Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
This is probably still my favorite Star Trek movie - if I had to choose one. It is a very fitting end for the original crew and in my opinion has the most interesting plot. It may not exactly be a “to boldly go” story - more of a political thriller actually, but it does touch some of the core themes of what Star Trek is about. A goal of a positive and peaceful future for everyone, not condemning entire species for past conflicts and a belief in differences can be resolved through diplomacy and trust.
The Klingons are way more developed here than in the previous installments. Especially compared to the previous movie that only showcased Klingons as dumb thrill seekers. This is really Kirks story and how he comes to terms with his distrust for Klingons, as the goal for interstellar peace forces him to have other priorities than revenge for the death of his son.
Most of all, it is just a well crafted story with high treason, a great courtroom scene (special nod to Michael Dorn there), prison escape and Spock using Vulcan logic for crime solving. The movie keeps its comedic moments in small doses and respecting the mostly serious tone of the story.
A fantastic way to send off the original Enterprise crew - though they do get a bit of an encore in the next movie as well.
Rating: 4.5