Star Trek The Motion Picture 1979 (Directors CUT) Klingon Battle

[@briannewman532]

The Klingons in this film, their ships and ship interiors, the way they speak, are ALL superior to any other incarnation of them that I have seen anywhere since. Even the little details, like the sound the torpedoes make when launched, are just brilliant. They really nailed it with this movie. Very underrated.

[@stevenrozakis5269]

Nah the ducks ass haircut looks ridiculous.

[@vonpickles3622]

Totally agree. And love the torpedo launches. Sounds like a scream.

[@ogs_Boga1900]

yes these is the best Klingon look. really alien

[@montygill2835]

The Music is great.

[@wangson]

@@vonpickles3622 Same here. And yeah...they really do sound like screams! Great Call, Von Pickles!

[@ianbrown4242]

Criminally underrated film. This entire opening is told visually with virtually no dialogue. Fantastic storytelling.

[@matthewcaughey8898]

Kinda had to. The story goes that to save time they readapted the original 45 minute pilot for Star Trek phase 2 into an hours long film. So the long dramatic music sequences and big over the top tracking shots were done to in essence “ eat up time”

[@ianbrown4242]

@@matthewcaughey8898 That's an interesting theory, but I don't think that was Robert Wise's intention with the material.

[@hairyrichardson8921]

I thought it was always a great film. It was slower and more intellectual and the V-Ger at the end was a cool surprise ...one of the Voyager probes launched way back then seemingly incorporated into some sentient intelligence!

[@hairyrichardson8921]

@@matthewcaughey8898 ... " tracking shots were done to in essence “ eat up time”" ~ hmmm, that makes me think of those old 60's Spiderman cartoons where he's zooming around the city for minutes on end hehe

[@hot2warm]

@@hairyrichardson8921 It was tedious, visually appealing, great music, but derivative of the Changeling episode of TOS, with the Nomad probe. I was 14 when it first came out, and vividly recall one woman in the theater steadily complaining that there wasn't enough fighting in the movie. After Star Wars, intellectual space opera took a back seat to action and space battles. It wasn't the best reintroduction to the franchise, but fortunately they corrected much of the ills with the Wrath of Khan.

[@AnimeMetalFan1]

The music in this scene is phenomenal.

[@BrianLaGuardia]

That's Jerry Goldsmith, one of the greats. Every bit the equal of John Williams, IMO.

[@AnimeMetalFan1]

Definitely. Goldsmith's Star Trek scores are some of my favorites. May he rest in peace.

[@wardmccreery4692]

I especially liked the opening theme to this movie!! It makes me think of a sailing ship going at full speed with the wind!!

[@christosvoskresye]

These Klingons saved the Klingons as a noble race, Warf be damned.

[@geomodelrailroader]

The Klingon March this is their song another one of Goldsmiths classics.

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

The camera tracking over the Klingon ship still brings a smile to my face. In 1979 that was mind blowing in the days before CG. And Jerry Goldsmith's music is just perfect.

[@hairyrichardson8921]

A lot of static ship vids were decent enough back then. ... but organic models and moving mechanics like in Star Wars AT-ATs and Tauntauns were kind of meaheh! ... but still nostalgically classic in the same way as those skeleton swordsmen in "Sinbad the Sailor" were back further in the day! (probably one of the masterpieces of effects in the day! :D

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

@@hairyrichardson8921 The Star Wars models never moved :) That was what made Star Wars scenes of spaceships so impressive. It's the camera that moved under computer control. Computer control of cameras was something Lucasfilm invented.

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

@@greg19670 Revolutionized movie making and established Lucasfilm as a film technology company as well as a motion picture company.

[@reading_MOVIES]

That camera tracking over the Klingon ship was what ILM wanted for the opening of Star Wars (1977) Star Destroyer chase but could not achieve it - A year later they did for ST:TMP. Imagine what the audience would have thought of that instead of the overhead shot we got in 1977...

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

@@reading_MOVIES Sometimes things work out for the better. I can't imagine the Episode IV opening any other way now.

[@ed008ue]

Jerry Goldsmith deserves an Oscar for this score, simply magnificent!!!!

[@kathrynjaneway5346]

really he did not have one? I assumed he did... wow... he does and did or did and does amazing work

[@SnailMaster]

​@@kathrynjaneway5346he did win an Oscar, but not for Star Trek. He did win for The Omen.

[@emmanuelwilliams4957]

​@@kathrynjaneway5346Goldsmith only Oscar award was for The Omen (1976)

[@timmy3822]

I know TMP gets a lot of rap for being slow or boring. But can we take a moment to appreciate the LEGENDARY musical score it gave the franchise? This Klingon theme is iconic, as is the Enterprise reveal, which itself would go on to be the theme for TNG.

[@timmy3822]

@@craigbryant3191 Bring forth the prune juice.

[@fuzzywzhe]

It was the most intelligent films out of all the film series.

[@prince-solomon]

" slow or boring" says the despicable tik tok generation who watch 6 seconds videos only... The Motion Picture is fantastic, a way of filmmaking that needs to return.

[@tely5]

I had the OST on vinyl back in the day, I remember listening to it over and over and over.

[@SkydreamPony]

@@prince-solomon In fairness, it has been a criticism of TMP for longer than the TikTok generation have been around. I disagree, of course, and think the movie is amazing, but it's not a new criticism at all

[@distomos8118]

I saw it ´79 and it still get goose bumps watching it. The music and suspense was great. Trek of today is nothing compared to it.

[@robertito16]

I saw it in january 1980,I was a kid also and still is one of my favorites movies

[@Larrymh07]

I think it's the only portrayal of the Klingons that hints of fear on their part.

