Star Trek: The Motion Picture

[matrixman]

Well, why not have threads for the movies? The TV shows shouldn't get all the attention.

Through the years, this has remained my favorite Trek feature film. It really is too bad that most people (whether Trek fans or general movie fans) have a low opinion of ST: TMP. The artistic brilliance of this film is as clear as day to me. Some scattered thoughts:

1) Jerry Goldsmith's original score

The first and best Trek movie soundtrack. The bold Main Theme is an ideal musical representation of Star Trek's forward-looking, optimistic philosophy. The music for the opening battle gives a great sense of Klingons on the hunt. They should feel honored to have such fabulous music driving them on. The stretch of music accompanying Kirk and Scotty's shuttle trip to the refurbished Enterprise is a majestic orchestral suite in its own right, worthy of a great starship. Ilia's Theme is wistful and poignant without becoming cloying. But Goldsmith really lets loose in the music for the V'ger sequences: it remains some of the most evocative and haunting movie music I've ever heard. All in all, a classic score for a classy movie.

2) Decker & Ilia

This isn't just the Kirk, Spock and McCoy show. I find the relationship between Decker and Ilia plausible and interesting, and it's great that the two of them end up as the catalysts for V'ger's transformation. They aren't just bit players. So, whereas Matt Decker died in vain against the Doomsday Machine in the original TV series, his son Will successfully sacrifices himself to stop another doomsday machine in V'ger. Persis Khambatta: it was gutsy of her to allow her head to be completely shaved for the role of Ilia. I was saddened when she passed away.

3) Life, the universe, and everything

This is the most philosophically deep Trek movie. "Is this all there is? Is there nothing more?" Critics deride ST:TMP for lacking warmth and humor, but there is nothing wrong with taking a serious approach. ST:TMP tries to elevate us higher, to make us think larger questions. The later Trek films have pulled us back down, substituting generic action and one-liners for meaningful sci-fi. (Gee, let's have Scotty do another wide-eyed double-take. Let's do another gag involving Data and his emotion chip...)

4) All the pretty lights

For a film that was made before the advent of CGI, its visual effects remain stunning. The entire look of ST:TMP is breathtaking, a glittering cinematic diamond. For instance, when the Enterprise blasts into warp speed in this film, we get a sense of the power involved, a sense of how the ship is truly warping space around itself. It's a dazzling light show that puts to shame the warp sequences in later Trek films. In TNG, all we see is the Enterprise do some unexciting relativistic stretching of its shape, and then, poof, it's gone. With all the wonders of modern CGI, that's all we get. Faster-than-light travel ought to be visually represented as a special event, not a ho-hum thing. No wonder I don't admire the new CG versions of the Enterprise.

The DVD

Aside from some niggly things, I'm okay with the Director's Cut of the film. The original visuals were already strong in my view, but the new scene enhancements are fine, too. I didn't like the rearrangement and deletion of a few scenes, but then, I'm someone who actually preferred the special longer VHS version to the theatrical version. At least they included all the deleted scenes on the supplementary disc.

One thing I couldn't sit through was the audio commentary. Robert Wise's voice was so faint and fragile that it was difficult for me to make out what he was saying. And when you have a large group commentary, there is the problem of it sometimes turning into incoherent babble. (Peter Jackson and company remain the standard for clear, intelligent group commentary with LOTR.)

[Loredoctor]

I have got to see this movie again.
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[dlbpharmd]

Good post, MM. I've said for a long time that TMP is much better than people give it credit for.

