Originally published in December 2014. Had to re-edit and re-upload the review to remove a copyright claim. I've adjusted a few images and had to remove the end montage trailer.
Perhaps the only Star Trek that honestly portrays the soul of the original series. Perfectly connected to the lore at that moment. In my humble view, a very underrated movie. Some execution/production flaws of course, but has all my respect. As for Enterprise presentation, what people don't get it is that, unlike any other ship, *Enterprise is a character* and it is hard to explain. Perhaps only Navy members will understand it fully... This is a movie that isn't afraid to put older adults in command of a ship, as it has to be _( Not Bevelry Hills 90210 in space)_
Oliver, I'd highly recommend you upload your videos to other video sharing sites like Bitchute, Brighteon, Daily Motion, as well as Rumble. That way you'll have other options in case UA-cam or any third party entities keep giving you grief about any "copyright issues." Wow! A copyright issue comes up after 7 years. The "Fair Use" law from 1976 should protect you and anyone else from these things.
I get why people dislike it, but I really think it’s very underrated. Star Trek was always open to some intelligent sci-fi and is more than just the generic space action of the Abrams era.
I agree about the Abrams era, but I wish TMP could have had the pacing of maybe ST3. It had big ideas, but how many times have you chapter skipped over the Enterprise flyby and the endless staring out viewscreens?
@@capitalcitygoofball1987 that’s part of it’s greatness. Goldsmith’s majestic score, and the beautiful model is like a poem to the enterprise and the romance of humanity’s progress in the future. More a work of art than a traditional movie.
@@spoonhanz Same! This film stands out - more cinematic than television - the only Star Trek film creator Gene Roddenberry had creative control of - directed by a Hollywood legend - scored by a Hollywood legend - special effects by 2 Hollywood legends A film more like 2001 in tone and thematic scope than Star Wars This is an Epic true science fiction Star Trek tale the likes of which we will never see again For me, my 2nd favourite Star Trek film behind only Wrath The practical 70’s special effects more than stand up today - it’s a classic!
@@MajorVanBloodnok I get what you're saying, and it's not that I disagree but it still boils down to a really boring movie with pacing issues that would give most editors a stroke. And yeah, Trekkies loved the model flyby but my parents were falling asleep by that point. I'll take it any day over the Bad Reboot crap though. Out there somewhere is a perfect ST movie made on a reasonable budget. A movie that explores big ideas, has great character moments, has nice action set pieces without it being "a dude in a big ship out for revenge for reasons". Picard and STD show that big production sets and great FX are possible to to almost any degree. They also show Hollywood can't write for shit anymore. Picard sucked me in with great production values, and by the end I'd given up on Star Trek.
I highly recommend watching the Director’s Cut, because it does fix some of the problems with the film and looks gorgeous. Many of the audio issues are corrected, plus they replace the computer voices and background bridge sounds. It’s one of my guilty pleasures and I just love the Klingon sequence and music. We just needed more battle scenes and fewer “staring/reaction” scenes from the crew. I love this film and often put it in late at night when I’m painting or relaxing. Great stuff!
The movie is more like an Opera or a Stage Play. Everything is big and BIGGER. I absolutely love it and i love the slow pace.... it's so suspenseful. Probably the best ST movie for me (i also love ST-V ...hmm)
LOL! THERE ya go! Just tell it like it is! In fact, such "drongos" are the reasons we have all these big, dumb, action "blockbusters" with goons like Vin Diesel and The Rock and Schwarzenegar and so on.
Oddly my absolute favorite Star Trek. The more cerebral tone/problem solving to face a very puzzling threat really captured what I loved about TOS for me. It’s relaxing to watch
Agreed. I never got to see whole episodes of TOS in reruns because we were always in church during the Sunday morning timeslot, so TMP was the first time I got to see a full Star Trek story. At the same time I was reading Arthur C. Clarke.... I love TMP in all its slow-burn grandeur.
The long fly-by sequence often gets derided as “effects porn” and “filler”; but deriding it that way ignores its narrative importance. The sequence establishes the Enterprise as large and grand - the pinnacle of human technological achievement. This has to be set up in order to emphasize the Enterprise’s dealing in the face of V’Ger’s size and technology. The “awe inducing” fly-by is not trivial, but rather integral to the scope of the story. I love this film and think it rather tightly reflects the more “hard” sci-fi that the original series at least hinted at, if not achieved. Plus I saw it in the theatre as a kid (age 9) and was transfixed by it, already being a Star Trek fan.
"Booring"? .. . depends WHAT you consider EXCITING in the first place. Now personally I happen to find ohhhh guns, stunts, car chases, crashes, and explosions pretty dull myself, so I don't miss THAT shit one bit when watching THIS film.
Perhaps the only Star Trek that honestly portrays the soul of the original series. Perfectly connected to the lore at that moment. In my humble view, a very underrated movie. Some execution/production flaws, of course, but has all my respect. As for Enterprise presentation, what people don't get it is that, unlike any other ship, *Enterprise is a character* and it is hard to explain... Perhaps only the Navy members will understand it completely... a movie that isn't afraid to put older adults in command of a ship, as it has to be.
I agree w/you %110 that no other film in the entire theatrical saga plays and feels more like the original series. Where it fails IMO is that the characters don't feel right; particularly Kirk. But in total I think it's the most underrated film in the original series.
Spock spending his time purging his emotions, Kirk deflated and listless as an Admiral and McCoy just chugging Romulan Ale and busting moves on the dance floor. He should have kept the beard though.
Klingon to his captain: "I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that the cloud is technology so advanced that fighting it will be certain death. The good news is that the cloud is technology so advanced that fighting it will be certain death."
I’m sorry to nitpick, but Decker was not demoted twice. He was told by Kirk he’d have to “double as science officer,” after the Vulcan science officer died in the transporter. He gladly gave up the post to Spock, but was still technically the Executive Officer.
So true! In the relevant part of the film, it is made clear that Spock was re-instated as "science officer" - not as it and first officer ("XO"). Thus, Will Decker was, for this mission/film, the undisputed 'second in command' to an overambitious Admiral Kirk.
I find that the new scenes added to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the director's cut make the film more enjoyable for me. The visual of the nacelle in Kirk's quarters and the new CGI version of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Decker exiting the saucer section of the Enterprise while inside V'Ger.
I adore this movie. One of my favorite ways to experience it, is with my eyes closed and let my imagination wander and craft visuals to the soundtrack and dialogue.
The surrealism, the slowness, the conclusion that leaves certain questions unanswered, delightful qualities that are alien to cut and dry, contemporary blockbusters. The atmosphere of TMP is far more intriguing than the other films that feel more like feature length TV episodes by comparison.
And yet, at its heart, this also feels so much like Star Trek in a way. Our heroes pondering deep questions about the nature of life. The Enterprise never fires her phasers and only launches one torpedo, at a meteor no less. But that lack of action should not be mistaken for a lack of incident, and the philosophical questions explored here are very much in keeping with what went before and what would come after. Who am I? Where do I belong? Despite what people say I feel like this movie is very in keeping with the spirit of TOS. We don't need to see Admiral Kirk grappling with an alien lizard and getting his tunic torn open for this to feel very much like Star Trek.
@@lancebaylis3169 Again, completely agree. It just goes to show how The Wrath of Khan was both the best and worst thing to happen to Star Trek. The best because it kept the franchise alive. But the worst, because it made the movies almost and evermore exclusively about the THE BAD SEEKING REVENGE!!!! When that happened, we pretty much lost the introspective, big-idea Trek.
