they are facing in their current timeline. They expand the reach of what we think is possible in our current lives.

To celebrate these innovative and time-twisting tales, Stacker compiled data on the top time travel movies to come up with a Stacker score—a weighted index split evenly between IMDb and Metacritic scores. To qualify, the film had to involve some sort of time travel (be it literal, like "Back to the Future," or metaphysical, like "Donnie Darko"), have a Metascore, and have at least 5,000 votes. Ties were broken by Metascore and further ties were broken by IMDb votes. These films are some of the most memorable and culturally significant time-travel adventures in American cinema.

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#25. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

- Director: Leonard Nimoy - Stacker score: 82.3 - Metascore: 71 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Runtime: 119 minutes

The famous space travel franchise's fourth film takes well-known USS Enterprise crew members Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and others into an interesting mission. The crew, living in 2286, must travel back in time to 1986 to find humpback whales. The extinct animals are the only species that can understand messages from a foreign probe threatening Earth.

#24. Predestination (2014)

- Directors: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig - Stacker score: 82.3 - Metascore: 69 - IMDb user rating: 7.5 - Runtime: 97 minutes

Ethan Hawke plays a time traveler who races against time to keep a foe from killing innocent people. The film spans through several points in the 1960s and 1970s, taking its protagonist on a twisty trip that brings up surprises until the last minutes. "Predestination" is based on "All You Zombies," a science-fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein, about paradoxes that happen due to time traveling.

#23. Pleasantville (1998)

- Director: Gary Ross - Stacker score: 83.4 - Metascore: 71 - IMDb user rating: 7.5 - Runtime: 124 minutes

This comedic film takes brother and sister duo David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) on a strange trip. David's love for 1950s television leads to him meeting a man who is able to put him and his sister inside an ongoing program. Jennifer stirs up drama among the cookie-cutter people to the chagrin of David.

#22. Source Code (2011)

- Director: Duncan Jones - Stacker score: 85.1 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 7.5 - Runtime: 93 minutes

A military pilot (Jake Gyllenhaal) sees the last minutes of a man's life during a mission that takes him back to that point in time. He's supposed to deduce who the responsible party is in the train accident to bring him to justice. But, the pilot takes things to the next level, going against the clock to attempt to prevent things from going awry in the first place.

#21. Time Bandits (1981)

- Director: Terry Gilliam - Stacker score: 85.1 - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 7.0 - Runtime: 110 minutes

Kevin (Craig Warnock) is a preteen history lover who meets dwarves in his room. The tiny beings work for a Supreme Being and are slipping through holes in time to take treasures. Kevin goes with them as they hop around and meet famous historical people while trying to stay two steps ahead of the Supreme Being.

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#20. Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

- Director: Doug Liman - Stacker score: 85.7 - Metascore: 71 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 113 minutes

Tom Cruise stars as William Cage, a military officer who dies and ends up in a time loop. He continues to relive his terrible (and deadly) final moments until he levels up his knowledge and skills. Cage slowly moves towards the initial mission to fight aliens threatening Earth. Emily Blunt stars opposite Cruise as a sergeant who understands what he is experiencing and works with him.

#19. Evil Dead II (1987)

- Director: Sam Raimi - Stacker score: 85.7 - Metascore: 72 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Runtime: 84 minutes

Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) continues his battle against demons as his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) becomes possessed by an evil spirit. He realizes that he may be stuck in this remote cabin in the woods and must fight foes who arise from a mysterious audiotape. Towards the end of the film, Ash and his car travel through a portal and end up in 1300 A.D. for a bizarre ending that no one could predict.

#18. Groundhog Day (1993)

- Director: Harold Ramis - Stacker score: 86.9 - Metascore: 72 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 101 minutes

What would you do if you had to live the same day over and over again? This is what happens to Phil Connors (Bill Murray), a TV weatherman covering Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney who ends up in a time loop. He begins to realize some things about himself, and others, while stuck in this seemingly endless day. The film's popularity led to the term "groundhog day" becoming synonymous with being stuck in a time loop.

#17. Run Lola Run (1998)

- Director: Tom Tykwer - Stacker score: 87.4 - Metascore: 77 - IMDb user rating: 7.6 - Runtime: 80 minutes

Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), a Berlin criminal, brings stolen goods to his boss and loses money he owes him. The boss gives him 20 minutes to conjure the funds, leading Manni to enlist his girlfriend Lola (Franka Potente) to come up with the money in a race against the clock, which keeps running through that same period as she makes choices.

