Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Review
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- čas přidán 15. 06. 2024
- Joel and Alex team up to discuss and defend Robert Wise's seminal entry in the Star Trek film franchise, as well as its place in science fiction cinema history.
- Krátké a kreslené filmy
Thanks for your great review of the movie guys! I too, am a HUGE fan of it. While I will confess that Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is still my favorite Star Trek movie, I still admire and appreciate The Motion Picture. Being that I am in my mid 40s, I saw the original Star Trek series in re-runs in the 1970s. It was the first exposure I had to sci-fi, even before seeing the first Star Wars movie at the age of 6 in 1977. Star Trek the original TV series made a huge positive impression on me at a young age. So I was thrilled to see the return of the cast in a movie, with a new "refitted" U.S.S. Enterprise. I also love the incredible music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is still great to this day. I have seen, and own the extended version of The Motion Picture on both VHS tape, and DVD. I have always enjoyed watching it.
The score is a total masterpiece. I saw this in the theater at 13 and this score is one of the hugest influences on my own compositional style. The pacing was fine except the endless Enterprise exterior shots - without those (and the edit problem you mentioned) you wouldn't notice. There's obvious Enterprise as sperm/V'ger as womb --> new birth imagery. And the visual style of the film remained with the franchise thereafter, so something was right...
Jerry Goldsmith . . . The GOAT
Thanks a lot for this review guys. I fell in love with this movie immediately after I've seen it for the first time some times during the 80's. And I for many years thought that everybody loves it as much as I do, until I went online and realized that most people seem to think it's boring :(
It's one of the few movies I watch every single year, at least once. And for those of the people who claim it's too slow - so what? Why should it be a bad thing? Not every movie needs to be a dumb action movie with lots of explosions and lens flares like some "other" movies
I love the pace of the film. The movie was a beautiful experience with a 2001 space odyssey feel.
THAT mentality is what also fostered all those big dumb action "shoot 'em up" guns, stunts, car chases, and explosions movies that Hollywood heaped on the moviegoing public during the 80's, 90's, and 200's.
When it came out in the theaters I was 16 and a huge fan of the TV show. Opening day. Theater is packed with "Trekies". We've all been watching the exploits of Kirk and Spock on our TVs in perpetual reruns for nearly a decade. The lights dim and .....
The first thing that happens is the Paramount logo appears and the audience strangely cheers. I suppose it is because us trekies have associated Paramount with Star Trek since their logo appears prominently in the credits at the end of each episode of the 2nd and 3rd seasons. This seems to signal to the audience, "Here it comes!" and they cheer. Fans can be weird. Then I notice the title sequence is weird. Just white letters on a black back ground with no transition. Just snaps to the next title card. It's like a silent movie only with a sweeping musical score that sounds a little too much like it wants to be john Williams and not Star Trek. Someone shouts "Louder!" The audio does seem a bit soft. and with that comment I could definitely feel the audience shift into uncomfortable mode. They also become very restless during the Enterprise fly by sequence. By the time the Enterprise is slowly moving through the V'ger complex the air has become stuffy, the audience keeps moving about and nervously coughing and by the time my friend and I walked out of the theater we couldnt find much to say about it except my friend said "That movie gave me a headache!" I tried to put a positive spin on the whole experience but there wasnt much I could say to defend it.
Expectations have a lot to do with how a movie is received by an audience. And that audience really wanted to see Kirk Kirk-fu a Gorn's ass or something and Scotty being ridiculously Scottish and Spock put the neck pinch on someone. What we got was a vanity piece from a guy who was apparently still had his ego bruised when he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey and realized his little outer space TV show is a piece of crap.
As the years have passed I have come to respect the movie for what it is and I think it is by far the best Star Trek movie. I'll even go so far as to say the way the characters are portrayed in STTMP is far closer to their original TV personas. In the later films, with the exception of Leonard Nimoy, the actors seem to progress to simply playing themselves in star trek costumes. The plots are simplistic, the dialog is juvenile and not true to their TV characters.
I like the story plot. I liked the designs of the ship, sets, and costumes. I liked Mr. Spock and his serious, logical yet kindly human qualities. However, there were times where the movie seems like it drags on a bit and also Shatner's acting is laughable at times. Other than that it's an overall good film.