@@markdodson6453 After Star Trek V bombed, Paramount stopped gambling on any Trek stories that didn't involve punching a vengeance crazed villain in the face. Of course I don't mean that Star Trek VI was a dumb action film but it has WoK tropes that the succeeding films clung onto, Starfleet as a military organization and the big bad villain. Also, Wrath of Khan, to date, is still the most profitable Star Trek film ever made. Again, I say profitable. I didn't say it has the highest gross.
Always liked that piece, mainly because of a bit of personal intellectual gymnastics. The music represents at least in part, the probe V'ger sends to help communicate; a physical connection to the Enterprise and its crew. Ilia's Theme is the sound of wanting to touch the face of "God". Like Decker alludes to in the climax. That and the flying starfield effect to top it off...
I think what I love about it is (channeling Richard Donner) its verisimilitude. Star Trek: The Motion Picture takes our heroes and setting from the TV show, but as the first post-moon landing piece of Trek it takes more cues from what had been learned in the decade since the series went off the air. Space feels big in this movie, travel times are long even with faster-than-light travel, the space walk sequences feel real in a way I don't reckon the original Star Trek could have done, and of course NASA is mentioned and the antagonist is literally a piece of America's old space program. One never feels here like they are cutting corners or doing anything fantastical, because it's all shot with a context of reality surrounding every moment and concept, from the infamous shuttle ride to the Enterprise all the way through, everything is completely believable. Good timing on the upload too, with the 4k edition only recently announced.
One of my favorite episodes is The Cormbomite Maneuver. Look at the ending of that episode. It builds in intensity throughout, and at the end......then? It is a very satisfying episode. Need I say more?
Just a heads-up: A few months ago, Paramount released a new 4K-remaster of this film along with a new version of The Director's Cut, with the new shots in that version redone again.
@@23bobjr Well, dude did say it took so long due to the director needing a boatload of camera lenses and set ups to be able to get close enough to the model as it was supposed to be larger!
@@leonardpriestley6822 I think the whole scene feels set up flying around the Enterprise for 5 minutes to just end up with Kirk saying "Thank you Mr Scott" "Aye Sir". I always laugh at it but it LOVE the whole flyover it's just the best you can have about Star Trek. It's the f* Enterprise man. Give her some praise!!!
I was actually shocked to rewatch this film and see that it's better than it was during its initial release. I've seen both versions and, well, while this film ain't WRATH OF KAHN, THE VOYAGE HOME or FIRST CONTACT, it's still a lot better than the J.J. Abrams alternate universe prequels. And I absolutely LOVE that music - Jerry Goldsmith is one of the greats!!!
At the time I'm writing this, both versions of this are still up and running. I played them both simultaneously to see what was added/removed. I can see why you did the re-upload of this. It's still a great retrospective. I hope you'll get to doing one for Star Trek IV soon.
Decker was not " demoted again" when Spock arrived. He had been pulling double duty as the ships executive officer AND the ships chief science officer. When Spock arrived he was able to stop performing the chief science officer role and concentrate on being the executive officer.
After making The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Andromeda Strain, too, two of the most sincere efforts in science fiction of their respective eras. Robert Wise never got the worship that people like Kubrick did. He just kept cranking out solid movies one after the other. The Haunting, Run Silent, Run Deep, The Set-Up, The Body Snatcher, he rarely missed.
The shots you think are out of focus are intentional split diopter lens shots. using a special lens where the camera can focus on different things in the foreground and background.
I loved the motion picture.💕 As a kid I was really into the visuals. I could feel the discomfort of the crew as they were entering the cloud. And when the tractor beam pulled them into the ship, and the enterprise was trapped. I was like "what are they gonna do? They can't phaser or torpedo their way out." I also felt a sense of terror when all they had was a probe of a dead crew member to talk to. I dunno. These are the feelings of an 11 year old kid. But I thought the motion picture had a great psychological story to it.
Decker and Captain Kirk's conflict with Decker feeling resentful over his temporarily demotion was a subplot that Robert Wise took from his movie run silent Run Deep a movie that starred Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster
Don't care what ya say, I saw this when I was a kid, and mind was blown, sure it was slow, but suspense is Trek 1 , and can't be rushed... its more a afternoon monster movie then a trek film though to be fair.
Opened December 7, 1979. I know, it was my birthday. The issue with the ballooning budget was not only the failed effects that had to be reshot but, Paramount added the cost of the development of Star Trek Phase II into the movie's budget. As the two premier of the show -- "In Thy Image" -- became TMP, the funds had to be allocated somewhere. I agree it does look good.
This was a really good Star Trek Film, sure there wasn't really any action but instead alot of standing around talking and looking out of view-screens; but i think TMP was trying to be abit more 2001: Space Odyssey. The overall idea of Vger i found very intriguing, very much "Science Fiction" it's a shame alot of Trekkies right this movie off.
@@redpillnibbler4423 It did you can tell it was going for that kind of style and the overall idea is pure science fiction, which has always been a huge element of "Star Trek". This is why i don't get why Trekkies don't give this movie any credit. Trekkies owe alot to TMP, TNG takes it theme music from this Film. The refit Enterprise was first introduced in this Film. The familiar Klingon designs with the long hair, head crest and armor was first introduced in this Film. I would have said the Borg too but that never became the case in the end, which is a shame really because Vger being the origin for the Borg assimilating "carbon-based lifeforms" fits perfectly.
@@redpillnibbler4423 it’s the only thinking man’s Star Trek movie to date,especially as now we get double J’s efforts. This is in my opinion just a couple of steps behind 2001. At the moment i can’t think of many more,interstellar being one
@@RaikenXion It seems to have gained a lot more respect over the years especially as these kind of conceptual movies have largely been pushed aside for more fast paced action style sci fi (JJ Abrams hint hint) I see what you mean about the Borg,but Vgers intent was to find its creator while the Borgs intent is quite different. The story of course is taken from the original series episode ‘The changeling’.Basically Vger is a reimagining of Nomad.
@@ThunderWarrior01 Film makers have missed a trick by not making another conceptual Star Trek movie. There are a few sci fi movies with a similar tone to The Motion Picture,I’d even put Alien in the same vein - even though the premise is different both films tap heavily into the intrigue aspect and slow build-up rather than relying on action which (in my opinion) is what makes for great science fiction. Just off the top of my head Sunshine is another example. What do you think?
There is the newly improved Director's Editon of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has recently released last year on Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra with newly remastered film in HD and new CG effects
I was probably about 5 or 6 when this came out on cable. Loved the movie then and still do. Even though many dont like it there is something about it that draws me to it.
I had a little downtime so I decided to rewatch this review. It's a great review however, now I realize he was off on a few crucial details. One, Kirk wasn't in command of Enterprise in 2 years, not 5. Decker wasn't demoted to science officer, but to commander and taken on the responsibilities of the science officer. And third at the time of this review, the movie was more than 40 years old, not 35.
I read the Directors Edition is getting a 4K version which will air on Paramount+ next year and hopefully get a disc release. The standard version of the film is been released on 4K blu ray in September
Saw this live in the theater the first weekend of its release. Seeing NCC-1701 as the crew takes the shuttle to board/inspect it for the very first time is one of the most majestic sequences, along with Goldsmith's fantastic score during it, of cinematic history. It was an emotional moment given everything that meant to all those on the screen and to all the viewers and fans. The transporter malfunction scene was one of the most talked about and memorable scenes, as well.