[@NYCBlonde]

Like everyone else, I LOVE the score to this movie! The Klingon leitmotif is made up of open fifths (a perfect fifth with no third so you can't tell if it's major or minor), which is the Western mind is associated with a sense of strangeness (often associated with Asian music). The notes bum BAM bum BAM bum BAM--those are three open fifths in a row. And the syncopation (it's not in a straight rhythm, it's an eighth note followed by a quarter note) gives the theme a jittery, aggressive feeling--so appropriate for the Klingons. Such a clever score! I also love Ilia's theme. Just brilliant.

[@bBersZ]

I concur

[@colindunnigan8621]

Indeed. Jerry Goldsmith was one of the best.

[@patientsecretary9217]

I agree. This film score has to rate as one of the best in movie making. It was perfect for the time in terms of leaping forward from the often rather poor scores and films or earlier sci-fi. We all recognise the theme music of Star Wars but as a score it pales in comparison with this which truly is superb technically in my opinion. I write not as a Trekkie but one who appreciates well written-music. I thought the film itself was wonderful homage to the idea of Star Trek and precursor to all the films that followed it. To see it at the cinema was visually stunning..

[@NYCBlonde]

@@jilal.jahangir I was a music major and trust me, within a Western "art" musical context, open fifths are associated with the East and Asia. Take it up with my professors and my textbooks if you disagree but it's a truism.

[@Empyreanabove]

Brilliant analysis. I love hearing how and why music works.

[@timhiltonsuperstar]

Only those (like me) who went to see this movie at the theater in 1979 (in glorious Dolby stereo) can truly appreciate how amazing this film really was. No one who left that theater criticized the film (as far as I can recall). The audience was in awe.

[@MichaelLaferriere]

Still is, decades later.

[@thefriar8883]

I just saw this in the theater recently actually! Nobody was in there but me, but I was absolutely in awe myself 😄 Best theater experience of my life actually.

[@hewh0wearspants]

I saw it in theaters (relatively) recently, for both the 40th anniversary re-release and the remaster re-release, and in both cases it was, in every sense of the word, _awesome._ I was, indeed, in awe

[@robertoaguiar8082]

I was 9 in 1979. Loved the TV series, but this movie was confusing for me at the time. Never really fully appreciated it. But Star Trek II left me speachless!

[@James-z6u8x]

I appreciated on vhs

[@rgrif777]

The music was so fresh and unique. It is awesome to take in and hear.

[@tinselPixie]

Jerry Goldsmith's music for this is beautiful, perfect.

[@xtremenortherner]

Yes,I have always liked the soundtrack of this film...,such as the entire opening sequence & "the Cloud!"

[@bhmch39]

It almost sounds as if the opening scene, the music is being played in perspective of a heroic savioric Calvary coming in to save the day. Then we see it's actually Klingon warships on patrol and we wonder why could we possibly rooting for them. ... then the music changes to show the typical menace is attacking someone other than humans.

[@benrussell-gough1201]

Read Jerry Goldsmith's note on The March of the Klingons. He went to a lot of trouble to make it authentic, sitting down the Gene and the TOS writing team to get a handle on Klingon culture and then arrange the piece to make it sound right for them. That's the difference between an artist and just jobbing composer.

[@STScott-qo4pw]

i still call it "War Dance of the Klingons". thought it was cute. the "finger-snapping" added some kinda menace to the score. Very well done.

[@SnowyNightFlyer]

In many ways, Star Trek - The Motion Picture was the purest expression of the original spirit of Star Trek.

[@nicholasmaude6906]

It had the best EVER musical score written by the late, great Jerry Goldsmith.

[@grantmcgowan8399]

I think from ST2 Starfleet became more 'military'..? So yeah, I wish they had continued the series with the STMP 'look and feel'..

[@MySparkle888]

And boring! Well at least it has good visual effects for the time and has the best score!

[@cineentreamigos7758]

because Gene Roddenberry was the producer of the film. Them with the nexts films was only a consultant with less power over the scripts. But the favourite star trek film of roddenberry was the fourth, the voyage home.

[@gsentinel4821]

I totally concur.

[@SimpsonDG]

I remember seeing this in the theaters in 1979. Particularly spectacular on the big screen was the scene at 00:28 where the camera focuses on the bridge of the approaching middle ship until it's directly below, then turns 180 degrees as the ship passes. The whole field of stars rotated, and it almost made you dizzy.

[@slyguythreeonetwonine3172]

You lucky Devil you! I've never been able to see any Star Trek on the big screen! They stopped making them by the time I was old enough to see movies on my own.

[@datacipher]

I was a young boy when this came out but already a Trekkie. An older 18 yr old Trekkie told me how in this first scene he was nearly jumping out of his seat as the ships approached, explaining to me that in the series you’d never even see a Klingon ship up very close. Things like this were an incredible treat for the serious fans who had kept trek alive after the cancellation.

[@datacipher]

@@slyguythreeonetwonine3172 I was too young for this one but by wrath of Kahn I was just old enough to go! Naturally it’s a great experience in the first showings to see it on the big screen with a bunch of serious and enthusiastic trekkies!

[@AshleyPomeroy]

It's a really good example of computerised motion control - the kind of thing you'd use in film school to show off how it was such a big leap at the time.

[@dragonfly492]

@@datacipher I was a 19 yr. old Trekker at the time, been one since 9,8,1966. Stopped watching all new TV Trek when Enterprise ended it's run. Favorite Trek is DS9 then TOS and their movies.

[@JavascriptJack]

One of the most under-rated Trek films - the sound design and look of Klingons shown here changed Star Trek forever

[@markfox1545]

It wasn't underrated - it was rated fairly and accurately as a poor film. It was overlong, there was basically only a 40 minute episode worth of script dragged out to movie length.

[@MichaelLaferriere]

@@markfox1545 If it was such a poor film, why did so many other Star Trek movies and shows follow? Remember, Star Trek had TAS after TOS and that was it until TMP came out and showed yes, there is a an interest still in Star Trek and a helluva good following out there.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Yes, it did.

