Home :: DVD :: Television :: Classic TV  

A&E Home Video
BBC
Classic TV

Discovery Channel
Fox TV
General
HBO
History Channel
Miniseries
MTV
National Geographic
Nickelodeon
PBS
Star Trek
TV Series
WGBH Boston
Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 3, Episodes 6 & 7: The Man Trap/ The Naked Time

Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 3, Episodes 6 & 7: The Man Trap/ The Naked Time

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $17.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 >>

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very good stuff
Review: "Man Trap" Dr. McCoy encounters his old flame. But is it really her?

"The Naked Time" A strange virus infects the whole crew & forces them to act strangely. Contains the WORST cost-cutting effect ever...a MANNEQUIN is used to act as a dead person

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Where it all began....
Review: Back on September 8, 1966, television was forever changed when the first broadcast episode of Star Trek hit the air waves. No one at that time knew that the series would endure for over thirty years, building up a strong, loyal fan base that would serve as the spring board for three new series and a string of successful films.

Looking back, it's interesting to think that Trek started with the rather so-so episode, "The Man Trap." It's the story of McCoy's old love who happens to turn out be a salt vampire. Along the way, we meet several members of the crew and get exposed to what could be described as a day in the life of the starship Enterprise. We also get a snippet of time with all the major players who inhabit the first 12 episodes of the original series.

On the far more enjoyable side is the classic episode (that Next Generation blatantly ripped off in only their second episode) "The Naked Time." The crew is infected by a virus that makes them act as if drunk and brings to the surface emotions and characteristics the crew usually leaves buried. In addition, the ship is spiralling down toward a dying planet and is forced to race against time. "The Naked Time" has it all from character development and moments to a taut, danger ridden plotline to some super music by the master of Trek music, Alexander Courage. It's simply a masterpiece of Star Trek and one that deserves another look. It also features what many consider some of the best acting of the original series--namely in the conflict between Kirk and Spock in the briefing room. And really, it's hard to argue...