As an animator and filmmaker, this is one of the movies I constantly refer back to when doing my work. This movie brought a sense of grandeur and scale to the TV series because of the in-depth effects and score. My biggest gripe about some of the later movies (TNG, cough cough) was that they seemed to be treated like just another very long TV episode. The "JJ-prise" movies, while fun and action-filled (oh those f'ing lens flares!! sheesh), lacked so much of the deeper and more meaningful themes that the original series brought to the table.
A terrific review of the movie, BTW, I had just turned 15 when I saw it in the theater, and one of the best audience reactions to it was when Chekhov uttered "Absolutely I will not interfere!" The viewers laughed their butts off! Despite the awful "reaction" edits - which I find easy to ignore, I think they needed to justify their effects expenditures by putting them all in - I and the rest of the crowd in the theater applauded madly at the end of the film. I could write a lot more about it but I think this review summed it up very nicely - well done!
Its my favorite of all the movies...its not action packed but intrigeing to the mind and humanity...great film..👍😀😀
You probably dont care but if you guys are bored like me during the covid times you can watch pretty much all the latest movies on Instaflixxer. Have been streaming with my brother for the last months xD
@Augustine Kellan Definitely, have been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :)
Same. I liked it.
I'm with you, guys. I'm older than you, but I was about 8 or 10 when I first saw Star Trek: TMP. I watched 2001 about that same time. I did not need explosions or whatever to keep me glued to the TV. In fact, I prefer slow-paced SF movies, my favorite being Blade Runner.
One of my favorite Star Trek films. I've seen it on the big screen and loved every minute of it. It does have some extended shots that perhaps are a bit too long...and I agree that the character "reaction" shots were not needed at all.
I greatly enjoyed this review. You've given enough back story to properly familiarize everyone with the climate of high anticipation into which the film was released. You've also shown how the film evolved into what it became and also given an overview of what it might have been.
I always loved the story of Vger. You have nicely summarized how Spock, McCoy and Kirk together were the key to Star Trek...logic, emotion, and a mediator to balance the two. Ultimately Vger ended up with a form of mediation and balance as well.
I may need to dig this one out and watch it again...
The "Director's Cut" is a clear improvement on the original cinema release.
Jerry Goldsmith's score is great, I really love James Horner's music as well in II & III. Battle in the Mutara Nebula and Stealing The Enterprise are not just two of my very favourite musical scores but also scenes in all the Trek movies.
I saw ST:TMP when I was 12 years old, after watching TOS literally since birth (I was born 3 days before TOS premiered, and my mom was fond of telling me that she watched the first-aired episode while feeding her new infant). I went to see TMP on opening night at the local theater, and I was awestruck by this film.I loved everything about it. I think I hit puberty watching the spaceship-porn of the Enterprise reveal. The opening scenes with the Klingons was so cool; it all looked so real and on the big screen that I felt like I was on board the ships when we saw their interiors. I pieced it together on my own that STTMP was basically a high-tech rewrite of the TOS episode "The Changeling," but with a more positive, humanist ending (in The Changeling, Kirk tricks Nomad into destroying itself. In STTMP, V'ger, the human, and the Deltan all join together and transcend into a higher form of life. I loved that.)
Yes, the pacing is objectively bad. it could literally lose 20+ minutes of visual effects and would be a better movie for it. But still, it was MY Trek film as a kid, and that sexy new Enterprise was MY Enterprise. I remain an unabashed fan of this film.
I found this by searching in defense of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Many friends, relatives and classmates of mine mostly thought it was an atrocity. One friend thought it was one of the greatest movies he ever saw. I'm surprised you weren't more familiar with all the hate. I found parts of it memorably mind-blowing among the slow pace.
Just stumbled upon this. Always good to see others love and appreciation for TMP. It was my first film in theaters with my Dad. He was trying to make up for not taking me to Star Wars 2 years prior as other Dads had done in the neighborhood. I was (and remain) and nerdy sci-fi guy so for my rough around the edges, steel worker, John Wayne loving father to take me to this film was a herculean effort most likely on his part. But at 8 years old I was enthralled (much like you were) with all aspects of the film and it remains among my favorite movies of all time. I have all of the toys and related books and media about TMP as well as an original movie poster print discovered in an abandoned theater in our town when I was about 14. Thanks for sharing your views, and hopefully you celebrated TMP's 41st Anniversary this year as I always do on December 7th. LLAP.
Brilliant review. totally nailed it.
Personally i could never understood the criticsm about the boredom.