[@SBaby]

Honestly, I'm really glad The Motion Picture is becoming more popular nowadays, because I really think it's a pretty good Trek film. The scenes might be a bit on the lengthy side, but the score is phenomenal, and the whole thing feels like it could have legitimately been an episode of TOS.

[@jeremyscott751]

Well, it is an episode of TOS. It was called Changeling. :)

[@jeffreyknickman5559]

@@jeremyscott751 Yes. And No. It was supposed to be the pilot for Phase II called "In Thy Image."

[@jeremyscott751]

@@jeffreyknickman5559 In Thy Image is just a remake of Changeling. It's very weird. Changeling isn't even a good episode.

[@danielkarasik9809]

It has it's moments

[@AlexGreeneHypnotist]

This movie had a whole bunch of firsts in it, quite apart from the fact that it was the first of what would become a whole movie franchise. The interesting points I'll list here are the only ones relevant to this clip. This was the first time we saw the inside of a Klingon Bridge. The first time we saw Klingons in their bumpy-forehead Samurai death metal form. The first time any Star Trek story opened with Klingons - even if they were only the warmup act here to let V'Ger show off its combat moves by putting down J Random Badguy. The Klingon speaker on the Bridge was Mark "Sarek" Lenard. This was the first time an actor had played three different roles in Star Trek, each time playing a member of a different species (that record has since been comprehensively smashed by Jeffrey Combs, who has played Weyoun, a human, Shran, Brunt, and at least one other Ferengi, not to mention his appearance in Voyager). It was the first time Klingon was ever spoken - five years before Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and six years before the 1985 release of The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand, who'd worked on the Klingon and Vulcan dialogues in the sequels. Okrand claimed to have been inspired by the Klingon words used in this movie - but he did not write the TMP monologue. The inventor of the Klingon language was, in fact, James "Scotty" Doohan.

[@mattjohnson4184]

also one the first digital revordings :)

[@rocketraccoon1976]

Also, the first appearance of the redesigned photon torpedo effect. I still think it's the coolest sci-fi starship weapon, with its menacing moving light beams and shrill sound.

[@girlgarde]

Their death metal uniforms were meant to make them look scary and badass which it did. The writers made Klingons look formidable here which made V'Ger destroying them here so easily all the more scary.

[@christopherleodaniels7203]

...and it was also first motion picture score to use Craig Huxley’s modified “Blaster Beam” instrument, which produced that percussive vibrating metallic sound in this scene. Jerry Goldsmith used it and the water-phones in this scene and throughout the score.

[@MiloDC]

First movie with Goldsmith's superb Klingon theme.

[@RogerinKC]

I saw this at the theater in1979...

[@stevencohen624]

Me too. My dad took me. Both he and I couldn't wait to see it.

[@RogerinKC]

Steven Cohen My dad took me and my brother!

[@k.c.lejeune6613]

Me too, and what an experience it was! Changed me forever.

[@bronsonsmith9699]

ME TOO.. I WAS 9

[@johntracy72]

I did too, the day it opened. While the movie drew mixed reviews from critics, it certainly was a box office success and was the first Happy Meal box theme at McDonald's.

[@btly-wing6531]

Mysterious, menacing, and possibly sinister space cloud way bigger than your ship? FIRE TORPEDOES AT IT!

[@AshleyPomeroy]

+BTL Y-Wing Well, they are Klingons - of the old school. They were brave, and stupid.

[@suzakule]

+Ashley Pomeroy Why the hell did they not go to warp? they lost 2 ships... it was obvious they were out gunned 1000 to 1 .. but they just sat there and died.

[@kuribayashi84]

+Suzaku NoMiko Considering V'ger only dropped out of Warp Speed when it arrived at Earth, this whole Skirmish was probably fought at Warp.

[@nfinn42]

+Suzaku NoMiko Klingons don't run from a fight. Every warrior on those ships went to Sto-vo-kor.

[@mr.ishmael7801]

That's the Klingon way.

[@geosword6]

'I have an exterior visual'. God bless that yet another cameraman survives.

[@marcogiuseppetoma2948]

The total screen scheme is fabulous. Short shot sussequent scenes, dynamic but not violence. Superlative in this few minutes the Klingon psychology description and the sociological positive future human society of ultimate seconds of scene in Federation space station. And over all... The unknown presence of V'ger. Masterpiece.

[@lorez201]

I love the sound V-Ger makes. It's like a high-tension cable being whacked inside of a cathedral.

[@BrianLaGuardia]

Those sounds are made from an instrument literally called a "blaster beam." It's like a twelve-foot-long, aluminum piano made specifically for banging things onto.

[@williamreynolds6332]

Brian LaGuardia Another weird fact: The guy who created the blaster beam was also a child actor on the original series. He's the red-headed kid in "Operation: Annihilate!" and "And the Children Shall Lead."

[@johntuttle4486]

@@williamreynolds6332 It was the tall skinny kid from "Children" who came up with all those noises for this movie.

[@stevejordan7275]

Er...not to be *frightfully* tedious about it, but remember...in space, no one can hear you scream...or fart...or whatever. (We get to hear the shriek of the klingon photon torpedoes only because the sound designer thought - and I agree - that SFX make for a more engaging film.) Since we probably all know that, I'll add that V'ger never makes any noises as communication until the last ten minutes of the film. Those noises are part of the Goldsmith score. I have only listened to it about a billion times, and it's not as if this is one of those *"with SFX and dialogue direct from the film!"* sort of soundtrack as was released for Flash Gordon. And you're straight-up right; the blaster beam has a marvellous sound, it was innovative and signature for the score.

[@Nerval-kg9sm]

Well, they made the blaster sounds in Star Wars by hitting high-tension telephone cables and then altering them digitally.

[@plastique45]

The script was underdeveloped, but it is still the most impressively realistic depiction of. futuristic society and technologies of any Star Trek film. The production values, the amazing music, Douglas Trumbull's effects, the sets, everything was first rate.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Agreed. I love the atmosphere of the film. For the first time in Trek, outer space was vast and the threat was frightening. Sure, I can name better Star Trek films but the V'ger probe is probably the best written threat against the enterprise.

