Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). Staring Contest

#StarTrek
Stam Fine Reviews looks at Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a rare occurrence at the time, a big budget feature film version of a US Science Fiction TV program. The Enterprise goes on a mission to stop a giant something from getting all up in Earth's grill.
Stars William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, De Forest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Some Creep, and Persis Khambatta.
Remember: If in doubt, Pop a Spock On It.
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0:00 Introduction
0:30 Passive Income
1:53 The Motion Picture
6:52 From Cancelled Show to Major Motion Picture
9:40 The Film
12:02 Soundtrack
18:25 Calming Influence
18:52 Always the Klingons
20:10 Dull

[@splifftachyon4420]

I was there on opening day when Star Trek: The Motion Picture first came out (as I have been for every Star Trek film since). I was so excited to see this, and honestly, I was not disappointed. As a young teenager it totally blew my mind. It remains, to this day, my favourite of the original cast Star Trek movies.

[@stevenjohnson7442]

This movie is a total bore-fest! It helps me sleep at night.

[@zebramag]

I totally agree. I saw it as a kid and after all the sequels and even the astounding Wrath of Khan, I prefer the Motion Picture. It's dynamic, character driven and has a great plot! It's also the only film that feels like a Star Trek story.

[@kiltedjohn1000]

Loved it ,,most people expect action packed ,but this was deep and atmospheric ,,my only gripe shouldve been Voyager 2

[@stevenjohnson7442]

This most boring...most dull in the 13 movies which have been made. And one of the most boring, dullest, insomnia curing sci-fi movies ever!

[@yvonne766]

I agree. It was more cerebral than the other action-packed follow-ups, it had a sense of '2001' about it, and the spirit of exploration and dealing with the unknown.

[@mrblobby7864]

One of the most underrated movies ever made imo. I get why a lot of people dislike it but I've always found it to be a very thought provoking, relaxing experience.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

Same here I absolutely loved it, so many people even star trek fans call this "boring" to me this movie is perfect for star trek fans it feels like an extended episode of the original series

[@stevenjohnson7442]

Because it's a total dull bore-fest!

[@yvonne766]

'underrated' absolutely agree!

[@peterboczan2116]

How does it compare to Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier?

[@mrblobby7864]

@@peterboczan2116 It's way better. The plot is less messy and it's not visually ugly like Final Frontier is. It's definately flawed but nowhere near as bad as everyone says.

[@gumdeo]

People staring emptily at the screen... truly a prophetic movie.

[@matthewkugel6237]

"dragged on like bits of william wallace." This cracked me the heck up.

[@rodhanson7112]

I'm 69 YEARS OLD AND i LOVED STAR TREK when i was young AND i still DO

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Despite the principle flaw of the film, the slow pacing, I still get caught up in the atmosphere no matter how many times I watch it. Unlike the other Star Trek movies, space actually appeared to be vast and treacherous. I also love the fact that the conclusion of the movie leaves the viewer pondering what exactly happened at the end. This is the audience friendly 2001.

[@ChrisMaxfieldActs]

As opposed to the audience pandering 2010: The Year We Make Contact. Every question from 2001: A Space Odyssey, answered in the most prosaic and unsatisfying way ever. But with charming performances by an excellent cast and some pretty good effects work. Movies are complicated.

[@peterfmodel]

I totally agree with you. A classic movie must have three elements, good story-arc, good character-arcs and good thematic feel. This movie has all three, although it certainly does not have any dynamic action scenes. People who want an experience similar to a roller coaster ride may not be happy. Those people can certainly go and watch the 2008 Star Trek film by JJ Abrams, which is a good entertaining ride, but lacks depth and will never be considered a classic.

[@MrJohndoakes]

What happened was this; V'ger had been storing all the ships it zapped, plus Lt. Ilea in its memory. When Decker and robo-Ilea merge, they become part of the giant V'ger complex, which has turned into pure energy....just because. The USS Enterprise is spared and the new creature, which is Decker-Ilea-the Klingon ship crews-the crew of the Federation listening post as a new superbeing, so it's like Dave Bowman becoming the Star Child on steroids. And then we never heard from them again.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

​​@@MrJohndoakes "...just because" That's what I mean. We don't why that happened and we don't even witness what they really become. Just like life itself, things occur and we can't explain why. Ilyia and Decker are listed as missing and we never know their fate. If there is any reason why TMP should be placed above the other films, that's the reason why. There is a sense of awe and mystery that hasn't really been duplicated. One can say that the latter films are better constructed but none of them have the joy of adventure or exploration like this one. I suppose V did but it did so it a very clunky way.

