William Shatner’s Favorite Star Trek Movie Is One Of The Worst

William Shatner will always be an integral part of Star Trek‘s legacy, but his favorite movie in the franchise is actually one of the worst. Jumping into the Captain’s chair after the first pilot failed to launch, William Shatner’s portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk helped make Star Trek one of the most groundbreaking TV series of all time.

Suave and cool under pressure, Kirk was both a quintessential action hero and an example of creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the elevated human. Shatner’s quirky mannerisms were underscored by legitimately strong performances, and that was further illustrated in his movies outside the Star Trek franchise. When it came time to make movies, Shatner returned as Kirk.

The Star Trek movie franchise has had its high points and its lows, but it remains one of the most consistent 10-plus-movie series in science fiction history. Even as The Original Series gave way to The Next Generation, Star Trek continued to pull in huge audiences when the Enterprise crew embarked on their big screen adventures.

Because he’s one of the elder statesmen of the franchise, William Shatner’s opinions on Star Trek carry a lot of weight. However, the Canadian legend generally keeps his thoughts to himself, and has always been busy pursuing other projects. Nevertheless, when he picked his favorite Star Trek movie, he certainly went against the grain.

William Shatner’s Favorite Star Trek Movie Is Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Captain Kirk looks on angrily in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

When asked his favorite science fiction films of all time, William Shatner spent most of his time heaping praise on movies other than Star Trek. However, he did pick Star Trek: The Motion Picture as his favorite film in the franchise, and even ranked it alongside classics like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and 2001: A Space Odyssey (via Trek Talk).

His reasoning was rather vague, and he mostly joked about it by saying that he enjoyed the “wonderful, handsome, dynamic leading man who played the captain.” Most of Shatner’s sci-fi movie picks seem pretty self-explanatory, and are generally considered classics, but Star Trek: The Motion Picture is regarded as one of the poorer entries in the franchise.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Is One Of The Worst In The Franchise

Spock looks on with concern while sitting on the darkened bridge in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Though it has merits, Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t a very auspicious way to start the movie franchise. Coming about 10 years after the cancellation of the TV series, Star Trek had gained a large and loyal fanbase thanks to syndication of the classic episodes. The first movie was crafted out of Gene Roddenberry’s plans for another TV show.

The Motion Picture saw the return of the original cast, and united them for a new adventure. The special effects and score were sweeping and grand, but its slow and plodding pace wasn’t the exciting space adventure that everyone was hoping for. The plot was also a bit too philosophical, something The Original Series always balanced well.

The franchise immediately corrected course with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and The Motion Picture has mostly been left to history. Despite its low standing in the Star Trek movie franchise, The Motion Picture was a massive box office success, and is still the highest grossing of the entire series when adjusted for inflation (via Box Office Mojo).

He May Not Have Actually Watched All The Star Trek Movies

James T. Kirk looks on angrily with a high-collared jacket on in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

William Shatner’s opinions on the Star Trek movies are important, but they must also be taken with a grain of salt. In a piece from Redshirts Always Die, Shatner revealed that he has a hard time watching himself perform, and that there are many episodes and movies from the franchise that he has never seen.

“I have never watched Star Trek,” Shatner said, “there are some movies I don’t know.” He explained that he watched Star Trek V: The Final Frontier because he directed it, but otherwise, “it’s all painful because I don’t like the way I look and what I do.” Considering he mentioned it, it’s assumed he also saw The Motion Picture.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is the only Star Trek film that William Shatner has ever directed.

This could explain why he didn’t pick a movie like The Wrath of Khan as his favorite, because he probably hasn’t watched it. Also, without the context of seeing the show, it might be difficult for Shatner to connect with the arc being told in the movies, even though he himself played a major role.

Shatner’s Love Of The Motion Picture Actually Makes Sense

Spock looks shocked while flying in space in Star Trek The Motion Picture

Assuming William Shatner didn’t pick Star Trek: The Motion Picture as his favorite arbitrarily, his decision actually makes a lot of sense. Among his favorites, Shatner listed films like Apollo 13, Contact, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and most of his sci-fi movie picks had similar themes. The Motion Picture fits alongside those films, even if it doesn’t match their quality.

It’s clear that he values certain concepts like hope and discovery above others, and his picks each deal with those themes pretty consistently. Star Trek: The Motion Picture is actually one of the franchise’s most hopeful, and its conflict is driven by exploration and communication, not overt violence. Later Star Trek movies would shift away from those ideas.