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Star Trek - The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)

Star Trek - The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)

List Price: $19.99
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Give this one a chance...
Review: I got to read a small blurb about this release last year, and I've got a good vibe about this release. Back in the day when this movie was released, movie theatres would bid on carrying the film, and this movie in particular had a high price on it. However, this also meant that the release date was locked in. This movie went over budget in time as well as money, and the print that we all ended up seeing in the theatres was literally the first cut of the film. There just wasn't any time to do any additional editing. In many cases, the first take of a given scene was used just to get something together. The director had been asking for years to go back and recut the film, and last year, Paramount agreed. They even threw in some extra cash for some new special effect sequences, which I've seen still from for the remake of the planet Vulcan. I doubt they can help the whole story, but I'm looking forward to seeing a new vision of the story. Most of the information in this review was taken from the interview with the director in the December issue of TOTAL MOVIE, a magazine alas no longer in production.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: expect little in the form of bonus materials from Paramount
Review: Although there aren't any "details" available on this release you can bet Paramount will give us nothing in bonuses (commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers etc.)

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: The Worst Star Trek Movie Ever!
Review: Let me preface this by saying that I'm a dedicated and long time Star Trek fan. I've been watching Star Trek in it's various incarnations since the original series first aired on television, I read the occasional Star Trek novel, my knowledge of Star Trek trivia is better than average, and I own a fair number of the original series DVD's that have been released to date.

That said, in my opinion this movie is the worst Star Trek ever (closely followed by Star Trek V). It starts out as a sappy, dewy eyed mutual appreciation society and goes downhill from there. Spock has become an unsympathetic, surly old recluse and McCoy is an over the top caricature of his usual irrascible, cantankerous, technophobic self. And, courtesy of the Deltan navigator Lt. Ilia, we are treated to the most egregious non sequitur in Star Trek history: "My oath of celibacy is on record, Captain." A line that elicited hoots of derision from the audience when I saw it.

This movie is an uninteresting, uncompelling, overlong, humorless bore with so-so special effects. I spent almost as much time looking at my watch as I did looking at the screen, hoping forlornly that things would improve. They did not. On the spot reviews from my fellow moviegoers after the show were peppered with words like "drivel", "waste of money".

