To me, The Motion Picture always felt huge compared to the rest of Star Trek's movies and TV series. That movie has weight to it. Yeah, it's slow, but for me that helped build dread and suspense. In my opinion, it was the best example of near Lovecraftian cosmic horror that Star Trek ever attempted.
They did occasionally touch on those really large themes, with episodes like Where No Man Has Gone Before, TNGs The Chase and DS9s Emissary and the storyline of the Prophets. But never with that slow surreal approach of TMP that has a real classic sci-fi feel to it.
I think the directors cut for The Motion Picture, is EASILY the best film out of the entire franchise. The question that is posed, and not answered, is what's the purpose of existence? It was a very heady film, and although it's a bit slow in parts, and heavy handed, it's by far the most thought provoking film they ever made in the franchise. There's people that HATE that film, it's a pity.
@@CeeLiberty No other characters or series of Star Trek ever conveyed the LOVE for their ship like Kirk and Scotty did for the Enterprise. That LOVE spilled over to the audience.
The five minute Enterprise reveal in space dock is my favourite part of the entire film, LOL. The score sweeps you up and you feel what Kirk is feeling, both from Shatner playing it so well with simple expressions and whats in the eyes to the music. I saw this movie when it came out with my dad, I was 9 and already a huge fan as I had watched TOS on British tv. My dad teased me for years and loved to tell an anecdote about how when the space dock scene was on the screen he looked over and I had tears in my eyes. He asked if I was ok thinking something was wrong and he states I just looked at him and couldn't answer. To this day I can't watch it and hear that music without getting a lump in my throat.
@@RowanJColeman I am so glad they changed the score for the scene, the original one didn't have the same punch as the one we got on screen, I don't think it would have had the same effect on me :) You really do GET the love Kirk has for the Enterprise.
We old people who remember first-run TOS never thought we'd see the Enterprise again, at all, much less on the big screen. The drydock scene was for us, because we all knew exactly what Kirk was feeling.
There's a scene in this that always makes me laugh. The crew is looking V'ger and McCoy arrives and looks as well, then a solid minute of effect shots and music only for McCoy to immediately leave again. What editor thought "Make sure we keep the classic Bones staring scene".
I could imagine them expecting to have a line on the bridge, so they filmed his character coming onto the bridge and looking, and maybe saying the line. They cut the line, but not the rest of it. Sounds like something that would happen here.
I always saw the 5 minute flyby scene to the Enterprise as a tribute scene for the fans. To really celebrate seeing the Enterprise again after 10 years. And seeing it in all her beauty from all sides. And till this day the re-fit Enterprise with the mystic blue glowing main deflector is still my absolute favorite design. It has the nicest most elegant shape a ship could ever have. :)
it gave the setting (the ship) a lot of weight and sense of scale to it, both things really mattered later in this movie, when it comes across something way bigger and everyone on the ship is in danger.
It allowed the audience time to take it all in and its massive scale. If they zip right over to it then it feels small. Its kinda like if youve ever seen a cruise ship in port, its not clear just how massive they are until youre walking along side them down the pier.
Aye. There was something truly special about her. While other shows made flashy and bulky ships... the Enterprise had a certain grace and elegance about her.
Nimoy refused to return due to unpaid royalties, not typecasting. He only agreed to return once those royalties were paid, and had final say on the script and choice of director.
Yes this is in the documentary by his son, he certainly held out as they had never paid him for using his likeness on all the merchandising. I expect he was also worried about typecasting although he went to every fan convention possible so it is hard to say how concerned he was.
@@jimcook7053 Well, someone can be in one episode of Trek and make a living off the convention circuit, if they do it right. While typecasting is a legit concern, I understand why he'd go to cons as much as possible. Hell, he did a poetry reading (of his poetry) at my local community college when I was a teen, and us nerds in the local Trek club were his "honor guard" at the event.
I clearly remember watching this as a young teenager in a movie theater in 1979 after living on reruns for so many years. There is a very early scene that happens at a starbase where they intercept the Klingon transmision. There's a bunch of radio chatter. One of the transmissions talks about "...rendezvous on stardate..." My first reaction to that was: "Hey, you can't do that! You're stealing 'stardate' from.... Oh, yeah." That's when it hit home: For the first time in my living memory, I was watching something titled "Star Trek" that I didn't already know the ending to. I can't tell you what a special feeling that was.
Me too, i was 12 when i saw TMP at the cinema after TOS and the animated series as a kid. To be honest i was a bit bored with it at the time but it's grown on me over the years.
@Allison VP I've seen it all, from the Original in the Seventies right up to Discovery in the current era. Yup, at the age of 57 I'm still watching Star Trek, including the modern incarnations.
I conned family members to go. They all loved it. There were lines to see it. I was silent throughout the movie. An experience and Star Wars had us primed.
I enjoy it. Let’s also not forget how this film revamped the Star Trek aesthetic and set the style for the next 25 years. On top of that, the sets became the longest standing ones I think in film history, since they were used and redressed for Star Trek: Phase II (the unproduced Show), the TOS films (1979-1991), TNG (1987-1994) and Voyager (1994-2001). Only once Enterprise appeared they were retired for good and eventually sold at that 40th anniversary auction.
The original TV sets were donated to the UCLA theater department where they were slowly re-cycled and their materials were used in various stage productions throughout the ensuing years. New sets were created for Star Trek Phase Two test footage that were very similar in appearance to the original look of the show but the only set that would be ready for shooting The Motion Picture was the bridge set. All scenes on the bridge were shot first while the rest of the sets were being constructed.
I know people think it's too long, but any edit that shortens the drydock scene is criminal. It's 100% pure Enterprise porn and every second needs to be savored. Even when she's not onscreen, you can feel her power in the reaction shots.
Just to see the Enterprise brought joyfull tears to my eyes.It was the most beautifull thing i have seen.I know it is silly that i can get emotional over a show but i adore startrek so much!
The refit is my favorite starship as well. It's stunning and I can absolutely believe that's a real life ship. (The outside that is... not as keen on the interior.) The 5 minute flyby is cool for the most part. It's a deliberate tease to both Kirk and the audience of the era. My nitpick is that Kirk stares in awe at the gorgeous Enterprise... and stares in awe at the dock lights... and stares in awe at the dock structure. It's weird and completely ruins it once you notice.
I still love that movie. It is beautiful, despite the problems. And I liked "bad" Kirk. It was a good character developement, showing him as a bit of an ass. Bringing him back as he was in the series would have been much more boring. People change over the years, not always for the better. It showed that there was only one thing that mattered to Kirk - being the captain of the Enterprise. And he wasn't really good at anyting else, making him cranky and unsatisfied with his life. Same thing for Spock. After the series they seemed to have gone a way in life that may have seemed interesting to them, or logical, or just convenient, but they have to come back to the Enterprise to know where they really belong - on this ship with this crew.
@boltdenimon To be fair to Goldsmith he does use Alexander Courage's main theme (and is in fact my favourite use of the theme in all Star Trek as it doesn't have the irritating wailing "singing" over the top of it) in the Captain's Log montage scene just after Spock comes on board the Enterprise.
The slow 5 min approach to the enterprise is awesome. For someone who had lived though all the episodes (several times) and then had a few years without any Star Trek, the Motion Picture was a monumental rebirth. Seeing all the characters finally come together again after a period of time was indescribably joyful. When that 5 min scene came on and slowly I was seeing again through Kirk’s eyes, the Enterprise, looking larger and more majestic than it ever had been on tv, that experience was one of my greatest ever cinema thrills. I felt what Kirk would have been feeling. I was in tears on the edge of my seat.
Growing up TMP was always my least favourite. I watched when ever I had a Star Trek marathon, but only for a sense of completion. I wasn't until I was a teenager when I had the chance to see TMP in a cinema and it was a total diffrent expierence. This is a movie that must be watched on the big Screen and not a small 4:3 Home TV. I totally agree with the Sountrack thought, I cannot get enought of it.
Fun facts: Craig Huxley, who invented the Blaster Beam was also an actor form a young age and appeared in TOS twice: As Peter Kirk in Operation - Annihilate! and Tommy Starnes in And The Children Shall Lead. Chief DiFalco, the Enterprise crew member who takes over the helm after Ilia is absorbed by the V'Ger probe is played by Marcy Lafferty, who was married to William Shatner between 1973 and 1994 Robin Williams visited the set during production, riding a bicycle around the stage. The movie threatened to bankrupt Paramount during production as they were running out of cash while the budget kept soaring. Dawn Steel, head of Marketing and Licensing at the time reached out to as many companies as she could to sell them merchandise licenses for the movie. She put on a huge party at the Paramount lot, with the cast of the movie in attendance to sell licensees on the film - no mean feat as they had no completed footage to show them! The big thing they did to impress the crowd was Steel was "beamed" on stage by means of an elaborate laser show - and it worked! Steel was promoted to vice-president of productions in features as a result, becoming one of the first female Movie Moguls. As a result of the licensing blitz, TMP was the first movie to have a tie-in Happy Meal at McDonalds. The ad for that meal was the first place the redesigned Klingon makeup was seen. Paramount took out a guarantee with various theatre chains, promising them the movie in time for a 7th December 1979 release in return for $35 million up-front, with a payout of around $70 million if they failed to deliver. The prints of the movie were shipped across America by private planes to reach cinemas in time Between the licensing blitz, successfully hitting the guaranteed release date, and pre-selling rights to the first three airings of the movie to ABC, TMP made a profit before any tickets to the movie were actually sold. The production of TMP is absolutely fascinating and contains far more intrigue than the movie itself, Rowan only really scratches the surface here - but to go into detail would take at least an hour of narration. I highly recommend Memory Alpha's page on the movie. I've not read it, but Walter Koenig wrote a book about the production that's reportedly excellent as well.
I collected the Happy meals boxes when they came out. Scenes from the movie were printed on the boxes in comic book format. The only one I remember was the scene where a transporter accident tortures two of the crew to death and turns them into piles of twisted flesh and bone. Enjoy your happy meal!
@@nehukybis I remember the McDonald's commercial with the Klingon. I remember the toy was supposed to be a frisbee but it was a green and red "sponge". Lol thanks Mom & Dad for getting me the Happy Meal!
Interesting point. I think you are right. I love the soundtrack so much I even bought the La La land version and play it often. Maybe that reason is why I love it so much.
I actually like TMP more than W of K, namely for being more original and ponderous and spectacular. That is one of a relative handful instances where the non-theatrical cut has proven superior to the 'first' version (i.e. the Director's Edition of 2000; others include Blade Runner: the Final Cut, Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 1980, Superman: the Movie - 2000, and perhaps Justice League: the SNYDER CUT).
I love it too... Sure it has some issues, but there's just something about the use of sound and music that gives it a very unique atmosphere and a near-total lack of any conflict makes it even more unusual for a movie. It's very much a movie for those who love exploration of the unknown, but not so much for those who like big space battles. It's the far end of the optimistic and peaceful side of Star Trek, while Wrath of Khan was very much the militaristic side.
Yup, same. I love how slow, atmospheric and expansive it is, the story may be a little thin in places, but the whole experience of watching it is once I certainly enjoy, and is something that is sorely missing in movies today.
My only complaint with TMP is it's missing the interplay between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The best lines in Star Trek often came from Spock and McCoy's little digs at each other.
I was nine years old when this movie came out. It’s the first time Star Trek felt real to me. I understand why people hate this movie but for me it was when I fell in love with Star Trek.
My favorite alternate titles were "Star Trek: The Motion Sickness" and "Star Trek: The Motionless Picture." The more I've watched it in later years, however, the more I appreciate it for the thoughtfulness and pure speculative fiction that sets it above other "Star Trek" films in those regards, especially in the case of "The Director's Cut." But maybe the best highlight is Jerry Goldsmith's absolutely gorgeous "Ilia's Theme" (overture) that segues into the "Klingon Battle" which is arguably one of the finest pieces of battle music ever put to celluloid: deeply stirring every time I listen to it.
Yes ! ... the opening Klingon battle music, camera shot over the ship, and Klingon not speaking English, but his language ... with sub tittles in an American SF film, 1979 :-)
For as much hate as the uniforms got, I still say that one of my favorite uniforms is Kirk's one-off grey and white Admiral's uniform. And I thought that him and a few others wearing short sleeved tunics was a pretty novel concept never having been done before or (I don't think) done since.
Yeah, the short-sleeve one wasn't bad. While I think the uniforms were terrible, for the most part, there were so many different and inconsistent uniforms that there was usually someone looking good somewhere!
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is awesome. I love the pace and how atmospheric it is. I find the emotional character moments very powerful; such as the scene with Kirk, Spock and Bones talking shortly after Spock arrives and the scene with Spock and Kirk in sickbay after the mind meld.
@@leinadreign3510 LOL He probably ate one for his daily amount of iron already, I loved all the Killer Instinct soundtracks and he's done a ton of other games that I've never even heard, but the man is made of steel. Great to meet you Leinad, best wishes and may thy Reign fare well!
Thanks for giving TMP some love. It deserves it. Regarding character development and relationships, I'd argue the core relationship is Kirk and Spock. This film is *the* turning point for Spock in whole original franchise. He rejects his 100% Vulcanness to embrace his human side, fully owning his love and friendship for Kirk (vs. V'Ger's coldness), and that integration of Vulcan and human remains with him for the rest of his character's arc, minus some finding himself again in Star Trek IV. Not shallow character development at all!
Good one!👍 Just one thing: It's David Gautreaux, not Daniel. Kirk's trip around the Enterprise (i.e. the dry dock scene) is necessary, imho. Viewers need a sense of scale, especially the non-Trekkies in the audience, in order to appreciate the size of V'ger.
Here's the funny thing: I'm a Star Wars fan, much more than Star Trek. But I like this movie more than any other Star Trek (movie). If I want action, I watch Star Wars. For Star Trek I like the opposite, high-concept storytelling. And as an Asimov fan, I love those last minute revelations (like Voyager being V'ger). This movie feels like real hard sci-fi.
I was 16 and an absolute Star Trek fanatic when this film was released. Although I was thrilled seeing my favorite show on the big screen, and could barely contain my excitment seeing the new look Klingons and their ships in the first few minutes, ultimately I was very disappointed. At the time I thought it was slow and in some places even boring. I was relieved when The Wrath of Khan was released. THAT was the big screen Star Trek I wanted to see. However a strange thing has occured over the years. I am now 58, and I can honestly say that I have grown to love TMP. It has become my favorite Star Trek film, and I now regard it as a masterpiece. I now understand that it was the truest representation of Roddenbery's vision. The effects are insane and nothing short of genius, made even more amazing by the realization that they were all practical effects, none of the soul-less computer generated b.s. we are saturated with today. Say what you will about the script, the story concept is mind-blowing, with deep, challenging ideas. This is a film I pull out at least once a year and rewatch, continually being enthralled, and absorbed in its visuals and sweeping score, that somehow makes you ponder in all seriousness what might actually be out there. TMP for me, is the only Star Trek film with an enduring, timeless feel, while the rest of the series, as much as I love it, does feel like it is starting to get dated. A masterpiece.
21:49 the ship IS the story in star trek 1, its why I love it so much, its the only movie we got where the ship was the star, with that iridescent hull and the gorgeous set designs and elegant musical score. 🤩
The Motion Picture is still the best ST film to this date. And one of the best sci-fi films. Who cares about some love stories and pew pew space action when you have this amazing grandiose pure science fiction visual, musical, intellectual piece of art.
A GREAT RETROSPECTIVE! I was one of those fans who saw Star Trek during its network years. I remember cracking open my first paperback copy of "The Making of Star Trek" and felt a new intense dimension of my love for the show envelop me. This retrospective truly recaptured those memories!
I've watched DVD's, BR's, Directors cut's, Theatrical releases and Web streams and still haven't seen the same version I saw in the original viewing in the theaters back in 79. I remember watching my first time and when they had the transporter accident in space dock you could see the people forming in the transporter stream, it looked like the acid melted man (Paul McCrane) in the first Robocop movie.
21:40 I respectfully disagree with Leonard Nimoy on the camera shots of the Enterprise moving through space. Moving through our solar system in a matter of seconds/sub-light was quite impressive, on how fast the Enterprise's first gear is.
The problem with Start Trek The Motion Picture's wardrobe is that someone from its production team snuck in to Gerry Anderson's old warehouse and stole the costumes from Space 1999...
I agree. The costumes did look like Space 1999. They looked stiff and not too colourful and what was that stupid thing attached to their belly buttons? lol
It was the style at the time. 70s Sci-Fi = Everything in the future will be white. Or off-white. Or gray. It's an aesthetic inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey. You can even see it in Star Wars. The interior of the Rebel Blockade Runner has the same clean, bright, white look.
@Vodhin, It's just that the Space 1999 wardrobe is inspired by the one of Star Trek. We can even see that for the Star Trek movie they have returned to a similar color code used for the 1st pilot which was not broadcast at the time. Before talking and making claims, it is better to know what you are talking about and not reverse the roles. It is Star Trek that was revolutionary and inspired the most, not the nice Space 1999 series with weaker, less ambitious and questionable scenarios.
It was a good film to finish up the 70s with. I was only 27 at the time, had grown up watching every episode of Star Trek. I enjoyed the movie and the ending, sort of. Never knew all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Glad you put this video together.
I got into Star Trek fairly recently, only a couple of years ago. And I watched this movie on TV, and while it did feel slow (that acquired taste analogy is right on the money) I really got into it by the midpoint. When they started exploring Vyger and the weird ass visuals paired with the stunning ship models, it was a nice juxtaposition. In retrospect that sharp line between "human" and alien is one of the reasons I love the first Alien as well.
My favourite scene is the one with the Klingons. The new design and upgraded ships and the best part the music, the Klingon battle song. I still remember watching this on it original release. Still unmatched but the opening of star trek IV comes close....
TMP catches loads of flak but it's a brilliant depiction of what it means to confront the unknown, which is exactly what Star Trek is all about. It's not about big space battles and people yelling at each other, it's about seeking new lifeforms and boldly going into the unknown, which is exactly what TMP is. TMP presents a lot of questions that are important; what does it mean to be human? Do any of us really understand ourselves? Stuff like that is exactly why I love this movie and I will defend it to my grave as an absolutely key viewing experience for any Star Trek fan. And moreover, I find TMP to be an essential story moment for Spock. Spock, a half-human, half-Vulcan has, at his own admission, felt alien to both of his heritages, and has spent his entire life trying to find his place in the world and with his crew and friendships, trying to understand his human half and his Vulcan half equally. That is, until he encounters V'Ger, a being of pure, unassailable logic, which is what Spock craves and aspires to attain for himself, but a twist Spock wasn't expecting was the fact that V'Ger is empty and wanting, pure logic in and of itself is cold and lonely. Only by mind-melding with V'Ger and confronting its crippling loneliness head-on was Spock able to understand that what he was seeking and what he truly needed were not the same thing. He desired logic and order in his life, and were he a full-blooded Vulcan that might've been satisfactory, but the human side of him longed for something else, and it was tearing him apart for years, going all the way back to the Original Series. Only in TMP does Spock understand that he desires friendship, and camaraderie and a sense of belonging and feeling needed, and from then on he's a little more at ease with himself, more focused, and a teeny little bit more witty. Where as in TOS and for years prior, his human and Vulcan sides were "always fighting below the surface", after the events of TMP, his two sides have fit together and attained harmony with one another, and Spock can now effectively employ the strengths of each. In fact, it's Spock's new-found ability to intuit and listen to his gut rather than cold logic that will save the Enterprise crew several times over the next few movies. Thanks for reading my text wall. Peace and long life.
