I first have to preface my review with a little background on the time, as I remember seeing this film in theaters.
I had always had a soft spot for The Motion Picture, flawed as it was upon release. Then the Director's Cut came out on DVD in 2001 and I loved how it restored so much footage that enhanced the character and story arcs as well as giving us a better look at the V'Ger vessel.
Then I saw the second restoration of the Director's cut on Blu-Ray and that was it. It is truly phenomenal. Not only did they discover a wealth of audio files for the dialogue to make a much better surround mix, they also found all the effects plates for so many of the shots and sequences in the film, and as such were able to recompose these various plates into a final shot with any resolution loss from the older method of composition.
The film can be difficult for those who are used to the more action-oriented version of Star Trek with all the pew pew and punch punch, but it's really important to remember when this film came out, and that the franchise didn't even really exist in 1979. The show had been cancelled about a decade ago, and so when they finally settled on the idea of making a film, they had to figure how they were going to bring all the characters back together.
That the first act of the film is mostly devoted to reassembling the original crew likely seems odd to younger viewers because for them, Star Trek has always been here, but back in 1979 it was the opposite. Star Trek was basically on life support in syndication, and while the many conventions allowed fans to meet and share stories and memorabilia, Star Trek was not the pop culture juggernaut that it would soon become.
All of the sequels are wonderful in evoking that Horatio Hornblower swashbuckling ship-to-ship action, and I love them for it, but The Motion Picture is more thoughtful, philosophical, and filled with wonder and awe. It's a story of reunion, discovery, communication, and transformation. The search for knowledge, the search for self, and the search for one's places in the cosmos. Anyways, here's my review:
Star Trek’s first foray onto cinema screens mirrored many of the difficulties encountered in during the abortive run of the original TV show. The film project underwent several drastic changes and despite being a financial success upon its theatrical debut, Star Trek: The Motion Picture has long been lambasted as “The Motionless Picture” for its slow pacing, muted color palette and somewhat stilted acting. However, as the decades passed and more information was revealed about the frantic production, a lot of those criticisms bear less weight, especially upon viewing this second and even more complete restoration of director Robert Wise’s vision of the film.
The Director’s Cut was first completed and released on DVD in 2001, and for many fans, it was a revelation. The production schedule for The Motion Picture was so short that many sequences and special effects were never finished. Over 20 years later, a team of very talented and devoted special effects technicians worked directly with Robert Wise to complete many of the missing elements and produce a version of the film that Wise had always wanted. The additional scenes increase the scope of the story, further develop the characters, and finally reveal V’Ger in all its astounding glory.
One of the most impressive aspects of this new version was that the effects company understood that film grain would need to be digitally added to these new special effects so that they would blend in better with the filmed elements from the late Seventies, a pitfall rarely avoided in other cinematic revisitations and revisions! Despite the multitude of new effects, the film no longer looks like a patchwork of disparate parts and has instead become a fully integrated and seamless piece. It’s a truly gorgeous restoration and also a removal of an ancient thorn from Robert Wise’s side!
However, that 2001 version was produced for the DVD market, and so it did not have the HD resolution that would take full advantage of what Blu-Ray and 4K can bring to home viewing, nor did it have a proper sound mix. With the launch of the Paramount Plus streaming service, the studio decided to revisit the Director’s Cut and update it a second time to ensure that it would be its absolute best for home viewing as a visual piece of art and as a sound experience. Many of the visual effects from the 2001 edition have been further improved, and a new Dolby Atmos mix made the sound and music elements worthy of modern home theater systems.
That’s all well and good, but what about the movie? Does it still have a slow and plodding pace that’s about as exciting as watching paint dry? As always, that will depend on the viewer. For myself, I LOVED it. Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a mood and I am here for it! While the franchise has done very well overall with its more action-oriented sequels, this first film has become one of my top three Star Trek films because it’s the only one with a truly cosmic idea that just goes for it! It’s philosophical, introspective, and surreal in ways which few science fiction films have been able to achieve.
Not many are familiar with Robert Wise’s filmography, but he was the director of the original version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, another classic and iconic science fiction film that also takes its time to set the stage before the story gets going. However, that firm foundation is critical to its thematic success, and this methodical approach is replicated in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The film does move slowly, but the attention to detail elevates the heady atmosphere while the complete commitment to the concept propels the movie toward a wondrous climax of transformation whose roots are deeply anchored within a timeless love story of soul mates reunited.
Despite having watched the film many times over the decades, it had never really clicked for me that the relationship between Decker and Ilia is the heart of the story. Although Ilia is a Deltan and sworn to celibacy, her history with Decker suggests a feeling between them far greater than mere sexual attraction. While we don’t get the details on how they bonded so deeply, the film does a superb job of establishing that their mutual connection is on a deeper level that thankfully reaches a triumphant and achingly romantic conclusion.
Various visual and stylistic elements of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” can be felt throughout, and they beautifully evoke the cosmic notions, philosophical ponderings, and eye-goggling scope of the universe, reminding us of what is possible beyond our limited vision. After waiting over 40 years, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is finally able to show us that the human adventure is just beginning, and there are always possibilities.
Possibilities in evolution, in artificial intelligence and in the human heart.
