The Star Trek television series was so popular that 10 full-length motion pictures were created from the plots and characters. From 1979 to 2002, Paramount Pictures supplied Trekkies with their fill of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Jean-Luc Picard and more. Below you will find information regarding the first, second and third films that brought us Klingon encounters and the wrath of Khan.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
In 1979, Paramount Pictures released Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which was the first feature film based on the science fiction-based TV series. In this movie and the five others to follow, the cast of characters is pretty much the same. Playing Captain James T. Kirk is William Shatner; Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock; DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard McCoy; James Doohan as Commander Montgomery Scott; George Takei as Lt. Commander Hikaru Sulu; Walter Koenig as Lt. Pavel Chekov; and Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Commander Uhura. In this movie, the U.S.S. Enterprise must battle an unknown alien enemy, which is destroying all it encounters. Kirk and crew are asked to save Earth before the aliens make damaging contact.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The second film based on the TV series is called Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which was released in 1982, is considered by some to be the most popular of all the Star Trek films. The way the tone and style of the film is presented seems to appeal to a wide-range of audience members. The character development of this film is also highly regarded.
In this film, the main enemy to keep your eyes out for is named Khan. He comes from the 20th Century Earth and is responsible for raiding the Space Station Regula One. Not only that, but he has stolen a top-secret device by the name of Project Genesis. Through the course of the movie, he also manages to gain control of another Federation starship, as well as has his sights set on destroying Captain Kirk, an old opponent. Overall, he wishes to destroy the world. This film brings us characters, such as Captain Clark Terrell (played by Paul Winfield) and Lieutenant Saavik (played by Kristie Alley).
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
The third film in the Star Trek series is called Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, which was released in 1984. The movie was promoted as a direct sequel from the second film and is often seen as a lighter take on the genre, offering a few humorous parts thrown in throughout the movie. After returning to port for some much-needed repairs, the Enterprise is alerted to the fact that it is planned to hit the scrap pile. The plot thickens with Dr. McCoy exhibiting odd behavioral patterns, which prompts Captain Kirk to steal his ship and race across the galaxy in order to save his friend. In this film, we are introduced to the Vulcan ambassador, as well as the Klingon Bird of Prey.