[@Zodroo_Tint]

@@MrJohndoakes Imagine a quality writing revisit the concept of a Decker-Ilea-Klingon Star Child! What would the Klingons add to the mixture, and these are old Klingons not the Next Gen ones.

[@daveroche6522]

20:45 "Enterprise, what we got back didn't live long..... BUT THEY WERE DELICIOUS!".

[@andrewblanchard2398]

😂😂😂

[@Splinternut]

Best docking sequence ever.

[@MattMcIrvin]

I've always imagined Gerry Anderson watching this movie with total awe. (Well, there's a lack of explosions.)

[@oobrocks]

Lololololololololololol

[@noseotter-01]

In 1972, a boy on the playground told me "next year a Star Trek movie will come out." In 1979 -- a LOT later, for a little Star Trek fan -- I was there opening night for The Motion Picture. We were all a lot younger.

[@griffruby8756]

I was there on that opening day as well and my main recollection was how the audience applauded with the reintroduction of each crewmember. We see Kirk - applause, we see Scotty - applause, we see the (new) enterprise - lots of applause, McCoy - applause, Yeoman Rand - applause, Spock - tons of applause that went on for practically five whole minutes. We were all just so damn glad to see our familiar people in their familiar places after all these many years waiting that the story itself barely mattered. Of course on rewatching, we then observed that the story barely mattered anyway.

[@griffruby8756]

More audience participation that day than a typical Rocky Horror Picture Show screening...

[@Mattfromthepast]

Anyone else upset that McCoy didn't keep his hillbilly beard and disco outfit for the whole movie? For all of it's faults I love this movie. It is one of the best looking sci-fi movies ever made and it has my favorite film score of all time. I listened to the record so many times when I was a kid I wore out the motor on my record player, and this was before I saw the movie because we didn't have a VCR. This movie has a lot of problems but it does have some charm that comes from trying to be pure sci-fi without any gimmicks and I wish Trek would try this more often.

[@AbrasiousProductions]

This is so good I can't think of any faults outside a few and I mean few dated effects

[@bnelso2833]

In the episode "Mirror Mirror" an early draft had McCoy having a beard not Spock. When Kirk saw McCoy like that he faints dead away with violent shock. Fortunately, Kirk reacted to a bearded McCoy in this film way better.

[@CHIGGY118]

Love The Motion Picture; grand, sprawling, fantastic soundtrack. Way too long but still a great film!

[@paulannable3734]

Were you around for the release? I grew up watching Star Trek in the 70s and I still remember how exciting it was when the motion picture came out to see them all again, how fantastic the Enterprise looked, it was the first time I’d seen them in years. I see it’s flaws but I love it.

[@CHIGGY118]

@@paulannable3734 I was but never actually got to see it at the time. I consoled myself with buying the comic strip adaptation, novelisation and bubble gum cards!

[@daveroche6522]

Best thing about it was the spoof in Mad Magazine (mind you, their take on Wrath Of You-Know-Who was pure genius).

[@ericb9252]

It's so boring

[@christopherwilson3754]

The older I get the more I love STTMP, and the new 4k directors cut is gorgeous. Great review.

[@douggraham5082]

My brother and I were about as big fans of Star Trek as you could possibly be in the 70s. As a child I saw this movie in the theater and was distinctly disappointed. I remember my brother felt the same way. As the years passed and I’ve watched it many times I have grown to really appreciate it and genuinely enjoy it. This is a movie largely about midlife and the crises that go with it. Not exactly fare for most kiddies. A complex movie with existential themes that tries to ask and answer some big questions. Of all the Star Trek movies, this one has the most to say and I think about it frequently to this day.

[@jimibaboza]

Please play at 0.25 speed to get the authentic motion picture experience.

[@brianarbenz1329]

A friend of mine, who was a devoted and very informed Trekker, and thus was waiting desperately all those years for a movie version to come out, summed up Star Trek: The Motion Picture's plot as, "they blow up a rock." His opinion carried a lot of weight. Three years later, The Wrath of Kahn was vindication for him and the franchise.

