The Films Revisited

[EnriqueH]

Now that I've finished watching TOS and TAS in production order, it was now time to watch Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

I decided to watch The Director's Cut.

I love this movie though I do understand the valid criticisms of the film, particularly the original version.

Maybe it's because I remember more of the original version, but the pace seems much improved in The Director's Cut.

I've always said that I love the first hour of the film, and I love the climax. Everything in between was inconsistent. The Director's Cut solved some of the problems for me, to the point where I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

The special effects and soundtrack really give the Trek universe an epic scope not seen before or since. Never before has the Enterprise been so full of people. The Enterprise was like Grand Central Station, people walking rushed with a purpose.

It's a slower film, which is why Shatner's energy is an underrated and critical anchor for the film, balanced as usual by Nimoy and Kelley.

I loved Nimoy's performance. It's not the Spock we knew from the series, but I liked the build up to that. Kelley was good ol' Kelley. One of my favorite performances in the film and he's got some of the best lines.

I loved that great character moment between Kirk and Bones when Bones beams aboard for the first time with his beard.

Very elegantly made film, and the climax was one of my favorite, supported immeasurably by Jerry Goldsmith's score.

Granted, if someone is seeing a Star Trek film for the first time, I would NOT start with this one, but I do think certain people are capable of enjoying it.

I was surprised that my brother and his friends---not Trek fans who were unfamiliar with the films---liked this movie as much as they did.

Still a rewarding film for me.

 

[Harvey]

The pacing, really the antithesis of the action-adventure approach of the television series, has never worked for me in any version of the movie (granted, the special longer version is the worst, the theatrical version is a little better, and the Director's Edition is a little better than that).

The score is magnificent, and helps carry a lot of the movie, but even the tighter Director's Cut could have twenty minutes taken out of it without losing anything essential.

 

[Smellmet]

I can totally understand the casual viewer (hell even a hardened fan) disliking TMP. It does have several issues that are deal breakers for a lot of people. There's something so special about it though, a majesty that the series never achieved again to my eyes.

 

[RyanKCR]

I first saw TMP in the theater when I was about 8 or 9. I liked it better than Star Wars. For me, Star Trek the Motion Picture IS Star Trek. I had not really seen the TV show before hand so TMP was my first real introduction to it. I prefer the SLV version over the others. The DE is horrible.

 

[Indysolo]

Kelley was good ol' Kelley. One of my favorite performances in the film and he's got some of the best lines.

I love this movie, but did you ever notice he seems to walk onto the bridge a lot, say a line, and then walk off of the bridge?

Neil

 

[EnriqueH]

Kelley was good ol' Kelley. One of my favorite performances in the film and he's got some of the best lines.

I love this movie, but did you ever notice he seems to walk onto the bridge a lot, say a line, and then walk off of the bridge?

Neil

I did notice that THIS TIME.

He did it two or three times, right?

I thought it was more noticeable, perhaps, because it was The Director's Cut and that it trimmed the fat down to the point where it looked that way.

Was it that way in the other cuts too?

 

[gottacook]

The score is magnificent, and helps carry a lot of the movie...

Well, to a point - although it used to carry the movie a lot farther for me than it now does. This isn't because the score hasn't worn well, but rather because the story and other flaws have grown more annoying over time and the music can no longer fully balance them out.

(Saw the theatrical version, twice, at the big-screen Fox theater in center-city Philadelphia, across the street from City Hall and torn down in 1980, as well as the ABC broadcast version and the director's cut DVD, which I own, along with the 8-track tape cartridge of the soundtrack LP - and a working player. I'm halfway to deciding to purchase the multi-CD TMP soundtrack I've read about at this site, the set that includes orchestrated early drafts.)

 

[Harvey]

I'm halfway to deciding to purchase the multi-CD TMP soundtrack I've read about at this site, the set that includes orchestrated early drafts.

It's terrific and well worth picking up. If I could only keep one, I'd dump my copy of the film and keep my copy of the soundtrack in a heartbeat.

 

[EnriqueH]

Just saw TWOK.

Although IV is my favorite (III was my favorite too at one point), this is the best one.

Love the battle scenes, the music really punches up the emotional wallop of the film, lots of great character moments. Ricardo Montalban is my favorite on screen villain ever along with Darth Vader.

I always wondered why we never saw the Enterprise firing phasers again.

Because I'm so familiar with the action, I tried to pay more attention to the characters and their character moments.

This is my favorite Leonard Nimoy performance as Spock. He seems to have struck a balance between embracing his Vulcan side and being at peace with his human side. It's a wonderful culmination of his character's growth over the years.

DeForest Kelley is the heart of the cast. I can still feel emotional tears well up in my eyes as McCoy tries to talk Spock out of entering the radiation chamber.

Y'know, after watching these movies OVER AND OVER AND OVER, it's easy to fall into the same emotional patterns that you're used to feeling when watching these films and not really question what's going on, but...

I loved the chemistry between Shatner and Bibi Besch's Carol Marcus. I always wondered why we didn't see her return in III, IV or any of the subsequent films. She SHOULD have been included in at least one or two more scenes to give her character a bit more send off.

