Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Back when the first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S. Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very best (with its main theme later used for Star Trek: The Next Generation). And, fortunately for Star Trek fans, the expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

A below-average Star Trek Film.

I am still amazed that there are people who will give this a 5-star rating. When first released the movie had one main attraction: The reunion of the original series crew. Being a huge Star Trek fan I went to see it in the theater three times. But even then, before any other ST films were released it was obvious there were problems. Even when you take in the "Director's Cut" that has since been released, updating the look and feel of the movie, it still suffers from one major problem: The story sucked! It ended up being nothing more than a rehash of a couple of shows from the original series.

Back in 1979 I listened to a radio interview with Walter Koenig after the movie was released and he basically stated that they started off filming with half a script. Because of the tightness of the shooting schedule there were many times they filmed with only an outline for certain scenes. The film feels that way. There are many scenes that seemed contrived, like the actors were winging it. Some of the acting was horrible (Persis Khambata), some of it was bland (Walter Koenig, George Takei), and some of it was just unecessary (Majel Barrett, Grace Lee Whitney). The best acting on the film was turned in by Stephen Collins (future dad on 7th Heaven - Seasons 1-5). His character was interesting. His constant sparring with Admiral Kirk was one of the highlights of the film, giving the picture a great tension within the plot. Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of Spock was OK for this film but lacked originality. At the beginning he's 100% emotionless but by the end of the film he embraces his emotions. This would have been much more interesting had we not seen it 3 - 4 times in the original series.

One other problem, there were times that the movie drags. Two scenes in particular: When Scott is taking Kirk over to the Enterprize in a shuttle we're treated to a 10 minute dragging "inspection" of the ship. Interesting for the first 5 minutes, it gets old quickly. But that pales in comparrison to the scene showing the Enterprize entering the Vger cloud. That seemed to go on forever. The only good thing about it, you had enough time to get up, go to the restroom, then stand in line to buy another box of Bon Bons, and still get back before it was over.

Are there things to like here? Absolutely! Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack was astounding! No wonder TNG stole it. And, again, the reunion of the cast 10 years after the cancellation of the series was fun to watch. But once you got to see Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) you really do realize how bad this movie was. Did they improve it when releasing the "Director's Cut" on DVD? Yes, but only the look and feel of the movie. Even with the extended scenes added, it still ends up towards the bottom of the Star Trek Movie list, just a bit above (maybe) Star Trek V - The Final Frontier (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition). July 20, 2008

An Ambitious But Ultimately Modest Film

I've always enjoyed Star Trek. Although it was never quite my favorite science fiction series, I appreciated it for what it was and simply loved many of the characters and ideals that it gave life to. As I've gotten older, I've become most fond of the original series. I was very young when "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released, and always seemed to just miss it when it was replayed on television. Having viewed most of the original series, I decided to pick the film up on DVD and give it a shot. What I saw was a drab, drawn out version of the colorful, often humorous series.

In this first film outing, an unknown alien force is making its way to Earth. On the way, it destroys Klingon and Federation ships. In an attempt to stop its progress and find out exactly what it is, Starfleet employs the Enterprise and her crew, headed up by Captain Decker (Stephen Collins, "Seventh Heaven"). Of course, the Enterprise without Captain Kirk (William Shatner)is like peanut butter without jelly, so Admiral Kirk boards the vessel per Starfleet and takes command. This opens up a brief but interesting divide between Kirk and Decker. It isn't until Kirk's conscious, Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), arrives that this feud is settled. The rest of the gang is already aboard the Enterprise, excepting Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who does eventually join up with his old comrades. Along with Decker, a new addition to the crew is the Deltan, Ilia (Persis Khambatta), who will play a key role later in the film.

As the Enterprise takes flight, the story of the unknown alien unfolds, and unlike most other science fiction stories set in space at that time, there is very little dogfighting between starships, hungry aliens or laser duels. Instead, there's a refreshing yet very "Star Trek" tale of a misdirected being looking for guidance. It's a wonderful story, but it's poorly executed.