[@corvus1970]

"That's okay, she was probably too old for him." Damn. Well done, sir.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I saw the 4K restoration of the director's cut and I must say, it's a film that is a hell of a lot better to watch on the big screen.

[@lancebaylis3169]

You make a great point about Shatner/Doohan. The relationship between Kirk and Scotty has always come across as really warm and friendly -- a testament to the actors, who hated one another.

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

If they trimmed about a half hour out of the space scene vistas or sped them up in post, this could be a very good 1st movie. For nostalgia at the time, it was great to see the cast back all back together and movie did have its moments. Star Trek Lower Decks parodied the "shuttlecraft long viewing of the spaceship" in this case Cerritos similar to the Enterprise first look scene, for its first episode. For the 35th anniversary of TOS, I got a chance to be in the crowd of an outdoor cake cutting ceremony at city hall in Toronto Canada where some of the cast attended, which were actors for McCoy, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura at that time. The cake was in the shape of the Enterprise. Great time!

[@jonhall3151]

Great movie. Not an action sci fi thriller, but a thoughtful, smart sci fi drama. Didn't like it before, but over the years it has become one of my favorites.

[@xx3868]

The Film is like real space travel. Lot of bland travelling and dull mostly and then excitement. first time you see it, you are disappointed as expecting action and pace but then you know the film and you see it a few times and enjoy it as its all there and Spock and the journey and amazing power of the alien and Klingons and effects for 1979.

[@Cmdr1962]

Didn't even comment on the "pre panel" uniforms that show off Decker's and McCoy's carbon units. I love what this film did for Trek. It is hard to sit through, though. I've always wondered why a talented editor couldn't hack 15 minutes out of it and improve the pacing 1,500%.

[@sunspot42]

Paramount wouldn't allow it. They'd paid millions for those special effects, and they were going to appear on-screen. Remember, their executives were MORONS.

[@robertcampbell6349]

LOL

[@johnbockelie3899]

Those pajama uniforms , comfy for sleeping in.

[@ChrisMaxfieldActs]

@@sunspot42 They really had no time to do a final edit. The studio was locked into a premiere date and the movie had to be done, one way or another. The last effects shots were barely dry before being added to the print for the premiere. It needed a few more weeks of post to really be a finished film. The Director's Cut solves a few of those issues, but the film had a deliberate pace, and a lot of beige sets and costumes, and the staring, of course, so it was never going to be totally satisfying. But the TV show had a lot of staring, too, if we are honest with ourselves.

[@drewdederer8965]

BTW, the Foster Book Adaption (because Alan Dean Foster did the Novelization of EVERY sci-fi property betwee 1975 and 1995) states explicitly that Decker is the son of the Decker in "The Planet Killer", and adds some tension on that front. My personal favorite alternate title for this one.. "Where Nomad has gone before", referencing how much this story is "The Changling" part 2. All that staring at offscreen stuff makes me want to quote George of the Jungle. But we don't have a narrator..

[@MattMcIrvin]

For what it's worth, Foster says he didn't write the novelization (though he did write the original TV pilot script that was adapted into the movie, so it's his story to some extent). It's credited to Gene Roddenberry; there's been a lot of speculation over the years about whether Roddenberry really wrote it or not, but the consensus seems to be that he did.

[@All2Meme]

It's too bad we never got a Death Battle-style melee between Nomad and V'ger. LOL😅

[@apkk5594]

Worth mentioning that Foster had also done the novelization of the animated series as the Star Trek Log series of books. I enjoyed the film when I first saw it and am still a fan of it today. However, I read the novelization soon after watching the film and still wonder how much that has impacted on my appreciation of the film. Regardless of who wrote it (I think it was Foster not Roddenberry) it does a good job of describing some of the elements better than the film was able to. The two best examples I can think of are the transporter accident and the situation regarding Ilia. The transporter accident is told in quite horrific detail and really makes an impression. In the case of Ilia, it is mentioned that she gives off pheromones that attract men and that is one of the reasons for her having a celibacy clause. You certainly get the impression that she is much more sexual and I seem to remember there being a situation where Kirk is feeling attraction to her that makes him uncomfortable.

[@briancross7835]

04:46 That reference / burn was outstanding, sir!