The defocused split plane issue you mention is not a mistake but a creative choice using a split diopter. It is a lens filter that allows for both a deep and shallow focus in the frame. The giveaway is the blurry space in between. It’s definitely a major a distraction that screams mistake but in this case it was a deliberate creative choice.
Precisely. I used one back in the 90s to frame for extreme depth in foreground and background but it looks very artificial. The only popular director who used it frequently from the 80s onwards was Brian de Palma.
It’s great movie,Moviegoers expected it to be like Star Wars. It’s Star Trek and it fit what what the original series was. The only thing that brings it down was the drab outfits.
I like this movie. I actually prefer the directors cut because we actually see the vger ship. The beauty shots of the enterprise. Decker and Ilea are early versions of Riley and Troi.
Yes the director's cut is better. The new effects are added seamlessly and visually makes more sense of the scale of v'ger. They didn't overdo it like they did with the starwars special editions
One correction: when Spock returns, Decker is not really demoted, he merely stops performing double duty as executive officer _and_ science officer. Spock takes over as science officer, but Decker remains as XO. If anyone is getting demoted here, it's Spock. After all, during the series Spock was second in command as well as science officer, and whenever Kirk was unable to command for whatever reason, Spock was in charge. But in this movie, Decker, not Spock is in the executive officer postion, and if Kirk were incapacitated, Spock would then find himself serving under this comparatively inexperienced officer, instead of stepping into the command role the way he would had done during Kirk's original five-year mission.
I caught the tail end of the extended cut on ABC in 1983. Being 5 years old at the time the visuals just about blew me away but they weren't enough to make me a trekkie/trekker at the time. That would happen a few years later with the TV airing of Wrath of Khan and finally the Next Gen series.
Ah my first VHS tape that was "mine". Watched over and over and over. The music is its own character in this movie. Love this trek, all the original cast movies are gems (ok maybe not 5 so much) and I have very fond memories of my dad taking me to see each one in theater. Thanks for the re-upload, bummer it was striked.
I've always enjoyed this film. It was perhaps my first encounter with the franchise, and so I didn't expect anything in particular of it, and certainly never thought it needed a faster pace. Later installments mostly seemed to devolve into extended television episodes. And I also quite like the retro-futurism of the sets and costumes; it isn't as though modern aesthetics are the end-game - they're just another data point. There's a certain maturity to the movie that I think often gets misunderstood. It's probably the most timeless of all of them.
The most alien and sci fi sounding soundtrack, the most cerebral and most unique film in the franchise. The theme as well of showing no matter how powerful you may be, understanding yourself and your purpose is more important than anything else.
This film is one that can actually help you relax or is that just me? I still think it's the most beautiful effects wise... I do understand though why it's mostly avoided and ST:II takes the first movie placement. 🖖
I think this is one of my favourite Star Trek movies. It feels otherworldly and interesting to learn the parallels with 2001 as I always relate it to that movie. It’s a great watch when you want some sci-if that isn’t over burdened with the rest of the franchise. Also it always feels like an indulgence to watch a film this long, so generally only gets an outing at Christmas. Another great review.
When I was 10 I watch my first Star Trek movie, Wrath of Khan. And loved it. I then watched this and found it hard going. I can appreciate it more now as an adult but my initial watch still colours my view of the movie.
As I said last upload, thankyou Oliver for giving my all time favourite Trek movie a fair Retro. The truest to Genes vision and with Superman The movie, my two movies I love. The directors cut is getting an HD upgrade by the internet chatter....hope thats true, which is the best version. But when I saw this movie after growing up after watching the series with my dad in the 70s in re runs, seeing the refitted Enterprise on screen for the first time like Kirk.....wow. We shared his experience. The score also... My dad and I had a massive smile on our faces drving back home, talking about the movie and never did we mention it was slow, we just loved it. A great memory between my dad and I. Still the best warp effects of all of the movies. The scene with Spock and Kirk in sick bay where Spock grabs his friends hand and talks about the human feeling and connection is what Trek is all about Keep up your great work Oliver.
Decker wasn't demoted twice, lol. Kirk tells him he is taking command and Decker has been demoted temporarily to XO and as the science officer died in the transporter he needs to do double duty as the ships Science Chief too. When Spock comes aboard Decker gives up the science officer gig, probably with a huge sigh of relief, but is still the ships XO and second in command.
@@scottessery100 Oh I am sure someone got into trouble for killing two Starfleet officers. Enquires etc, etc, the same way as we do things when, for example, a military helicopter crashes. And no, not really demoted at all, or at least not twice as Oliver suggests. I mean, lets say you were the XO of a navy ship and the helmsman phones in sick and you don't have another helmsman available until you get to port to pick one up, so you have to steer the ship and be the second in command. Then, out of nowhere, another helmsman is found in the crew and he takes over steering .... does that demote you?
@@kommissar.murphy He was demoted once from Captain to Commander. After that, he doubled as Commander and Science Officer. When Spock arrived, he was relieved of his Science Officer duty. That is not a second demotion.
He was also still kind of a whiny bitch. I get he was miffed at being bumped ( temporarily ) as captain of the Enterprise, but, he should have swallowed his pride and been the best XO he could be, instead of pushing back on Kirk at pretty much every turn. Sure, Kirk wasn't being great, but neither was Decker. He was acting alike a petulant child who had his favorite toy taken away before a family trip, and was determined to make the rest of the family as miserable as he was throughout the journey. Except, in this instance, the lives of billions relied on the success of the family trip.
I love the line at 12:55. "I love the look of the Enterprise going to warp speed. The added effect looks like the ship has gone to a dimension dominated by disco!"
and this is before Industrial Light-&-Magic (ILM) designed the visual effects for the later sequels. But then again, since the legendary John Dykstra (who i'm a huge fan of) is one of the original founders of ILM, one could argue that ILM worked on the film that started it all.
I have the Shout Factory blu ray of that. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It was fun but of all the Kong movies I've seen so far that is my least favorite.
Really must watch this again. I vaguely remember this from being onTV or VHS in the early 80s, but I was only about 7. I do remember being fascinated but bored after seeing Star Wars, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. I still grew up to love Trek, though.
The script started life as a pilot episode for an abandoned Star Trek revival and was extensively re-written during shooting to add more spectacle and justify the movie treatment. Nevertheless at its core it does still have the structure of a TV pilot: introducing the new Enterprise, showing everyone meeting everyone, and the final scene could still have so easily been a lead-in to a television revival.
I truly loved The Motion Picture when it came out in 1979. My mom saw it with me and also liked it; she wasn't even a trekkie. I'm probably one of few people who actually liked the uniforms the cast wore.
Could you please do a retrospective of Young Sherlock Holmes? It's one of my favorite movies,and one not a lot of people talk about,or know that Chris Colombus wrote
The Critical Drinker and Rob Myer Burnet did a great stream about this film awhile ago. For all it's flaws, it's still far better than anything that Bad Robot or that chowder head Kurtzman has done in the last 12 years. Just thinking about the new garbage makes me feel like Rich Evans from Redlettermedia when Mike makes him watch the new stuff. Here's a true story people might find interesting. My 15 year old cousin,Drew,had only ever seen the new Trek and wanted to see the older stuff to compare. We started with original episodes that tied into the first six films. Stuff like The Doomsday Machine, Journey to Bable, Space Seed, ECT. Then we started with the first film,the Directors Cut of course. I thought he would be bored and want to skip it but he actually liked it. Yes it was slow,but he loved the Enterprise redesign and he thought the music,by Goldsmith,was great. He also liked the sense of exploring and the fact that there wasn't really a bad guy,unlike the Bad Robot junk where every story is just a revenge plot. The characters were interesting and little bits with Kirk and Spock really made him like it more. After we finished Wrath Of Kahn he wondered why the new Trek,STD and Pucard especially,were so poorly written and thought out. The Motion Picture at least tried something that felt like good Trek used to be. Now it's just action shlock. Poorly done shlock at that.