Kudos for pointing out the relationship of this movie to "2001 A Space Odyssey"; especially with respect to visual effects. I finished reading the book "Space Odyssey", which details the creation of that movie, a few weeks ago. I had no idea that Douglas Trumbull was involved in the "Star Trek" franchise.
The fan disappointment wasn't, in my opinion, the movie itself. Many of us had been swept up in all the hype that had been created for the aborted Phase II series and were very disappointed that all we were getting was a one off movie. I personally liked the movie, and consider the scene where Scotty flys Kirk around the enterprise one of the highlights of the movie, it still brings tears to my eyes remembering seeing the Enterprise again after all the waiting.
If I remember right, this was the 2nd movie my parents ever took me to when I was a little kid. I think I fidgeted a lot and I have a vague memory that my dad was disappointed in it (he was a huge fan of the TV show). And I think because of that, we didn't see Wrath of Khan in the theater.
This is really good work, and never boring. Thank you for posting. It also really brings into focus just how incredibly groundbreaking 2001ASO was. It set a standard that really is not even matched today when you consider what they had to work with. Love Star Trek, so much hope for us in every episode pretty much.
This remains my all time favorite of the Star Trek Movies and every single word you said is true, accurate and fair. Thanks for the Action Packed Reviews! Great work!
I can never not like this film. After watching and reading all things Trek in the 60's and 70's, I really wanted this film to happen. I didn't care about the fan reaction or the critics or anything like that. When I sat down in the theater and the characters began to appear, each getting there own re-introduction to the audience, I was thrilled. Even today it still gets lambasted by some. As for me just seeing it back, on the big screen no less, was pure joy. Star Trek: The Motion Picture has been, and always will be, my friend.
My fav original series movie. Solid classic sci-fi concept, massive scale and beautifully put together. Really hope I can see it in the cinema someday.
The reason Star Trek TMP works so well for me is the same reason the original TV pilot (Cage) had so much trouble, I was very cerebral. It was a thinking person's movie. Thought wise there was so much going on. I loved this movie. It is my favorites of the Star Trek (The Original Series) films.
Nimoy refused to join the Phase 2 project because of a royalties dispute with Paramount, not just because of a fear of type casting. That dispute was eventually settled, and he agreed to be a part of TMP.
The space dock ..... As an 11yr old I had water in my eyes...... Well that's what I told my father when I first saw it at the cinema. To be honest it still does it for me now. Shame the future never caught up.
I remember seeing this in the theater with some college buddies. They were Trekkies but although I wasn't, I was happy to go as I had seen the original TV show and of course knew the characters. I remember the suspense leading up to the Enterprise reveal, and as noted here, it was quite protracted, but I think this was done on purpose for the benefit of the true fans who wanted to see the refurbished spacecraft in all its glory and relish it for a while--one of those "goose-pimple" moments. (Indeed, one of my friends said, "VERY NICE!) Same thing is true with Spock's reveal. For me, the best moment was the nod to the Voyager spacecraft at the end, as I am a fan of the space program and enjoyed seeing art become reality--or reality become art? 🙂
You have such a great way of making these part documentary and part opinion piece over these videos, it makes them so good to watch. I never get bored of you sharing your thoughts on all things sci fi.
There is a story that says that when Goldsmith was composing the Enterprise meets V"Ger segments he was wondering what he would do next musically. He was viewing the print when someone in the room with him said that the Enterprise flying over that larger ship gives a sense of vertigo. A light bulb then went off in Goldsmiths head and he recalled Bernard Hermann's score for the film Vertigo and it gave him inspiration. Now, I don't know if this story is true or not, it just sounds plausible to me
The Motion Picture has always been my favorite Trek film, even as a boy. It blew my mind then & as an adult I watched it 3-5 hits deep on LSD. Trust me, it’s how the film was meant to be seen.👍🏽🖖🏽 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Nice retrospective, but my problem with the Original motion picture is that it was completely lifted from an original Trekisode called The Changeling. I liked Ilea and wish would could have seen more of her. The transporter malfunction was good effects, but bad thinking. In real life, they would never have used it without testing.
Agreed. That took away from it for me also. I was waiting for someone to reference it in the film and was disappointed they didn’t as it would have been a nice tie in. Felt like that was a missed opportunity. Actually using their history together to solve this mystery
I think the Enterprise in this film is really one of my favorite Enterprises, if not my all-time favorite. Yes, it's not as colorful inside as it was in the Original Series, but it still really does look beautiful. I think I just really can accept it as an actual ship that could exist one day in the future. It really does look gorgeous, especially when lit by the Sun from behind.
It took me almost a decade to actually really appreciate this film but now find it owe inspiring to watch and it's so nice to have a nice slow pace that I can allow me to just soak up film rather than just getting worn out with some action films.
At my first Grateful Dead concert (one of about 100), I was floored by the "drum solo" (which was really more of a drums and percussion jam featuring the band's two drummers) when I heard the unmistakable sounds of V'ger. I was in a particular head space often associated with Dead shows, and I wasn't entirely sure if I really was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Eventually I learned about the "blaster beam" used on the ST:TMP soundtrack, and also learned that Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart had one with him on stage as part of his arsenal of drums and percussive gear. So, yes, it wasn't my imagination, I really was hearing V'ger
I hear that the remastered image, enhanced color, enhanced VFX, and enhanced sound of the 4K Director's Edition really help enhance the film and bring the whole film together much more effectively. Just imagine if the film had been given the official green-light 6 months sooner than it was? Imagine what 6 months of extra time, prep and polish could have done for the film back then? Imagine if the Studio had mandated an even 100-120 minute run time? It may have been perceived as a classic of the genre back then and found much greater success right off the bat.
I suspwct the more time passes the more well known and respected this movie will get. It was ahead of its time. Kinda still is. It is as of yet the only ST movie about discovering something new and dealing with a mystery that is only resolved in the end, a concept that harks back to the very earlier Star Trek. Meanwhile most of the ST movies made afterwards are nonstop remakes of Wrath Of Khan.