In this DVD, the Director's Cut, Robert Wise takes Alan Dean Foster's epic story and draws it out to its limits. There are long sequences highlighting the vastness of space, the massive size of the alien entity, and even San Francisco Bay. Mind you, they are all very impressive to look at, but I feel as if some of them could have been a bit shorter. The team that dressed up this version of the film did many wonders with backdrops, sound fx and even the musical score. Perhaps the greatest improvements are those of the planet Vulcan, which looks simply brilliant in this film. The improvements, for the most part, are seamlessly tied into the 1979 film.

Jerry Goldsmith's score is brilliant. If any one thing keeps you from becoming too bored with this film, it's the music. Goldsmith masterfully captures the adventurous and epic feel of this film.

The cast do a decent job. While Nichelle Nichols, George Takei and Walter Koenig are relegated to window dressing for the most part, James Doohan and DeForest Kelley do get a little more time to shine. As expected, Shatner and Nimoy are at the forefront of the film. Collins does an excellent job as the somewhat jilted Decker. Persis Khambatta proves that bald can be beautiful and she's simply a wonder to look at on the screen. Fans of the series will also note the presence of popular series regulars Majel Barrett (Dr. Chapel) and Grace Lee Whitney (Rand).

The special features on this film are very nice. Highlights include a brief documentary on the ups-and-downs of getting the film to the screen, a neat look at the development of the new fx for the Director's Cut, and scenes from the original film that were deleted or altered for this updated version. Also included are scenes from the TV release of the film that were not in the theatrical release. Other obligatory extras can also be found.

For true fans of the original series, this is sure to be a treat. It was very much welcomed when it was first released due to the fact that the series had been off the air for so long. I'm sure that lifetime fans will also appreciate the updates made to this film. However, when compared to the rest of the Star Trek films (including the TNG ones) and, most importantly, the original series, this film is merely a hint as to what great stories were to come. Recommended for fans of Star Trek, completionists who want all of the films in the series, and fans of smart sci-fi who don't necessarily need to see a blaster or dogfight every five minutes to keep them interested. July 11, 2008

A film 22 years in the making, and worth the wait.

I must admit that I did not see Star Trek during its initial run. I was only 4 when it started airing in 1966. I did see it in syndication, and I saw The Animated Series on Saturday mornings. In 1979, my parents brought cable TV into the house, and it was on one of the Los Angeles stations that I saw my first trailer for Star Trek - The Motion Picture. I thought the Enterprise looked gorgeous. So when that December came, I saw the film in the theatre. It looked like Star Trek - all the people were there, the ship was there (and nicely updated), the basic premise of Star Trek was there. But it didn't quite feel like Star Trek. I still devoured it - it was Star Trek, which meant to me that it was still better than the vast majority of junk which showed up on TV and movie screens at the time (and still persists to this day, although SF/Fantasy has made great strides).

Then came the Extended Edition on VHS. Yes, the added special effects were very nice, but it still didn't feel like Star Trek.

This edition - Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) - finally gives Robert Wise the chance to do what he wanted to back in 1979 - finish the film he started making. Gone are the Red Alert "beeps" and silly computer voice-overs ("Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Location - a sonic shower."), and in its place is dialogue and the familiar Red Alert Klaxon (albeit not as strident as in the series). The editing has been tightened up and effects put in place to remind you that you're on a starship in space. All minor tweaks to the film. That's what it needed.

After 22 years, Star Trek - The Motion Picture finally feels like Star Trek, even while holding to Gene Roddenberry's initial vision of Star Trek as shown in "The Cage" as opposed to the remaining episodes. It's not the best film in the series, but it's not the worst, either, and its success at the box office paved the way for the film series. This is definitely the edition to get. June 26, 2008

If This DVD Is Not Your Favorite Star Trek Movie You Are NOT A True Original Fan Of The Series!