It's getting a 4k restoration of the The Director's Edition next year. Was announced at the beginning of the month, but is going to take about 6 to 8 months to do
I just pre-ordered ''THE COMPLETE ADVENTURE'' box set containing all 3 versions. Theatrical version,, the 12 minute longer theatrical version and director's edition.
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was magnificent, even more dazzling on the big screen. It’s a thinking person’s screenplay, without tiresome laser battles or cutesy-pie robots. It also lacked the soap-opera subplot of “Wrath of Khan” (Kirk’s long-lost love and the son he never knew - YAWN!). Shatner’s “Star Trek V” was the low point of the film series. By the time of “Star Trek VI,” you knew it was time to say farewell. The new, expanded Enterprise was incredible, giving us the impression of how large a crew it’s supposed to have. The costumes and production design were impressive. I detested the uniforms for the following film; they seem better suited for doormen at a Trump hotel or casino (those that are left). What a pleasure it was to have the original cast reunited, all looking good! Shatner said he had worked out a lot for this film. We can leave aside the gripes from Takei and the other supporting players about their screen time - they didn’t have that much in the TV series, anyway! This film revived their careers, and they should have felt honoured to be directed by someone of Robert Wise’s stature. You want boring? Try “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Return of the Jedi,” and “Moonraker.”
I love this film. I think it’s the best Star Trek film after Wrath of Khan and both couldn’t be more different. The V’ger concept is genius and the ending is faultless. I don’t care it has no action set pieces… it approaches the situation with maturity and I’ve watched it multiple times. A gem of a film that’s unfairly maligned.
Hello, Oli. Great re-editing! I'm looking forward to the 4K "Director's Edition" of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." Can't wait till next year on Paramount+! Thank you for sharing. Live long and prosper, my friend.
It's not conjecture that the film was based on the TV episode mentioned. At the time of release, articles in US media reported that the episode and one other (which I can't recall) were used to create the plot. A local TV station aired the two episodes back-to-back to cash in on the film's hype.
I must say I love this new video about Star Trek the motion picture I still remember going and seeing this in the theater opening weekend back in 1979 it was cool to see those trading cards and the vectrex video game which I still have both I must say this video is very well done I must say Paramount made the right decision going to the film instead of a new TV series this was a time when science fiction was taking off and once it did take off we as a fans never looked back I remember my parents talking about how the original series ended so abruptly when the new movie came out in 1979 the defining moment for me to show that Star Trek was back and this time there would be no stopping it was the first time I saw the Enterprise all refit in the dry dock I remember looking at it and saying oh yeah like Star Trek she's back and better than ever my favorite character in Star Trek always has been always will be the Enterprise especially the original 1701. That new director's cut they made a few years ago was a big improvement over the original but it made the movie that much more enjoyable......🖖live long and prosper.
I'd love to see you make retrospectives on the following: The People Under the Stairs (1991) Streets of Fire (1984) Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) Time Bandits (1981) True Romance (1993) Point Break (1991) Dreamscape (1984) Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Oliver also mentioned the first "Alien vs. Predator (2004)" in his retrospective of "Predator 2", and i'd love for him to do a retrospective of that (especially since the writer-and-director of "Pitch Black", David Twohy, almost wrote and directed "Alien vs. Predator" at one point, before scheduling conflicts forced him to turn down the project.
TMP is still in my top 3 Star Trek films. It's more of a character film and the Enterprise never looked so good. It got so much love in this film and for us that watched it on TV, to see it on the big screen was amazing.
Personally I've never been into Star Trek! But this Film is an Underatted Sci Fi Classic! Definitely a nod to 2001 A Space Oddysey and I like the reveal of Vega etc! Good film (I'll probably go & watch the Director Cut after) and Thanks for reminding me of this Oliver!
Originally published in December 2014. Had to re-edit and re-upload the review to remove a copyright claim. I've adjusted a few images and had to remove the end montage trailer.
Perhaps the only Star Trek that honestly portrays the soul of the original series. Perfectly connected to the lore at that moment. In my humble view, a very underrated movie.
Some execution/production flaws of course, but has all my respect.
As for Enterprise presentation, what people don't get it is that, unlike any other ship, *Enterprise is a character* and it is hard to explain. Perhaps only Navy members will understand it fully...
This is a movie that isn't afraid to put older adults in command of a ship, as it has to be _( Not Bevelry Hills 90210 in space)_
Oliver, I'd highly recommend you upload your videos to other video sharing sites like Bitchute, Brighteon, Daily Motion, as well as Rumble. That way you'll have other options in case UA-cam or any third party entities keep giving you grief about any "copyright issues."
Wow! A copyright issue comes up after 7 years. The "Fair Use" law from 1976 should protect you and anyone else from these things.
My favorite Star Trek movie. An underrated gem.
lol the weirdo crewmember who turned out to like young people
I've sent you a FB request.
I get why people dislike it, but I really think it’s very underrated. Star Trek was always open to some intelligent sci-fi and is more than just the generic space action of the Abrams era.
I agree about the Abrams era, but I wish TMP could have had the pacing of maybe ST3. It had big ideas, but how many times have you chapter skipped over the Enterprise flyby and the endless staring out viewscreens?
@@capitalcitygoofball1987 that’s part of it’s greatness. Goldsmith’s majestic score, and the beautiful model is like a poem to the enterprise and the romance of humanity’s progress in the future. More a work of art than a traditional movie.
My second favourite tos movie
@@spoonhanz
Same! This film stands out - more cinematic than television - the only Star Trek film creator Gene Roddenberry had creative control of - directed by a Hollywood legend - scored by a Hollywood legend - special effects by 2 Hollywood legends
A film more like 2001 in tone and thematic scope than Star Wars
This is an Epic true science fiction Star Trek tale the likes of which we will never see again
For me, my 2nd favourite Star Trek film behind only Wrath
The practical 70’s special effects more than stand up today - it’s a classic!
@@MajorVanBloodnok I get what you're saying, and it's not that I disagree but it still boils down to a really boring movie with pacing issues that would give most editors a stroke. And yeah, Trekkies loved the model flyby but my parents were falling asleep by that point. I'll take it any day over the Bad Reboot crap though. Out there somewhere is a perfect ST movie made on a reasonable budget. A movie that explores big ideas, has great character moments, has nice action set pieces without it being "a dude in a big ship out for revenge for reasons". Picard and STD show that big production sets and great FX are possible to to almost any degree. They also show Hollywood can't write for shit anymore. Picard sucked me in with great production values, and by the end I'd given up on Star Trek.
A copyright claim 6 years later? Good of you to re-edit rather than remove. Thanks!
Abrams gets pissy.
I highly recommend watching the Director’s Cut, because it does fix some of the problems with the film and looks gorgeous. Many of the audio issues are corrected, plus they replace the computer voices and background bridge sounds. It’s one of my guilty pleasures and I just love the Klingon sequence and music. We just needed more battle scenes and fewer “staring/reaction” scenes from the crew. I love this film and often put it in late at night when I’m painting or relaxing. Great stuff!
The 4K remaster of the Director’s Edition (made by the original team) is now on Paramount+ !
I love this movie! And I think those who call THIS movie "boring" or "slow" are just drongos who can't get enough guns, car chases and explosions
The movie is more like an Opera or a Stage Play. Everything is big and BIGGER. I absolutely love it and i love the slow pace.... it's so suspenseful. Probably the best ST movie for me (i also love ST-V ...hmm)
LOL! THERE ya go! Just tell it like it is! In fact, such "drongos" are the reasons we have all these big, dumb, action "blockbusters" with goons like Vin Diesel and The Rock and Schwarzenegar and so on.
Oddly my absolute favorite Star Trek. The more cerebral tone/problem solving to face a very puzzling threat really captured what I loved about TOS for me. It’s relaxing to watch
All the other ST films are a bit of a letdown to me after this. I just don't get it. WOK is good but not as magnificent as this
Agreed. I never got to see whole episodes of TOS in reruns because we were always in church during the Sunday morning timeslot, so TMP was the first time I got to see a full Star Trek story. At the same time I was reading Arthur C. Clarke.... I love TMP in all its slow-burn grandeur.
@@jonathanclarke4529 Totally agree. I so wish they kept going this route
The long fly-by sequence often gets derided as “effects porn” and “filler”; but deriding it that way ignores its narrative importance. The sequence establishes the Enterprise as large and grand - the pinnacle of human technological achievement. This has to be set up in order to emphasize the Enterprise’s dealing in the face of V’Ger’s size and technology. The “awe inducing” fly-by is not trivial, but rather integral to the scope of the story.
I love this film and think it rather tightly reflects the more “hard” sci-fi that the original series at least hinted at, if not achieved. Plus I saw it in the theatre as a kid (age 9) and was transfixed by it, already being a Star Trek fan.
"Booring"? .. . depends WHAT you consider EXCITING in the first place. Now personally I happen to find ohhhh guns, stunts, car chases, crashes, and explosions pretty dull myself, so I don't miss THAT shit one bit when watching THIS film.
I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this film
I always loved this movie! It’s so trippy and moody. I think it has one of the best atmospheres of a Star Trek film.
Easily. Most Trek movies are more Action/Adventure, but TMP is like 'High Concept Sci-Fi' and in a league of its own.
Perhaps the only Star Trek that honestly portrays the soul of the original series. Perfectly connected to the lore at that moment. In my humble view, a very underrated movie.
Some execution/production flaws, of course, but has all my respect.
As for Enterprise presentation, what people don't get it is that, unlike any other ship, *Enterprise is a character* and it is hard to explain... Perhaps only the Navy members will understand it completely...
a movie that isn't afraid to put older adults in command of a ship, as it has to be.
I agree w/you %110 that no other film in the entire theatrical saga plays and feels more like the original series. Where it fails IMO is that the characters don't feel right; particularly Kirk. But in total I think it's the most underrated film in the original series.
I still get a kick put of Dr. McCoy's disco civilian outfit.
Disco? I was a Disco King and no one dressed like that. Except a few Democrats. And he was no Democrat.
McCoy's medallion! Even the 23rd century had a Disco decade.
The missing Bee Gee??? 🤔🤔🤔😂😂😂😂😂
Spock spending his time purging his emotions, Kirk deflated and listless as an Admiral and McCoy just chugging Romulan Ale and busting moves on the dance floor. He should have kept the beard though.
It *is* the 70s after all (the 2270s, but still).
The Klingons fire upon the cloud of energy because...Klingons.
"Would you pleeeease ... _SIT DOWN."_
Klingon to his captain: "I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that the cloud is technology so advanced that fighting it will be certain death. The good news is that the cloud is technology so advanced that fighting it will be certain death."
They died with honour and dumbassery intact.
@@TensileStrength
FIRE !!!
@@redpillnibbler4423 kapla!
This is the only Star Trek film that i would call "Proper Space" sci fi flim of all the Trek films & thats why it my fev.
I’m sorry to nitpick, but Decker was not demoted twice. He was told by Kirk he’d have to “double as science officer,” after the Vulcan science officer died in the transporter. He gladly gave up the post to Spock, but was still technically the Executive Officer.
So true! In the relevant part of the film, it is made clear that Spock was re-instated as "science officer" - not as it and first officer ("XO"). Thus, Will Decker was, for this mission/film, the undisputed 'second in command' to an overambitious Admiral Kirk.
Great film. I always watch it when i want to chill out and get cozy. Great hangover movie.
I find that the new scenes added to Star Trek: The Motion Picture in the director's cut make the film more enjoyable for me. The visual of the nacelle in Kirk's quarters and the new CGI version of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Decker exiting the saucer section of the Enterprise while inside V'Ger.
I adore this movie. One of my favorite ways to experience it, is with my eyes closed and let my imagination wander and craft visuals to the soundtrack and dialogue.
A very timely re-upload as it was just announced the 'directors edition' is getting remastered in 4K.
I prefer the theatrical cut.
@@mabusestestament ... congrats?
Oh it is?! I had not heard. 🖖🗽
Hm, the "4K" version is to be the theatrical version (lamented by Robert Wise as a "rough cut") ?
@Penny Gadget
Thanks Penny. You wouldn't know that, but it actually happens to be my birthday (not kidding) 👍
The surrealism, the slowness, the conclusion that leaves certain questions unanswered, delightful qualities that are alien to cut and dry, contemporary blockbusters. The atmosphere of TMP is far more intriguing than the other films that feel more like feature length TV episodes by comparison.
One hundred percent agree.
You feel like you're going on a epic adventure watching this.
And yet, at its heart, this also feels so much like Star Trek in a way. Our heroes pondering deep questions about the nature of life. The Enterprise never fires her phasers and only launches one torpedo, at a meteor no less. But that lack of action should not be mistaken for a lack of incident, and the philosophical questions explored here are very much in keeping with what went before and what would come after. Who am I? Where do I belong? Despite what people say I feel like this movie is very in keeping with the spirit of TOS. We don't need to see Admiral Kirk grappling with an alien lizard and getting his tunic torn open for this to feel very much like Star Trek.
@@lancebaylis3169 Again, completely agree. It just goes to show how The Wrath of Khan was both the best and worst thing to happen to Star Trek. The best because it kept the franchise alive. But the worst, because it made the movies almost and evermore exclusively about the THE BAD SEEKING REVENGE!!!! When that happened, we pretty much lost the introspective, big-idea Trek.
@@markdodson6453 After Star Trek V bombed, Paramount stopped gambling on any Trek stories that didn't involve punching a vengeance crazed villain in the face. Of course I don't mean that Star Trek VI was a dumb action film but it has WoK tropes that the succeeding films clung onto, Starfleet as a military organization and the big bad villain. Also, Wrath of Khan, to date, is still the most profitable Star Trek film ever made. Again, I say profitable. I didn't say it has the highest gross.
Re: It's a shame Stephen Collins didn't stick around for future TREK films.
Yeahhhhh. About that...
Yeh Stephen got in trouble about molesting kids yes he jesus
What? We could've had a Seventh Heaven/Star Trek crossover
Surprised you didn't mention "Ilia's Theme" when talking about the soundtrack. I think it's a beautiful love theme that has stood the test of time.
One of my very favourite tunes, I often listen to it.
Agree! I hold Jerry Goldsmith to one of the most profound composers.
Thats why he pretty much adapted it for the Star Trek Voyager theme
I love it as well.
Always liked that piece, mainly because of a bit of personal intellectual gymnastics.
The music represents at least in part, the probe V'ger sends to help communicate; a physical connection to the Enterprise and its crew. Ilia's Theme is the sound of wanting to touch the face of "God". Like Decker alludes to in the climax. That and the flying starfield effect to top it off...
I think what I love about it is (channeling Richard Donner) its verisimilitude.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture takes our heroes and setting from the TV show, but as the first post-moon landing piece of Trek it takes more cues from what had been learned in the decade since the series went off the air. Space feels big in this movie, travel times are long even with faster-than-light travel, the space walk sequences feel real in a way I don't reckon the original Star Trek could have done, and of course NASA is mentioned and the antagonist is literally a piece of America's old space program. One never feels here like they are cutting corners or doing anything fantastical, because it's all shot with a context of reality surrounding every moment and concept, from the infamous shuttle ride to the Enterprise all the way through, everything is completely believable.
Good timing on the upload too, with the 4k edition only recently announced.
One of my favorite episodes is The Cormbomite Maneuver. Look at the ending of that episode. It builds in intensity throughout, and at the end......then? It is a very satisfying episode. Need I say more?
Whatever you think of this movie, it has the most unbelievable score.
Just a heads-up:
A few months ago, Paramount released a new 4K-remaster of this film along with a new version of The Director's Cut, with the new shots in that version redone again.
Why I'm back
The Enterprise reveal isn't nearly long enough.
it was planned to be longer. It was designed that way to showcase just how far special effects had come by the end of the 70's
@@23bobjr Well, dude did say it took so long due to the director needing a boatload of camera lenses and set ups to be able to get close enough to the model as it was supposed to be larger!
When it finally cuts back to Kirk and Scotty, Kirk almost seems amused at how long the sequence went on for.
@@leonardpriestley6822 I think the whole scene feels set up flying around the Enterprise for 5 minutes to just end up with Kirk saying "Thank you Mr Scott" "Aye Sir".
I always laugh at it but it LOVE the whole flyover it's just the best you can have about Star Trek. It's the f* Enterprise man. Give her some praise!!!
You nailed my thoughts to this film. I’ve always found it relaxing and calming. And the score along with the visual effects are amazing.
My favorite Star Trek film, and one of the greatest scores of all time.
I was actually shocked to rewatch this film and see that it's better than it was during its initial release. I've seen both versions and, well, while this film ain't WRATH OF KAHN, THE VOYAGE HOME or FIRST CONTACT, it's still a lot better than the J.J. Abrams alternate universe prequels. And I absolutely LOVE that music - Jerry Goldsmith is one of the greats!!!
At the time I'm writing this, both versions of this are still up and running. I played them both simultaneously to see what was added/removed. I can see why you did the re-upload of this.
It's still a great retrospective. I hope you'll get to doing one for Star Trek IV soon.
Ah a true Trekkie (compliment)
One of my favorite Trek films! I grabbed what I thought was TMP laserdisc. When I saw it was the soundtrack on LP, I snatched it up!
Decker was not " demoted again" when Spock arrived.
He had been pulling double duty as the ships executive officer AND the ships chief science officer.
When Spock arrived he was able to stop performing the chief science officer role and concentrate on being the executive officer.
3:25, the man who won 2 Oscars for his work on West Side Story and The Sound Of Music gave us Star Trek The Motion Picture.
After making The Day the Earth Stood Still and The Andromeda Strain, too, two of the most sincere efforts in science fiction of their respective eras. Robert Wise never got the worship that people like Kubrick did. He just kept cranking out solid movies one after the other. The Haunting, Run Silent, Run Deep, The Set-Up, The Body Snatcher, he rarely missed.
@@AlanCanon2222 Wise really wasn't in Kubrick's league. He was a great craftsman like John Frankenheimer or Raoul Walsh.
The shots you think are out of focus are intentional split diopter lens shots. using a special lens where the camera can focus on different things in the foreground and background.
I loved the motion picture.💕
As a kid I was really into the visuals.
I could feel the discomfort of the crew as they were entering the cloud.
And when the tractor beam pulled them into the ship, and the enterprise was trapped. I was like "what are they gonna do? They can't phaser or torpedo their way out."
I also felt a sense of terror when all they had was a probe of a dead crew member to talk to.
I dunno. These are the feelings of an 11 year old kid.
But I thought the motion picture had a great psychological story to it.
Could not agree more with your critique. And Persis Khambatta was a true beauty.
Decker and Captain Kirk's conflict with Decker feeling resentful over his temporarily demotion was a subplot that Robert Wise took from his movie run silent Run Deep a movie that starred Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster
Don't care what ya say, I saw this when I was a kid, and mind was blown, sure it was slow, but suspense is Trek 1 , and can't be rushed... its more a afternoon monster movie then a trek film though to be fair.
Opened December 7, 1979. I know, it was my birthday.
The issue with the ballooning budget was not only the failed effects that had to be reshot but, Paramount added the cost of the development of Star Trek Phase II into the movie's budget. As the two premier of the show -- "In Thy Image" -- became TMP, the funds had to be allocated somewhere.
I agree it does look good.
What I like about the motion picture is that the villain is totally different instead of having a mad man all the time apart from voyage home
This is my favourite Star Trek movie.
This was a really good Star Trek Film, sure there wasn't really any action but instead alot of standing around talking and looking out of view-screens; but i think TMP was trying to be abit more 2001: Space Odyssey. The overall idea of Vger i found very intriguing, very much "Science Fiction" it's a shame alot of Trekkies right this movie off.
Definitely took its cue from 2001.
@@redpillnibbler4423 It did you can tell it was going for that kind of style and the overall idea is pure science fiction, which has always been a huge element of "Star Trek". This is why i don't get why Trekkies don't give this movie any credit.
Trekkies owe alot to TMP, TNG takes it theme music from this Film. The refit Enterprise was first introduced in this Film. The familiar Klingon designs with the long hair, head crest and armor was first introduced in this Film.
I would have said the Borg too but that never became the case in the end, which is a shame really because Vger being the origin for the Borg assimilating "carbon-based lifeforms" fits perfectly.
@@redpillnibbler4423 it’s the only thinking man’s Star Trek movie to date,especially as now we get double J’s efforts. This is in my opinion just a couple of steps behind 2001. At the moment i can’t think of many more,interstellar being one
@@RaikenXion
It seems to have gained a lot more respect over the years especially as these kind of conceptual movies have largely been pushed aside for more fast paced action style sci fi (JJ Abrams hint hint)
I see what you mean about the Borg,but Vgers intent was to find its creator while the Borgs intent is quite different.
The story of course is taken from the original series episode ‘The changeling’.Basically Vger is a reimagining of Nomad.
@@ThunderWarrior01
Film makers have missed a trick by not making another conceptual Star Trek movie.
There are a few sci fi movies with a similar tone to The Motion Picture,I’d even put Alien in the same vein - even though the premise is different both films tap heavily into the intrigue aspect and slow build-up rather than relying on action which (in my opinion) is what makes for great science fiction. Just off the top of my head Sunshine is another example.
What do you think?
There is the newly improved Director's Editon of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has recently released last year on Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra with newly remastered film in HD and new CG effects
I was probably about 5 or 6 when this came out on cable. Loved the movie then and still do. Even though many dont like it there is something about it that draws me to it.
we need a first contact retrospective
I loved First Contact,it’s strangely overlooked,it’s a GREAT film - Equal favourite with TMP and Khan.
I saw it on TV about a year ago and really enjoyed it. Because of Red Letter Media the TNG films are overhated
I have always enjoyed it, mainly due to the music and look of it. Funnily enough i have watched it on a Sunday afternoon more than any other time :)
I had a little downtime so I decided to rewatch this review. It's a great review however, now I realize he was off on a few crucial details. One, Kirk wasn't in command of Enterprise in 2 years, not 5. Decker wasn't demoted to science officer, but to commander and taken on the responsibilities of the science officer. And third at the time of this review, the movie was more than 40 years old, not 35.
I read the Directors Edition is getting a 4K version which will air on Paramount+ next year and hopefully get a disc release. The standard version of the film is been released on 4K blu ray in September
I really like this film. I guess it suits a Pink Flyd, Tangerine Dream fan.
And a joint.
That 3 CD soundtrack is no longer available, and now fetches much more than $35 on ebay.
Saw this live in the theater the first weekend of its release. Seeing NCC-1701 as the crew takes the shuttle to board/inspect it for the very first time is one of the most majestic sequences, along with Goldsmith's fantastic score during it, of cinematic history. It was an emotional moment given everything that meant to all those on the screen and to all the viewers and fans.
The transporter malfunction scene was one of the most talked about and memorable scenes, as well.
The defocused split plane issue you mention is not a mistake but a creative choice using a split diopter. It is a lens filter that allows for both a deep and shallow focus in the frame. The giveaway is the blurry space in between. It’s definitely a major a distraction that screams mistake but in this case it was a deliberate creative choice.
Precisely. I used one back in the 90s to frame for extreme depth in foreground and background but it looks very artificial. The only popular director who used it frequently from the 80s onwards was Brian de Palma.
5:28, RIP, Persis Khambata.
It’s great movie,Moviegoers expected it to be like Star Wars. It’s Star Trek and it fit what what the original series was. The only thing that brings it down was the drab outfits.
I didn't like this Star Trak movie as a kid, but now as an adult it's one of my favorites.
I like this movie. I actually prefer the directors cut because we actually see the vger ship. The beauty shots of the enterprise. Decker and Ilea are early versions of Riley and Troi.
Yes the director's cut is better. The new effects are added seamlessly and visually makes more sense of the scale of v'ger. They didn't overdo it like they did with the starwars special editions
Lt. Ilia/ V'ger was to become the ships counselor instead of Deanna Troi.
That would have been way more interesting (in TNG)
One correction: when Spock returns, Decker is not really demoted, he merely stops performing double duty as executive officer _and_ science officer. Spock takes over as science officer, but Decker remains as XO. If anyone is getting demoted here, it's Spock. After all, during the series Spock was second in command as well as science officer, and whenever Kirk was unable to command for whatever reason, Spock was in charge. But in this movie, Decker, not Spock is in the executive officer postion, and if Kirk were incapacitated, Spock would then find himself serving under this comparatively inexperienced officer, instead of stepping into the command role the way he would had done during Kirk's original five-year mission.
I caught the tail end of the extended cut on ABC in 1983. Being 5 years old at the time the visuals just about blew me away but they weren't enough to make me a trekkie/trekker at the time. That would happen a few years later with the TV airing of Wrath of Khan and finally the Next Gen series.
Ah my first VHS tape that was "mine". Watched over and over and over. The music is its own character in this movie. Love this trek, all the original cast movies are gems (ok maybe not 5 so much) and I have very fond memories of my dad taking me to see each one in theater. Thanks for the re-upload, bummer it was striked.
I've always enjoyed this film. It was perhaps my first encounter with the franchise, and so I didn't expect anything in particular of it, and certainly never thought it needed a faster pace. Later installments mostly seemed to devolve into extended television episodes. And I also quite like the retro-futurism of the sets and costumes; it isn't as though modern aesthetics are the end-game - they're just another data point. There's a certain maturity to the movie that I think often gets misunderstood. It's probably the most timeless of all of them.
The most alien and sci fi sounding soundtrack, the most cerebral and most unique film in the franchise. The theme as well of showing no matter how powerful you may be, understanding yourself and your purpose is more important than anything else.
This film is one that can actually help you relax or is that just me? I still think it's the most beautiful effects wise... I do understand though why it's mostly avoided and ST:II takes the first movie placement. 🖖
I think this is one of my favourite Star Trek movies. It feels otherworldly and interesting to learn the parallels with 2001 as I always relate it to that movie. It’s a great watch when you want some sci-if that isn’t over burdened with the rest of the franchise. Also it always feels like an indulgence to watch a film this long, so generally only gets an outing at Christmas. Another great review.
I will happily pay for the ticket if can see this great movie in big screen cinema, again and again.
13:40, I liked the opening! It was reused for the TV series, The Next Generation.
When I was 10 I watch my first Star Trek movie, Wrath of Khan. And loved it. I then watched this and found it hard going. I can appreciate it more now as an adult but my initial watch still colours my view of the movie.
As I said last upload, thankyou Oliver for giving my all time favourite Trek movie a fair Retro. The truest to Genes vision and with Superman The movie, my two movies I love. The directors cut is getting an HD upgrade by the internet chatter....hope thats true, which is the best version. But when I saw this movie after growing up after watching the series with my dad in the 70s in re runs, seeing the refitted Enterprise on screen for the first time like Kirk.....wow. We shared his experience. The score also... My dad and I had a massive smile on our faces drving back home, talking about the movie and never did we mention it was slow, we just loved it. A great memory between my dad and I. Still the best warp effects of all of the movies. The scene with Spock and Kirk in sick bay where Spock grabs his friends hand and talks about the human feeling and connection is what Trek is all about Keep up your great work Oliver.
Decker wasn't demoted twice, lol. Kirk tells him he is taking command and Decker has been demoted temporarily to XO and as the science officer died in the transporter he needs to do double duty as the ships Science Chief too. When Spock comes aboard Decker gives up the science officer gig, probably with a huge sigh of relief, but is still the ships XO and second in command.
Sort of demoted though and shouldn’t Someone get in trouble for killing the science officer
@@scottessery100 Oh I am sure someone got into trouble for killing two Starfleet officers. Enquires etc, etc, the same way as we do things when, for example, a military helicopter crashes. And no, not really demoted at all, or at least not twice as Oliver suggests. I mean, lets say you were the XO of a navy ship and the helmsman phones in sick and you don't have another helmsman available until you get to port to pick one up, so you have to steer the ship and be the second in command. Then, out of nowhere, another helmsman is found in the crew and he takes over steering .... does that demote you?
on paper it might not be a demotion, but how does it look getting shoved aside by a second swinging dick from the old Enterprise?
@@kommissar.murphy He was demoted once from Captain to Commander. After that, he doubled as Commander and Science Officer. When Spock arrived, he was relieved of his Science Officer duty. That is not a second demotion.
He was also still kind of a whiny bitch. I get he was miffed at being bumped ( temporarily ) as captain of the Enterprise, but, he should have swallowed his pride and been the best XO he could be, instead of pushing back on Kirk at pretty much every turn. Sure, Kirk wasn't being great, but neither was Decker. He was acting alike a petulant child who had his favorite toy taken away before a family trip, and was determined to make the rest of the family as miserable as he was throughout the journey. Except, in this instance, the lives of billions relied on the success of the family trip.