When you look at movies of the time (like 2001 and Alien 1), all of those movies are slow paced, but still are seen as classics. When i compared 2001 with this movie, i'm pretty shocked that people like 2001 more.
Sure ST-TMP is slow, but it is never boring and never annoying. The music and effects are brilliant. And even the story is interesting enough.
Watching 2001 on the other hand is a real pain and pure torture for me. Horrible slow paced an nonsense movie.
bart ioi I agree. Star Trek to me wasn’t all about action...it was more cerebral.
Very impressive review. You nailed my thoughts on this film and its brilliant Goldsmith score perfectly! Thank you guys!
Best review I've ever heard of this film. I saw it as a 9 year old back in Jan. of 1980. Was enchanted by its visuals and music. I had the VHS when it came out in 1983. Then the director's edition dvd in 2001. This movie has been, for some reason, an obsession. Yes, it is very slow, and there were too many scenes of the crew looking out the window, for long periods of time.But the way the subject matter is treated, it engrosses you into this strange journey the Enterprise embarks on.
Great review guys! Wonderfully presented and thanks for pointing out how awesome Jerry Goldsmith's score contributed to the movie. I look forward to now watching and enjoying more of your reviews! Nice job! :)
Excellent review. I too have loved this movie for years and agree that it was great to witness the majesty of space. Sadly many people didnt have the attention span to appreciate it. They all wanted quick, fast paced cuts and action sequences. I think some people have lost the power to sit and absorb a movie and let yourself be taken away to another place.
All true, though it was slow. It isn't every bit as boring from start to finish as almost everyone insists.
Excellent review. I too am a huge fan of the film, since first seeing it on beta back in 89 (roughly). And Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of the best I've heard. I really do not get the hate this film gets as it's thought provoking, beautifully made and holds up on subsequent viewings
This movie is freaking awesome, phylosophical, and spiritual.
The best Star trek movie of them all.
And it's the only one I've been avoiding, cause of all the bed reputation. Really. Have seen every other sequel. And just today, I've finished it. And have been blown away.
People have no idea.
Wow. Just Wow. You guys have informed me about so many specifics I never knew before. I've wanted to find out what those cloud formations in the tunnel scene were made of. And I've been curious what the bass guitar sounds were in the soundtrack. I had no clue it was a specific instrument that was basically, an enormous guitar. That's incredible. Really admire your enthusiasm about the Motion Picture as well. It has become one of my top favorite films. One that I saw when I was very young, like you, and one that continues to inspire my imagination and filmmaking style.
Thank you for this review. I have always loved this movie. I saw it in the theater when I was 3 because my dad asked me if I wanted to go with him, and of course I did! He’s my dad! All I remember from that day is being too scared to watch the cloud sequence because the music scared me. My dad kept telling me to uncover my eyes because “I was missing it.” He was right. I’ve watched it countless times since then and never understood its haters. I’m glad I’m not alone. Thanks, guys.
70s sci-fi, and cinema in general was a slower pace and a whole lot more engaging for certain parts of the brain than the frenetic pace of modern movies (Bladerunner 2049 excepted)
Thanks guys! It was nice seeing fans who are just that, fans. Not out to prove anybody wrong, or show their superior "trekitude", but who just love Star Trek, and happen to like the movie too. I'm a lifelong Trek fan, and yes, this wasn't my favorite movie, but seeing it through your eyes was a nice experience. Refreshing.
I'm glad you guys had great things to say about this film. I've always loved it and was puzzled why others didn't.
Saw this when I was 6 in a theater. Was overwhelmed. I was expecting what I'd seen on TOS. So as to a kid expecting 60s special effects and story plots this movie felt very grown up, but mesmerizingly immersive. The musical score was grand. And what I remembered most was the size comparison shots (humans to ship. And later: ship to V'ger). As a child you completely feel swallowed up by this movie which only draws you back to it later as an adult. This is a very smart rewatchable film.
La Planète des singes (Planet of the Apes) was written in 1963 and was optioned and shopped around to studios for a movie until it was green lit in 1966. To convince the Fox Studio that a film could be made, the producers shot a brief test scene from a Rod Serling draft of the script, using early versions of the ape makeup, on March 8, 1966, this was six months before the first Star Trek aired on September 8, 1966. So I'm not sure how it could have been influenced by Star Trek.