[@darthkurland]

Jeff Duke Trumbull wasn’t the only VFX Supervisor. The other VFX Supervisor was John Dykstra, who had just won an Oscar for his work on “Star Wars.” Dykstra had also established a new VFX company: Apogee, Inc.

[@fjccommish]

This scene was terrible. Why wouldn't they fire everything they had? Why wouldn't they run at warp?

[@Idazmi7]

@@fjccommish They *ARE* at Warp. Also, firing everything leaves you with no ammo.

[@fjccommish]

@@Idazmi7 Thanks re: already at warp. What good is having extra ammo if you don't use it, get killed?

[@antonfernandez6129]

VFX are incredible. The ships are amazing because they´re not CGI, are real physical models.

[@thegreenmanofnorwich]

And that camera shot where it swings around the bridge module must have been a challenge to film

[@darthkurland]

MGazT however, they did find the original passes on the D7 in the middle and used them for the TNG episode “Heart of Glory”from Season One.

[@darthkurland]

thegreenmanofnorwich you’re probably right. But I did see part of the original raw beauty pass on the D7 in the middle.

[@jiyu9694]

That's because CGI didn't exist yet. All SFX back in those days was done with models, hand drawn animation, or camera tricks. It took huge talents and tons of labor and time intensive hard work. There was some early primitive computer modeling used for viewscreen graphics (like the tactical displays), but nothing that could create photorealistic scenes.

[@Discrimination_is_not_a_right]

About as good as you can get with models, anyway.

[@davidchapman7997]

This music has THRILLED me for 40 years. It is my theme song! Long Live the Klingon Empire!!

[@MiloDC]

As great as this scene is, the best thing about it is the music. So much about it is perfection. The two memorable melodies (Klingon and Epsilon station), the ever-present menacing waterphone-and-blaster beam accentuations that represent V'Ger, the atonal and cacophonous mayhem as the Klingon ships are digitized by V'Ger's torpedos, the dark restatement of the Epsilon theme followed by the MASSIVE two exclamation points of orchestral tutti at the end (headed for Earth!)... all just so amazing. Simply one of the greatest action cues ever written -- by a master of action music. It doesn't get any better than this.

[@roybatty100]

The section of music by Jerry Goldsmith is stunning

[@benrussell-gough1201]

Goldsmith's OST is, IMO at least, the salvation of this movie which, otherwise, has pacing issues and a bit too much of Gene's philosophising in the script.

[@magnificentmuttley154]

*"Roy Batty 100..."* 😂 The psychopathic genetically super-engineered killer whose batting average is 100%. Gotta love Rutger Hauer, too- - best of success to him, perfect gentleman & all, despite the villain parts he always plays

[@johntracy72]

The best Star Trek movie opening sequence hands down and that blaster beam sound is like no other.

[@jamesmartin9401]

K't'ingas are just badass. The best alien ship design ever in my opinion.

[@jamieolberding7731]

The Klingon K'tinga class Battle Cruiser's are the much more powerful, bigger, similar, and upgraded version of the original Klingon D-7 class Battle Cruiser's from "Star Trek: The Original Series!"

[@Hudson316]

Klingon ship designs are weird to keep track of. You have the D7 and K'tinga that look the same but are different sizes and different eras, you have the B'rel and K'vort that look the same but the K'vort is like 3-4 times the size and a hundred years newer. At least the Vor'cha and Negh'var looked unique (or at least as unique as any ships from the same race look from each other... like Galaxy compared to Excelsior, same basic general body shape but completely different detail-wise)

[@Todd.P]

@@Hudson316 The K'tinga differs from the D-7 mainly in that it has photon torpedo launchers fore & aft, however, unlike the D-7, each K'tinga ship is heavily modified by it's owner/captain, so it may have disrupter cannons, or phaser banks, photon torpedoes or plasma torpedo, etc. They also have armor plating on the hull, which looks really cool, and the ability to dump the reactor core in the event of an imminent breach. Since they are newer, they are probably faster too, but I'm not sure by how much.....

[@Hudson316]

@@Todd.P Yeah I remember my model kit I had as a kid of the K'tinga I'm fairly sure had armoured plates along the underbelly that gave it a similar pattern to a Bird of Prey's wing embellishments

[@stardude2006]

James Martin Agreed !

[@jasoncherry5849]

This movie was ahead of its time in visual andd sound effects, I still remember seaing this in the theater when I was a kid. Boy do I feel old.

[@sirturd832]

Klingon battlecruiser is so badass looking. Best ship design ever. Love the way those torpedoes shot out of the ship like pure energy weapons.

[@judithgrace8359]

It's the music that makes this so good...a great opening sequence and even better when you think it was filmed in 1979.

[@ChrisCa1601]

Did you know the Klingon captain was played by Mark Lenard? The same guy who played Ambassador Sarek.

[@AdhamOhm]

Mark Lenard was also the Romulan captain in the TOS episode "Balance of Terror". Making him the only actor to play a Vulcan, a Klingon and a Romulan.

[@jerobriggs6861]

He also played the Romulan commander in the original series episode Balance of Terror which introduced both the Rolumans and cloaking devices in Star Trek. Before the Klingons and Serak were even introduced.

[@jerobriggs6861]

Sorry I ment Sarek.

[@harryzimmerman7991]

And James Doohan "Scotty" helped him come up with the Klingon dialogue for that scene, the director didn't want it done in English but up to that point there was nothing, was never done on the original series, and since the dialogue was very short, just a few words, they figured that the way they looked, the talk had to match with all the crazy sounds, "my dear, dear Captain" stuff just wasn't gonna cut it, so they came up with it on the spot,who could imagine that the Klingon language started with beam me up Scotty and Spock's dad!

