Paramount
As of now, the “Star Trek” franchise has 13 feature films under its belt. The 14th, titled “Section 31”, is set to premiere on Paramount+ on January 24, 2025. The films have been met with varying degrees of approval by Trekkies. Some of these “Star Trek” movies are considered some of the finest sci-fi films ever, while others are regarded as the absolute worst. Nicholas Meyer’s 1982 offering, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”, is widely considered the best, while J.J. Abrams’ 2009 “Star Trek” has been the most commercially successful. The four films based on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” — namely “Generations,” “First Contact,” “Insurrection,” and “Nemesis” — have received mixed reviews, though many appreciate the Borg action in “First Contact.” My personal favorites are Robert Wise’s 1979 masterpiece “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” known for its intellectual grandeur, and Meyer’s “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” noted for its political leanings.
Quality of production varies across the franchise. “Motion Picture” is grand and imposing, while William Shatner’s “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” appears cheap, with its low-budget VFX and subpar sets. Some of the “Star Trek” movies showcase Oscar-worthy craftsmanship, while others have won Razzies.
Interestingly, only one film in the acclaimed franchise has ever been nominated for any Academy Awards. Not that the “Star Trek” movies were ever seen as Best Picture contenders, but one would think at least one film would be acknowledged for its sound, music, or VFX, right? Of the 13 released movies, only one Oscar has been awarded — to Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, and Joel Harlow for their makeup effects in Abrams’ “Star Trek” (2009).
The Oscars nominations for J.J. Abrams’ 2009 ‘Star Trek’ film
Paramount
The 2009 “Star Trek” by Abrams was nominated for four Academy Awards. It won for its makeup effects and was also nominated for Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Special Effects. All of this is well deserved, as the alien makeup in “Star Trek” was top-tier, and the film’s numerous starship battles and cosmic visual effects looked and sounded fantastic. “Star Trek” won its makeup Oscar over Paolo Sorrentino’s “Il Divo,” a biopic of Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti, and Jean-Marc Vallée’s “The Young Victoria,” a biopic of Queen Victoria. It’s well known that genre enthusiasts and sci-fi buffs always hope that the monster makeup and creature effects will triumph over the biopics and aging faces at the Oscars, and in 2010, they got their wish.
“Star Trek” lost both sound Oscars to “The Hurt Locker,” which eventually won Best Picture. The film was packed with war and combat effects, so it’s easy to see — or hear — why “The Hurt Locker” took home five Oscars.
For Best Visual Effects, “Star Trek” was nominated alongside Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi film “District 9,” but both were destined to lose to James Cameron’s “Avatar,” the highest-grossing movie of all time. “Avatar” was primarily praised for its groundbreaking, spectacular visual effects, which included creating nine-foot tall blue alien creatures that looked utterly believable. Any film nominated alongside “Avatar” was bound to lose, so the nominated effects-makers — Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, and Burt Dalton — were likely just pleased to be there.
And that’s all for “Star Trek.” The 2013 sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness,” and the latest feature “Star Trek Beyond” weren’t acknowledged by the Academy. “Star Trek” has since been absent from theaters. Whether another “Star Trek” film will ever be made remains to be seen.
Credit: www.slashfilm.com