#16. Superman (1978)

- Director: Richard Donner - Stacker score: 87.4 - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Runtime: 143 minutes

Based on the iconic DC Comics character, this film follows Kal-El's (Christopher Reeve) journey from his home planet, Krypton, to becoming Superman, an all-American hero. He goes from being adopted by Midwestern farmers to discovering his powers and fighting an evil force while working undercover as a reporter. At one point, Superman flies around the world so quickly that the Earth spins another way, making time go back so he can undo events with tragic consequences. 

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#15. 12 Monkeys (1995)

- Director: Terry Gilliam - Stacker score: 88 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 129 minutes

Bruce Willis plays James Cole, an incarcerated man living in the 2030s. Humans live underground after an apocalyptic event nearly kills everyone. He's given a chance to travel back to the '90s and gather information about a plague that will have big future consequences. The goal is to find out more information about the Army of the Twelve Monkeys, who may have been responsible for this earth-shattering event. But things don't go as expected, a classic trope in time travel tales.

#14. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

- Director: Bryan Singer - Stacker score: 88 - Metascore: 75 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 132 minutes

Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, goes back in time to 1973 to gather past X-Men to change a moment in time to help save them from the Sentinels. The latter group is a killing collective eradicating anyone who possesses a mutant gene. The film gained an Oscar nomination for its visual effects.

#13. Palm Springs (2020)

- Director: Max Barbakow - Stacker score: 89.7 - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Runtime: 90 minutes

Two strangers meet at a wedding in Palm Springs and end up stuck in a time loop. They relive the same day over and over again with weird circumstances taking over while they eventually fall in love with each other. The pair have to find a way to get out of this wedding day circle so they can resume their lives once again.

#12. Midnight in Paris (2011)

- Director: Woody Allen - Stacker score: 90.3 - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Runtime: 94 minutes

Writer Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) is on vacation in Paris when he decides to traverse around the city. Gil runs into a strange collective who take him back in time every night at midnight. He meets iconic people from yesteryear and starts to reevaluate his life, and romance with his fiancée.

#11. Looper (2012)

- Director: Rian Johnson - Stacker score: 90.3 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Runtime: 113 minutes

In this film, time travel is a commodity that only certain people can afford. People like Joe, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, capitalize on it by using their hitman skills to complete jobs for a crime group. Set in 2044, Joe goes back several times in the past before his employer aims to stop his loop by sending future Joe (Bruce Willis) to kill his younger self. "Looper" is written and directed by Rian Johnson of "Star Wars" and "Knives Out" fame.

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#10. Planet of the Apes (1968)

- Director: Franklin J. Schaffner - Stacker score: 90.9 - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 112 minutes

A group of astronauts crash onto a planet in the far future where apes have the upper hand over humans. The primates can walk, talk, and have a complex social system that includes enslaving humans. The group finds themselves having to switch roles and become the "lesser" species. "Planet of the Apes" sparked a film franchise years later and was inducted into the Library of Congress' Film Registry in 2001.

#9. Interstellar (2014)

- Director: Christopher Nolan - Stacker score: 91.4 - Metascore: 74 - IMDb user rating: 8.6 - Runtime: 169 minutes

Set in 2067, this film shows Earth on the brink of destruction from storms and farming woes. Professor Brand, played by Michael Caine, plans to save the planet by sending people into a wormhole to another place. A few researchers test this travel plan and end up in different places and times to see where people can possibly inhabit.

#8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

- Director: James Cameron - Stacker score: 91.4 - Metascore: 75 - IMDb user rating: 8.5 - Runtime: 137 minutes

Linda Hamilton returns as Sarah Connor, who aims to protect her young son John (Edward Furlong) from yet another (and more dangerous) Terminator. The cyborg intends to kill John, thereby preventing him from his future role in a resistance movement. Sarah, John, and T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) work together to keep John, and the future resistance, alive.

#7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

- Director: Alfonso Cuarón - Stacker score: 92 - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 142 minutes

Titular hero Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) continues his studies at the magical Hogwarts School. He realizes Sirius Black, an escaped prisoner, wants to kill him. Harry and his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) must work together to defend the school while Harry realizes his true connection to Black.

#6. Star Trek (2009)

- Director: J.J. Abrams - Stacker score: 92 - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.9 - Runtime: 127 minutes

A modern take on the classic space traveling series, this film goes back in time to show James T. Kirk, Spock, and Uhura's (Zoe Saldana) journeys in their younger days. Kirk, portrayed by Chris Pine, inadvertently makes his way onto the USS Enterprise and rises to power while they fight dangerous threats. Spock's (Zachary Quinto) future self makes an appearance to aid him in making a sage decision.