I grew up watching re-runs of the original series as a kids, and it was easily my favorite show. When the movie came out in 1979 I was so exited. It is hard to describe how the incredible the scene with Kirk and Scottie in the pod, when the new Enterprise was revealed, was in the theater. And the musical score was incredible. It is still was of my most memorable movie watching experiences. That and seeing Spock die. That was definately an Old Yeller moment.
TMP is my favorite ST film. The best "feel" of being on a deep space voyage. You give it a good, thoughtful review. One criticism, don't call your home a "boring American suburb" - your parents and grandparents and great-grandparents built those suburbs for you to grow up in safely. Remember that. Its shows disrespect to your ancestors.
A magnificent review chaps for one of the greatest Sci Fi films of all time let alone Star Trek films. I love TMP so much
The Blaster Beam V'Ger music always creeped me out. I saw TMP when I was very young and I think it gave me nightmares.
An outstanding review of one of the greatest movies ever made. Thank you!
An excellent review! I saw it in the theater on opening night when I was 9 years old, and was enthralled with the movie. I felt it was more in tune with the original series because it was a plot that had quiet moments, and explored concepts of the human condition that made you think and wonder. So I agree totally with your reaction to it. The one issue I always had, aside from the need to tighten up the effects sequences a bit, was that the dialog and character interaction at times was clunky and awkward. I could see how it could be off-putting to some.
This film is not for the impatient young audiences of today. It is more like 2001-A Space Odyssey and this was intentional. Roddenberry wanted people to believe that the future would be wonderful, that we had made it as a species and were now branching out into the cosmos. The central premise is- what does it mean to be human? Also there were many subtle branches in the story bringing the arc of character development of all the main leads from the original story into the present day of the movie's setting. The film has wonderful effects undertaken with love and skill and the Goldsmith score is his finest work ever. It is a work of art and that's how this film should be viewed.
I am not certain but I think Craig Huxley played one of the children in the Star Trek episode "And the Children Shall Lead." Tommy, I think?
I LOVE this movie. Still my favorite TREK film, even after all these years.
Thanks for the positive review of STtMP, gentlemen. Still as moving and awesome as it was on the big screen in 1979. (And not a lens flare in sight!)
I first saw this movie in the mid 80s I was about 6 or 7 at the time. I am a big trek fan! I have always liked this one because of the immersive qualities and the beauty shots of that awesome ship! When it was released on blu ray I had to have it! Great job guys on the review!
The soundtrack of ST: TMP is one of the best ever for a movie and the Blaster Beam has a sound like nothing else.
There's a Cylon from Battlestar Galactica(1978) sticking out of the wall!
I call The Motion Picture the "2001" of the Star Trek movies, and in a positive way. I never followed the unfortunately immortal perception that "all odd numbered Star Trek films are bad, and all the even numbered films are good," and I never will. To it's complete horseshit. I *really* love The Motion Picture, I *really* love The Search For Spock, and even though I consider The Final Frontier to be the weakest of the TOS films, for a few reasons, I still like it. Star Trek, along with Star Wars, Back to the Future, and may others played a huge part in my life growing up.
Wow! You guys did a thoughtful, informative review.
Read the book of the oral history of making this film.
I tagged along to see this with my brother and thought it was boring as hell but I was a Star Wars kid so what did I know. Since then I’ve come to find it the most comparable to the TOS and is a labor of love, which now accords my never ending respect.
TMP is one of those movies that I'll always be the first to call it the "Slow Motion Picture" and say that Roddenberry being kicked upstairs because of the film was a good thing. But yet I'm always drawn back to it. Whether its the soundtrack, the visuals, or the characters trying to find themselves and their purpose in life; this film always draws me back.
The directors cut in 4k is out now.
Love Star Trek the motion picture
12:09 - not to mention THAT mentality is what also fostered all those big dumb action "shoot 'em up" guns, stunts, car chases, and explosions movies that Hollywood heaped on the moviegoing public during the 80's, 90's, and 200's.
If The Popular consensus is any basis for whats good or not, it not only explains a lot about the current state of affairs in America, but the current state of affairs of the bs that are considered movies. So, yeah i don't care or even consider the popular consensus worth following or even respecting, since you guys have noted, people pan the **** out of everything. But also, most of the Rotten Tomatoes (or what have you) are done by kids, and yes, kids- 29 or younger-or effete cinema type snobs who don't know **** in general anyway, and where mind ****ed from being raised in the early 1990s. But since I'm now 40, and grew up in the 1980s, i may be considered cynical towards those types. who knows?
