Not a great director. A great Trek director for sure, but what else is there. Time after Time is fairly good but not great. The Day After and Volunteers have their moments. Company Business and Vendetta are pretty forgettable. I'd like to see The Deceivers though.
It's pretty clunky and inconsistent, and John Scott's score is head-scratchingly butchered beyond belief. A shame, too, because it's the one element which could have lent the film what atmosphere, mystery, and threat it needed.
Well, okay you all bring up a good question. I'll stick with his work on Wrath of Khan. He's a pretty good script writer and understands the importants of characterization and story. As far as filming goes WOK was pretty straight forward. Nothing really stands out though I don't think there was anything off with the way he framed his shots. Actually now that I think about it there's some nice directional work in WOK as well as TAT.
Most of the films visual pizazz comes from ILM. We can't really give Meyer credit there, because it's my understanding he wasn't comfortable with special effects, and pretty much let the effects company do it's thing. He has a feel for set design, though it helps that I like his classical esthetics.
His directing of actors was a mixed bag. He got the best performance ever out of William Shatner, which is saying a lot. On the other hand some secondary actors were pretty cringe worthy, so it just may have been on the actor.
He's certainly a very good one, but Wrath of Khan notwithstanding, I've not seen anything to suggest Meyer is a great director.
Trek VI I find rather heavy handed, Time After Time a bit too lightweight. The Day After I thought was rather over-rated, although as a TV movie I suppose it isn't too bad.
I haven't seen The Decievers or Company Business in ages but can't recall being overly impressed by those.
Now, as a screenwriter, I think that is where his strength really lies. Apart from all the stuff he is known for, he has done a lot of uncredited script polishing or re-writes - he even re-wrote the last Bond movie I liked, Tomorrow Never Dies.
Well any man who directed TIME AFTER TIME, THE DAY AFTER (Anyone who dismisses this film because it's a "TV MOVIE" can't be taken seriously), TREK II and IV,etc proves he knows what he is doing.
THE DAY AFTER (Anyone who dismisses this film because it's a "TV MOVIE" can't be taken seriously)
I don't dismiss it because it was effective. After all it came at a time when the West was completely drenched in the feeling that if nothing changes, "IT" WILL happen very soon. "The day after" was a rather upbeat film compared to the far more factual no holds barred documentary styled "Threads". Knowing the reaction to "The day after", had the US been served a "Threads-version", it would have been shell shocked. Had the US in 1965 been served a US-version of "The war game" the whole country would have been totally of its rocker.
