William Shatner Movie:

Editorial Review:
Back when the first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S. Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very best (with its main theme later used for Star Trek: The Next Generation). And, fortunately for Star Trek fans, the expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon

Star Trek: The Motion Picture [Region 2] Reviews:
I'll never understand why this movie gets so much crap from fans
2009-11-22 - 1979, 10 years after 'The Original Series' went off the air, this movie comes out, the first Star Trek movie, and I do not know why this movie gets so much negativity, yes it's completely different than the rest of the movies (I like them all), this was Gene Roddenberrys true vision of Star Trek.

This is a very intelligent movie, which is the way Star Trek should be, you have to pay attention, or you won't get it, maybe some people just don't pay enough attention, because I cannot see how, if they did pay attention, could give it such a low rating, it really brings back the feeling of The Original Series.

The acting of course is great, all the original cast of course, and they picked it up 10 years later as if they were just doing the following episode to 'Turnabout Intruder', and the story, is just intelligent, a space probe lost in space for 200 years, with the help of an alien race of machine beings, stayed out there and collected all the information it could over the time span, and eventually became so smart by collecting all that information, V'cher became an entity.

Just a wonderfully thought out story, and intelligent, and the spaceshots/effects, you can definetly tell it's 'Star Trek'

On a side note, I would suggest buying the new 'Original Motion Picture Collection' box set, available on both blu-ray and standard definition, and if you're a fan of 'The Next Generation', pick up 'The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection' as well, same as the other set, available in both blu-ray and standard.

Not really an improvement.
2009-11-10 - Overall the Director's Cut is an improvement in terms of sound, visual effects, and pace. And yet, i still prefer my VHS copy of the 143-minute version. Certain key scenes were deleted from the DVD, including some tender moments between Ilia and Decker, and some dialogue between McCoy and Kirk regarding Spock's obsession with V'Ger. The Ilia/Decker relationship is not as fully developed in this new cut, which is aggravating because it is that relationship that facilitates the ending of the film and gives it significance. If Robert Wise wanted to trim scenes, why not cut some more of those endless shots of V'Ger's inner layers, instead of interesting dialogue that actually contributes to the plot and characters' development. Having said all that, I suppose the DVD will please audiophiles and those who go ga-ga over CGI technology.

The Worst of all Star Trek Movies.
2009-11-01 - "What?", you might be asking. "This isn't the worst. `Final Frontier' is the worst". No, with all due respact, you're wrong and I'll tell you why. Final Frontier had a plot. It wasn't a good plot, but it was a plot nonetheless. A plot is something that this movie did not have. When I heard they were rebooting the Star Trek franchise, I sat down and watched all the previously made Star Trek movies. All but this one. I sat through "Final Frontier", Insurrection", and even "Nemesis". I absolutely refused to subject myself to this movie again.
I first saw this movie when I was eleven. I had already seen a few of the other Star Trek movies. I watched them out of order. People had warned me that this one was horrible and boring, but I sat through it anyway. A horrible decision on my part. This is not just the worst Star Trek movie. This is the number one worst movie I've seen in my entire life. I would put this in the same category as movies like "Batman and Robin" and "Battlefield Earth". I'm serious. I think this is worse than those movies. Again, those movies had plots. Bad plots, but plots. This movie has no plot. All they did here is take actors from the television show, in character, put them up on the big screen, and call it a movie. All they wanted to do here is cash in on a franchise that is considered by many (not me) to be classic.
Here is a brief summary of the movie. A cloud thing is destroying ships and stuff. Kirk, who is now an Admiral, takes over command of the Enterprise from Captian Willard Decker. Decker is unhappy about this. The Enterprise goes out to try to stop the blue cloud. They make it inside the blue cloud, and Willard's ex-girlfriend gets taken by the blue cloud. A being that looks like the ex comes to Enterprise and says that the cloud is called v'ger. Um, okay. Spock tries to mind-meld with v'ger, but gets electrocuted. Spock then concludes that "v'ger is a child". Um, okay. Kirk , Spock, Decker, and I think Mccoy go outside the ship and see that v'ger is really Voyager six, a probe launched by earth back in the 20th century. The ex-lady says that the creator of v'ger, a human, must join with v'ger. Um, okay. Willard offers himself, and joins with his ex and the satellite. This creates a new life, or something. The galaxy is again safe.
There. It took me five minutes to go through a plot that took roughly two and a half hours to play out onscreen. This isn't enough plot for a movie. It's a long, long episode. And a stupid, cheesy, campy, full-of-itself episode, at that. I think this movie perfectly captured the essence of the 60s television series. Oh, in addition to hating this movie, I also hate the old televison show, too. Despite this, there was and still is a huge cult following for the show, despite it's horrible ratings. The creators of this movie knew that. They weren't interested in making a good movie. They just wanted to cash in on a popular franchise. You know how I know that? They didn't make an ending for this movie until the last minute. I would have loved to be at one of the writing meetings. I bet there was a lot of thought put into that.