[@richardcarlson9724]

I didn't know that. Cool fact. I'll have to watch it again.

[@EnigmaticParadigm]

I was born in 1976 and I still have to apologize to my parents for watching this SO many times on Betamax that I can literally recite all the dialogue from memory to this day. One of my all time favorite movies as a kid to watch (to also include "The Black Hole, Tron, and of course, Star Wars"). So many memories :).

[@TitanFind]

Good choices, man.

[@jamespeters2859]

Black Hole action figures were the best.

[@p00x39]

With the first movie especially, I think you get a really good sense for how absolutely gigantic and mysterious space really is.

[@coolcat6303]

Not only were the visual effects, in this film, great but the sound effects were terrific as well. Especially luv the way the torpedoes sounded & also the entire sequence of the Klingon ship when it got zapped by V’ger.

[@paintur68]

I was blown away the first time I saw this movie. I still love it. I think my favorite scene is when Captain Kirk is being taken to the Enterprise on a shuttle piloted by Scottie. You can sense the Captain's love of ship and crew. Great movie.

[@paintur68]

***** I think I'll re-watch this movie again tonight....It's great. I love the ominous theme music that plays when VGER is on screen. The only Star Trek scene that is comparable is when The Enterprise looms over the Reliant.....(in the nebula) and begins to rain down phasers on her bridge. I appreciate your thoughts on the movie...nice.

[@paintur68]

***** They're wrong. For one thing, "Nerd" icon, Spock, learns that logic is not enough. To be human...is in fact..to be more alive, more evolved. Meanwhile, Kirk leads his crew into another amazing adventure, and we get to enjoy the thrilling ride. Come over. I bought chips and guacamole.

[@jerobriggs6861]

That's just it. Although I do like 2001: A Space Odyssey, it was a lot lot more boring than this film. Yet 2001 is praised while Star Trek: TMP is criticized - and by many who praise 2001.

[@girlgarde]

When I first saw Kirk in the movie, the atmosphere and music made it feel like Kirk was a legend in his time who'd once again save the Federation from those who threatened its survival.

[@Mirage_Mach5]

And Jerry Goldsmith's score in that scene was quite epic. The scene is priceless.

[@Prander5x5]

4:00 I like this one particular shot, it being only seconds long. This was the very first movie and the Klingons were the proverbial bad asses of Star Trek. This short clip, with that slightly more urgent burst of music, made you take in what was happening in an instant. They Klingons had went from three heavy cruisers to one, and now they were running for it? You sat there thinking what could possibly make KLINGONS run for it? So you got the impression that this cloud was something truly powerful before Kirk and crew ever found out. Sure people say this one is slow and boring, but they knew what they were doing by showing, not telling, and this opening battle still gives me chills for that fact alone.

[@Relugus]

I just realized this has some parallels with the Narn vs Shadows fight in Babylon 5 (Long Twilight Struggle).

[@PaiSAMSEN]

Also, the way the Klingon were beaten. They weren't blow up. They simply disappeared.

[@eveningtsar]

Absolutely - completely agree.

[@Big73Bang]

Solid comments by all!

[@Empyreanabove]

@@Relugus Or the destruction of the Borg Cubes by Specis 8472. In all those cases, we see species previously understood to be badasses being utterly overmatched and destroyed which prompts a WTF moment.

[@leftcoaster67]

Klingon Battle Cruisers. King of the badass spacecraft.

[@darthkurland]

leftcoaster67 even though the Enterprise could probably do some damage to them.

[@exidy-yt]

@@darthkurland The Enterprise that was rebuilt for this movie could certainly defeat any single K'tinga class battlecruiser (as long as it wasn't cloaked) 1 on 1, but 3 of them would overwhelm her defenses before 1 at most would be destroyed. Look at what happened at the start of Star Trek II during the Kobyashi Maru test.

[@carcajou1018]

@@exidy-yt Unlikely klingons ships are Warships! Not Explorer ships. They got for their class high shield, armor, high weaponry Disruptors and Torpedoes not to mention much more maneuverable than their Federation counterpart. I'd said on 1 vs 1 not cloaked, the K'tinga has more chance to win versus Constitution class if you remove Mary Sue Kirk. While an attack pattern cloaked it's a one way easy win.

[@victorkmlee]

The special effects have aged no doubt but are still great for their time. The music however is timeless. Mr Jerry Goldsmith is in my opinion one of (if not) the greatest music composer for movie soundtracks in terms of variety and depth.

[@pscully1969]

I forgot what a classic scene this was, with an awesome soundtrack. I love that no frills Klingon bridge; minimal aesthetics and maximum utility. I remember seeing this as a kid and thinking, Wow! Those Klingons look cool!!

[@stevetheduck1425]

That Klingon bridge set was used often in the years to come. It's the Enterprise torpedo room in 'Wrath of Khan', and a couple of other ship bridges in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[@Herbvid]

Despite the inconsistencies in the Star Trek universe , is by far the best opening sequence of the entire filmography of the franchise .

[@davidbutler1857]

+Herberti Pedroso And really set the tone for ships and ship combat for the next two films. I absolutely hate the 'fighter jet' approach they use now in the more recent films. These starships are supposed to be bulk cruisers that take a little time to move, but have awesome firepower.

[@leocmen]

Herberti Pedroso This is the best movie of the Franchise, the only one which could convey the real meaning of Star Trek

[@Methadonebunyip]

Herberti Pedroso 100% agree!

[@DukeJon1969]

Herberti Pedroso wrath of khan a close second

[@walterszewczyk9024]

If referring to Klingons, they mutated in appearance after last episode of original star trek and by the time of Star Trek t.m.p.

[@53rdAndThird]

After that first ship got destroyed, I'd be like, "Warp 11! Get us out of here, Mr. PtchVk!!!"

[@Rytoc12]

I mean most Klingons would be like, "dats not honorable!". But I'd noose outta there!