[@dogbadger]

I don't get why this film isn't popular - I mean when I saw it in the ciinema still buzzing off Star Wars barely aged 7 but despite the slow pace I still enjoyed it. I found the pace and visuals hypnotic. I didn't rewatch it until well into adulthood - and despite hearing how bad it was supposed to be I went away loving it even more and it's definitely my favourite Star Trek film.

[@The.Last.Guitar.Hero.]

Saw that at the cinema. The opening with the Klingon ships blew my 10 year old mind. "Killer Cornetto" lmao

[@rossydv]

Totally!

[@MattMcIrvin]

Jerry Goldsmith was bringing it with the musical score for that scene.

[@Phantassm]

One of the best sci-fi films ever.

[@inkermoy]

Janeway as the Transporter Killer is a nice deep cut! LOL! For me TMP is a nostalgic trip I can take indefinitely. Seeing it as a kid in the theaters when it opened, it was the first new (live) Trek in 10 years. It certainly is slow, and I agree that Goldsmith's score makes the film so much more enjoyable that I don't like how the Director's Edition throws boops and beeps over the music (the sound effects not being finished for theatrical release). And the Klingon battle with Goldsmith's score is the best opening of any of the ST films. Despite the uniforms, the film is gorgeous to look at. Visually it's all about scale comparisons, we get to see just how big the Enterprise really is compared to a person or travel pod, and then have it dwarfed by V'Ger. Wise really pushes the space and between ships and people in the camera frame that he even used a special lens to keep people at different distances in focus. The V'Ger flyover is certainly something alien and unseen at the time, keeping true to TOS' guiding narrative. The main trio of characters start off estranged from each other, their lives going in different directions, and in the end are reunited in the friendship they had in TOS. A very convincing "getting the band back together" arc compared to other sequels or reboots.

[@nunopereira6092]

I liked "Tuvix", for me it was classic Trek. A metaphor for the right to live your life as a self aware being, if you will. Also, when I first saw it I was surprised and shocked with Janeway's decision to basically execute him.

[@inkermoy]

@@nunopereira6092 well, in episodic television back then it wasn't quite a shock. But in today's serialized format you could explore it more. Maybe Tuvix's body could ultimately be found unstable and the only result would be separation. But the crew would have gotten used to him, and the decision more tragic.

[@djpookie2000]

I love your comparison of Spock to a cat🤣

[@marysheeran519]

Your switching from the Von Traps with their hands clasped to Kirk clasping his hands....priceless.

[@james5460]

That was such a cold, dreary winter - at least where I was - and then you had this beautifully colorful poster for the ST film with the futuristic lettering, and also another scifi film, "Time After Time," coming out at the same, uh, time. It really was a great ending to the '70s, something to actually look forward to, made everything that had been shades of grays and black and white suddenly seem in technicolor again. The film, as I recall, was long and basically made no sense, but nobody was there for the plot, just to see Star Trek reborn when there had been so many false starts and false hopes.

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Time After Time was terrible. Not just bad but terrible mostly because it should have been great.

[@ashroskell]

I love the story ideas, and still vividly remember the big (spoiler warning) twist that, “Vega,” is actually the Earth probe, Voyager, with space crud covering some of the letters on its name, and having my juvenile mind utterly blown away by the idea. We never get a full explanation of the mechanical species that Voyager encountered, which gave the probe its space makeover in the first place, and I would love it if the Star Trek writers would revisit that species. We infer that it’s just the technological remnants of a species that died out, which kept going, growing and evolving in the wake of its creator’s demise, seeking similar answers to life, the universe and everything that it passes on to Vega, but there’s a whole set of stories to be mined there. E.g. What if a humanoid species ran into this mechanised robo-planet? What would that planet do to them? Would the inhabitants do to them what they did to Vega? Upgrade and improve their modelling and send them back out into the universe with a bucket list of questions they want answered? If so, that would be monstrous! And it could be an origin story for the Borg!

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

"V-GER" not vega

[@coraltown1]

This movie looked very big and beautiful on the big screen when it was released. I had seen precious little of the TV series, but this upgrade truly wowed me.

[@SJKPJR007]

A simply Spocktacular review.

[@Tax_2000]

Im recently going through all of trek, and I was hella excited to get to the movies. I cant even imagine how excited people were in 1979 to see the cast.

[@WillCamx]

It's great to see starships at impulse moving like capital ships and not zipping around like F35s.

