Customer Reviews
Crayola Scrawls 
2008-05-12
I scorn to mention particulars about "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." You may assume--and correctly--that my general observations are supported thoroughly by the evidence of specific details in the film--if you care to watch it.
This film's script must have been written up--nay, scribbled down--with crayola scrawls. The story and dialogue are childish; this is science fiction for seven-year-olds. The characterizations are embarrassing. The film's pace is labored--there is no excitement in extended sequences of wondering faces and meaningless spectral visuals. The magnificent grandeur of the score is shackled, thoughtlessly, to the rank stupidity on the screen. The special effects are "cool"--but that's merely admitting that the film has visual style. Without story substance, this supposed "work of art" is a house of cards the slightest puff of objective criticism can blow down. Critical viewer: do it. Blowing it down is easy, and it's the very gesture of contempt a film like this deserves.
This review refers to the director's cut, two-disc special collector's edition. Disc two of two has plenty of extra features--in other words, much ado about nothing.
Colorless, uninteresting resumption of the Star Trek legacy 2008-04-21
Take an original Star Trek episode and draw it out to three times the usual length, take away the humor, throw in some post-Star wars special effects, and finally add in some uninteresting new characters, and there you have it "Star Trek - The Motion Picture".
Admittedly there is some initial fun in seeing the old crew back after a ten year hiatus but this fun drains away pretty quickly. Long, boring and colorless - right down to the drab production design - even fans will struggle to sit through this one. You get the feeling that director Robert Wise was so conscious of being respectful of the material that he ended up embalming it. If this review is not warning enough, this film has been recut twice all to no avail.
Too Long But Worth Viewing 
2008-02-17
This film could have been better if the father from Seven's Heaven, Stephen ? did not have that prominent a role (we see his TV wife in The Voyage Home), and Leonard Nimoy's Spock should have made an appearance much sooner as the story didn't seem to really pick up steam until he got there. having said this, the general premise of the movie itself is sound, the special effects are solid, and the acting is pretty good given the primary actors had not worked together in about twenty years. Overall, it's really hard to comment on this film because in so many ways, it's just there, as you can tell from my rating of 3 stars. I love Star Trek the series and downright love or really like all the other movies with the exception of #5, so the fact that I just like this indicates what the film is, necessary to set up the return of the series by explaining what the crew has been doing and to create a scenario that brings them together again.
Very good start of a great Sci-fi film franchise! 
2008-01-28
Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) with his crew (Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, George Takei, James Doohan, Majel Barret, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols) joined by two new members like Decker (Stephen Collins), Bald female alien Illea (Persis Khambatta) as they take a new mission on their newly reinvented U.S.S. Enterprise. Their mission is to find a mysterious alien spaceship that has wiped out a few Klingon ships before it heads towards Earth and destroys it.
A very good if slow start of the popular Star Trek film installment which is based on the timeless TV show of the same name. The original cast is reunited after 10 years in this film event of 1979 that made audiences believe that Star Trek can live again but in a motion picture, director Robert Wise and producer Gene Roddenberry does a nice job of bringing the show on the screen. Jerry Goldsmith's score is phenomenal as it later became the main theme for "Star Trek The Generation" and the special effects were good for it's time especially the production design, yes it doesn't have much action like it's sequels but rather more on atmosphere. But this brand new cut really improves on the film itself with remastered sound and never before seen footage plus newly remastered special effects, it still is a good beginning for the franchise as it's sequel is even better.
This 2-Disc DVD set contains excellent picture and sound with nifty extras like three retrospective documentaries, interviews, Teasers and Trailers, TV Spots, 5 additional scenes from the 1979 theatrical cut, 11 Deleted scenes from the 1983 TV version, Storyboards, and a promo for "Star Trek: Enterprise".
Sweet 
2008-01-20
Of the six "true" Star Trek movies, this is my least favorite. Having said that, this is not a bad movie. It just didn't scream "Star Trek" as much as the others in the series. I can't really explain why. Any rate, the touch ups to the movie are good, as are the bonus features on disc 2.
They even cut out some of the computer voice over crap that was on there. All in all, it's a good watch. Sit back and enjoy.
One of sci-fi's great epics. 2008-01-20
Back when the first
Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the
Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of
Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S.
Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for
West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for
Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very best (with its main theme later used for
Star Trek: The Next Generation). And, fortunately for
Star Trek fans, the expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original theatrical release.
--Jeff Shannon
A Different Kind of Epic 2007-12-01
As the first of the "Trek" movie franchise, this interesting motion picture goes on its own path. While the story of a most unusual first contact gets somewhat tedious at times, its very much a "Star Trek" type of story, with the original cast all present and accounted for, though they have to share the spotlight with some newcomers. In many ways, the plot more closely resembles the next generation more than the first, and had to be thought of as a very different type of adventure compared to the "me too" type of sci-fi pictures that were coming out in that post "Star Wars" era.
That said, the new directors cut gave us the chance to see a somewhat cleaned up, and visually more impressive experience, with at least some of the interplay between the major characters restored. Of course, it still doesn't make the climax entirely understandable. But I still think that it is a fine film. It won't leave you on the edge of your seat, but it will leave you satisfied.
A science-fiction adventure worthy of anyone's DVD collection 2007-11-20
I ordered this on November 8th, it just arrived yesterday, and let me began by saying, this film was AWESOME! The special effects seemed a bit dated by today's starndards, buy they were nonetheless, impressive. The film does have a bit of a slow pace though, and if you're not a fan of Star Trek, you probably wouldn't like it. I can't comment on the DVD extras because I haven't watched them yet. Directed by Robert Wise, this film marked the return of Star Trek after a 10 year hiatus. I highly recommend it!
The Director's Edition 2007-11-19
Similar to what the recent remastering of the original series has done, this is updated as well, but in a lesser degree. A lot of care was put into touching up and completing Robert Wise's original vision for the film. Using modern technology, new scenes that were in the original storyboard art but never used are finally brought to life. It's not so much new scenes, but the original vision for already existing scenes that could be done when the film was originally made. There aren't big changes, but small ones that you probably wouldn't really notice unless you were very familiar with the original film. That's how natural the updated film feels and stays a loyal as possible to the original movie.
Some scenes that have been added are just beautiful. One scene in particular is the first time you see Spock on Vulcan. They have finally been able to make a realistic looking Vulcan planet and give it atmosphere. Unlike in the original film when he is blinded by the sunlight, but the sky is black and no sun to be seen. Overall, this updated "Director's Edition" just makes the film more enjoyable to watch and even more "sci-fi" than it previously was.
It will not convert you if you don't like the original film, because it is very much the same and it is just as interesting. So, if you thought this film was boring, you still will. But, if you like this movie, it just enhances the experience.
Greatly Underrated Trek Epic 2007-11-13
STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE has been greatly underrated. This film is very close to capturing the spirit of the original TV series. The TV series was about almost limitless space travel into far off worlds searching out life forms and strong on deep character interactions of the crew based upon this trek into space. This film reverts back to the central theme of characters facing the unknown and is complimented by magnificent special effects giving the film a realistic quality not seen up to that time. Jerry Goldsmith's rich score enhanced the human drama as the crew came into contact with a vast life entity approaching earth. This film was brilliantly directed by Robert Wise but I still prefer the original version released to the theaters over this special edition.
