Star Trek

I think it depends where I wanted them to be in the series. If I just wanted them to follow the 2009 story, well then I'd show them the shiny explosion filled special effects masterpiece that is Star Trek 2009. It's a fun movie to watch, but it's not really what I -get- from Star Trek.

Plus I'm just a huge fan of Shatner and Nimoy, way better than Pine and Quinto. They did well, though, just different.

Of the movies, I'd probably start them on ST:TMP. It's not my favorite, but I think it's a good starting point. I'm always a fan of the beginning, though. It's just that in ST:II I think for someone who doesn't even know Spock, you don't get to see enough of him to feel the full impact of his death.

Then ST:III wouldn't work because if it's your first Star Trek movie, while I loved it, it'd be confusing and it's too much of a tie in to ST:II.

ST:IV was really funny, so maybe that one. Every time Spock started in trying to use "colorful metaphors" in his sentences, I got good amusement from. Maybe you'd have to know Spock though to think it's funny..

.....I guess I conclude, it'd be best to start with Star Trek: TOS.
But if it has to be a movie, ST:TMP.

I would pick INSURRECTION.

First Contact is a good action movie that even non-fans can enjoy.

Unfortunately, I think ST09 is the best option in today's society. Not enough young people know why or how to appreciate older films, regardless of quality.

2009, definitely. It's what won me over. It restrospect, I see it's issues, but it's definitely the right film to create a new fan.  

First Contact.

Wrath Of Khan

First Contact

I Would start With The Wrath Of Khan;Then Give Them a Choice From there.

I started with Wrath of Khan, so I guess I'd have to recommend it even though I no longer like it...Otherwise, I'd say Voyage Home or the Abrams movie, with the caveat that Shatner is much less of an annoying brat than Pine.

No, no, no.  the best movie for a non Star Trek fan to become a fan would have to be Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home.  I knwo this from experience as several of my non-fan friends have said that they like that movie.

For me, I would have to choose The Voyage Home because all you really need to know about this movie is that it's a time travel movie about the TOS characters going back in time to get some humpback whales to save the Earth in the future from being destroyed by a giant probe that speaks whale. Silly premise, good fun, great dialolgue, and very good character moments from Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov.

I pick Star Trek IV since it is the most light hearted of the movies and isn't too science fictiony since it takes place mostly in the present day (that is present from when it was filmed of course). It plays more like a fish out of water comedy like Crocodile Dundee, yet has a fairly decent time travel/save the earth thing going for it. I have a cousin who loves that movie and will even quote it and hasn't seen any of the other original or TNG Star Trek films.

I would absolutely NOT start with Star Trek IV, becuase it would simply set you up for failure further on down the road. Star Trek IV is nothing like the rest of the films...so even if you got someone "interested" in Trek with that film, you'd really just be "baiting and switching" them when you got to the other films. 

I think the same is true of Star Trek (2009). You can't introduce someone to the franchise through those avenues and expect them to be in it for the long-term. You might get lucky (and I'm sure many have)...but I would never start there. 

I started my wife (at the time girlfriend) on Wrath of Khan and went forward from there. She's now a huge fan, so that seemed to work great. 

hmmm....

I don't quite recall how much Star Trek I'd seen by that point but I'm pretty sure the first ST movie I saw was First Contact, and I had no problem understanding about Picard's capture or who anyone was.

Even non-ST fans know some of the basics of Star Trek, and one of them is "Klingons". They might be less familiar with the Borg but I think the basic idea of robotic/organic zombies taking over the ship is such a trope that it would not be too difficult to grasp. And Picard pretty much goes over the story of how he was captured in the Moby Dick scene with Lily. He also mentions it pretty explicitly to Riker at the beginning of the film, and other early scenes give enough hints for most new viewers to piece together a basic outline of what has happened in the past.

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I agree with vger about starting with Voyage Home, for those reasons already mentioned, and also because that's a movie where I don't think you would be confused, but you would have to be familiar with the characters in order to get something out of many of the inherent gags.

That's a good point. While I think the average viewer could enjoy the charm and wit of TVH, it's MUCH more effective if you know the characters well and allow the "fish out of water" element to really impact you.

It's the same argument I make against people who think a "Mirror Universe" movie would be interesting. The whole thing that makes the "mirror episodes" interesting is knowing the "real universe" character and having fun seeing their alter-egos!