Four years later, one wishes for these then-current affairs.
I loved ST TMP. I saw it with my dad (die hard sci-fi liver) at the theater when it premiered. I was in 6th grade at the time.
When it came out on dvd and later on br-d I bought it every time.
As I got older I looked at it differently. The move to a cinema experience with the more serious tone, beautiful score and effects amazes me every time I see it.
Furthermore, I loved the overture to the movie. The only other I remember having that was Doctor Doolittle. I thought the same way with Superman The Movie.
The only trek movie I actually hate is 5 with 4 being the 2nd runner up.
Robert Wise was always an amazing director. The Sound of Music (I really didn’t care for the movie but the music was excellent) Andromeda Strain were great works.
What do you guys think about the first Alien movie?
Appreciate the Goldsmith love -- but this is not a leitmotif score per se . . . as you observe, Jerry developed his thematic material from a singular nucleus. This was the crux of his approach to scoring movies -- and an essential rejection of the "set decorating" style inherent in a Wagnerian approach. Movies, as Jerry observed, were synergetic, integrational. They have (or are supposed to have) some general purpose or idea -- to which all of the narrative elements of the film are dedicated. To best complement movies, then, as scores are meant to do, Jerry posited that the film composer should write a musical theme that encapsulates whatever the movie's basic message is -- and then derive/develop the rest of the score from that musical idea. His unprecedentedly sensible approach to scoring, combined with an incomparable musical vocabulary, is what made him, up to now at least, the quintessential film composer. RIP.
If you liked this version, watch the Director's Cut. Several isues you point out are adressed and rectified. It also contains my favorite scene in the movie.
I was 7 when it came out and looking back I feel you have to take into context when it was released. The original show was pretty fresh in people's minds as it became very popular in the seventies and also Star Wars was huge. With those two things you can see why it was considered to be a let down. The look of it and the way the main characters interacted did not seem familiar and the pace of it was closer to 2001 than to Star Wars which at the time felt refreshing for Sci Fi where 2001 was old hat. This is why they went completely opposite with WRATH OF KHAN which also points to one major flaw with the first film, no real identifiable villain. You always have to take into context when films are released...so then WRATH OF KHAN was a success and why SEARCH FOR SPOCK had another over the top villain which then led to VOYAGE HOME being villianless....skip the fifth installment and then back to having a Khan like villain. Films always need to be put into context.
One of the first movies I saw, at 5 years old! Yes, in the theater. Even Ilia's theme as the Prologue before the movie reel has started! I was awed at the effects back then. Now,, most of the effects still hold up. But I saw a string, holding the enterprise in a scene! In later years, seen a slow pacing in the movie, with a lot of drawn-out scenes. But, Star Trek 2 and 3, used the same sets , to blow them up! Do they make the Phone on the wrist now, like in the movie?
I hope you guys do more movies. I like your taste and style.
I really don't know how anyone can watch this movie, and then 2001 and say that this movie is the boring one.
2001 isnt boring as such but yeh it is a slow film.
THAT mentality is what also fostered all those big dumb action "shoot 'em up" guns, stunts, car chases, and explosions movies that Hollywood heaped on the moviegoing public during the 80's, 90's, and 200's.
@@ianfindly3257 2001 isn't a movie but an extended video clip. Pretty too watch at times but ultimately pointless.
One of those ideas sounds like Prometheus!
Great review guys, but you need to invest in a better microphone.
The soundtrack is legendary
I am not a fan of this movie, but your video is really awesome! Made me rewatch the motion picture! Still not a fan but i respect the movie more now! Please do more videos like this!
Ok, rewatched it again. It is official: you guys made me a fan of the motion picture!
Hello can you please review Battle Beyond The Stars?
I love this movie. Could be that I’m fascinated with the look/vibe of the late 70s since I was born then. To me, this was the most Star Trek-ish story of all the TOS movies. The movie would’ve benefited from tighter editing and better costumes. Otherwise, I think it was great and entertaining.
Thank you for this. It makes me feel better. I have watched this movie sooo many times. Read the book, better then the movie (no surprise there).
