Ranking the Enterprises Descructions (Films Only)

[Winter]

With Chuck's review of Beyond now out (which I think is the Most Underrated Trek Movie Ever) I would like to see which of the three films were the Enterprise was destroyed and see which one is the over all Best. Rules in place it HAS to be full on destroyed, severally damage but still in tact at the end of one film doesn't count as the Enterprise is still operational at the end. I'm also not counting Wrath of Khan as while it's true that it played a part in the Original Enterprise's Destruction it really only played a minor role in said destruction as I'll get into soon.

Before I go into said ranking I want to cover what Chuck said about how the Destruction of the Enterprise in Beyond is somewhat diminished by how much the Enterprise has gotten her butt kicked in so many films (Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, The Undiscovered Country, Generations, Trek 09 and Into Darkness). I agree with him but as I'll be covering soon I don't think that it's a bad troop and if done right I think it can still be great.

So, ranking the Enterprise's that have all been taken down.

3. Generations. Easily the Worst Destruction of the Enterprise to date in that it didn't go out taking out a fleet of enemy ships but rather got taken out by a single Bird of Prey while putting up a rather pitiful fight and needed to resort to technobabble to win the fight. The Enterprise D went up against Borg, Q, The Romulans, Klingons, and beings of otherworldly power and she gets taken out by a couple of villains using a cheat code.

However, the crash landing of this Enterprise is honestly a rather great scene IMO. I love how the music cuts out just as she hits the ground and how long the crash goes on for. It's such a great bit that it almost makes you forget how she was taken out in the first place. Almost.

2. The Search for Spock. Chuck covered why the destruction of the Original Enterprise was poorly done so I won't go into to much detail. At least in this case the old girl had only a limited crew which is why I'm not counting the battle against the Reliant as a part of why she was taken out. Even if she wasn't damaged she only had a crew of 5 with Scotty stating he wasn't expecting to take her into battle.

Still the fall of the OG Enterprise is bolstered by her great escape from the Space Station before this "fight" and the build up to her destruction is honestly very well handled with the cast really giving a great performance as they realize that the only way to win is to sacrifice their ship.

1. Beyond. I honestly think this is the single best time the Enterprise has ever been destroyed as, unlike the other two, it took an entire fleet to take her out and she just takes hit after hit after hit to be taken out. And even after crashing on the planet she still has enough kick left in her to help saver her crew.

What really helps this fight is that just how well the scene is shot. You really Feel every hit she takes in this fight and how the crew do everything they can to keep the Enterprise alive with Scotty using every trick he's got to try and save her and Kirk leading both from the chair and in the corridors. So when the moment comes when it's clear that saving the Enterprise isn't possible and Kirk gives the world to abandon ship you really feel for him. He and his crew really did do everything they could but in the end it wasn't enough.

I also love how, unlike the other times the Enterprise was taken out, this time it actually has impact on both the plot and the characters. As Chuck pointed out in his review, Kirk is likely thinking that he might, on a subconscious level, be at fault for the Enterprise's destruction here as he's desire to leave the captains chair only a little while ago might have caused him to not be thinking as clearly.

It also helps that the ones that took down the Enterprise are an enemy who had an solid understanding of a Federation ship and knew how to take her down and had access to ships that might have even given the Borg Pause given that the usual tech of Trek was useless against the swarm. Torpedo can't lock on, phasers have next to no effect and shields are useless. This is like Spider-Man going up against a fully enraged Hulk, sure he might get a few hits in but in terms of strength, speed and endurance there's no question who's going to win that fight.

So, while Generations of Search for Spock have their strong points I honestly think that the Destruction of the Enterprise in Beyond is not only one of the best space battles in Trek but also the best downfall of the Enterprise.

[Darth Wedgius]

For me, it was Star Trek III's, but not all my reasons apply to everyone. Mostly, that was the Enterprise I had the most emotional investment in. It also had Kirk being clever (admittedly it also had the Klingons being stupid), and there's a little emotional whiplash between the self-destruct codes being entered, the brief, nervous hilarity with Klingons on the bridge being completely unaware of just how bad a day they are about to have, and then BOOM.

And then, "My God, Bones. What have I done?" Shatner and Kelley sell it. She was to be decommissioned and scrapped, and this was probably better than that -- at least she got to explore one (literally) new world, and help save her crew -- but, to me, it felt like the loss of a main character. Star Trek was the voyages of the starship Enterprise, now short one Enterprise.

In comparison, to me, anyway, the 1701-D's demise felt like someone cleaning up a loose end from the series. She went "before her time," but there were "plenty of letters left in the alphabet."

Beyond's Enterprise I just didn't have that attachment too. It was an Enterprise, but, for me, it was never the Enterprise. And I never liked the design...

[clearspira]

The OG Enterprise in Star Trek 3 is everything that ''Beyond'' isn't. A ship with actual history, that we have been following since 1966, dying in a ball of flame as the actual Kirk, Bones and Scotty watch with horror. Poorly done, yes. But the emotions behind that death are so much more powerful than the reboot ship that I have followed through two meagre and one awful film being blown away.

[RobbyB1982]

Generations had a nice visual crash but it was pointless storywise and was entirely so they could do new movie-ready sets and model kits in the film. It didn't feel earned or like a proper last stand and well... you let Troi drive it once and...

Beyond was fine, served the story, but... no attachment to it.

The original is still the best. For all that Chuck is completely right about its destruction being narratively wrong, and that the ship should hav eproven right one last time instead... HOW it was handled was great. Seen from far away as just a blazing trail of light rather than a spectacle was nice, even if that was a budget thing. Kirk asking what had he done? "What you had to do; what you always do: turn death into a fighting chance to live." great line. And of course, the actual ship had *history*.

[AndrewGPaul]

As a scene self, the destruction of the Enterprise in Star Trek Beyond works best for me. It (and the destruction of the ship at the beginning of 2009’s Star Trek) have the most ... impact because you see it from the inside - it’s as much about what’s happening to the crew, and you can see how powerful these weapon hits are, rather than just a green line onscreen, some shaky camera work and “shields at 60%, Captain!”

Generations finally gave a great view of how big a Galaxy class starship is, compared to all the trees she ran into, The Search for Spock, with hindsight, reminds me about that story of Cortez or Lief Ericsson burning his ships when they landed in the new world - no going back now. That film was the first Star Trek I remember seeing, so history? Not really. that came later.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I'm gonna have to give it to Generations because it's a more fun to watch Riker square with the Duras sisters rather than a klingon that just wants notoriety.

I know both explosions since I was a kid though and Search for Spock definitely made more of an impression to remember. It's a great example of Kirk's prowess.

And really though the Enterprise gets pretty damn worked in Nemesis.