I’m filling the time before Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns on June 15, 2023, with a good old-fashioned summer movie marathon. Since it’s been a while since I’ve watched all of them, I thought I’d kick it TOS style while I wait for Strange New Worlds and rewatch Star Trek I-VI. First up in my rewatch is Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition from 1979. Set phasers to stunning because this is a gorgeous film. If you’ve not seen it before, here’s an original trailer for the film.
Now that we’re all on the same page, let’s dig into the film’s history and my thoughts on Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Film History
I could write an expansive tome on the history of how Star Trek: The Motion Picture came to be, but I’ll just give you the basics. The studio was considering reviving Star Trek for a new spin-off television series called Star Trek: Phase II. When that fell through, Star Trek: Phase II shifted to a TV movie rather than a full series. Then in 1977, a little film called Star Wars premiered. Suddenly, movie studios were greenlighting everything set in space to grab a slice of that sweet, sweet Star Wars pie.
Star Trek: Phase II then got upgraded from a TV movie to a full-blown theatrical release. There was quite a bit of trouble behind the scenes with post-production, including a last-minute change in a special effects company, a last-minute effects shot reel reportedly getting to the premiere via airplane in the lap of director Robert Wise and more. The fact that a passable film even made it to theaters is quite miraculous. Listen to this episode of Sci-Fi 5 I wrote about the world premiere event for Star Trek: The Motion Picture for full details.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was not the financial success that the studio hoped for, and yet, there’s still quite a bit to enjoy in this film. It also played an important role in proving to the studio that there was still a viable audience for the franchise. Let’s dig into my thoughts on the film.
What Works: Cinematography
I will be the first to admit that Star Trek: The Motion Picture is probably my least favorite of all the Trek films. However, as a cinematography nerd, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is one of my favorite films. While they might seem passé today, the long, long shots of space and all the ships are some of the most gorgeous put to film. Let’s keep in mind as well that these are 100% practical effects; there is no CGI. You can credit these gorgeous effects shots to visual effects genius, Douglas Trumbull’s production company. If Trumbull’s name sounds familiar it’s because he is the mastermind behind the visuals in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Blade Runner. With a resume like that, you know he’s the real deal.
The 4K remaster of the film is currently streaming and available on digital and Blu-Ray release. It’s well worth your time and investment to get a copy, or if you ever have the opportunity to see it on the big screen, run, don’t walk, to your local cinema. It’s positively gorgeous and is a true visual feast. If you’re into films with great cinematography, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is not one to miss.
What Works: Musical Score
If you’ve read any of my #WayBackWednesday reviews or my Trek reviews, you know that I am a TV and film score nut. Music can make or break a movie for me. For Star Trek: The Motion Picture, we have a true movie-making score by the brilliant film composer Jerry Goldsmith. In my opinion, Jerry Goldsmith has never made a bad film score. Jerry composed many of my favorite scores, including the score for my all-time favorite film, Alien.
As far as Star Trek: The Motion Picture is concerned, it is the Star Trek score by which all other Star Trek scores are judged. The main theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture eventually became the main theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation. The “Klingon Battle Theme” has been utilized and homaged many times over the years in both Trek shows and films. To say this score is influential might be the understatement of the century.
I own the score on vinyl and have had it on in the background while I write this review. If you’ve not given it a listen, it’s on Spotify and wherever you buy quality digital or physical media. If you’re a movie score fan, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is worth your time.
What Doesn’t Work: Slow Story
While there are so many aesthetic things that work for me about Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the one thing that really doesn’t work for me is the story progression. While I think the premise with VGER is actually very interesting, I feel like we take way too long to get anywhere. This is interesting considering the film opens in the middle of a crisis. It’s definitely a more cerebral Trek story than an action-oriented one.
Now, all that being said, when I watched the film again for this review, the film didn’t feel quite as slow as it did to me on previous viewings. Maybe it’s because I expected the slow story, or maybe I was enamored all over again by the gorgeous visuals, but the run time didn’t seem to drag like it normally does. We get some compelling performances, especially from our original series cast and the gorgeous, gone-too-soon Persis Khambatta as Ilia.
Will Star Trek: The Motion Picture be slow for you? Your mileage may vary.
Final Thoughts
If you’re into films with a strong visual style and gorgeous musical cues, Star Trek: The Motion Picture might be the film for you. I think it’s also important to note that the Director’s Edition of the film is the cut that director Robert Wise wanted to release originally, but was unable to do so due to time and production constraints. While some directors don’t know when to leave well enough alone *gestures wildly at George Lucas*, I’m glad that Robert Wise finally got to have the final word on this film. And that’s my final word of the film too.
Set your hailing frequencies to Fangirlish for the next installment of my Star Trek Summer Rewatch with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
What do you think about Star Trek: The Motion Picture? Leave me a comment and let’s talk Trek.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition is currently streaming on HBO Max.