ST:TMP is an excellent film and the best in the series. Also, criticism coming from Kevin Smith is hilarious. The director of “Gigi” and “Cop Out” (and pretty much everything else he’s done) has a lot of nerve complaining about this true cinematic classic.
i like the star trek big screen films with the original members. The first film especially was amazing, i just loved how it was totally diffrent from the tv show but also familiar, obviously it was familiar to fans as it starred all original actors from the show but the plot for the original film was just so dark and a little complicated and i liked that. If the first film was just daft and a bit campy like the original series i dont think it whould have been as good.
I still say v'ger was the most powerful thing that the crew ever faced
What books would he read while listening to the soundtrack?
This movie is an epic science fiction adventure. Wrath of Khan is a standard revenge plot as told on countless Westerns and action movies.
Kirk vs Space Cloud which was the same plot of the movie Green Lantern years later
Well You managed to make a Star Trek review while barely mentioning the Enterprise.
I find that most peculiar. Not just because she's beautiful but also as there is some interesting things to mention about the filming and the model - that you never even touched on like the lighting rig getting blown out by someone trying to impress their date or the irridescent paint scheme she has that led to her having to be hand matted and touched up frame by frame as she was so shiny she was suffering from holes in the matts and blue spill.
You mainly concentrated just on V'ger - Not that I mind as V'ger often get brushed aside in many reviews. But really to treat the Great Lady so casually is missing the fact that she's a character too.
Yes, there was a letter writing campaign, but as far as making sure the series was saved, thank none other than Lucille Ball.
"Booring"? .. . depends WHAT you consider EXCITING in the first place. Now personally I happen to find ohhhh guns, stunts, car chases, crashes, and explosions pretty dull myself, so I don't miss THAT shit one bit when watching THIS film.
Thank you for the even-handed review and not jumping on the obvious Internet hate-train.
Many people jokingly call it Star Trek: The Slow Motion Picture. But it's not a terrible movie. The opening sequence is exciting with the Klingons attacking V'ger.
Also i was watching this movie and listening to Wise commentary. Well he claim that he spent only the half of the final production cost for TMP. Rest was cost from aborted TV Phase II and other costly delays.
So this movie could really have been made a lot cheaper with same quality had they done it right and on schedule.
There are some great ideas in the film, but narrative perception is everything. And it boils down to Kirk essentially abusing his authority and position as an admiral to take back command of the Enterprise from the rightful Captain to go off half cocked and ill prepared for V'Ger. He is frequently shown to be making mistakes and disregarding the advice of the damn crew including Decker for no reason than his own impatience and doesnt bother to inform the crew of the Enterprise as to the nature of the mission until they are already underway. And even then only tells Scotty,Decker, Spock and McCoy. It doesnt really paint Kirk in all that well to be honest.
I too very much like One. Idk if any other Trek dealt so well w t idea of t trek of us becoming more than we are.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the odd numbered movies, I really like TMP, III, and even think V has it's merits. (V is definitely the weakest but still a fun romp) likewise with Generations, not perfect but still very good, Insurrection gets such an underrated response. Even the even numbered Nemesis is criminally underrated. I don't dislike the JJ Abrams films (they're fun but don't really get Star Trek at all, they're more like Star Wars in tone and pace) but the original 10 are much better by a country mile.
I haven't seen this film, so I will reserve judgement on it, but if compared to 2001, Star Trek seems at least to have a story and characters that are not a computer.
Great review!LOVE this movie!
Hey guys, We would love to get your thoughts on the 2022 4K Director’s Edition. It would make for one great companion video. 🖖
I love TMP with an “illogical” passion. Y’all’s retrospective is my favorite.
I had a VHS of it growing up and it was probably the first Star Trek related thing I even saw. Even then, I found the film to be utterly boring. Typically I would get halfway through and then switch to something like Ghostbusters or Flash Gordon. As a teenager I bought the rest of the films and found them far more enjoyable and interesting. And on occasion I would catch episodes of TNG on TV and I loved it. As for the first motion picture; the acting is great, the music is fantastic, the fx are spectuclar but the movie indulges itself way too much in them. The story feels like it was written for an episode of the show (which it was, apparently) and then padded out to fit the film format. When you stop and think about it, not much really happens in the film, it could easilly be edited into a 10 minute short film.
TMP is the most epic Trek film and one of the best.
If they could blend the best part of TMP in terms of scope and grandeur to the action and charactertion in TWOK. We would have formula to make the best trek movie.
A great review for a great sci.-fi. movie!