[@scotthayes5933]

The crew puts their hands us right before they get derezzed.

[@bluerisk]

But they were alreay in retreat, so why not using their Warp drives?! Losing an entire flotilla for nothing is a good start to lose wars...

[@richardgregory3684]

The ARE travelling at warp. V'Ger's torpedoes are much faster. The Klingon ships look slow because the V'Ger cloud is so huge.

[@HacksignKT]

lol

[@edwardpate6128]

This was the best part of the whole film for me!

[@johnmichaelarnaud]

I was 4 years old when I saw this opening and it has stayed in my imagination as a near religious experience for nearly 40 years. It was my first introduction to the concept of an overwhelming force. I was terrified and far too fascinated to look away.

[@tayzer22]

The Motion Picture was brilliant in many ways, and my favorite is it re-established the Klingons in a major way. And I'd still love a pair of Starfleet issue pajamas.

[@Retronightvintage1993]

their was something about this movie i really liked. it made space feel scary with all its very cool but creepy sound track.

[@PV1230]

That klingon ship is a beautiful design.

[@girlgarde]

Yes, quite a graceful design. It's odd that the Klingons came up with that design type as they're anything BUT graceful and elegant.

[@bill-pn7vz]

my favorite starships ever.. i absolute loved the way this movie opened!the music the camera work..all of it

[@thedealer777]

The Klingon commander was played by the late Mark Lenard. He also played The Romulan commander in "Balance of Terror" and the Vulcan ambassador "Sarek" (Spock's father) in classic,/new generation Star Trek TV episodes and movies.

[@stevenwilliams2617]

didn't know this was mark lenard. wow. most memorable scene from the movie for me. great opening.

[@natesmodelsdoodles5403]

Damn this scene never fails to give me chills.

[@KGV1374]

This is a great opener, perhaps the best opener of all Trek films.

[@melkiorwiseman5234]

No, I'd give that award to The Undiscovered Country. "Shields. ... SHIELDS!"

[@KGV1374]

@@melkiorwiseman5234 that was great too

[@blindandwatching]

The Klingons are intercepting something moving at close to warp 9 (original series warp scale). The Klingons fire a spread of torpedoes in to it and discover to their horror that they are about to have a very high speed collision with something very big and are likely to be bugs on its windshield. They have to out run it and get out of its way at the same time. It's why V'ger had an easy time turning them in to gif files.

[@imakez4u]

Best description of what was going on I've read in years....! Thanks for the point of view.. and the gif files remark...Hilarious..!

[@Willpower-74205]

"Patterned for data storage" was how the Ilia-probe phrased it. Still gives me the creeps. 😬

[@Willpower-74205]

@Giada_De_Low_Rent_Tits She was sort of a forerunner of Seven of Nine, not to mention that Riker and Troi from TNG were carbon-copied from her relationship with Decker. As for her appearance, I guess the writers thought the baldness would give Ilia an exotic alien look.

[@stevejordan7275]

Turn at right angles to its path and go to flank speed. The V'ger torpedoes were moving at the same relative speed whether the klingons were heading toward it or away from it. This is just plot device writing, and no amount of lampshading or technobabble will get you out of it. Two lines between the klingons, ("Navigation! Give me warp nine at zero-two-zero immediately!" "Warp drive has failed, sir! Klothos and Amar report same failures! Possibly some effect of the cloud!") would have solved this.

[@stevejordan7275]

@Matthew Caughey Good thinking. Perhaps the best course would have been flank speed wherever the cloud came from; put as much distance between you and it as possible.

[@KlunkerRider]

0:10 to 0:55 Fun Film Fact: this opening passing shot was the very thing George Lucas had originally wanted in Star Wars during the battle of the Death Star showing the X-Wings approaching and then passing open their wings in the process all as one single passing shot, but ILM at the time couldn't figure out how to shot it given the level of camera control technology and the amount of shooting time they had at the time. They instead used two shots, one approaching, and one from the rear showing the wings opening. Given time they eventually did figure out how to shoot it but it was too late for SW. Only two years later, John Dykstra who had led the ILM team creating Star Wars FX was subcontracted by Trumbull to help with ST-TMP shooting the starships FX. Given the opportunity to actually now do the shot they hadn't been able to do in SW Dykstra used what he learned at ILM here in the opening shot, its not the same angle, overhead vs side view, but the technic was what was desired for SW. Lucas eventually got his single pan side shot, but by then ILM was using CGI entirely. Lucas always claimed the shot he wanted was impossible with the cameras ILM was using, but ST-TMP proves no such thing was the case.

[@bill-pn7vz]

+MrOrthogonalization my friend skipped school that day and went to Detroit to see it as it opened there first

[@hopperwolf2]

+KlunkerRider Fascinating.

[@darthkurland]

KlunkerRider you do realize that ILM was on a very tight schedule to meet the release date of May 25, 1977. But Lucas was able to get the shot that he wanted 20 years later.

[@ahsenkhan5386]

@@darthkurland don;t bother these so called fans love to put other people down and with their arrogance their fandom is destroyed.

[@Kunsoo1024]

Interesting!

[@deanwille1919]

Star Trek is a phenomenal franchise! I love this movie!

[@alexpalmer9101]

Imagine seeing this movie for the first time in theatres, and the only other Star Trek you've seen was TOS or TAS years earlier. They came a long way, and even though the story may be slow, it more than makes up for it IMO by setting the new stage for Trek and future movies. New ship, more experienced crew, badass models and FX.

[@gregoryjr9370]

these were the best Klingon ships ever

[@STScott-qo4pw]

k't'inga class. nasty.

[@treyfriedmann]

3 old D7’s

[@kevinbraden798]

My big sister and I took a cab to see this film when we were kids. It was showing at the Century theaters in San Jose CA. The theater was all decked out in Star Trek props, costumes and posters. The Century theaters were these large dome shaped theaters that could hold huge audiences and had state of the art sound and projection systems. This went perfect with this movies state of the art special effects. The coolest thing was the mock transporter they set up in the lobby.