I'm finishing reading DeForest Kelley's biography and there's a mention that Kelley was disappointed that McCoy didn't get a scene with Kirk to talk about Spock's death.

While I think the scene with David was a nice scene, showcasing Kirk "all grown up", embracing his adulthood and his future years, I can't help but feel a mild sense of loss or at least a little intrigue at the possibility of a Kirk-McCoy scene.

 

[HIjol]

The score is magnificent, and helps carry a lot of the movie...

Well, to a point - although it used to carry the movie a lot farther for me than it now does. This isn't because the score hasn't worn well, but rather because the story and other flaws have grown more annoying over time and the music can no longer fully balance them out.

(Saw the theatrical version, twice, at the big-screen Fox theater in center-city Philadelphia, across the street from City Hall and torn down in 1980, as well as the ABC broadcast version and the director's cut DVD, which I own, along with the 8-track tape cartridge of the soundtrack LP - and a working player. I'm halfway to deciding to purchase the multi-CD TMP soundtrack I've read about at this site, the set that includes orchestrated early drafts.)

LOVE that you not only have the 8-track, but a working player, to boot!!!...

 

[Hypaspist]

Good thread! I would tell newcomers to start with TMP even though I'd tell them that it's really the opposite of Star Wars type action-adventure. The special effects still look great, especially the way they do the scale on the D7 and the Enterprise. I think the movie-era Federation ships are the ugliest in all of Star Trek, but you don't really notice it in this one because of the way it's shot. I saw the movie as a kid (before the DS9 premier) and even though I didn't understand everything then, it blew me away. The funny thing is that it's really true in tone to TOS and what I think Trek is supposed to be in general. Everything from the D7 being destroyed, to the horrifying transporter accident, to the Voyager reveal at the end...it's all great.
Chekov and the uniforms are annoying, yes. I'll give you that one.

I did show Wrath of Khan to some non-Trek fans and they thought it was good. I think it's the best representation of a simple war story in the Trek universe. Yeah the DS9 battles are a lot more fun to look at, but you have to put a huge investment into watching the series (or most of it anyway) to really appreciate their importance to the story. Khan is just so well paced, plus unlike things like Star Wars or BSG, Trek battles are more about being measured out before they come to a head...and then they're over with pretty quickly.

 

[The Colonel]

I also think TMP is underrated, especially the director's cut. I give it a lot of props for being the only Trek film with a high concept scf-fi idea at its core and really following through with that idea in an interesting way. It is hard to compare to the other TOS films because they focused so much on being character/action driven.

 

[Hypaspist]

If we're going to discuss the whole series, I guess it's time to give them all a re-watch. The thing about Trek anything is that I can watch them all a lot of times without really getting tired of them. I'm completely the opposite with any other movie or show. Maybe not so much with Wrath of Khan - it's my favorite overall so I watch it the least.

First of all, I hate the Odds and Evens rule. I don't really like any cliche, especially one that discourages forming your own opinion. The only Trek movies that I think are bad are 4 and 5, but I still like watching 5 - it has great unintentional comedy, like Spock's Wile-E-Coyote boots and that classic Earth hymn about rowing a boat. The personal scenes between the big three are outstanding here.
After that, I think that part 6 is a great looking film with a mediocre plot. The acting is fantastic, especially on the part of the Klingon characters. It's also good to see Sulu as a Captain and how surprisingly stern he is.

 

[Smellmet]

Funny that as thats one of the reasons I love TUC. I like that they kept it simple, tight and let the characters shine in their roles.

 

[EnriqueH]

I saw TSFS again a couple of days back.

It's really one of my favorites. It's the second film I ever saw in the theater (Return of the Jedi being the first).

I missed Bibi Besch and Kirstie Alley. Even if they couldn't think of much to do for Besch, she should've at least had a cameo or some scene writing her out of the series.

I thought Robin Curtis did a fine job. She's colder, more scientific, less sexy, (though not unattractive in her own way).

Stealing of the Enterprise is my favorite segment of ANY Trek film. Loved the Klingons. Loved the music.

This is usually tied at #1 for favorite Trek film with Trek IV.

 

[EnriqueH]

I just saw Star Trek V, start to finish, for the first time in YEARS. (I've "seen" it as background noise, looking at it in parts, a few times, but this is the first time in a while that I really saw it.)

Man, I enjoyed it.

I can remember seeing it for the first time and sensing that something was off from the very first scene.

The credits rolled too quickly, even Jerry Goldsmith's score seemed off kilter, the Vulcan laughing.

This time, I think the movie flowed well and channeled TOS show.

It was the very best Trek V viewing I've ever had.

Laurence Luckinbill was fantastic. And I thought Nimoy and Kelley were great. Shatner had moments where he did seem like he was rushing, but he had some great moments too.

The script probably could've used a little extra polish, but I enjoyed the character moments.

In fact, it accentuated the friendships among the trio very well, with some good moments for the other 4.

That's actually what makes this movie great IMO: the relationships of the characters, the exploration of what they mean to each other, and their continued support as well as their growth as human beings.