[A Gunslinger]

I'll have to check out again myself. The main thing I recall is that the depth of character was lacking. That the crew seemed robotic. I also recall that VGER was alot ....well I seem to remember that the slogan, "WHERE NOMAD HAS GONE BEFORE" was a common joke at the time.... nuff said.
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[Old Darth]

I found the latest DVD release an immeasurable improvement upon the previous incarnations. The lack of warmth is addressed by the new cut and it just flows better overall.
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[Sheol]

upon rereading some of my star trek magazines i stumbled across an alternate ending for it. when v'ger metamorphoses is dumped all its memory crystals. and it didnt just collect data, it collected objects. like the klingon battle cruser, it got digitized and put into a memory crystal. some of them collide and reform the objects that they were. the klingon battle cruser is back and the captain orders an attack on the enterprise. the shots are well placed so they damage the engeneering section. the klingons turn to leave and thier warp engines are cold. then the saucer section of the enterprise seperates and they persue the klingons.

i think this would have been incredible to see, and now we know that the crew of next gen didnt ome up with the idea of saucer seperation.
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[Roland of Gilead]

You make a strong case for the movie, Matrixman. I've always maintained that ST - TMP was not the train wreck most Trekkers claim it is, but I never ranked it this high, either.

I would put it somewhere in the middle myself. Great music, nice development of the guest characters, I agree there.

On the negative side, too long on the travel scenes through V'Ger, which hurt the pacing. Spock's change from cold Kolinahr bastard to "Jim is my friend" is a little too abrupt.

I don't think it has the relentless excitement of Wrath of Khan or the brilliant message and humor and dialogue of The Voyage Home.

But it certainly didn't embarrass the Trek community at large, or that of cinema either, and that's why I saw it four times at the theatre. It was just so great to finally have something new to watch, after all the years of supporting re-runs and hoping for a future with the franchise.

That's right, I'm an old fogey.
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[matrixman]

Sheol, that's an amazing alternate ending! I had never heard of it! It would have made for an ironic twist to the lovey-dovey with Ilia and Decker and V'ger. It's like, after all the peace and harmony of V'ger's transformation, it's business as usual: Klingons and the Federation beating the crap out of each other!

[Wosbald]

+JMJ+


Adam Rasmussen @Chrysologus | Twitter



--> --> Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture Set to Be Fully Restored
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[Rigel]

Wait, there's a Director's Cut? That improves the story?

How have I not heard of this?!?!?
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[aTOMiC]

[SoulBiter]

This movie has grown on me over the years. When it first came out and we watched it in the movies, once we got over the excitement of seeing ST after all those years, it was a bit of a letdown.

However in the re-watch later I have come to appreciate just how good this movie is (comparatively)
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"He torments himself sufficiently."

**"You can deny if you will but the "hens" didn't just happen to show up when they did, by accident. "***

** Note to add that ALL of the hens have since disappeared***

"All of the above is my opinion and thus shouldnt need to be supported by anything other than more of my opinions. "

We miss you Tracie but your Spirit will always shine brightly on the Watch

[Skyweir]

It’s a little dated to be sure but hubs and I are slow-marathoning the Star Wars movies (which I love) and it imv still carries nostalgic appeal … My expectations re special effects, storyline, acting lol 😂 (which is arguably questionable) are always moderated to account for the fact that the early movies of the franchise are 70s-80s generation productions.

My fave deep-dive of the earlier movies is Final Frontier - I kinda like it for its resonant star warsy fusion feel.

I always love a good romp down memory lane lol 😂
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[SoulBiter]

For those that have Paramount + you can now watch a new Directors cut version of The Motion Picture.

https://trekmovie.com/2022/04/05/review-star-trek-the-motion-picture-comes-alive-in-the-4k-directors-edition/

Also in May it will be released to theatres "Fathom events".

I was going to watch it in the Man-cave but now I might just wait and see it on the big screen. I bet I have a better appreciation for it than I had in '79

BTW watch this trailer to see how much better the sound and effects are.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrXvBaFFu80
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"He torments himself sufficiently."

**"You can deny if you will but the "hens" didn't just happen to show up when they did, by accident. "***

** Note to add that ALL of the hens have since disappeared***

"All of the above is my opinion and thus shouldnt need to be supported by anything other than more of my opinions. "

We miss you Tracie but your Spirit will always shine brightly on the Watch

[Fist and Faith]

Thanks for the heads-up!

I've always been disappointed that we haven't seen V'ger since. As I just said somewhere on facebook, Wesley and V'ger should hang out together.
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