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Star Trek: The Motion Picture

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  • Earth 2 Chris
    Verbose Member
    • Mar 7, 2004
    • 32498

    Star Trek: The Motion Picture

    I watched this today for the first time in YEARS. Probably over a decade since I'd seen it, despite having "The Director's Edition" for several years. I was just turning 5 when this came out, so I wasn't a Trekker yet. I didn't see this until after I'd seen III in the theater (my first Trek film) and then II on television. As a kid, I thought it was boring. Way too many drawn out reaction shots, laborous effect shots, and little of the character that makes me love Trek.

    Over the years that opinion didn't change much. It has always been my least favorite classic crew film, yes, even under V, which despite bargain basement special effects and a rambling plot, does have some great character moments with Kirk, Spock and Bones.

    So I watched the Director's Edition today, and you know what...my opinion really hasn't changed. I enjoyed watching it, but almost as more of a curiosity than a Trek film. I've been re-reading Shatner's Star Trek Memories books, and the account of this movie presented through his POV and others (including director Robert Wise) is fascinating (pardon the pun). Despite being in gestation in one form or another as a TV film, low-budget theatrical film, TV series pilot, and finally major motion picture, you would think they'd have thought this one out better.

    It's certainly a handsome film. It's Robert Wise, so of course it's beautiful. The scale and scope of the Enterprise never felt larger and more majestic, but I'd have traded that for some true emoting on Shatner. Kirk seems to be sedated through this film. Bones has some good lines, and brings some much needed levity and just plain ol' humanity, since Kirk is not his usual overly-passionate self. Spock's arc is interesting, and Nimoy does a good job of subtly portraying Spock as a near-robot at the movie's beginning, slowly turning back into the Spock we know as the story unfolds.

    But it's just missing that spark that TOS had, and that Have Bennet and Nick Meyer re-injected into the franchise in Wrath of Khan. This is definitely Roddenberry's NEW vision, or perhaps his original Cage-like vision before NBC insisted on more action and less pondering. You can definitely follow this feeling into Next Gen. Of course they do share the same theme, and the music is another thing that makes this movie that much more enjoyable. Without Goldsmith's excellent score, those long drawn-out shots could have been nigh unbearable.

    Again, despite all this, I enjoyed it. It has some great moments, but you have to wade through a lot of dullness to get there. I still put this behind V. Technically better, but viscerally lacking.

    Chris
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  • Hedji
    Citizen of Gotham
    • Nov 17, 2012
    • 7246

    #2
    The beginning is awesome. The music was glorious. The marketing was fun. I have uber nostalgia for this, even though I know it's got serious problems.

    I always thought they should have tied the Borg back to the merging of V'Ger with Decker and Ilia. Learn All That Is Learnable could have easily been corrupted into the Borg Modus Operandi of assimilate everything. And the fusion of machine and human parts is basically the ending of this film. It would've fit quite naturally. Imagine getting to the center of the Borg Cube or home world and finding Decker and Ilia all pastily preserved and wired up.

    Comment

    • Hedji
      Citizen of Gotham
      • Nov 17, 2012
      • 7246

      #3
      Oh, and it happen to love Trek V. Always did.

      Comment

      • Earth 2 Chris
        Verbose Member
        • Mar 7, 2004
        • 32498

        #4
        I think a novel tied the Borg to V'ger. At the very least, the planet of living machines Voyager landed on could have been the Borg homeworld.

        Spock even says something about "resistance is futile" in regards to V'ger!

        Chris
        sigpic

        Comment

        • Werewolf
          Inhuman
          • Jul 14, 2003
          • 14616

          #5
          The Good: The effects and music were great. The redesign of the Enterprise was gorgeous.

          The Bad: Way too many shots of the crew staring in confusion and awe. Boring. More 2001 than Trek.
          Last edited by Werewolf; Mar 2, '14, 12:47 AM. Reason: typos
          You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

          Comment

          • bobws
            Permanent Member
            • Feb 13, 2008
            • 3462

            #6
            But you had to be there in 1979, when there was no new Trek since the 1975 cartoon episodes and no new live action Trek for a decade.
            The theater erupted when each ofthe stars names came on screen and then again as each character showed up, it was amazing and fun.
            Of Course when we left the theater we realized it was basically 3 episodes of the Originalseries thrown together, But Star Trek was BACK!
            "Hang on Lady... We go for a RIDE!" - Shorty to Willie Scott.Best movie line from Indiana Jones & the Temple Of Doom

            Comment

            • fallensaviour
              Talkative Member
              • Aug 28, 2006
              • 5620

              #7
              I remember it at the theatre.I was like seven and it was awesome.
              The directors cut just makes it flow so much better.
              It's still a turd but at least they polished it.
              “When you say “It’s hard”, it actually means “I’m not strong enough to fight for it”. Stop saying its hard. Think positive!”