"Hey, let's make a Star Trek movie!"

"Great idea! We'll make a killing"

"So what's the premise?"

"Uhhhhh......how 'bouta weird cloud is out in space destroying stuff."

"Good enough. That should be a good enough reason to get all the old crew back on the Enterprise."

"So what happens with the cloud?"

"They stop it."

"How?"

"Well, uh, we'll think of something."

"What about the rest of the movie?"

"That's the overall plot."

"I don't think that's a very interesting plot."

"So? The fans will pay to see it."

"True. We'll figure out that ending later."

FIVE MONTHS LATER

"So....How should we end it?"

"Why don't we just fill the last hour or so with a bunch of philosophical stuff which sounds smart but makes no sense at all?"

"Great idea. The fans will love it."

I like this first theatrical Trek entry very much
2009-10-01 - I loved the uniforms (which remind one more of the jogging suits the crew wore on the original show--while looking much more truly futuristic--than the later arctic-type reddish uniforms they'd wear from ST film #2 on). The equipment is more high tech looking than that of the 60's show which adds to the film's different look. I also loved the serious acting style of this first movie(though it still poked a bit of fun at the characters like when Chekov smiles at lady Ilya entering). Shatner is superb as (now Admiral) Kirk, Leonard Nimoy is good as ever as Spock and DeForest Kelley's Dr, McCoy is a fine and mega-human touch. I beleive this movie gets better on repeated viewings.

Cleaned Up Directors Version!
2009-07-27 - Star Trek the Motion Picture!

I did a rewatching of this film recently and even though I have the original VHS tape, the "special longer version" is much cleaned up from the theatrical release.

Robert Wise directs this Alan Dean Foster story (similar but only on a general way to The Original Series ("TOS") The Changeling.

In "The Changeling" the Enterprise was nearly hit by a high energy beam from a small probe that turned out to be a mix between Voyager and an alien probe. It was attempting to find its Creator, a Mr. Roykirk, which it mistook for James Kirk. Its mission was to sterilize imperfection -- when Kirk pointed out that it too was imperfect, it sterilized itself!

We start out with Jerry Goldsmith's excellent score, which was later used extensively and every TV program of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a fact I completely forgot about until hearing it. And, the Klingons were changed to having ridges on their foreheads and looking more alien, another aspect continued through the next twenty plus years of Trek. This was a big deal to the original fans, though TNG guys now take this in stride.

The movie is about tension in many ways:

Spock is conflicted between his Vulcan heritage and his desire for the stars, which we see on the barren, red hot orange planet Vulcan as he fails the Kolinar.

Tension between Kirk and Decker who was going to command the Enterprise until Kirk came aboard.

And the new crew member Lt. Ilia, who plays a vital role in the story. She is a member of Delta, who need to take an oath of celibacy since their sexual superiority puts males into fits of insanity (per the novelized version). The sexual tension is underplayed in this PG 13 film.

Starbases are blasted, Klingons are electrified and V'ger, the huge cloud entity wants its creator and wants him/her NOW!

The usual Kirk double-speak with alien life forms does not fly as well as in the past.

McCoy's crankiness and large beard were also quite fun to see again.

The "long part" with the traveling through the cloud is actually edited down in this version and from what I understand, the DVD version does even better in cleaning up the special effects, the cloud effects and such. The Warp Drive effect is a bit hokey but that's just me being spoiled by TNG.

Overall, a good introduction and kick-off by Paramount to get the franchise off the ground. Thank God for The Wrath of Khan or else we would have stopped at that point.

Great effort by Wise and crew.

Better:

Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection (The Motion Picture / The Wrath of Kahn / The Search for Spock / The Voyage Home / The Final Frontier / The ... Captains Summit Bonus Disc) [Blu-ray]

Star Trek Movie Tie-In