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#5. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

- Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo - Stacker score: 92.6 - Metascore: 78 - IMDb user rating: 8.4 - Runtime: 181 minutes

Five years after Thanos eliminated half of the living beings across the universe, the remaining Avengers band together to bring everyone back. The film includes the Quantum Realm, where time does not pass as it does on Earth and time travel is possible. Things end with a battle royale between the purple genocidal titan and all the super beings on Earth. The film marked the penultimate offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three of its release/storytelling schedule.

#4. The Terminator (1984)

- Director: James Cameron - Stacker score: 93.7 - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 107 minutes

The current year is 2029. A killer cyborg known as a "Terminator" goes back to 1984 to hunt Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). The killing machine (Arnold Schwarzenegger) stays on Connor's tracks as she uncovers the truth about her role in affecting humanity's future. Sarah must protect her family and stay alive so her son can fulfill a specific role.

#3. Donnie Darko (2001)

- Director: Richard Kelly - Stacker score: 96 - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Runtime: 113 minutes

In 1988, the title character (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a teenager dealing with sleepwalking episodes. He goes outside one night to encounter a massive, scary rabbit who tells him that the world will end in 28 days. Donnie, unsure of what is real or not, starts to go into a dark direction as time seems to go into flux for him, taking him into a different timeline.

#2. Back to the Future (1985)

- Director: Robert Zemeckis - Stacker score: 98.3 - Metascore: 87 - IMDb user rating: 8.5 - Runtime: 116 minutes

Michael Fox stars as Marty McFly, a teenager in 1985 who is friends with a strange scientist (Christopher Lloyd) named Doc. The latter's latest experiment goes wrong, throwing him back into 1955. He must find a young Doc and try to help him figure out how to get back to his correct timeline. Meanwhile, Marty also encounters his parents as their younger selves. The film has become a sci-fi classic, spawning its own franchise.

#1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

- Director: Frank Capra - Stacker score: 100 - Metascore: 89 - IMDb user rating: 8.6 - Runtime: 130 minutes

George Bailey is a man who is in over his head with family and general life problems. He considers dying by suicide but his family's prayers reach the heavens. His life is shown in flashbacks and an angel comes down to show him how much he matters to those closest to him. The now-iconic Christmas film was shot during the summer—in a heat wave, no less.

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Screen Rant

Star trek’s callback to leonard nimoy’s whale movie hints at what happened to a forgotten character.

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Star Trek & Whales: Earth’s Mammals Have Been Important To Starfleet For 37 Years

Bad boys 4 box office darts past massive global milestone, mark wahlberg's new movie is what the sequel to keanu reeves' 95% rotten tomatoes hit should've been.

• Star Trek: Prodigy references Star Trek IV with a whale named Gillian, who helps translate a communication problem.
• Dr. Gillian Taylor's impact on the future humpback whale population is acknowledged, leading to the existence of Starfleet's cetacean ops division.
• Animated Star Trek series allow for the inclusion of cetacean operations departments, as seen in Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Lower Decks.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 5, "Observer's Paradox"

A reference to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , affectionately referred to as "the one with the whales ", appears in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 5, "Observer's Paradox". In Star Trek IV, Starfleet fails to communicate with an alien probe inadvertently destroying Earth, so Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock suggests going back in time to retrieve two members of the species the probe wants to speak to: extinct humpback whales . Once Spock and Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) arrive in 1986 San Francisco, they enlist the help of Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks), a marine biologist dedicated to caring for humpback whales George and Gracie.

In Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 , Starfleet Academy hopeful Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) is assigned to the USS Voyager-A's Cetacean Ops department as part of Admiral Kathryn Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) internship program, where Rok is tasked with the care and feeding of Voyager's resident cetacean crew members. Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 5, "Observer's Paradox," written by Jennifer Muro and directed by Ruolin Li and Andrew L. Schmidt, introduces one of Rok-Tahk's new cetacean friends, a humpback whale named Gillian . Gillian is given a voice through the ship's computer (Bonnie Gordon) and helps translate the vocalizations of Star Trek: Prodigy 's Mellanoid slime worm, Murf (Dee Bradley Baker).

Star Trek IV is famously known as 'the one with the whales,' and it kicked off the franchise's fascination of the mammals ever since.

What Star Trek: Prodigy’s Whale Callback To Star Trek IV’s Dr. Gillian Taylor Means

Dr. gillian taylor from star trek iv makes an impact on the future.

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 5, "Observer's Paradox", calls back to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with the introduction of Starfleet cetacean Gillian, whose name is a clear reference to Dr. Gillian Taylor, and the impact that Dr. Taylor had on the humpback whales of the future. In Star Trek 's 23rd century, humpback whales were an extinct species, so Dr. Gillian Taylor's expertise was essential to ensure the health of George, Gracie, and the whales' offspring . To that end, Dr. Taylor voluntarily travels to the 23rd century with Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the USS Enterprise, where Gillian Taylor would be the only expert on humpback whales.

Star Trek never explains what ultimately became of Dr. Gillian Taylor in the 23rd century. Naming Star Trek: Prodigy 's whale Gillian, however, implies that Dr. Taylor not only remained with George and Gracie but also educated future scientists on the health and development of humpback whales as the whales' population increased. If not for Dr. Gillian Taylor, Starfleet's cetacean ops division would almost certainly not exist , since Gillian's work with George and Gracie led to the use of humpback, beluga whales, and dolphins as starship navigators. Generations of Starfleet scientists — human and cetacean alike — owe Dr. Gillian Taylor a debt of gratitude.

Given that Spock and Kirk bring George and Gracie to the 23rd century to communicate with the destructive probe, it's fitting that Star Trek: Prodigy 's humpback whale, Gillian, also assists with a communication problem by translating Murf's important message.

Cetacean Ops In Star Trek Ships Explained

Whales and dolphins in star trek are starship navigators.

Star Trek 's cetacean operation s division originated as an Easter egg on a map of the USS Enterprise-D in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual, written by TNG production designers Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda. The Technical Manual depicts the Enterprise-D's cetacean ops with navigation labs on two decks and explains that bottlenose dolphins and Takaya's whales serve as navigators. Despite the presence of cetacean ops in TNG, cetacean Starfleet officers were never seen on-screen in Star Trek: The Next Generation , likely due to budgetary concerns over showing the whales and dolphins of Star Trek 's cetacean operations in live action.

Animated Star Trek series don't have the same limitations as live-action Star Trek shows, however. After years of speculation about cetacean ops, Star Trek 's cetacean ops made its on-screen debut in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 10, "First First Contact", which also introduced the USS Cerritos' beluga whale officers, Lieutanants Matt and Kimolu. Because Star Trek: Prodigy is also animated, it's easy to include a cetacean operations department on the USS Voyager-A. The assignment is a great fit for aspiring xenobiologist Rok-Tahk, who befriends cetaceans just as easily as the namesake of Star Trek: Prodigy 's whale, Dr. Gillian Taylor from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home .

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'Star Trek: Prodigy' Season 2 Review: How Could Paramount+ Let This Show Go? 

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Editor's note: The below review contains major spoilers for Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2.

The Big Picture

• Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 is a thrilling and heartwarming continuation of the series, featuring time travel and strong character development.
• The animation and storytelling are top-notch, with themes that resonate with both children and adults.
• The series deserves more recognition and attention for successfully capturing the essence of Star Trek and its endless potential.

A year after Star Trek: Prodigy was cancelled at Paramount+ , the series has delivered one of the best 20-episode runs of television in recent memory with its long-awaited Season 2 premiere. It’s hard to believe that the home of Star Trek would let Season 2 — which is, by all rights, a love letter to the entire franchise, past and present — go to another streamer. Now Netflix will reap the rewards of the flawless, exhilarating storytelling it delivers, which will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. With its second season, Star Trek: Prodigy has taken the very best parts of a nearly sixty-year-old franchise and infused them with vibrant joy, hope-punk optimism, and fresh perspectives. Whether you’re a seven-year-old experiencing Star Trek for the very first time, a millennial who was raised on Star Trek: Voyager , or a die-hard Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, there’s something for everyone spread out across this season, and it will be a crying shame if these characters’ stories end here.

Season 2 picks up shortly after the close of Season 1, with Dal ( Brett Gray ), Jankom Pog ( Jason Mantzoukas ), Rok-Tahk ( Rylee Alazraqui ), Zero ( Angus Imrie ), and Murf ( Dee Bradley Baker ) adjusting to their new lives in San Francisco as official Starfleet cadets. Some of them (namely, Rok-Tahk) are thriving within the structured educational system, while others (unsurprisingly, Dal) are struggling to find their strengths. Dal is also still reeling from the loss of Gwyn ( Ella Purnell ) as she embarks on her quest to prevent Solum’s future civil war. Dal and Gwyn remain the heart and soul of Star Trek: Prodigy and neither distance nor time travel chaos nor promotions bring an end to their sweet flirtations.

Admiral Janeway’s ( Kate Mulgrew ) quest to find Chakotay ( Robert Beltran ) continues throughout the season, and it honestly delivers one of the most satisfying storylines for these characters by paying off seven seasons of their dynamic from Voyager . Whether you wanted Janeway and Chakotay together romantically or preferred for them to remain just friends, you’ll be happy with how their reunion and the preceding antics are handled. With Hologram Janeway in Season 1, Star Trek: Prodigy felt like a spiritual successor to Voyager , but Season 2 is closer to a true continuation of that series, as Dal and his team are assigned aboard USS Voyager-A with Admiral Janeway at the helm and the Doctor ( Robert Picardo ) in sickbay.

Star Trek: Prodigy

A group of enslaved teenagers steal a derelict Starfleet vessel to escape and explore the galaxy.

‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Turns Wesley Crusher Into the Doctor

Across the first handful of episodes, Dal and the team face some pretty dire time-travel mayhem that sees Gwyn nearly erased from existence and the terrifying Loom threatening to eat up a host of timelines. For a series that is aimed at seven year olds, Star Trek: Prodigy is incredibly smart about how it introduces the concepts of quantum realities, temporal mechanics, and everything else that comes with jumping across timelines, jettisoning through wormholes, and coming face-to-face with the evil versions of Janeway and Chakotay in the Mirror Universe. But perhaps the most exciting wibbly-wobbly thing that Season 2 does is finally turn Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) into a roguish time traveler , following through on that Star Trek: Picard Season 2 tag that felt like it was going to get lost to time itself.

About halfway through the season, Wesley is revealed to be “the entity” that has been guiding Dal and the team (but specifically Murf) through their time travel antics. He's like Star Trek’s answer to Doctor Who , complete with a world-weary attitude that comes from being burdened with the knowledge of every timeline’s triumphs and tragedies, an upbeat sense of humor to combat that emotional baggage, and a healthy dose of mommy issues. This may actually be the best version of Wesley Crusher we’ve encountered thus far, and it’s made even better by how incredibly realistic the animation is. His character feels real in ways that the series has yet to successfully render Janeway and Chakotay; almost as though Wesley Crusher has jumped between not only timelines but the lines between live-action and animation.

Following her introduction in the back half of Season 1, Asencia ( Jameela Jamil ) proves to be a rather formidable foe for Gwyn. Not only does she ensure that Gwyn barely exists by toying with the timelines, but she also capitalizes on her own knowledge of how things will play out to gain insurmountable power and control on Solum, which threatens to destroy not just Gwyn and the Voyager’s new crew, but the whole of the Federation and their timeline. It’s quite fun to see a villain, who is remarkably similar to one of the young heroes, prove to be such a true threat . The fact that she is able to best even a Traveler like Wesley really underscores just how difficult she is to defeat this season. This plotline also allows for some really beautiful followthrough on Gwyn’s dynamic with her father ( John Noble ) that was first introduced in Season 1, and it heals the wounds left by how terribly he treated her.

Characters Remain At the Forefront of the Storytelling in 'Star Trek: Prodigy' Season 2

Star Trek: Prodigy ’s overarching plot for Season 2 is fixing the broken timelines and ensuring that everyone returns to their rightful place in time, but it also ensures that each character’s individual subplots are given ample time to develop and evolve as the cast grows up before us. At the end of the day, the series is about a ragtag bunch of teenagers who have been thrust into political turmoil and the daily dangers of Starfleet and the Federation, but it’s still a teen drama with all of the dressings of one.

Zero’s subplot is one of the most compelling arcs in Season 2 . From the first episode, Prodigy introduces the Medusan’s desire to be like those around them: able to feel and experience all of life’s little pleasures. There are a lot of throwaway lines about wishing they could know what touch feels like, some of which are met with empathizing from the Doctor, while other moments are just pining for those connections. Early on in the season, Zero forms an unexpected connection with the newcomer Maj’el ( Michaela Dietz ), a young Vulcan aboard Voyager-A who becomes a quick ally to the former crew of the Protostar. By Episode 8, Zero gets their chance to experience life as a caporal being when the crew arrives on a mysterious planet occupied by fellow Medusans. Zero gets a few episodes to fully enjoy all of life’s little pleasures within this body before tragedy strikes, forcing them back into their metallic container. Fortunately, they receive a much-needed upgrade that allows them to still feel touch (including Maj’el’s). The entire plotline feels so very Trek, as it grapples with themes of existence and what makes for a fulfilled one. It’s heartening to have a series aimed at a younger demographic that is so unafraid to tackle such larger-than-life themes with so much heart.