              Comment

              • mego73
                Printed paperboard Tiger
                • Aug 1, 2003
                • 6690

                #8
                I don't care what anyone says, I dig TMP.

                When you boil it down, the movie is about Spock learning to accept his human side.
                Last edited by mego73; Mar 2, '14, 2:52 PM.

                mego73@hotmail.com

                Comment

                • Werewolf
                  Inhuman
                  • Jul 14, 2003
                  • 14616

                  #9
                  I saw STTMP in theaters as a child. I pestered my parents unmercifully to take me. I had the Mego toys, story books and even the Happy Meal toys. I still have a lot of nostalgia for it and do like it. But it did and does have a lot of flaws.
                  You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                  Comment

                  • Hedji
                    Citizen of Gotham
                    • Nov 17, 2012
                    • 7246

                    #10
                    Originally posted by mego73
                    I don't care what anyone says, I did TMP.

                    When you boil it down, the movie is about Spock learning to accept his human side.
                    I dig it too, you're absolutely right. And yet, there are some real pacing problems and tone issues. I like to imagine what it might have been like if the first Star Trek film experience were more of a rip-roaring adventure.

                    Comment

                    • palitoy
                      live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                      • Jun 16, 2001
                      • 59204

                      #11
                      I melt when I see TMP merchandise and it immediately takes me back to a happy time. I will always love it.

                      But dammit, it's boring.

                      It's on netflix and I put it on all the time, rarely get past 40 minutes. Some great performances, awesome visuals but they're on the bridge for just too long.

                      I pestered my dad to take me to this and I remember the awkward silence on the drive home, dad wasn't a big fan....
                      Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                      Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                      http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                      Comment

                      • Hedji
                        Citizen of Gotham
                        • Nov 17, 2012
                        • 7246

                        #12
                        I remember at the time, there was a local appliance store using the Goldsmith theme for their television ad (I'm sure illegally). As a kid, I thought that was the coolest commercial.

                        And I remember staring at that Happy Meal box artwork for what would be an eternity to an attention deficient child of today.

                        I remember Topps used to sell multipacks of trading card overstock in clear cello wrappers, and they had TMP cards sealed in Empire Strikes Back packaging, surely skirting the rules of any licensing agreements.

                        Comment

                        • jds1911a1
                          Alan Scott is the best GL
                          • Aug 8, 2007
                          • 3556

                          #13
                          How funny I literally did the same thing I broke out my laserdisc and watched it for the first time in about 10 years. I was 7 when TMP came out and I was SO hyped, I had literally grown up on trek cartoons then the reruns and my mego's. Was it perfect no, but I was awestuck when I saw the spacedock shots of Enterprise in the theater and the theme as they fly around her put a lump in my throat then (and it still did last night). The interplay in the main cast was good, knowing now that this story was originally intended as the pilot for phase 2 makes me wonder if it would have been a lot better on a tv budget. First you'd surely lose about 20-40 minutes of the ship flying through v'ger which made the pace even slower, second Ilia and Decker weren't supposed to die in the original phase 2 plot so you'd lose the 10-15 minutes of decker trying to connect to the ilia probe. The basic bones of the story weren't bad and while not as exciting as Khan it was certainly in line with several stories in classic trek
                          I never liked the uniforms except for the retention of the arm stripes (which I always felt was the weakness in the later film uniforms)
                          But it was NEW trek and without it's commercial success there wouldn't have been St2 which is I would argue the best of all the trek films including the reimagined ones

                          Comment

                          • Earth 2 Chris
                            Verbose Member
                            • Mar 7, 2004
                            • 32498

                            #14
                            After suffering through TMP, my son said I owed him a viewing of Wrath of Khan. And hey, when your 12 year old ASKS to watch classic Trek with you, don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

                            So we watched not only II, but III today. I think III is vastly under appreciated. I mean, II deserves every ounce of praise it gets, and it probably is the best of all the Trek films, but III is a solid follow-up. And as I said earlier, it's got a special place in my Trek-lovin' heart for being my first in the theater. Whenever I watch the Enterprise death scene, I'm immediately transported back to 1984, I'm 9 years old again, and my Dad lowly utters "DAMN" as the Enterprise carcass careens through the sky.

                            Chris
                            sigpic

                            Comment

                            • YoungOnce
                              Career Member
                              • Aug 29, 2007
                              • 966

                              #15
                              Originally posted by bobws
                              But you had to be there in 1979, when there was no new Trek since the 1975 cartoon episodes and no new live action Trek for a decade.
                              The theater erupted when each ofthe stars names came on screen and then again as each character showed up, it was amazing and fun.
                              Of Course when we left the theater we realized it was basically 3 episodes of the Originalseries thrown together, But Star Trek was BACK!
                              Yeah, that was me too. My dad took us boys to the theatre on opening weekend and the place was packed. There was a buzz in the air and applause throughout the movie for character reveals and the ship. It plods along now without a doubt, but I have fond memories of the night it debuted.

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