[@dogdrovenorth]

"Take after take of people looking in awe at something that wasn't there: the script.". 😆

[@nathansmith-jk7cz]

I think motion picture is underrated

[@MGuyGadbois]

4:45 That's a DEEP cut

[@71tbomb]

The uniforms in this movie make them look like hospital staff.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Yes! They totally do.

[@WhiteChocolate74]

Or like they work at a dentist's office

[@brianmccarthy8541]

I was just about keeping it together watching this eating my dinner and laughing until the Interpretive dance and now my dinner is everywhere😅. Thanks Stam😀

[@Boogenhagen100]

One of your best videos SF. why the hell did McCoy shave that glorious beard? RIP Persis.

[@Spartanm333]

Thanks for this. I think you are a fan, but not a fan boy. You don't mind pointing out the faults and issues, but always with a sense of playfulness rather than def-con one, open the silos, total destruction. Some other reviewers could learn from this... it's not about you appearing in a loud shirt, click bait titles or a shock and awe tear down of someone's childhood hero, it's about presenting meaningful insight on the subject in an interesting way. Well done. With Roddenberry, I appreciate this is a fine line. Not least working his girlfriend into the show (original TV series) whilst his wife was at home - even his senior partners thought that was offside - not the affair so much as blatantly using the production to pay for it. I guess it was easier to have her on set for a quick fondle in the broom cupboard. And no cash required.

[@therevolutioncontinuesblog6182]

I remember standing in line for HOURS to see this movie on opening day... After we got in and watched it, my younger brother and I looked at each other and said, "Oh, well, at least it's STAR TREK, so it wasn't all a waste of time." It was good to see our favorite characters (mostly Spock) again. I have to admit, I don't hate it as much as some Trekkers do, but it's not my favorite of the TOS movies. That would be The Wrath of Khan because... Ricardo Montalban and Kirk yelling, "Khhhhhhhaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn!!!!" Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@StuartRaweakaStuOz]

Yes Stam, I totally agree, the Jerry Goldsmith score is the best thing about this film. And "The Motion Picture" has improved with time. Great video. Stu.

[@peterwyetzner5276]

Has it gone unnoticed that Ilia's name comes from Ilion, the Greek name for the city that the Romans called Troy?

[@jsentman]

staring slack jawed as screens all day IS life now days! so yes, it’s all good ;)

[@Hawkeye26]

11:08 Perfectly justified BURN! Well played!

[@GrimGalore]

The script writing for McCoy was easy. It pretty much consists of "McCoy enters the bridge" and "McCoy exits the bridge". Best soundtrack of any ST property and I'll watch this before I'll watch The Final Frontier.

[@n.d.m.515]

Those who don't like this film have attention spans of a goldfish. I remember even as a kid loving this film when watching it in theaters. You have to remember that really good special effects were very rare. Watching a movie that, with a few exceptions, you didn't notice it was a model and strings had its own built in excitement. It was more than a movie. It was a work of art featuring characters you fell in love with on the television.

[@thedrunkphilosopher3123]

I think I found the one eyed Trekkie in the comments section

[@n.d.m.515]

@@thedrunkphilosopher3123 is that supposed to be rude or something? I don't speak childish.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I enjoy the film but there is no doubt that it has pacing issues.

[@Randysinger]

Wow, you are brilliant. Love your review and the way you blend your humor and facts together not to mention you’r editing always the right scenes. Definitely gonna check you out again thank you.😮

[@Enshohma]

19:20 - THANK YOU! I'm glad someone finally said it!

[@pdlagasse]

You are ON FIRE in this one.

[@dmrr7739]

I loved _The Motion Picture._ As far as the pacing, I mean, you hired Robert Wise, what did you expect? The one inexplicably terrible scene was Spock on Vulcan. What the hell? It’s like they borrowed some backdrops from _A Trip to the Moon._ I swear the set is flapping in the breeze at one point. Persis Khambatta was a gorgeous human being.

[@RighteousBrother]

One of the best content creators out there, great stuff. So TMP hmmmmm......it is slow moving, yet......there's something's hypnotic about it, that makes me seek out videos and reviews and I keep coming back to the film, whilst acknowledging its faults.