[@mtko4129]

I remember the Century theaters! Went to them many times in Sacramento, CA back in the 80's. Awesome place to watch a movie! Did not see this movie there but watched many others.

[@glenmoss02]

Yep, back in the 70's I saw Jaws and Star Wars there as well as many others, too at Sacto. Century theaters.

[@UNITEWAD]

The Sad Loss of a LEGEND....has Taken me Here! R.I.P SPOCK.

[@jeffjohnson6402]

I guess I interpret that music as "Klingon battle music" it fits so awesome in this scene. I get chills when I watch it. Thanks for posting it.

[@BrokebackBob]

The best of all the Star Trek films on every level of cinema.

[@pandaphil]

Still the best opening of any Star Trek film, bar none.

[@RedShirtGuy96]

+Phil Bolton I like the opening of first contact better. Simply because it's less dated. This one still is impressive though.

[@pandaphil]

Looks fine to me, and the music helps a lot. Just needs a little digital clean up and an HD transfer.

[@kuribayashi84]

+Phil Bolton TMP looks awesome on BluRay, though. :)

[@neildennis575]

Agreed, but it really went downhill hard from that beginning.

[@Hudson316]

The Koboyashi Maru in TWOK was awesome. Opening of 4 with the Cetacean Probe taking out the Saratoga was great too. Undiscovered Country with the destruction of Praxis was great, First Contact with Picard's nightmare was great. Say what you like about the JJ films, the USS Kelvin opening was fantastic. Trying to think what the others were... Search for Spock was the Klingons taking out David and Saavik's ship, wasn't it? Final Frontier was mountain climbing? I haven't watched it in years so I have no idea what it was anymore. Generations with the 'death' of Kirk wasn't bad, Insurrection's was a bit naff, Nemesis was a fucking dune buggy, Into Darkness was a violation of the prime directive, and I haven't watched Beyond yet. So yeah, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 11 were all great openings

[@kirk1968]

That opening sequence hasn't been topped by ANY of the subsequent films.

[@TNAralwaysfun]

This was such an epic intro for the Klingons. Plus that music really made it.

[@VCYT]

Who wishes they could hear this music played LIVE by an orchestra ?

[@DylansPen]

I agree, the sound track is phenomenal. It must be great live.

[@michaelsshawn1604]

Me

[@Maverick8t88]

Did the Danish National Orchestra ever do a cover? They’re all about classic movie themes.

[@benrussell-gough1201]

It's incredibly difficult - Jerry Goldsmith actually *created* half of the instruments used in the piece because he wanted it to sound alien.

[@SpringIsBACK]

Tell you what -- there's a rendition on Telarc's "Star Tracks II" CD that, if played on a sufficiently good (and I mean REALLY good) stereo, is fantastic. In some ways it's almost better than live, as there are low notes that a few subs can produce that I don't think any orchestra can reproduce. (I think they were likely synthesized and mixed back in.) You are talking about subs that can literally do 20 Hz at high volume, to really get all of the effect, tho'. The Telarc recording is also stunningly dynamic.

[@stephenaldridgecreative]

I've always loved this Klingon theme music and was thrilled when Goldsmith used it again for Worf's introduction in Star Trek: First Contact.

[@mr.ishmael7801]

This film had such a great sense of scale that I've not seen in many sci fi films. V'ger was COLOSSAL

[@srutzky]

Agreed. For me, it feels similar to the underground complex shots in "Forbidden Planet".

[@paulrobinson4795]

The music in this clip sets the atmosphere perfectly

[@AlanCanon2222]

Klingon ships all massive and made out of actual objects, with a musical score made out of an actual orchestra. Robert Wise, and Jerry Goldsmith, you just keep bringing it to me.

[@rolandowes977]

I remember watching this on opening night so many years ago. Heart pounding for the entire scene.

[@cinemasailor]

Two points: 1) *Opening* this movie with the Klingons was, in itself, a stroke of genius. 2) We tend to talk about which *movie* is the best in a given franchise. I'm wondering if it might be fun to discuss which *sequence* is the best. And I think *this* sequence gives all others in "Trek" a run for their money.

[@benrussell-gough1201]

I can't understate how utterly this sequence blew my mind the first time I saw TMP in the cinema. I'd seen the original series (although I was a kid and didn't really 'get' it) but the quality jump of VFX just blew my mind. That aside... Am I the only one who's noticed that these giant doomsday machines always seem to be on a precise heading for Earth? ;-)

[@johntracy72]

This is the most epic battle ever in science fiction, topping the Death Star battle in Star Wars, and that battle was epic also.

[@lothean2099]

Just love the music. It became the Klingon theme music later on.

[@DamienDrake]

It was always the Klingon theme.

[@xuttuh5260]

The camera movement and panning around the Battlecruiser is way ahead of its time.

[@SnailMaster]

The sound from that Blaster Beam is still one of the scariest sound effects I've heard in any movie. And yet it's so awesome to hear.

[@WilliamHBaird-eq2hp]

This was the best scene in the film! I love the complete silence after the Klingon ships are destroyed. I do wonder why they did not "Warp" out of there though?

[@markplott4820]

Cloud was already at warp when they were fighting.

[@TTOTheTrueOne]

I think, they also added some minor sound effects. Like the bleeping of the torpedos on the screen.