This review is for "Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)," and reflects upon my connections to Star Trek and why I believe it is the best of the movies. It is not a rehash of what is or is not in the film. Other reviews have gone out of their way to provide that "information."

Imagine, if you can, seeing "old friends," with whom you had spent numerous hours intellectualizing and debating, for the first time in over 10 years--because they had inexplicably disappeared! This is what happened for me around 7 December 1979. After years of rumors and slowly waining belief, I sat in front of the big screen in an old fashioned Studio Movie Theater and saw my "old friends." In that theater with me were over fifteen friends, all in awe as the camera slowly and gracefully paid homage to the Starship Enterprise and each of her crew members--our "old friends" were back! We were "in heaven, man!" And we spent all of our college break discussing (and going to see again) "Star Trek: The Motion Picture."

Now, imagine after another 22 years, seeing those "old friends" show up "looking" far better--and the way you imagined they should have appeared when you saw them again for the first time! If you can imagine this happening, then you will/can truly understand the greatness of "Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)."

Unabashedly, I must make it clear that starting on 8 September 1966, I became a fanatical, die hard, true blue, crusading fan of what I felt was the greatest television show ever made. On 3 June 1969, after cringing my way through a sloppy third season (a season in which Gene Roddenberry was blocked every step of the way), I, and all the friends I had converted, mourned in seething anger; anger that did not "cool off" until the show began in syndication. In deed, I was such a "true friend" of (the original) Star Trek television show, I was unable to watch any episodes of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television show (despite the fact that Gene Roddenberry was heavily involved) until Leonard Nimoy guest starred. And, again, I must say that my only regret in doing so, was my failure to share the Star Trek world with my son.

And why do I think this is the best of the Star Trek movies--beyond the afore mentioned sentiment? One reason, and one reason only: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is the ONLY movie over which the creator and genius behind Star Trek--Gene Roddenberry--had any "true" involvement. While in the final analysis the film is Robert Wise's "baby," Wise has done an extraordinary job of bringing the television show to the theater's big screen--particularly in the beautifully revamped director's cut--that empathetically broadens Roddenberry's vision of Star Trek. No other director (even if they were "open" to such) was provided the same depth of Roddenberry's input, as that of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." The original release was a great bridge to the wide world of motion pictures, but a bridge that was and (judging by the reviews panning the film) remains ignored. And, despite the fact that "Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)" does an even better job of presenting that bridge, it seems that today's fans have either never understood or have forgotten what Star Trek is all about: intelligence; compassion; equality and fairness; symbolism and analogy; social awareness; controversy; and wonderful, fun, thought provoking, imperturbable entertainment. Thank you Gene Roddenberry for the wonder of Star Trek. And thank you Robert Wise for trying to guide Star Trek from television to theater. Please know, that at least this reviewer recognizes and is thrilled that you have been given the chance to flush out your vision in "Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)" as to where our "old friends" should have gone: "...where no man has gone before."

Update--1 July 2008: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks. June 24, 2008

I must agree with the two stars

I just started watching the old Star Trek series about two months ago, and I've grown addicted to it. It's like my Lost. It's just really great TV, cheese and all. I love it. Then it dawned on me that I should be watching the movies. If the series is good, the movies must be great!
But this movie, not so much. This one is DEFINITELY a renter, man. It is true that it's great to see the intros of the old cast and all, but that aside, the movie is lame in a way I never foresaw. At least half of it is waiting around for stuff to happen, or VERY drawn out displays of the environment. I should really go back and time how long the intro was where they show the Enterprise for the first time. And then the scenes of when they venture inside the alien are all unbearably long. It's a movie that could've easily been condensed into forty minutes worth of substance.
The effects are good, the characters are decent (though lacking somewhat), the plot is forgivable, the audio is atrocious, and the story just....really takes too long to get told. I was disappointed. June 12, 2008

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