[@BigNoseDog]

Had it not been for the massive success of Star Wars, this movie would never have been made. But it feels like the director didn’t get the memo. Instead of making something that could compete with Star Wars, Robert Wise gave us a movie that feels like an alternative to 2001, making TMP feel about 10 years late. The influence is obvious. Stunning visuals, a wonderful score, slow pace, and dull characters.

[@AM-uo2kf]

I watched the motion picture relatively soon after my first watch through of the original series, and while it is very slow paste for a film, it feels remarkably true to the show. I love how it highlights how attached Kirk is to the Enterprise.

[@AllanGildea]

Terrific, thank you!

[@TheBeird]

Film’s . . . fine. Can’t add much that others haven’t said about it. I will say that it’s always a treat to see special effects by Douglas Trumble

[@MattMcIrvin]

I've always a great fascination and affection for this movie, though its flaws are obvious. I think part of it is that I was 11 years old in the summer of 1979 and actually missed all three of the big science-fiction releases of that year (ST:TMP, The Black Hole, and the quite R-rated Alien) but was of exactly the right age to be captivated by the promotional blitzes for them, and transfixed by the excited descriptions of them from my elementary-school classmates. So when I did get the chance to see them, it was extra interesting. This one is... well, it's way better than The Black Hole. But it shares many of the same qualities: a ponderous, "2001"-inspired pace, overreliance on expensive and often beautiful effects and sets, a staggeringly good musical score, some jarring tonal shifts with incongruous touches of horror, and perhaps some committee-inspired miscalculation about what type of movie it should be. Nevertheless, I think it's an admirable effort.

[@Sp33ddialz]

The funniest thing is that The Motion Picture is probably the closest to an original Trek episode. Strange unknown alien, Kirk/Bones/Spock drama, some moral lesson about humanity.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

As pointed out by Trek fans, it's basically a remake of The Changeling. I don't think that is a bad thing because it's a story on a an epic scale.

[@brettcahan4167]

As far as I remember, (I was 12 at the time) this movie was rated G. Maybe it’s not enthralling, but being a clean movie anyone was able to see, made up for it. Great movie!

[@thetriggeringofthesnowflak725]

Your videos are so good you deserve a million subs

[@peterfmodel]

I really love this movie and watch it at least once each year once I got a copy of a VHS tape and then a DVD, BluRay and now 4K. The latest 4K directors cut version is very good and i wish i could of seen it on a IMAX screen.

[@agl1138]

'She was probably too old for him...' genius comment

[@rogerbix22]

I’ve watched a number of reviews of the Star Trek: the motion picture, but yours is by far is one of the best- and the most informative. I thought I knew it all. I never knew there was a connection between genesis II (original story plot wise) to this movie! Fantastic review! Plus your always funny humor/comedy timing is, as usual, a delight. Thank you.

[@hagerty1952]

8:15 I believe in Trek lore, Will Decker is supposed to be Commodore Decker's son.

[@RichardEKranz]

It's still the best of all the other trek tv movie of the week stories.

[@Vanessinha91Pucca]

I just love the pop a spock expression

[@supereurobeat]

I saw this back when it came out. The Queen music was very distracting but did sound futuristic and the story was interesting and well done.

[@nalyom99]

Brilliant review of Star Trek The Motion Sickness, as usual. May I suggest you doing a review of Roger Corman's Battle Beyond The Stars? Keep them coming! (I have now watched your entire back catalogue.)

[@Faction.Paradox]

I love the themes, visuals, concepts and ideas of the this film. It is however, far too self indulgent, in love with is budget and fat too pleased with itself while being sterile and almost robotic. Having said that I still respect the hell out out of the film, it was a sci-fi ass sci-fi film with a high concept and lots of visual storytelling without dumbing down.

[@chrisnizer5702]

If you weren't familiar with the original series episodes then yes, the motion picture probably was a little dull. But the computer generated graphics were pretty impressive for the late 70s and seeing it in a movie theater definitely made the effects pop. Thanks for another great review my friend, good stuff indeed. 👍 👍

[@hgwells1899]

Star Trek: The Slo Mo - oh, never mind

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

The staple of this show was it's military standoffs. While most at the time depended on impressive gun fights and studio stuntmen to come up with plot evolvement. The original star trek and the best, depended on realistic military sci Fi reality. Nobody knows what goes on in the future. Star trek knew. In space no one can hear you scream.👽

[@tomsenior7405]

There has been much conjecture and speculation about "The Motion Picture". Arguments abound. Fans are Divided and United. Was Wise making his own 2001? What happened with the Klingons? Nimoy's dispute over pay. The Recycled Script, The Effects, Celibacy, That Wig, The Pacing, Bad Press, where was that English Crew Member? The list goes on... And, in less than 25 Minutes, Stam covered almost all of it. Impressive.