There's just something about TMP that we can always remember was special. It was the encore performance of the original gang coming back together. Nice that they brought back Grace Lee Whitney for at least a couple of scenes for they knew assessing the series she had a special place in the hearts of the fans....one who was let go in Season 1 of the original but they learned later that fans thought of her contribution as endearing . The film's story line....yes a little bit draggy but a good first step in the new movie franchise. As I say the first coming back of the gang should always be thought of as uniquely special and always will. Even for that reason alone it should be looked upon fondly be liked and enjoyed.
I'm sorry I missed the live chat. This was excellent. I learned some new things, which I honestly thought wasn't possible when it came to Star Trek. That part about how the main theme changed was especially fascinating. Thanks for the effort you put into putting this together.
I like this movie, but my favorite part of this movie is how McCoy repeatedly enters and leaves the bridge while they approach the center of V'Ger like "Are we there yet? No? Ok."
I was completely in awe of this movie when I first watched it in the theater. And it's funny because, here in my city, it had never been really advertised, so I was just walking past a movie theater one day and saw they were showing a Star Trek movie. I immediately went in and watched 3 screenings in a row. And kept coming back on a daily basis for 2 weeks. It's for me by far the best Star Trek after the Original Series, by far. Wrath of Khan was a very good MOVIE, but for me, too much action and adventure to be what I really enjoy about Star Trek, which is meeting the unknown and exploring strange new worlds. For me, the relationships between the characters was great. Yes, they didn't go deep into the Decker/Ilia thing, but I perfectly understood what was going on, why Decker left (not the novel reason, the fear of being submerged in Deltan multi-mind sex-consciousness - Ilia's "oath of celibacy" being also left unexplained for the same reason -; in the movie it feels a lot more like he chose his career over her and I was fine with that). Kirk was obsessed with getting the Enterprise back. Again, stuff could have been better explained, but it was clear that he felt like his life "on the grounds, behind a desk" would be the death of him. And I think that he goes a fine arc from being a "villain" that's fucking up Decker any way he can because he's jealous of him and wants "his" ship back to actually cooperating with him. And I much like how McCoy challenges Kirk's fitness for captaincy. Spock was also extremely interesting in the movie. His pathetic attempts at not reacting to the crew's evident love for him because he was so ashamed of his human heritage is, well, pathetic and moving at the same time. I know that Vulcans were often displayed as arrogant dicks who see humans as little better than monkeys, but I like how his mentor at the Kohlinahr ceremony was - of course - not annoyed or disappointed with him (as Spock clearly was with himself), but just coolheadedly stated, "This is not the way for you, go look for answers somewhere else".
So many of the early pitches for the Motion Picture sound like what happened in the 2009 film. A black hole threatening to swallow the whole universe? An origin story for the crew of the Enterprise? Spock's the main character? Yeah, the Kelvin timeline movies went back to the well it seems.
@@evertonporter7887 Phase II would have done much the same, interestingly. The test footage of engineering was shown, which gives some hints already - the shiny white walls next to red doors instead of a pale matte grey. But if you look up how the bridge looked before they redressed it for the film, it was even starker. Everyone had TOS style uniforms but the bridge was mostly brilliant white, with an almost identical (if not exactly identical) viewscreen as in the movie set. So it would’ve still been quite a strong visual change from the show, albeit white and primary colours is still more eyepleasing than grey, beige, pale green, pale blue, etc. I wonder if Phase II had happened, yet also somehow the 2009 film also happened the same as it did IRL, if it would have been simply viewed as a pastiche to the later episodes.
Star Trek 2009 is one of the most stupid movie ever made. And it betrays everything that Star Trek is in every aspect. Besides, jar jar abrams (the franchise killer) confessed that he didn't understand anything about Star Trek, that he found too intellectual and that he wanted to make a Star Trek for people like him. That is to say, for idiots. So don't compare this masterpiece with this big piece of crap.
17:30 I can see why people would be annoyed by Kirk's behavior but I think it's completely in character. I suspect it was thrown in to give more emotional stakes to the first half of the movie. The conflict seems heavily inspired by Run Silent, Run Deep, with Kirk standing in for Clark Gable and Decker standing in for Burt Lancaster.
I understand that 'Trekkies' was just a nickname and 'Trekkers' was the actual term.. Networks didn't realise that teenagers and such were hungry for space adventures even before 'Star Wars'. We had Star Trek but also Space 1999 already in 1974.
What you don't comprehend for audiences at the time of the release was this was a meeting of old friends. Coming back together after years apart. If you really missed Star Trek and the characters. The long intro was able slow awakening of things to come. I remember the movie starting and my only thought is I get to see them again. Your looking backwards to something I remember evolving 🙃
Very good point.. most people who review this movie cant understand Start Trek was off the air for 10 years... These people were reuniting for the first time, and unlike most reunions shows/movies, these characters had evolved over the past ten years... things changed. Positions changed, personalities changed, relationships changed, technology changed, etc etc. I doubt this guy even watched the Original Series episodes. If he did, it would be obvious to him that the story was based on a TOS episode called "the changeling".. uhg.
Of course I wasn't born then. But in my research, this was the contemporary reaction to the film at the time. Regardless of how long Trek was off the air, a lot of people were disappointed by it.
@@RowanJColeman making a documentary and actually sitting down and watching all the TOS episodes are two completely different things. Your behavior is , well, illogical. If you like Star Trek so much, then watch the series ... or are you afraid of what you may discover?... hmmmmm
@@itubeutubewealltube1 What are you talking about? I grew up watching the show, that's literally why I have a TH-cam channel. Maybe you should take a cursory glance at my videos, or are you afraid of what you may discover? Hmmm
Amazing Doco! I remember loving the movie in 1979 as we had spent the 70's watching the same 79 episodes and were desperate for new Trek. I was blown away by the effects and music and still am. I think of The Motion Picture as a very special stand alone movie and don't really consider it part of the move series which for me starts with Khan in 82.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
To me, The Motion Picture always felt huge compared to the rest of Star Trek's movies and TV series. That movie has weight to it. Yeah, it's slow, but for me that helped build dread and suspense. In my opinion, it was the best example of near Lovecraftian cosmic horror that Star Trek ever attempted.
They did occasionally touch on those really large themes, with episodes like Where No Man Has Gone Before, TNGs The Chase and DS9s Emissary and the storyline of the Prophets. But never with that slow surreal approach of TMP that has a real classic sci-fi feel to it.
And the introduction of the Enterprise is just epic. You cannot watch that scene without getting a tear in your eye... Or in my case tears.
I think the directors cut for The Motion Picture, is EASILY the best film out of the entire franchise. The question that is posed, and not answered, is what's the purpose of existence? It was a very heady film, and although it's a bit slow in parts, and heavy handed, it's by far the most thought provoking film they ever made in the franchise.
There's people that HATE that film, it's a pity.
@@richardwicks4190
Showing the Enterprise in detail in space dock was enough for me to feel the price of admission (Theater Ticket) was well worth it.
@@CeeLiberty No other characters or series of Star Trek ever conveyed the LOVE for their ship like Kirk and Scotty did for the Enterprise. That LOVE spilled over to the audience.
The five minute Enterprise reveal in space dock is my favourite part of the entire film, LOL. The score sweeps you up and you feel what Kirk is feeling, both from Shatner playing it so well with simple expressions and whats in the eyes to the music. I saw this movie when it came out with my dad, I was 9 and already a huge fan as I had watched TOS on British tv. My dad teased me for years and loved to tell an anecdote about how when the space dock scene was on the screen he looked over and I had tears in my eyes. He asked if I was ok thinking something was wrong and he states I just looked at him and couldn't answer. To this day I can't watch it and hear that music without getting a lump in my throat.
I get the same feeling. When I'm in the right mood, sometimes I just watch that one scene to chill out.
@@RowanJColeman I am so glad they changed the score for the scene, the original one didn't have the same punch as the one we got on screen, I don't think it would have had the same effect on me :) You really do GET the love Kirk has for the Enterprise.
Same here. I think this scene represents our nerdy generations aspirations of going to space in the (at the time) far off 2000s.
We old people who remember first-run TOS never thought we'd see the Enterprise again, at all, much less on the big screen. The drydock scene was for us, because we all knew exactly what Kirk was feeling.
@@scottwithrow3793 Exactly, I had the same feelings he did, she was beautiful.
There's a scene in this that always makes me laugh. The crew is looking V'ger and McCoy arrives and looks as well, then a solid minute of effect shots and music only for McCoy to immediately leave again. What editor thought "Make sure we keep the classic Bones staring scene".
I could imagine them expecting to have a line on the bridge, so they filmed his character coming onto the bridge and looking, and maybe saying the line. They cut the line, but not the rest of it. Sounds like something that would happen here.
I always saw the 5 minute flyby scene to the Enterprise as a tribute scene for the fans. To really celebrate seeing the Enterprise again after 10 years. And seeing it in all her beauty from all sides. And till this day the re-fit Enterprise with the mystic blue glowing main deflector is still my absolute favorite design. It has the nicest most elegant shape a ship could ever have. :)
it gave the setting (the ship) a lot of weight and sense of scale to it, both things really mattered later in this movie, when it comes across something way bigger and everyone on the ship is in danger.
Takes your breath away dosent it?!
It allowed the audience time to take it all in and its massive scale. If they zip right over to it then it feels small. Its kinda like if youve ever seen a cruise ship in port, its not clear just how massive they are until youre walking along side them down the pier.
Great comment! When I was watching it, didn't want it to end. Thought it was beautiful. Great choice by director and editor. They are the heroes.
Aye. There was something truly special about her. While other shows made flashy and bulky ships... the Enterprise had a certain grace and elegance about her.
Nimoy refused to return due to unpaid royalties, not typecasting. He only agreed to return once those royalties were paid, and had final say on the script and choice of director.
wise.
For "The Motion Picture"? (Bob Wise was on board BEFORE Nimoy agreed to return~)
Nimoy must have caved in on that request I guess.
Yes this is in the documentary by his son, he certainly held out as they had never paid him for using his likeness on all the merchandising. I expect he was also worried about typecasting although he went to every fan convention possible so it is hard to say how concerned he was.
@@jimcook7053 Well, someone can be in one episode of Trek and make a living off the convention circuit, if they do it right. While typecasting is a legit concern, I understand why he'd go to cons as much as possible. Hell, he did a poetry reading (of his poetry) at my local community college when I was a teen, and us nerds in the local Trek club were his "honor guard" at the event.
This film does have my favourite Kirk quote: “We have them right where they want us.”
I clearly remember watching this as a young teenager in a movie theater in 1979 after living on reruns for so many years.
There is a very early scene that happens at a starbase where they intercept the Klingon transmision. There's a bunch of radio chatter. One of the transmissions talks about "...rendezvous on stardate..."
My first reaction to that was: "Hey, you can't do that! You're stealing 'stardate' from.... Oh, yeah."
That's when it hit home: For the first time in my living memory, I was watching something titled "Star Trek" that I didn't already know the ending to.
I can't tell you what a special feeling that was.
Me too, i was 12 when i saw TMP at the cinema after TOS and the animated series as a kid. To be honest i was a bit bored with it at the time but it's grown on me over the years.
@Allison VP I've seen it all, from the Original in the Seventies right up to Discovery in the current era. Yup, at the age of 57 I'm still watching Star Trek, including the modern incarnations.
I conned family members to go. They all loved it. There were lines to see it. I was silent throughout the movie. An experience and Star Wars had us primed.
That must have been electrifying
I enjoy it. Let’s also not forget how this film revamped the Star Trek aesthetic and set the style for the next 25 years. On top of that, the sets became the longest standing ones I think in film history, since they were used and redressed for Star Trek: Phase II (the unproduced Show), the TOS films (1979-1991), TNG (1987-1994) and Voyager (1994-2001). Only once Enterprise appeared they were retired for good and eventually sold at that 40th anniversary auction.
The original TV sets were donated to the UCLA theater department where they were slowly re-cycled and their materials were used in various stage productions throughout the ensuing years.
New sets were created for Star Trek Phase Two test footage that were very similar in appearance to the original look of the show but the only set that would be ready for shooting The Motion Picture was the bridge set. All scenes on the bridge were shot first while the rest of the sets were being constructed.
I know people think it's too long, but any edit that shortens the drydock scene is criminal. It's 100% pure Enterprise porn and every second needs to be savored. Even when she's not onscreen, you can feel her power in the reaction shots.
As a 13 year old mad Star Trek fan in 1979, just seeing the Enterprise on a huge cinema screen made me love that movie unquestionably. 😁
Similar for me, but I was 17. Everybody complained about the scene where Kirk inspected the enterprise by circling around it. I loved it.
@@CaseAgainstFaith1
The Enterprise space dock scene was the best in all of Star Trek.
Just to see the Enterprise brought joyfull tears to my eyes.It was the most beautifull thing i have seen.I know it is silly that i can get emotional over a show but i adore startrek so much!
Same here
The refit is my favorite starship as well. It's stunning and I can absolutely believe that's a real life ship. (The outside that is... not as keen on the interior.)
The 5 minute flyby is cool for the most part. It's a deliberate tease to both Kirk and the audience of the era.
My nitpick is that Kirk stares in awe at the gorgeous Enterprise... and stares in awe at the dock lights... and stares in awe at the dock structure. It's weird and completely ruins it once you notice.
I still love that movie. It is beautiful, despite the problems. And I liked "bad" Kirk. It was a good character developement, showing him as a bit of an ass. Bringing him back as he was in the series would have been much more boring. People change over the years, not always for the better. It showed that there was only one thing that mattered to Kirk - being the captain of the Enterprise. And he wasn't really good at anyting else, making him cranky and unsatisfied with his life. Same thing for Spock. After the series they seemed to have gone a way in life that may have seemed interesting to them, or logical, or just convenient, but they have to come back to the Enterprise to know where they really belong - on this ship with this crew.
My favorite part of TMP is that we got the true Star Trek theme. Its beautiful.
@boltdenimon To be fair to Goldsmith he does use Alexander Courage's main theme (and is in fact my favourite use of the theme in all Star Trek as it doesn't have the irritating wailing "singing" over the top of it) in the Captain's Log montage scene just after Spock comes on board the Enterprise.
It’s a good theme and the best of the film series, and largely saved this movie all by itself, it’s not the true theme. Courage did that very well.
When it was reused for the opening sequence of TNG always gives me goose bumps. That slow build up into something epic & awe inspiring.
The true Star Trek theme was by Alexander Courage
It was not mentioned in this video, but for me the highlight is Ilia's Theme. It really gives that sense of wonder.
Jerry Goldsmith's score for this movie made me cry, the first time I ever heard it. It still does.
Me too!!
The slow 5 min approach to the enterprise is awesome. For someone who had lived though all the episodes (several times) and then had a few years without any Star Trek, the Motion Picture was a monumental rebirth.
Seeing all the characters finally come together again after a period of time was indescribably joyful.
When that 5 min scene came on and slowly I was seeing again through Kirk’s eyes, the Enterprise, looking larger and more majestic than it ever had been on tv, that experience was one of my greatest ever cinema thrills. I felt what Kirk would have been feeling. I was in tears on the edge of my seat.
Me too. Great comment. I'm guessing most of the movie critics, working for newspaper weren't Trekkies. They wouldn't feel, what we feel.
Only to end up with Kirk saying "Thank you Mr. Scott!"
Scotty "aye captain"
It kind of gives the whole scene a comedic twist.
As life long Trekkie that's a fan of all things "Trek". THIS is favourite star trek movie.
Growing up TMP was always my least favourite. I watched when ever I had a Star Trek marathon, but only for a sense of completion. I wasn't until I was a teenager when I had the chance to see TMP in a cinema and it was a total diffrent expierence. This is a movie that must be watched on the big Screen and not a small 4:3 Home TV. I totally agree with the Sountrack thought, I cannot get enought of it.
With a subwoofer.
Comment of the day! Yes! I laid down my 2.50 for the movie in the theater and it was quite the experience. It is beautiful on the big screen.
Fun facts:
Craig Huxley, who invented the Blaster Beam was also an actor form a young age and appeared in TOS twice: As Peter Kirk in Operation - Annihilate! and Tommy Starnes in And The Children Shall Lead.
Chief DiFalco, the Enterprise crew member who takes over the helm after Ilia is absorbed by the V'Ger probe is played by Marcy Lafferty, who was married to William Shatner between 1973 and 1994
Robin Williams visited the set during production, riding a bicycle around the stage.
The movie threatened to bankrupt Paramount during production as they were running out of cash while the budget kept soaring. Dawn Steel, head of Marketing and Licensing at the time reached out to as many companies as she could to sell them merchandise licenses for the movie. She put on a huge party at the Paramount lot, with the cast of the movie in attendance to sell licensees on the film - no mean feat as they had no completed footage to show them! The big thing they did to impress the crowd was Steel was "beamed" on stage by means of an elaborate laser show - and it worked! Steel was promoted to vice-president of productions in features as a result, becoming one of the first female Movie Moguls.
As a result of the licensing blitz, TMP was the first movie to have a tie-in Happy Meal at McDonalds. The ad for that meal was the first place the redesigned Klingon makeup was seen.
Paramount took out a guarantee with various theatre chains, promising them the movie in time for a 7th December 1979 release in return for $35 million up-front, with a payout of around $70 million if they failed to deliver. The prints of the movie were shipped across America by private planes to reach cinemas in time
Between the licensing blitz, successfully hitting the guaranteed release date, and pre-selling rights to the first three airings of the movie to ABC, TMP made a profit before any tickets to the movie were actually sold.
The production of TMP is absolutely fascinating and contains far more intrigue than the movie itself, Rowan only really scratches the surface here - but to go into detail would take at least an hour of narration. I highly recommend Memory Alpha's page on the movie. I've not read it, but Walter Koenig wrote a book about the production that's reportedly excellent as well.
I collected the Happy meals boxes when they came out. Scenes from the movie were printed on the boxes in comic book format. The only one I remember was the scene where a transporter accident tortures two of the crew to death and turns them into piles of twisted flesh and bone.
Enjoy your happy meal!
@@nehukybis I remember the McDonald's commercial with the Klingon. I remember the toy was supposed to be a frisbee but it was a green and red "sponge". Lol thanks Mom & Dad for getting me the Happy Meal!
The Motion Picture is like a 70s Prog Rock concept album......
Probably why I still enjoy it so much :)
Thanks for this comment.. LOVE IT!
Damn right
Interesting point. I think you are right. I love the soundtrack so much I even bought the La La land version and play it often. Maybe that reason is why I love it so much.
Pretentious and full of meandering solos?
@@Ftc.6 LOL!
Honestly, I love TMP about as much as Wrath of Khan and Voyage Home. Hard to explain why, I just dig it’s vibes.
I actually like TMP more than W of K, namely for being more original and ponderous and spectacular. That is one of a relative handful instances where the non-theatrical cut has proven superior to the 'first' version (i.e. the Director's Edition of 2000; others include Blade Runner: the Final Cut, Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 1980, Superman: the Movie - 2000, and perhaps Justice League: the SNYDER CUT).