Another notable subplot is Chakotay’s. When Dal and co. finally come to his rescue, he’s been marooned for roughly a decade, in a very “New Earth”-style situation, and he’s very closed off and hardened by what he’s faced. As with everyone who encounters the former crew of the Protostar, Dal and his friends inject a much-needed dose of hope into Chakotay’s life, which pushes him to reflect on things. This plotline also allows Prodigy to explore grief through the loss of Chakotay’s first officer, Adreek ( Tommie Earl Jenkins ), which further forces him to face the situation head-on and process how it might affect the relationships around him. And because Season 2 relies heavily on bouncing around through different timelines , it also means we get to enjoy storylines where Chakotay doesn’t make it off Solum and how that affects Janeway; how Dal and co. are processing the loss of Hologram Janeway; and what it might be like for Chakotay to face off against a truly evil version of himself (courtesy of the one and only Mirror Universe).

How Does ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 End?

There is no guarantee that Star Trek: Prodigy will receive a much-deserved third season ( or a seventh season ), which doesn’t make sense considering how incredible Season 2 is. Despite ending with a tease about what might lie ahead for these characters, the final episode feels like a bittersweet goodbye . It features a beautiful montage of some of the best and brightest scenes from across the two seasons, as the timeline is knit back together, and crisis is averted, and it’s a tear-jerker, despite being a joy-filled moment.

With the time travel chaos in the rearview mirror, Admiral Janeway has new plans for her band of proteges . She, alongside Chakotay and the Doctor, summons the newly minted Starfleet ensigns to the shipyard to see the brand-new U.S.S. Protostar that has been deemed “only suitable for exploration.” Luckily, she’ll fly in a new pilot program that Janeway is putting together, and we’re looking at the crew who will become a “beacon of light” wherever they travel, much as they have been a beacon of light to this franchise for the last three years. While Dal has spent forty episodes envisioning himself as the captain of his own ship—just as he was aboard the Protostar—he comes to realize that his true place is as the first officer to Captain Gwyndala. It’s a natural progression from the dynamics first laid out in the premiere, and a perfect reflection of an era of Star Trek first established by Voyager .

Star Trek: Prodigy begs the question: what is Paramount doing with the Star Trek IP, if they aren’t going to wholeheartedly embrace the series that are doing Star Trek best? It may be a series aimed at children, but aren’t they the future of all franchises? Shouldn’t we be investing in them, capturing their interests, and leading them into the storied halls of a franchise that has so much to offer? Prodigy isn’t the only Star Trek property that’s been left with a giant question mark above its future. It’s unclear if Paramount+ ever intends to follow up the masterpiece that was the final season of Star Trek: Picard , but at least Star Trek: Prodigy delivers a moment that fans were desperately hoping to see. As the final episode of Season 2 draws to a close, Wesley takes Janeway’s advice and drops in to see his mother, Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ), who introduces him to his baby brother, Jack Crusher. It’s a beautiful moment that really underscores how well Prodigy has striven to connect all the various Star Trek series in unexpected ways.

This may not be goodbye for good, but Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 certainly feels like a goodbye for now. However, we part ways knowing that these kids are out there spreading the joy they’ve brought for two seasons, and at the end of the day, this franchise has always had endless potential. Whether it returns for Season 3, in a novel or comic, or ten years down the line in live-action, Star Trek: Prodigy has delivered top-tier storytelling that deserves to be remembered as some of the best this franchise has to offer.

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 sees Dal and co. face off against timeline-eating monsters and reunite with beloved characters from Star Trek: Voyager.

• Season 2 balances the nostalgia of bringing in more Star Trek: Voyager and The Next Generation characters with the cast of Prodigy.
• The animation feels even more elevated compared to Season 1.
• The plot comes to a natural conclusion while leaving the door open for future adventures.
• The storylines deliver so much: heartbreak, grief, love, friendship, and the core themes that make this series one of the best.

Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming now on Netflix.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

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• Trivia Almost everyone in the cast became life-long friends. At LeVar Burton 's 1992 wedding, Brent Spiner served as best man, and Sir Patrick Stewart , Jonathan Frakes , and Michael Dorn all served as ushers. Man of the People (1992) (#6.3) aired on that day.
• Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

• Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
• Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
• Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

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