In addition, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are pretty ineffectual in the resolution ot the situation. Cuz the resolution comes about from Decker, meaning we dont even get a proper resolution to the conflict between him and Kirk cuz he sacrifices himself to merge with V'Ger and Ilia.
Excellent review
Star Trek motion pix is type of movie that stood test of time. The slow moving theatrical style makes this a true sci fi movie taking viewer to a new place and makes the movie "credible"
I love this movie. It did something that films of space, and especially Star Trek, never did--that was make Space _SCARY._
Yes, Star Trek:The Motion Picture made space ominous, dark, foreboding and extremely vast. The show never managed to make the audience really feel the infinitude and emptiness that the movie accomplished.
It's not REALLY a movie.It was originally a two part premiere episode of what was to be a new series.Then it was overblown and sent out to theaters to exploit Star Wars success.When You look as a premiere episode of a new Trek TV show it plays pretty well.IMO
Still one of my favourite Star Trek movies
Star Trek was fine as a TV series , but not as a feature film.
The best of the movie series.
best of the worst
the best is in the watcher but clearly it wasn't the best. I do like because it's the first. I was there on the first day it opened in December. I do thinks it has the best one sheet of any of the trek movies
Great review! Great film!
thought the first hr of the movie was the most boring hour of a movie I'd ever seen. The endless reaction shots to everything that happened was farcical. I searched SNL expecting some parody of it. I have a very low bar to enjoy a Star Trek movie, but this first half was excruciating. I was actually constantly fast forwarding 3 minutes ahead knowing I wouldn't miss an iota of anything.
Whoever slags off Star Trek the motion picture isn’t a STAR TREK FAN
To be fair. The budget for Star Wars was not very high at all. I'm only at the beginning.
Learn all that is learn-able and return that knowledge to the creator
I'm definitely in the "I saw this as a kid and loved it" camp. Meanwhile, my first experience with "A New Hope" was it putting me to sleep. The irony.
Irony is right.
I remember the release of this movie well--there was a McDonald's Happy Meal!--but I missed it in theaters and only saw it years later, in the form of its *even longer* TV edit (the same one used on the VHS release most people saw). And it's always fascinated me.
It's not the best Star Trek movie. Objectively speaking, I think it's not even a good Star Trek movie. There *is* too little story there (since it's more or less expanded from a TV pilot), some of what pads out the running time feels like digressions, and while Stanley Kubrick could make a slow-paced VFX extravaganza work as a mystical, intellectual experience, an imitation of that style is not a great match for the Star Trek cast. Most of the original cast other than Shatner and Nimoy are used too little and somewhat ineffectively. Even some of the visual aspects, like the nearly monochrome sets and costumes, are poor choices that they made sure to reverse in later films.
But there's so much I love about it anyway. The V'Ger visuals are just gorgeous. Goldsmith's score is astounding, so good that they had to re-use the main theme for Star Trek: TNG. The new Enterprise model is a marvel--just beautiful--there's a reason they spent so much time just showing it off. And there are even some good character moments. It was a brave choice to portray Kirk as essentially poisoning the crew dynamics by failing to deal with his midlife crisis, and it was a thread that was actually picked up more effectively in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and informed all the subsequent films.
And then there's Spock. I don't think there's anything else about this movie I like more. The character's arc echoes Leonard Nimoy's: initially reluctant to join the cast, he was eventually shoehorned in and became enthusiastic enough about the series to direct a couple of films. Spock initially appears as a changed character, rejecting his human side for "total logic"--but by the heart of the film, when he makes his unauthorized solo journey into the heart of V'Ger, he's very, very much the Spock we know and love. "I must attempt to mind-meld with it!" Of course you must, Spock, and we all know why. Nothing to do with the plot... it's just because you're Spock and that's what you do.
...If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend the director's cut that Robert Wise made for DVD. It's not a huge change from the other versions, but the pacing is just tightened up a little. There were some changes and refinements to the VFX that were done with CGI, and, unfortunately, they were only rendered at standard definition, so this version is not available on Blu-Ray or in other HD formats. But I think there's periodically a little buzz about doing an HD remaster of this edit. It was pretty much the last thing Wise did before he died--he was always a little dissatisfied with the theatrical cut, since he was a film editor at heart and had run out of the time he needed to make it as good as he wanted.
11:21 Well said!
"This dangerously optimistic view of the human race" ha, ha, ha, ha!