I give this movie two stars, but only because this special edition will contain updated special effects, and in anticipation of a feature ladden package. Otherwise it rates a one.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: This is a good Star Trek movie but not like the 60's show!
Review: This is a good Star Trek movie but not like the 1960's Star trek TV show! This film was originaly released in 1979. It brought back the Star Trek franchise in full Wrap Speed! Directed by Robert Wise, Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley. This is the first of the nine Star Trek films that were made! Many Star Trek fans critized this movie for its Over emphasis on Special Effects! What was missing from this movie was the characterizations and interactions between the crew members like Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. This film was more focused on the Story of Alien cloud (V'ger) of anormous, destuctive power heading for Earth. Admiral Kirk (William Shatner)uses this threat to once gain confrol of the USS Enterprise. Kirk forces Captain Decker to step down. Kirk and Decker start to rival each other. Meawhile, Spock (Leonrad Nimoy) on Vulcan senses the Alien while going through the Kholinar stage in his life that perches all emotions and embraces total logic. the Vulcan elders did not see Spock to be qualified for the Kholinar so they tell him to find himself through his human blood. Unknowing to anyone Spock ends up on the USS Enterprise to repair the ship's Anit-matter embalance. Dr. McCoy(Deforest Kelly) was drafted by Admiral Kirk so that he could become part of the crew. In some ways this a good movie. The flaw of this film is over done sets and the scense were the Enterprise goes inside the Alien cloud and to explore the Alien Called V'ger. Presist Khambata (Lt. Illia) is a wonderful character and has a romance with Captain Decker. This was the most profitable of the Star Trek films. It grossed [amt.] million dollars making it a Box office hit in 1979! I was only 4 years old when this film was made and don't regret wanting to see it. It was great to see the Original Star Trek cast be reunited for the movie series! Buy it!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Every scene is overlong.
Review: Some Star Trek fans like to kid themselves that this is a good film,but the fact remains that almost every scene is overlong.
For example,in the wormhole sequence Chekov is ordered by Decker to "fire the photons" at an asteroid and then another whole minute goes by before he fires it.
If Nick Meyer had been directing,it would have taken 5 seconds.
Robert Wise's slow and beautifuly artistic style is not suited to such a comic-book story.
The same goes for the Klingon sequence,the Enterprise flyby,the flight through V'ger and so on.They are all overlong.
Two other BIG mistakes were 1-Spock is made to be cold and distant at first and by doing this,they destroyed any hope of the Spock,McCoy,Kirk chemistry getting going 2-As one special effects man said:"if you are going to promise something big around the corner,then you better deliver it".The "nemesis" turns out to be a "lonely little spaceship" called Voyager which reduces the film to a tiny and very weak TV plot.
They remade The Changeling episode when they should have remade The Doomsday Machine.
Leonard Nimoy showed them what a mistake this was when he directed ST4 and kept it's nemesis mysterious and unknown,a far better idea.
I give this boring film 2 stars for the eccellent documentaries,but the film is still the best sleeping pill in town.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: In some ways, the best
Review: A mysterious cloud drifts across space - passing through Klingon territory - on a direct course for Earth. First vaporizing a trio of Klingon battlecruisers, the cloud similarly dispatches a peaceful Starfleet outpost. Frantic officials of the United Federation of Planets scramble to meet the cloud, which is apparently some sort of spaceship housing aliens, origins unknown. Only one starship is in position to intercept the cloud before its arrival on Earth - the USS Enterprise. Unfortunately, the Enterprise hasn't completed an extensive re-fitting, and barely anything works. Kirk isn't even in command (though that changes quickly). Meanwhile, on Vulcan, Spock is in the middle of a refit of his own. Having cast off Starfleet, Spock embraces Vulcan meditation that will free him from his emotional human-half. Before he can complete the transition, he receives a mental cry from space - a confused plea that he can scarcely understand but one he can trace to the heart of the mysterious cloud. Having no choice, he leaves Vulcan to rejoin Starfleet.

This film took a lot of lumps from those, unlike Trekkies, who weren't willing to forgive any film that had nothing more than an uninteresting plot, some good FX and the name "Star Trek" (most would have preferred to start the franchise with something like Wrath of Khan"). The plot is thin and turns out to have been borrowed from an episode of the original series - "The Changeling". Much of the film is slow and whole sequences amount to an excuse to show off the special effects and other aspects of the cinematographic look which both excel over the 60's campiness of the show. The characters don't play as much with their older TV selves' persona as they would in the latter movies and most of the time, they're passive observers of an immense alien intelligence - unable to do anything to help Earth.