[@ianmclean1568]

Mr Kyle came back for "The Wrath of Khan".

[@tomsenior7405]

@@ianmclean1568 Thank you.

[@davidward4616]

Star Trek was always good at spinning variations on existing genres, WW2 sub destroyer battles ( Balance of Terror) Westerns ( Spectre of the Gun) Gangsters ( Piece of the Action) a Lost in Space spoof, (Spock's Brain, perhaps unintentionally.) ST:TMP was not trying to do Star Trek. It was trying to do 2001. While it did suffer from being ponderous and generally lacking in humor and the loose feel of the series, it was at least an attempt at hard cinematic Science Fiction during the period where Star Wars was turning all Sci Fi into revisionist westerns. It deserves kudos at least, for that.

[@HappyArchaeology-mm4ng]

Loved it.

[@neohermitist]

If you listen to the opening of The Haunting, another Wise film, you'll hear strains of the ST:TMP theme.That couldn't possibly be a coincidence.

[@captainufo4587]

The unoforms are horrible, but I'll die on the hill that Kirk's admiral uniform looks great. Had they used the same style for the whole crew, even with the greys and browns scheme they used for the pajamas, it would've been a classic on par with the Monster Maroon.

[@bigneon_glitter]

Love _TMP._ It's grand operatic gothic horror & psychological sci-fi for grown ups. And it's what starship exploration would be like in real life: everything goes wrong, people die, egos are shattered, & you'd spend most of your time staring into the black, completely powerless but looking for meaning & connection in the unknowable - the film's point.

[@Anders69B]

Best. Star Trek. Ever.

[@l.a.gothro3999]

Waiting to hear mention of the late Harlan Ellison....

[@jefferyyoung2580]

I love the star trek 2

[@TheColonelKlink]

Possibly the best science fiction film ever made. Certainly the best Star Trek film.

[@johnellizz]

Star Trek was not 2001: A Space Odyssey but this movie tried to hybridize the two. That makes it very unique.

[@jammin023]

I absolutely loved it as a kid. Some of the visual effects were amazing, perhaps the best since 2001 A Space Odyssey. It was imaginative and (unlike most of the sequels) it actually felt like you were accompanying the crew on a journey in space... a sort of "star trek" if you will... Khan was better, obviously, but I still love this one too.

[@SunsetStarship]

+1 for "Fuck you, I'm getting a Beagle.".

[@carlrood4457]

I've always thought the high collared undershirt on Spock's costume did a lot to undo the pajama effect of the uniform.

[@biotrekker]

Don't forget the shock of seeing the redesigned Klingons for the first time.

[@nealwhaley63]

What reinforces the attack on the Klingons is learning the K’Tinga class warships were (supposedly) as powerful as Starfleet’s Constitution class. With that perspective, V’Ger seems much more formidable.

[@neiltaylor6645]

Showing the directors addition in 4K on paramount plus in the us

[@nardpuncher]

This sounds like I'm being facetious but this movie does get better the second or third time you see it after you understand that it's not going to be fun. I think many of us go to see genre movies like this in the theater in order to have fun and excitement. This movie simply isn't fun and exciting like that but once you know that you can sit down and enjoy it for what it is

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I agree. You have to give this film more than one chance.

[@chrisperrien7055]

"I live uptown I live downtown I live all around"

[@duncancurtis1758]

We had a Star Trek poster on the wall with Spocks scowl deep in the night...😧

[@ronaldcustard4636]

Was it where he was in The Motion picture uniform with a close up of his face

[@jamesdietz29]

Although most... if not all of it's criticisms are valid, ST:TMP is still one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@AndrewKendall71]

Kinda always thought Kirk's demeanor is suffering from the same thing as Spock's delivery - the awkwardly obvious and mismatch-toned of the dubbing

[@davidlewis1787]

It’s my fave

[@YnotNomis]

Fluffgins said to quick with these reviews and feed him!

[@uglytuco]

Please review Galaxy Quest, thank you!