[@mikedestiny4122]

I was lucky to be young enough to see this on the normal huge cinema screen at my local ABC cinema. Its hard to describe, but at the opening, despite its now , low tech graphics, as the Klingon ship passes through space with the stars behind it, the depth of field was so real, I really felt I was in space with them. Despite the rather boring shuttle trip with Scottie to the re designed Enterprise, I loved all the music. I have the DVD of this and a brand new re pressing of the vinyl soundtrack to play on my hi fi separates. The new Star Trek films with Chris Pine has failed to move me, but this still holds up as being quite a possible plausible story . back in 1997 I used to paint (airbrush) Trek ships on 20 x 18 inch acrylic boards before they were printed on A3 to go in frames. used to sell them at the Birmingham NEC event..... But still, stunning effects, especially when the warp engines go into imbalance causing that worm hole, with the asteroid in the middle. Both Khan , The Voyage home and this are my faves. Of next Generation, First Contact and Nemesis was cool. "The Final Frontier" I thought was over criticised, It wasn't that bad. "row row your boat" at the camp fire was hilarious! Thank you the original crew for turning on its head Sci Fi, and pushing the boundary's of different relationships and technology for all of us to enjoy. :)

[@soulman71901]

Klingon diplomacy in action. If it move blast it. It moves again,blast it some more until it stops moving!

[@svenadam1692]

They received some reciprocity at least.

[@girlgarde]

The Klingons may have hailed the cloud already to get it to stand down or get out of Klingon territory but after getting no reply, got pissed off and said "Ah screw it! We'll just blast it out of the stars!".

[@0123mandatory]

sounds like us foreign policy

[@wjzav1971]

And if it blasts back then it is a good day to die.

[@skylx0812]

*SMACK!!* "What was that for?!!" "THAT is a Klingon divorce!"

[@JamesSusanka]

could listen to that music all day

[@Necron-ez2cc]

The D-VII was a thing of beauty. Truly the most incredible warship of her time.

[@Maximillion666]

Loved the design since I was a kid in the 80"s.

[@danieldickson8591]

@@Maximillion666 TOS gave us two of the most iconic space ship designs in sci-fi history.

[@craftsman123456]

When I saw this on the Movie release date they had the volume up so loud you could feel the firing of the torpedoes sound thru your body. Amazing

[@krashly71]

I always found this first part of the movie to be my favorite part of the movie...got to love the torpedo sound and visual style...not the cheapened torpedos of later films but these old screaming, flaring red suckers that looked like they packed a real punch......later movies cheapened them and made them as expendable as bullets, but they had real value and weight in this.....

[@nicholasmaude6906]

IMO Jerry Goldsmith's musical score is the best ever of all the ST films.

[@mits_6131]

I still remember watch this first of many Star Trek Movies in 1979. i was 21 years-old.

[@johnconti1329]

Not much of a Star Trek fan, but this scene always gave me chills, and made me grit my teeth. Its probably the music. It just sounds like you're on your way to destroy something.

[@outtabubblegum7034]

Best scene in the movie, by far. One of the best theme musics ever made. And for those who didn't know: that Klingon commander was Mark Lenard (SAREK!!). The very first Klingon with the new looks and the first to speak Klingonese.

[@SamanthaMunitz]

loved the look of the klingons.. very alien looking vs. tv series

[@cameronladd1788]

Props to Jerry Goldsmith, who not only composed this movie's rousing theme music (the best thing in the movie, and thankfully revived for ST TNG), but was a master of colorful Sonic touches. Listen to the primal, "chirping" percussion when we first see the Klingon battle Cruisers. Perfect. other examples are the hunting horn in Planet of the Apes, and the "wash" of piano strings in Chinatown.

[@wangson]

Both the music in this particular scene and the score for the first film (same as the one they use for, The Next Generation) is amazing! The music as well as the film's sound editing is fantastic!

[@DireCrow]

I remember seeing this movie expecting the series style and it was like a massive reboot. The Klingons were improved 1000%. It completely changed how people approached Star Trek.

[@edwardpate6128]

God I love the D7/K'tinga battle cruiser! One of my favorite scifi vessels!

[@anthony_hw]

This was amazing to watch in the movie thereat at the time. It was large, epic with the "space is big" feel--very menacing. My parents didn't like this movie but I was mesmerized, and even after all these years, haven't seen a sci-fi movie that could capture the atmosphere this one did.

[@patientsecretary9217]

Yes this takes me back to being just 15. listening to the soundtrack with the window at night, wrapped in a duvet with my then girlfriend staring up at the stars and dreaming of the future. A magnificent score and for me a thoroughly immersive movie experience.

[@80sWavrDude]

Ah, the Klingons... Their usual shoot first and ask questions later mentality.

[@panzerleader49]

:) The Klingon Commander is played by non other than Mark Lenard. He played several roles in the original series. Great casting decision to bring back as many of the original cast as they could. I remember seeing this when it first came out, there was soooo much debate on the appearance and language of the 'new' Klingons!

[@garethjudd5840]

I love the Klingons music with the classic clicking. Fond memories.

[@Audioholics]

These Klingon ships look 10000 times better than the crap Klingon redesign ships in STD.

[@ThatsMrPencilneck2U]

Don't mention STD. For the record, the things I saw on the STD preview were Orcs, not Klingons.

[@QuentinSciascia]

STD is awesome

[@ThatsMrPencilneck2U]

STD = Gonorrhea

[@andrewjoseph6873]

lol don't bad talk disc.... it's like trump supporters. no matter how shitty it is or how much canon they break they'd ride that shit train to the end!

[@burningsodium]

Discovery seems cool, but I agree the Klingon ships are incredibly bland

[@mattperryman1948]

I always loved this scene! Very well done!

[@redandblue323]

Best scene in the whole movie

[@Hudson316]

That and the science officer getting cronenberged

[@andys8483]

Yes, defo. The rest of it just seemed to go downhill after that scene! JG's score was excellent throughout though.

[@HardRockMaster7577]

If only the movie could had more Klingon drama. That's what I think.

[@carmelomartinmiranda9912]

Wonderful , what else could I say , it is a movie that gave me very good memories .

[@andrewjenery1783]

Star Trek depicted ships on realistic trajectories just like here, they didn't suddenly turn, bank, etc, like in other space movies. Loved this movie!