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

Rating:
Summary: "Star Trek" in its most classic form
Review: I must admit, I was extremely excited when I heard that Robert Wise had been given the green light to revisit this movie and "properly complete it" as envisioned in 1979.

For me, this was the first "new" Star Trek I had ever seen. Up to that point, I'd only had exposure to the reruns of the Original Series, so getting to see this fantastic cast together again -- combined with what was then state of the art visual effects -- made for an event that equalled only the original "Star Wars" movie. To be sure, the original cut of the movie was a bit lethargic, but even back then, the dazzeling special effects managed to pull the movie together pretty well. Just seeing the redesigned USS Enterprise alone was worth the price of admission!

Now, all these years later, to see the movie in its "complete" form is a real treat. All of the sound effects that were supposed to be in the original release are now there, and several special effects that did not make it into the film have been added -- including a few new shots of the Enterprise that you'll be hard pressed to pick out from the original cut. The pacing is much better and far more dramatic, allowing both the cast and the effects to underscore what is perhaps the truest "Star Trek" adventure filmed to date.

At its core, Star Trek has always been about the positive philosophy of human discovery and this film serves that end like few others in the franchise. The themes delved into here -- friendship, the quest for knowledge, emotionality, transcendance -- are the most basic to the series and are expressed beautifully. Even without the extra special effects, though, this movie still looks fresh and holds up very well.

Aside from the movie, the bonus features are huge. The audio commentary features Wise, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra and the late Jerry Goldsmith, whose score for this movie is perhaps the best in the ten movie franchise. Michael Okuda provides the unique text commentary which includes many insider items on the production. Retrospective documentaries cover the little known Star Trek Phase II series that begat the movie, as well as the production history of the movie itself. Many of the deleted scenes from an earlier VHS release are also included.

Overall, I think this movie has withstood the test of time and is well worth viewing again. These days, it is like a good friend that you just don't seem to spend as much time with as you would like.

Rating:
Summary: Boldly Splitting Infinitives !
Review: "Star Trek : The Motion Picture" was the first of the Star Trek films and hit the movie screens in 1979. Following on from the original series (and the subsequent cartoon), but set before any of the other spin-off series, it features the crew commanded by James T. Kirk.

The film opens in 2271, with the five-year mission now complete. This has brought a number of changes to the ship and crew seen in the TV series. The Enterprise, nearing the end of a major refit, is now under the command of Captain Will Decker. Kirk is now an Admiral, and Starfleet's Chief of Operations, but neither Doctor McCoy nor Spock are on active duty. McCoy has retired from Starfleet, while Spock is on Vulcan taking part in the rite of Kolinahr. Scotty, however, remains the ship's Chief Engineer, while Sulu, Chekov and Uhura are joined on the bridge by a new officer - Lt Ilia. A Deltan who has - apparently - taken a vow of celibacy, Ilia seems to have had a previous relationship with Decker. (As a matter of interest, Will Riker and Deanna Troi from TNG were apparently based on Decker and Ilia). The approach of a very powerful entity called V'Ger, however, leads to a few more alterations. Kirk muscles his way back into command of his old ship, 'temporarily' demotes Decker to the position of Executive Officer and drafts his old buddy McCoy. Naturally, there's a full reunion when Spock (who'd sensed V'Ger's approach) hitches a ride. Starfleet initially don't know who or what V'Ger is : it'll be up to the Enterprise to discover that and find out what it wants. However, it is clear that V'Ger is very powerful and is on a direct course to Earth.

This is a very likeable movie - but it's not without its flaws. For example, the Enterprise (which is undergoing a substantial refit) is the only ship in range to intercept V'Ger. As the movie opens, however, V'Ger is being tracked through Klingon space. This means the only thing between the Klingon Empire and Earth was a half-ready Enterprise - and the Klingons chose not to invade. Kirk himself was a little irritating at times - his insistence on telling his old buddies how much he needed them was a bit lame. What happened to the Captain who threw punches for fun and always got the girl ? McCoy doesn't help either - in fact, he makes things worse by constantly questioning Kirk's ability to command a starship. (Perhaps a "Loss of Mojo" is a recognised medical condition in the 23rd Century ?). Admittedly, McCoy's first appearance does inject some (probably) unintended humor. The beard ! The jumpsuit !! The mood-ring !!! Having said that Starfleet's new uniforms weren't much better. Overall, though, it's still well worth watching - anyone who enjoyed the series will enjoy the film.