I love the line at 12:55. "I love the look of the Enterprise going to warp speed. The added effect looks like the ship has gone to a dimension dominated by disco!"
and this is before Industrial Light-&-Magic (ILM) designed the visual effects for the later sequels. But then again, since the legendary John Dykstra (who i'm a huge fan of) is one of the original founders of ILM, one could argue that ILM worked on the film that started it all.
Still keeping my fingers crossed for King Kong '76.
I have the Shout Factory blu ray of that. I have to admit I was a little disappointed. It was fun but of all the Kong movies I've seen so far that is my least favorite.
@@trhansen3244 King Kong Lives is worse, trust me.
Really must watch this again. I vaguely remember this from being onTV or VHS in the early 80s, but I was only about 7. I do remember being fascinated but bored after seeing Star Wars, Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. I still grew up to love Trek, though.
The script started life as a pilot episode for an abandoned Star Trek revival and was extensively re-written during shooting to add more spectacle and justify the movie treatment. Nevertheless at its core it does still have the structure of a TV pilot: introducing the new Enterprise, showing everyone meeting everyone, and the final scene could still have so easily been a lead-in to a television revival.
I truly loved The Motion Picture when it came out in 1979. My mom saw it with me and also liked it; she wasn't even a trekkie. I'm probably one of few people who actually liked the uniforms the cast wore.
The greatest sci-fi movie of all time.
Always nice to see TMP get some love.
Could you please do a retrospective of Young Sherlock Holmes? It's one of my favorite movies,and one not a lot of people talk about,or know that Chris Colombus wrote
The Critical Drinker and Rob Myer Burnet did a great stream about this film awhile ago. For all it's flaws, it's still far better than anything that Bad Robot or that chowder head Kurtzman has done in the last 12 years. Just thinking about the new garbage makes me feel like Rich Evans from Redlettermedia when Mike makes him watch the new stuff.
Here's a true story people might find interesting. My 15 year old cousin,Drew,had only ever seen the new Trek and wanted to see the older stuff to compare. We started with original episodes that tied into the first six films. Stuff like The Doomsday Machine, Journey to Bable, Space Seed, ECT. Then we started with the first film,the Directors Cut of course. I thought he would be bored and want to skip it but he actually liked it. Yes it was slow,but he loved the Enterprise redesign and he thought the music,by Goldsmith,was great. He also liked the sense of exploring and the fact that there wasn't really a bad guy,unlike the Bad Robot junk where every story is just a revenge plot. The characters were interesting and little bits with Kirk and Spock really made him like it more. After we finished Wrath Of Kahn he wondered why the new Trek,STD and Pucard especially,were so poorly written and thought out.
The Motion Picture at least tried something that felt like good Trek used to be. Now it's just action shlock. Poorly done shlock at that.
I remember watching this movie when I was 17 in Jan. 1980 (I did not want to wait in line) and I felt that it dragged on. I liked the special effects!
Such a good movie. Wish stuff like this was made these days.
Love the way the sexy android says ‘’Kirk unit!”
Will you make an update for the newly released Director's edition?
It's getting a 4k restoration of the The Director's Edition next year. Was announced at the beginning of the month, but is going to take about 6 to 8 months to do
I just pre-ordered ''THE COMPLETE ADVENTURE'' box set containing all 3 versions. Theatrical version,, the 12 minute longer theatrical version and director's edition.
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was magnificent, even more dazzling on the big screen. It’s a thinking person’s screenplay, without tiresome laser battles or cutesy-pie robots. It also lacked the soap-opera subplot of “Wrath of Khan” (Kirk’s long-lost love and the son he never knew - YAWN!). Shatner’s “Star Trek V” was the low point of the film series. By the time of “Star Trek VI,” you knew it was time to say farewell.
The new, expanded Enterprise was incredible, giving us the impression of how large a crew it’s supposed to have. The costumes and production design were impressive. I detested the uniforms for the following film; they seem better suited for doormen at a Trump hotel or casino (those that are left).
What a pleasure it was to have the original cast reunited, all looking good! Shatner said he had worked out a lot for this film. We can leave aside the gripes from Takei and the other supporting players about their screen time - they didn’t have that much in the TV series, anyway! This film revived their careers, and they should have felt honoured to be directed by someone of Robert Wise’s stature.
You want boring? Try “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Return of the Jedi,” and “Moonraker.”
I love this film. I think it’s the best Star Trek film after Wrath of Khan and both couldn’t be more different. The V’ger concept is genius and the ending is faultless. I don’t care it has no action set pieces… it approaches the situation with maturity and I’ve watched it multiple times. A gem of a film that’s unfairly maligned.
Hello, Oli. Great re-editing! I'm looking forward to the 4K "Director's Edition" of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture." Can't wait till next year on Paramount+! Thank you for sharing. Live long and prosper, my friend.
I laughed when I saw the longer version's image. I love this film. Besides the visuals, the best part is McKoy's outfit when he arrives on the ship.
Ratio of my love for this film to most others is 10:1
It's not conjecture that the film was based on the TV episode mentioned. At the time of release, articles in US media reported that the episode and one other (which I can't recall) were used to create the plot. A local TV station aired the two episodes back-to-back to cash in on the film's hype.
I must say I love this new video about Star Trek the motion picture I still remember going and seeing this in the theater opening weekend back in 1979 it was cool to see those trading cards and the vectrex video game which I still have both I must say this video is very well done I must say Paramount made the right decision going to the film instead of a new TV series this was a time when science fiction was taking off and once it did take off we as a fans never looked back I remember my parents talking about how the original series ended so abruptly when the new movie came out in 1979 the defining moment for me to show that Star Trek was back and this time there would be no stopping it was the first time I saw the Enterprise all refit in the dry dock I remember looking at it and saying oh yeah like Star Trek she's back and better than ever my favorite character in Star Trek always has been always will be the Enterprise especially the original 1701. That new director's cut they made a few years ago was a big improvement over the original but it made the movie that much more enjoyable......🖖live long and prosper.
My favorite Trek movie. Like them all but TMP is my fav. More serious to e. Adult science fiction.
Another great review. Oliver nails it every time!
I'd love to see you make retrospectives on the following:
The People Under the Stairs (1991)
Streets of Fire (1984)
Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
Time Bandits (1981)
True Romance (1993)
Point Break (1991)
Dreamscape (1984)
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Oliver also mentioned the first "Alien vs. Predator (2004)" in his retrospective of "Predator 2", and i'd love for him to do a retrospective of that (especially since the writer-and-director of "Pitch Black", David Twohy, almost wrote and directed "Alien vs. Predator" at one point, before scheduling conflicts forced him to turn down the project.
I've always described this film as a 70's prog rock concept album, hence, I still love it ;)
TMP is still in my top 3 Star Trek films. It's more of a character film and the Enterprise never looked so good. It got so much love in this film and for us that watched it on TV, to see it on the big screen was amazing.
Star Trek: TMP is basically a compiliation of 4 TOS episodes: The Changeling, The Immunity Syndrome, Doomsday Machine, and Metamorphosis.
The costume design in 'The Matrix' would have looked like this if the characters weren't able to choose other clothes in the Matrix.
Personally I've never been into Star Trek! But this Film is an Underatted Sci Fi Classic! Definitely a nod to 2001 A Space Oddysey and I like the reveal of Vega etc! Good film (I'll probably go & watch the Director Cut after) and Thanks for reminding me of this Oliver!
To be enjoyed at 2AM stoned
This is one movie that I feel was underappreciated for its time, but it was also the only Trek movie that completely weirded me out.