I had always had a soft spot for The Motion Picture, flawed as it was upon release. Then the Director's Cut came out on DVD in 2001 and I loved how it restored so much footage that enhanced the character and story arcs as well as giving us a better look at the V'Ger vessel.
Then I saw the second restoration of the Director's cut on Blu-Ray and that was it. It is truly phenomenal. Not only did they discover a wealth of audio files for the dialogue to make a much better surround mix, they also found all the effects plates for so many of the shots and sequences in the film, and as such were able to recompose these various plates into a final shot with any resolution loss from the older method of composition.
The film can be difficult for those who are used to the more action-oriented version of Star Trek with all the pew pew and punch punch, but it's really important to remember when this film came out, and that the franchise didn't even really exist in 1979. The show had been cancelled about a decade ago, and so when they finally settled on the idea of making a film, they had to figure how they were going to bring all the characters back together.
That the first act of the film is mostly devoted to reassembling the original crew likely seems odd to younger viewers because for them, Star Trek has always been here, but back in 1979 it was the opposite. Star Trek was basically on life support in syndication, and while the many conventions allowed fans to meet and share stories and memorabilia, Star Trek was not the pop culture juggernaut that it would soon become.
All of the sequels are wonderful in evoking that Horatio Hornblower swashbuckling ship-to-ship action, and I love them for it, but The Motion Picture is more thoughtful, philosophical, and filled with wonder and awe. It's a story of reunion, discovery, communication, and transformation. The search for knowledge, the search for self, and the search for one's places in the cosmos. Anyways, here's my review:
The emotional motion picture about life, the universe and everything.
Star Trek’s first foray onto cinema screens mirrored many of the difficulties encountered in during the abortive run of the original TV show. The film project underwent several drastic changes and despite being a financial success upon its theatrical debut, Star Trek: The Motion Picture has long been lambasted as “The Motionless Picture” for its slow pacing, muted color palette and somewhat stilted acting. However, as the decades passed and more information was revealed about the frantic production, a lot of those criticisms bear less weight, especially upon viewing this second and even more complete restoration of director Robert Wise’s vision of the film.
The Director’s Cut was first completed and released on DVD in 2001, and for many fans, it was a revelation. The production schedule for The Motion Picture was so short that many sequences and special effects were never finished. Over 20 years later, a team of very talented and devoted special effects technicians worked directly with Robert Wise to complete many of the missing elements and produce a version of the film that Wise had always wanted. The additional scenes increase the scope of the story, further develop the characters, and finally reveal V’Ger in all its astounding glory.
One of the most impressive aspects of this new version was that the effects company understood that film grain would need to be digitally added to these new special effects so that they would blend in better with the filmed elements from the late Seventies, a pitfall rarely avoided in other cinematic revisitations and revisions! Despite the multitude of new effects, the film no longer looks like a patchwork of disparate parts and has instead become a fully integrated and seamless piece. It’s a truly gorgeous restoration and also a removal of an ancient thorn from Robert Wise’s side!
However, that 2001 version was produced for the DVD market, and so it did not have the HD resolution that would take full advantage of what Blu-Ray and 4K can bring to home viewing, nor did it have a proper sound mix. With the launch of the Paramount Plus streaming service, the studio decided to revisit the Director’s Cut and update it a second time to ensure that it would be its absolute best for home viewing as a visual piece of art and as a sound experience. Many of the visual effects from the 2001 edition have been further improved, and a new Dolby Atmos mix made the sound and music elements worthy of modern home theater systems.
That’s all well and good, but what about the movie? Does it still have a slow and plodding pace that’s about as exciting as watching paint dry? As always, that will depend on the viewer. For myself, I LOVED it. Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a mood and I am here for it! While the franchise has done very well overall with its more action-oriented sequels, this first film has become one of my top three Star Trek films because it’s the only one with a truly cosmic idea that just goes for it! It’s philosophical, introspective, and surreal in ways which few science fiction films have been able to achieve.
Not many are familiar with Robert Wise’s filmography, but he was the director of the original version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, another classic and iconic science fiction film that also takes its time to set the stage before the story gets going. However, that firm foundation is critical to its thematic success, and this methodical approach is replicated in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The film does move slowly, but the attention to detail elevates the heady atmosphere while the complete commitment to the concept propels the movie toward a wondrous climax of transformation whose roots are deeply anchored within a timeless love story of soul mates reunited.
Despite having watched the film many times over the decades, it had never really clicked for me that the relationship between Decker and Ilia is the heart of the story. Although Ilia is a Deltan and sworn to celibacy, her history with Decker suggests a feeling between them far greater than mere sexual attraction. While we don’t get the details on how they bonded so deeply, the film does a superb job of establishing that their mutual connection is on a deeper level that thankfully reaches a triumphant and achingly romantic conclusion.
Various visual and stylistic elements of Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” can be felt throughout, and they beautifully evoke the cosmic notions, philosophical ponderings, and eye-goggling scope of the universe, reminding us of what is possible beyond our limited vision. After waiting over 40 years, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is finally able to show us that the human adventure is just beginning, and there are always possibilities.
Possibilities in evolution, in artificial intelligence and in the human heart.