My only major complaint with the DVD (and thus what keeps it from five stars) is that Paramount decided to package the episode as the special edition which was shown on the Sci-Fi channel. Paramount decided to mess with the original credits for the first couple of episodes until fan outcry forced them to restore the original version we know and love. However, instead of spending the time to replace the credit, Paramount used the Special Edition opening for "The Man Trap." I know it's nitpicky, but this small "correction" mars an otherwise flawless DVD and takes a bit away from the viewing experience.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The B-Monster story did not help Star Trek.
Review: For a show that talked about respect for other life forms, The Man Trap comes across as a B-monster story with one goal being to kill the monster before it destroys you tale that was commen with many B-Monster pictures. It also really showed the limites to what Gene Roddenberry had to deal with in a weekly TV series. The budget was always pretty moderate to work with, so Gene did not have the resources to transform actors into alien beings every week. They just could not afford the creature make-up designs needed to make it look creditable. So they ended up meeting a lot of beings from different planets that looked human or humanoid, because of production deadlines and using what they had, on the script, set design, and casting. That plus a good music score. So for this first story where we actually meet an alien creature. It looks like a B-Monster suit that the wardrobe department put together at the last moment. Very fake and not very scary. It was a real setback for Gene Roddenberry because he wanted the Star Trek universe to look as good as possible. But this was not the way to do it. Thankfully such B-monster stories were never used again. However later in the series, we meet much more realistic aliens.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The B-Monster story did not help Star Trek.
Review: For a show that talked about respect for other life forms, The Man Trap comes across as a B-monster story with one goal being to kill the monster before it destroys you tale that was commen with many B-Monster pictures. It also really showed the limites to what Gene Roddenberry had to deal with in a weekly TV series. The budget was always pretty moderate to work with, so Gene did not have the resources to transform actors into alien beings every week. They just could not afford the creature make-up designs needed to make it look creditable. So they ended up meeting a lot of beings from different planets that looked human or humanoid, because of production deadlines and using what they had, on the script, set design, and casting. That plus a good music score. So for this first story where we actually meet an alien creature. It looks like a B-Monster suit that the wardrobe department put together at the last moment. Very fake and not very scary. It was a real setback for Gene Roddenberry because he wanted the Star Trek universe to look as good as possible. But this was not the way to do it. Thankfully such B-monster stories were never used again. However later in the series, we meet much more realistic aliens.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Only one criticism
Review: I am glad they are putting these out on DVD. My only complaint is the 2 episodes per disc. A lot of people who buy these are going to buy several (or all of them), and a DVD should be able to hold 6-8 episodes (or more?). I would pay more to get them on fewer discs.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent Video Transfer - Disappointing Audio
Review: I have boughten all four DVD's currently released. I am really impressed with the video track on these but the audio is disappointing. Most of the sound comes from the center channel. It would be nice to hear the beeps and bleeps all around you to make you feel like you're on the bridge. It would also be nice to have some interviews with cast members included on the Disks. Over all I think these are worth the asking price and plan to collect them all.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Star Trek the Original Series Vol 03
Review: I loved re-discovering it again. But I gave the DVD 4 stars for the lack of spanish in the dubbed/subtitled options. A huge portion of the U.S.A. is hispanic and I being married to one would enjoy this much more if my wife who speaks english as well as spanish could also enjoy it in spanish which of course she understands better. Please add more lanurages in the future releases!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Bare empty DVD....
Review: I'm starting to find these DVDs of the original Star Trek television series to be very poor. Made when DVD production was just getting started in 1999, the last few years have seen whole TV shows released as four disk DVD sets labled with the complete episodes of each season. I am suprised and disapointed that Paramount has not extended this to the original Star Trek episodes either. Or a show to be as loved and admired as it has been, it deserves to be re-released as a four disk set with each season's episodes complete with commentery and behind the scenes featureets on how the show was made. But Paramount has given no indication that it plans to do so. The current management has not been that great in delivering high quality DVDs on Star Trek, and this inconstistency can be seen with the release of the Star Trek movies as Special Edition two disk DVD sets. Paramount seems to be on the decline in recent years. They have not had a big office movie in some time. They have done more with releasing their TV shows as full season disk sets, but why not TOS. There is a large fan base that would like it. Who knows? All I know is that with the recent failure of Star Trek; Nemesis at the movies, and with ENTERPRISE barely making the cut on TV, it seems that for the near future, the space dock is closed.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Bare empty DVD....
Review: I'm starting to find these DVDs of the original Star Trek television series to be very poor. Made when DVD production was just getting started in 1999, the last few years have seen whole TV shows released as four disk DVD sets labled with the complete episodes of each season. I am suprised and disapointed that Paramount has not extended this to the original Star Trek episodes either. Or a show to be as loved and admired as it has been, it deserves to be re-released as a four disk set with each season's episodes complete with commentery and behind the scenes featureets on how the show was made. But Paramount has given no indication that it plans to do so. The current management has not been that great in delivering high quality DVDs on Star Trek, and this inconstistency can be seen with the release of the Star Trek movies as Special Edition two disk DVD sets. Paramount seems to be on the decline in recent years. They have not had a big office movie in some time. They have done more with releasing their TV shows as full season disk sets, but why not TOS. There is a large fan base that would like it. Who knows? All I know is that with the recent failure of Star Trek; Nemesis at the movies, and with ENTERPRISE barely making the cut on TV, it seems that for the near future, the space dock is closed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Brilliance and fun
Review: Lost love, new enemies, hidden and resurfaced emotions become the underlying theme for these two episdoes, The Man Trap and The Naked Time.

Bringing hidden issues to the surface - confronting what we wish to forget, Star Trek goes boldly where no one has gone before with this innovative series.

In "The Man Trap", lost love of Dr. McCoy's Nancy Carter is isolated on Planet M113. There, during an away mission, crew members mysteriously are killed by being desalinated. Confrontation of emotion vs. fact - this episode yields a heart wrenching and character defining moment for our dear Dr. McCoy.

In "The Naked Time", the crew becomes exposed to a virus which allows them to act emotionally without thought. The virus is passed on through bodily fluids (in this scenario, perspiration) The forefront of sexually transmitted infections is hidden but very much so an issue in this episode.

Overall, two wonderful episodes backed by high quality of sound and picture. This DVD is a must have for the TOS collection.


<< 1 2 3 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates