I missed out on this thread when it originally showed up. But, TMP is one of my favorite Trek movies. Always was. I was a big Trek fan growing up. I missed the original network run being just a bit too young (born in late '65), but I did catch the first run syndication, and kept watching ever since. I was also a big Star Wars fan once that came out. But I always kept the two separate in my mind. I never compared the two. I saw both SW and ST:TMP in the theaters, and was wowed by both. I loved the long tour around the Enterprise in space dock. In fact, the model as done for TMP is my favorite version of the ship after the original 11 footer for TOS. What ILM did to it for ST:II is a travesty - dulling her up like that. I never minded the slow pace. I didn't even mind the characterizations that everyone so often complained about. To me, we were seeing our favorite characters out of their comfort zones. Kirk has been sitting behind a desk for a few years at this point, and simply forced his way into the situation because he was bored. But, it's different... it's no really home... "it's an almost totally new Enterprise"... he's not really comfortable, and I thought Shatner played that well. Spock was off shedding the last of whatever emotions he still had left, so of course he's a bit stiff. Again, I thought well played. McCoy? Well, obviously he was plucked right out of his local disco trying to pick up chicks so of course he's a bit peeved - and he stayed like that for a while. I do love how a couple of times (maybe it was just once) McCoy would stroll onto the bridge, look around at everyone like they are nuts, and stroll right back into the turbolift never saying a word. They change over the course of the film, and by the end, all three pretty much have become what we expect them to be. I thing it finally jelled while they were in the V'ger crater. By the end, they are all ready for the next adventure. My family had the VHS - the "Special Longer Version" bought around '82, so for a while, that was my only home video version. Later, on my own in the early 90s, I bought a laserdisc player and bought the widescreen laserdisc of TMP which was the theatrical cut. I did get the Director's Edition on DVD, and while I liked it somewhat, I've come to prefer the original theatrical cut. I'm glad they used the theatrical cut for the Blu-ray, because the laserdisc player finally failed on me by 2012. My problems with the director's cut had more to do with things that were trimmed. Seemed to me that even though Wise was involved, the cuts were more for long time complaints from certain fan factions, things that I never thought were problems. Why take out Kirk's "oh my god" line after the transporter accident? Kirk can't feel shock? Or Kirk's second "VIEWER OFF" line? The crew can't feel shock such that Kirk has to reiterate? I'd heard of those complaints for years and always thought they were down right stupid. And then to have those particular cuts actually made seemed forced on Wise. The trims made during the V'ger fly-though while obviously made to shorten the trip a bit would have been fine except that the cut to music was too noticeable, having basically memorized the soundtrack for all these years. While most of the added effects worked well enough - the one that didn't was the space bridge walk scene to V'ger. The idea was cool, but the execution - purposely making it look like cell animation of a Saturday morning cartoon - was an absolute failure. The effects guys at the time most certainly would not have double-framed the animation. Not for something like this, or for a shot that short. One other thing I didn't care for - replacing the ship's alarm and computer voice. But that's minor. I did like the added dialog scenes. Most were also in the "Longer Version", but I think a few more were included in the DE. That's my take. One problem with the Blu-ray, there is one short shot during the Enterprise fly-around tour just as the pod is about to back itself in the docking port were all the reds are green. The stripes down the side of the ship are green instead of red, and the space dock panels above the ship which are supposed to be a reddish brown is pale green color. That is a color issue with that one specific shot that appears nowhere else, but it is an error. I hope the next release of this film corrects that. Having said that, I certainly hope that if a new 4K Blu-ray is ever released, they include the theatrical and the DE cuts. I know some also want the "Special Longer Version" included, but do we really need to see the stage scaffolding in that one scene with Kirk leaving the ship going after Spock? I remember reading years ago that Wise hated that ABC stuck that in, and that it stayed for the home video release.
My take is that, for fans, as time goes by pretty much anything (no matter how bad) can turn out to be somehow great. The same thing seems to have happened with some of McCartney's terrible stuff.
For me, it’s a good movie. One would expect if the studio planned another Star Trek series they could project into the future if all the various series or do as they did, alter the time line. I like their choice. It had many interesting story lines. It was a bit contrived getting Kirk in control, but otherwise pretty good movie.
Yeah,and others.The transporter is still the freakiest! I wouldn’t want to be a fly or the Creepshow plant guy! Being in a tube and molecularly deformed,Oh No!
Good observation, the question about why wear glasses in the future. It might be tech still unable to correct some eye issues.
"Enterprise... What we got back didn't live long. Fortunately." Yikes. Fun non-canon note there; in the novelization, the other crew member beaming aboard with Sonak was a love interest of Kirk, Vice Admiral Lori Ciana. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (novel) Not so fun non-canon note: Spoiler: Ick. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Transporter_accident
I'm a big fan of Star Trek Continues. If you haven't seen this fan-made series you're missing the truest Star Trek since the original series. The sets were built in Atlanta, Georgia using the published blueprints. The final episode, a two-parter, is first-rate sci-fi drama that brilliantly segues into the original program into the The Motion Picture.
It should be noted that Vic Mignogna's voice is significantly higher than Shatner's (Mignogna is well-known in anime voice acting circles for the teenage hero Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist), and that may affect your viewing. STC is a fantastic fan production though.
I agree. His voice is so far off it calls attention to itself. But everything else he does as actor, producer, writer, director and creative overseer is right on the money. And inspired.
A concept possibly inspired by (or "borrowed" from) a vintage episode of the radio show "Lights Out".
I admit his voice was a bit off putting early on, but by the time I saw the third episode, I no longer really noticed it and Vic became Kirk to me. The whole cast did well, although both actors that played Bones never got it "quite" right,but So much of Bones was DeForest Kelley its hard to emulate that character well. The scripts,the production value etc all make up for any other niggles. It felt like I was watching the fourth season of the original trek. So so good. Its a shame that they had to end it early. Vic and crew wanted to do three more total but the new guidelines for fan films by Paramount forced them to wrap the story a bit earlier.
I haven't watched this movie in eons but it has a special place in my heart. It is the first movie my parents took me to the theater to watch. I was 4 years old. My main memories of that night are getting boxes of Goobers and Raisinets, being shocked by the bald woman onscreen as I didn't know women could be bald, and just the overall excitement in general. After the movie was over, my parents took me to Denny's. I ordered a hamburger and cried when they brought it to me....it had bread instead of a bun. My dad was pissed and gave me the line I would hear many times over the years... If you don't stop crying I'll give you something to cry about.... My mom still gets a laugh out of this story every few years or so...me crying over a bun less burger with my dad griping in the background. It's probably why I was able to retain that memory for so long.
...I agree with just about all of that, especially the removal of Kirk's "Oh my God.", the scene really has less of an impact without it. I also disliked the change to the alarm and computer voice. The scene where Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Decker and Ilia exit the ship via a hatch on the bow originally had an awful looking matte painting of the saucer section of the Enterprise which was thankfully fixed in the Director's Cut. Another thing I really dislike are the new golden titles and the way they fade out. The original was far better. I haven't seen the Director's Cut in at least 15 years, there's probably a bunch of things I forgot about. I don't own a copy but I need to see it again.
In my opinion, the first Trek movie suffers from the weight of it having to be a “reunion” film. There wasn’t much choice but to indulge in some what would later be called fan service for the first 20 minutes. At the time, I didn’t much care because the opening night for this in our town was a spectacular event… The crowds were beyond lively. My second and third trips to see it brought diminishing returns, which depressed me as I was hoping it would mop the floor with Star Wars. Some of the acting feels very very dry… The guy that was supposed to play the Spock replacement in the Star Trek II series that never was Came off as completely amateurish: “”What we got back…didn’t live long.” Thank goodness they didn’t make that series with him.
Not the same character. David Gautreaux played the Epsilon IX commander; the station that got assimilated ( ) by V'ger: Branch | Memory Alpha | Fandom No idea who might have been the voice over communications at the end of that scene; probably an uncredited voice actor whose salary got poured into the SFX instead.