Yet this Trek is special - mostly because it was the first and could have set a worse tone for the sequels, but also because it created a futuristic look which was neither that of the clean and high-tech future of the old-style movies, nor the gritty and junky style of movies like "Alien" and "Blade Runner". The Enterprise here is a masterpiece of technical design, but the film's makers show its faults (an horrific and fatal transporter accident; wormholes; very narrow hallways) It's more streamlined than its TV version, but not so carefree looking that it's a cruise ship like the Enterprise-D. As the Enterprise accelerates into warp space, you can almost feel the throb of the engines vibrate through your TV. The characters are appropriately serious yet show that glimmer of their campier selves ("Spock, so help me I'm actually glad to see you!"). Even the danger's of space seem more palpable here than on the show (or any of the shows). Though a rip-off of an older episode, real Trekkies know this as a common occurrence, and the movie actually kept me guessing until the last 10 minutes as to the identity of the aliens and their mission. Even the special effects seem still fresh, despite the passge of over 20 years (and a switch to "Industrial Light Magic" after this movie). With its emphasis on a mysterious alien and the dangers of space, this is perhapos the closest any trek has come to pure science fiction. Perhaps the new show "Enterprise" will finally match the promise offered by this first movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Human Adventure.
Review: Star Trek The Motion Picture is a good film. It works on many different areas of entertainment..but Star Trek The Motion Picture-Director's Edition will be a great film. As good as the first version was, for years it has been handicaped by a horrible rush to release date, which meant many unedited optical effects and no preview screening. For years this has rankled its director, Robert Wise, the acclaimed director of The Sound Of Music and The Day The Earth Stood Still, and editor of Citizen Kane. Now, over twenty years later, Mr. Wise has been given the opportunity to go back and restore, rework, and refurbish this classic film. It will feature a reworked soundtrack, additional scenes,improved optical effects and more. It's thought provoking storyline, wonderful Jerry Goldsmith score, fondly familiar characters,and beautiful visual style make for a fulfiling cinematic experience.The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The very first Trek
Review: I have seen this movie at least 12 times, I like it but is not as powerful as the others, well of course more powerful than V. I been a fan of Star Trek all my life, and this film is a good start for the series , the plot is consistent to those of the original series, is like a 2 hour episode, the special effects are great, but the uniforms are not I prefer the Navy like, the ones they used in the next film. I give this movie 4 stars, is a great movie for trkkers, but for those who are not are going to get bored out of their mind.I do recommend this film, if you are a Star Trek fan.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Star Trek I: A Great Picture
Review: I believe that ST:TMP is a great movie. I have been watching it since I was eight, (I'm 17 now) and have loved it since. What I'm going to critique now are the fans. So it has flaws. So what? Aren't people like Gene Roddenberry allowed to make mistakes from time to time. And what is this about the fifty minutes of the inner part of the alien? I found it awe-inspiring and cannot understand fans who think the scenes are low-budget. The inner parts of the probe are awe-insipiring and show just how immense the ship is. Also, people criticize Kirk in the movie. They say he was grouchy basically. So what? The reason Kirk was grouchy was, at the time, he was basically going through a mid-life crisis. Shatner's grouchiness is good acting. As we all know, desk work is not Kirk. So after being an Admiral for so long, he NEEDS to have some adventure. LKeave the man alone. The main problem of the movie is the fans. Expecting to be DAZZLED with phaser shots and explosions and ship to ship combat, they found a movie that actually makes you think a bit more boring as hell. I'm sorry, but there is more to Star Trek than explosions, phaser fights, warp speed and enemy vessels opening fire on the Enterprise. The movie was thought-provoking and wonderful, and the low ratings are undeserved. The movie: Five stars The fans: One star

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The one trek true to the name!
Review: As I sat back to watch this movie for the unknownth time, I reflected on the negative reviews I had read here earlier that day, and decided that maybe, just maybe, some of those people had a point. But as I sat back, (after fast-forwarding through the atrocious black screen + Ilea music scene) and the movie encompassed me, my realization became clear and never wavered:

This movie is phenomenal.

First, I will begin by addressing the most criticisms I have seen:

1. The acting is bad: Well, bad isn't quite the word I would use. Bad acting, to me, comprises such things as mindless droning, stiff body movements, and an overall unconvincing vibe about a character. I do not think that one person in this movie is at fault with their acting. Which leads those who would argue against me to say...

2. The dialogue is boring and goes on too long: Frankly, there was not one point in this movie where I felt that the dialogue dragged on, and if it did, then there was usually something else going on to keep my attention. Some examples would be the final scene with V'Ger, with electrical flashes and a detailed, fascinating set to behold; Spock's denial of the Kolinahr, with the fiery and craggy planet Vulcan; and Kirk and Scotty on the shuttle, with the magnificent ballad accompanying the graceful starship. Which leads me to another point, more specified, but common nonetheless...

3. The shuttle trip to the Enterprise is to F$%@INK long!: In my opinion, this scene is one of the highlights of the film. As we see the well acted look of awe and amazement on Admiral Kirk's face, with a tear-moving ballad of the main theme that so perfectly captures his amazement until in a triumphant blast, we are faced with our first front view of the ship, it is a beauty to witness and hear.

In conclusion, I will admit to my second point, such as when Ilea puts on her headband; when she plays the game with Decker in the rec room; and when Kirk negotiates for the "withdrawl of the orbiting devices," but, to quote Bones, "MY GOD, MAN!" What legitimate movie doesn't have its slow scenes? Overall, this movie is so much more than a big special effects show. It is a solid, wonderful masterpiece, and, I might add, is the ONLY movie to truly capture the exploring spirit which was the trademark of the original series and even the idea conveyed by the opening speech at the beginning of EVERY show.


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