Rating:
Summary: Not excellent, but not as bad as some people think....
Review: I go back and forth with my feelings about this movie every time I see it. I agree with most of the generally despised aspects of this film (bad character chemistry, ridiculous costumes, extremely slow pace, etc.), but it is easy to forget the circumstances surrounding this film's initial release. In 1979, the public was starving for Star Trek. They had been teased with an animated series in the mid-seventies, but it was just not the same as having William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley on the screen. At the point the film was released, the general public was just elated to have Star Trek back, even if it wasn't their father's Star Trek. So bearing that in mind, the film was a financial success, even if not necessarily an artistic one. On the other hand, Jerry Goldsmith's score was wonderful, with a bold, brassy opening theme that exists to this day; mysterious, strange music representing V'Ger, and a delicate, beautiful love theme for Decker and Ilia. All in all, this is not the best Star Trek movie, but it is MUCH more worthwhile than V or Insurrection.

Rating:
Summary: I love Star Trek
Review: This film is a disappointment for avid fans of Star Trek. I remember coming out of the theater wanting my money back. You may recall seeing the same basic story on Star Trek when it was aired on television. It was entitled "The Changling" and it had a similar mechanical device roaming the galaxy looking for items or beings to "sterilize" because they were imperfect. We expected more when Star Trek, The Motion Picture (or Star Trek-The Motion Sickness as my family calls it) was finally released.

All that being said, viewing it now and having put some distance from the first time seeing it, it has taken on a certain charm of its own. I suppose that's because we are now able to watch it with a certain amount of nostalgia and fondness. Also, Star Trek - The Wrath of Kahn more than made up for the release of TMP. All has been forgiven.

You may just want to have this movie in your library for the sake of posterity if not for the love of it. It's not wonderful but still, a serious Star Trek fan should have it in his/her collection even if they never watch it. Even if just to remind you of days gone by. We Star Trek fans are apt to be more critical than anyone else since we grew up with it and know the original t.v. episodes by heart.

Hopefully, most of the more eccentric fans have moved out of their parents basements, gotten jobs, families, etc. and don't necessarily live their lives according to the gospel of Gene Roddenberry (no disrepct intended).

Just try to enjoy this film for what it is, entertainnment, not at its best, but entertainment nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Think 2001 A Space Odyssey
Review: I just watched this movie again, and actually enjoyed it. For 1979 it was something different then the shoot 'em up Star Wars movies. Unlike those, TMP had something of a philosophical undertone.
The movie has been called slow moving and boring, but I think it suceeds where other Star Trek movies fail: it portrays the realism of space very well. Everything moves along slowly, there is very little "noise" of the ships racing around, as there wouldnt becuase there is no noise in space. This is the first connection to that other great science fiction classic: 2001 a Space Odyessey. The other connection is the special effects, especially when the Enterprise is moving through V'ger.
I dock the movie a star for two things: 1 the uniforms and 2 the acting. the former are among the worst ever in Star Trek and were wisely replaced by the classier looking uniforms in Star Trek 2-6. And the acting, WOW, it is way below what the actors, even Shatner, would develop in later movies. Shatner in particular is the negative for the acting criteria. His moves are to jerking and his speech has to many pauses.
These two things aside, TMP is great. We have the best looking Enterprise ever, until the Enterprise E in First Contact. We have the same interplay between the actors as we had in the Original Series. And as stated above, the philosophical element is good and this is what has allowed Star Trek to succeed above Star Wars. The idea that this massive complex machine like "V'ger" is compared to a child is interesting. So in conclusion, dont overlook this movie, its not as bad as you may have been led to believe.

Rating:
Summary: Star Trek - The Reunion
Review: Blessed be.Why oh why do so many people have a hard time seperating this beautiful production from TOS? This under-rated entry opened the door to a new generation of special effects. The jump to warp speed is reminiscent of LSD trails; and was probably meant to be that way. This well thought-out rendition of 1960s icons backs the viewer into the future. Philosopher George Santiana once said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. In Star Trek - The Motion Picture, we see the past actually come to life. Yes it can be dismissed as an updated version of a TOS episode inwhere the satellite/computer Nomad goes beserk. But what's wrong with that? Childlike V'ger must merge with the creator, and is hellbent on so doing. Destruction awaits any and all obstacles. The thesis seems to be that eventually man and machine will merge thus creating a new life form. Is this possible? Talk about awesome love dolls (right guys?).IMHO the film is convincing on a Star Trek level, but able to conquer the uninitiated sci-fi crowd as well. The cast looks great together, and the film is obviously true to it's TV roots. The so-called Director's cut deletes an important part of the scene inwhere there is a fatality transporter accident, and lengthens an already boring pod ride scene from the station to the new Enterprise. But despite it's flaws, Star Trek - The Motion Picture sure pleases most viewers. Finally, few movies have an ambiguous conclusion., like this one does.