Two things that are a negative:

1) Captain Klaa still seemed a bit hokey. Like a bad Kruge clone, but he passed with a "D", if I have to give him a letter grade. And that's probably because the rest of the cast was strong/solid.

2) The special effects really let the film down, particularly the Bird of Prey shots stood out as being pretty bad.

The humor wasn't as bad as I remembered. In fact, a lot of it was effectively humorous in an organic way, but there were moments of "humor" that were forced: i.e. Scotty bumping his head, Sulu/Chekov being lost in the woods. This was much better written than I had thought.

I did like the campfire scenes, but the song was a little awkward.

 

[Hypaspist]

5 would make for a really great 1-hour movie. They could add by removing stuff. That part where the characters jump out of the way of a photon torpedo is just so...what were they thinking? A photon torpedo does more damage than a nuclear weapon on impact, but they dodge it?

Uhura getting Scotty some cheese nips on the bridge was another entire scene that had no purpose.


And then you have scenes like Spock recalling his own birth and Kirk's speech about his pain being a part of who he is. It's like a tale of two scripts, one good and one bad.
Klaa isn't really that bad. He's obvious young and an idiot. I can't get over the part where he and Kirk give each other Roman salutes at the end.

 

[eyeresist]

EnriqueH, I agree with a lot of what you said. For me the weakest part of the film is Nimbus 3, and the worst part of that is Uhura's fan dance. That whole episode was there just to set up the real plot, and I can never bring myself to really care about it. The special effects don't really bother me - they're not what I watch a film for.

 

[EnriqueH]

I actually enjoyed the terrorist subplot on Nimbus III this time around because of the action and the throwback to TOS type action.

 

[EnriqueH]

I just finished Star Trek VI.

I haven't seen it in years, but I realize today that whenever I watch this movie, I watch it with a lot of baggage.

The melancholy feeling I get that it's "the last one" always distracts me from really immersing myself.

I like all the TOS movies, (after viewing TFF two days ago, I can finally say that I enjoyed even that one), but there are things about VI that make it my least favorite of the 6 films.

1) It's the last one

2) I thought the music, overall, was horrible...though there are exceptions being the main title, the music when Kirk/McCoy/Martia escape the prison was FINALLY the type of music you'd hear in Trek, and the sign off at the end was ok. But IMO, this movie needed Goldsmith or Horner.

3) I thought Nick Meyer went too far with the military feel. If Star Trek: The Motion Picture was too "squeaky clean" then The Undiscovered Country went to the opposite extreme.

4) I thought the "who done it" and mystery elements of the film were overly predictable and too much time was spent on the obvious. We all knew it was Valeris and Chang. Cartwright was a cool twist, but he's not a major enough character to build the mystery around.

5) The film was strongest on Rura Penthe. I found that the movie FINALLY found its energy when rushing to the peace conference and Chang was on their tail and all that predictable investigation behind the movie.

6) McCoy was a standout. DeForest Kelley's value was indelible, especially in this movie. Whenever Kelley was onscreen and had a lot to say and do, the movie's quality skyrockets. Which is probably why the Rura Penthe scenes elevate the movie.

7) Christopher Plummer, like Kelley, elevates the movie as well. He's got energy to spare and you can tell he's having a great time, chewing scenery and quoting Shakespeare. "DOYOUDENYBEINGDEMOTEDFORTHESECHARGES! DONTWAITFORTHETRANSLATION! ANSWERMENOW!"

8) The space battle at the end was fantastic. The movie really came together, with all the characters being in danger, saying lines, and Spock & McCoy playing off each other one last time together, and Chang having a ball.

9) The movie got a little too self-indulgent with the cast walking up to get applauded and Kirk saying, "Once again, we've saved civilization as we know it." The music got REALLY schmatlzy here.

10) The Klingon books translation scene is like a scene that was written the same day they came up with Scotty hitting his head on the bulkhead or Sulu/Chekov getting lost in the forest. This time, Uhura was the embarrassing victim. Uhura, the communications expert on the Enterprise, can't speak basic Klingon despite being the COMMUNICATIONS officer for 25 years during an era where the Klingon Empire are the Federation's arch-nemesis. Hardee-har-har.

11) Overall, all the classic characters had their share of great lines, and the TOS franchise held on tight long enough to squeeze a last winner out of their series. I can't help but feel that the Star Trek TOS movie franchise was at its strongest when Nimoy-Meyer AND Bennett worked together. Taking Bennett out of the team took a toll on VI...if you ask me.

12) I noticed there were no major Kirk, Spock, McCoy scenes. That's the one thing this movie needed. Though I'm grateful we got a good amount of Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Spock, and Spock/McCoy.

Overall, I liked this movie, but it felt a little too artificial, rigid, and deliberate and didn't have the breezy, easygoing unpredictability of Treks 2-4. Even Trek 5 had that unpredictability, though its execution was inconsistent.

One final note that was rewarding about this viewing:

For years, I considered Spock's last line embarrassingly awful.

"Go to hell...if I were human."

I considered it as bad as all the cheesy one-liners they gave Data in the TNG films, like "Lock n' load."

But this time, having just finished TOS in production order as well as TAS and the films, I've come to realize that the line is PURE Spock.

I think many of you know what I mean...