@@bonghunezhou5051 I’m actually not sure if I’ve seen any Director’s Cuts for Star Trek movies, have to check them out sometime.
I love it too... Sure it has some issues, but there's just something about the use of sound and music that gives it a very unique atmosphere and a near-total lack of any conflict makes it even more unusual for a movie. It's very much a movie for those who love exploration of the unknown, but not so much for those who like big space battles. It's the far end of the optimistic and peaceful side of Star Trek, while Wrath of Khan was very much the militaristic side.
Yup, same. I love how slow, atmospheric and expansive it is, the story may be a little thin in places, but the whole experience of watching it is once I certainly enjoy, and is something that is sorely missing in movies today.
Yeah its not a bad movie, sure its slow but i meaan the EFFECTS the MUSIC the every thing
My only complaint with TMP is it's missing the interplay between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The best lines in Star Trek often came from Spock and McCoy's little digs at each other.
Watched the film premiere with a packed theater. I remember the exhiliration of seeing the cast reunited. It doesn't get any better for the fans.
I envy you.. The one thing I wanted was to see this on a big screen...
I was nine years old when this movie came out. It’s the first time Star Trek felt real to me. I understand why people hate this movie but for me it was when I fell in love with Star Trek.
"hate" is such a strong word......
My favorite alternate titles were "Star Trek: The Motion Sickness" and "Star Trek: The Motionless Picture." The more I've watched it in later years, however, the more I appreciate it for the thoughtfulness and pure speculative fiction that sets it above other "Star Trek" films in those regards, especially in the case of "The Director's Cut." But maybe the best highlight is Jerry Goldsmith's absolutely gorgeous "Ilia's Theme" (overture) that segues into the "Klingon Battle" which is arguably one of the finest pieces of battle music ever put to celluloid: deeply stirring every time I listen to it.
Yes ! ... the opening Klingon battle music, camera shot over the ship, and Klingon not speaking English, but his language ... with sub tittles in an American SF film, 1979 :-)
Another alternate I like is "Star Trek: Where Nomad Has Gone Before" in reference to the TOS episode "The Changeling"
Star Trek The Slow Motion Picture.
The Enterprise was the star of this movie!
I favor "Spockalypse Now" as well as "The Motionless Picture".
For as much hate as the uniforms got, I still say that one of my favorite uniforms is Kirk's one-off grey and white Admiral's uniform. And I thought that him and a few others wearing short sleeved tunics was a pretty novel concept never having been done before or (I don't think) done since.
Yeah, the short-sleeve one wasn't bad. While I think the uniforms were terrible, for the most part, there were so many different and inconsistent uniforms that there was usually someone looking good somewhere!
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is awesome. I love the pace and how atmospheric it is. I find the emotional character moments very powerful; such as the scene with Kirk, Spock and Bones talking shortly after Spock arrives and the scene with Spock and Kirk in sickbay after the mind meld.
Still my favourite - I wish I could get some pj's like Kirks Admiral uniform
"Played with an artillerie shell"?
How metal is that!
That's literally as metal as you can get I think, gigantic hammer dulcimer fretted with a freaking artillery shell. Yep, pretty damn metal.
@@wren7195 We should inform Mick Gordon about that instrument!
@@leinadreign3510 LOL He probably ate one for his daily amount of iron already, I loved all the Killer Instinct soundtracks and he's done a ton of other games that I've never even heard, but the man is made of steel.
Great to meet you Leinad, best wishes and may thy Reign fare well!
The Seventies were hardcore.
@@leinadreign3510 have him talk to Mickey Hart of the grateful dead, he toured with one for years!
Thanks for giving TMP some love. It deserves it. Regarding character development and relationships, I'd argue the core relationship is Kirk and Spock. This film is *the* turning point for Spock in whole original franchise. He rejects his 100% Vulcanness to embrace his human side, fully owning his love and friendship for Kirk (vs. V'Ger's coldness), and that integration of Vulcan and human remains with him for the rest of his character's arc, minus some finding himself again in Star Trek IV. Not shallow character development at all!
Yeah,it is pure Spock's movie
Its wild how many big names were involved in this film
Good one!👍 Just one thing: It's David Gautreaux, not Daniel.
Kirk's trip around the Enterprise (i.e. the dry dock scene) is necessary, imho. Viewers need a sense of scale, especially the non-Trekkies in the audience, in order to appreciate the size of V'ger.
Holy shit, that custom instrument is one of the most Metal things ever. Its like the world's biggest bass guitar. I love it!
Here's the funny thing: I'm a Star Wars fan, much more than Star Trek.
But I like this movie more than any other Star Trek (movie).
If I want action, I watch Star Wars. For Star Trek I like the opposite, high-concept storytelling. And as an Asimov fan, I love those last minute revelations (like Voyager being V'ger).
This movie feels like real hard sci-fi.
I was 16 and an absolute Star Trek fanatic when this film was released. Although I was thrilled seeing my favorite show on the big screen, and could barely contain my excitment seeing the new look Klingons and their ships in the first few minutes, ultimately I was very disappointed. At the time I thought it was slow and in some places even boring. I was relieved when The Wrath of Khan was released. THAT was the big screen Star Trek I wanted to see. However a strange thing has occured over the years. I am now 58, and I can honestly say that I have grown to love TMP. It has become my favorite Star Trek film, and I now regard it as a masterpiece. I now understand that it was the truest representation of Roddenbery's vision. The effects are insane and nothing short of genius, made even more amazing by the realization that they were all practical effects, none of the soul-less computer generated b.s. we are saturated with today. Say what you will about the script, the story concept is mind-blowing, with deep, challenging ideas. This is a film I pull out at least once a year and rewatch, continually being enthralled, and absorbed in its visuals and sweeping score, that somehow makes you ponder in all seriousness what might actually be out there. TMP for me, is the only Star Trek film with an enduring, timeless feel, while the rest of the series, as much as I love it, does feel like it is starting to get dated. A masterpiece.
21:49 the ship IS the story in star trek 1, its why I love it so much, its the only movie we got where the ship was the star, with that iridescent hull and the gorgeous set designs and elegant musical score. 🤩
The opening scene and music captured the Klingons perfectly. The music especially.
The Motion Picture is still the best ST film to this date. And one of the best sci-fi films. Who cares about some love stories and pew pew space action when you have this amazing grandiose pure science fiction visual, musical, intellectual piece of art.
The first season of TNG were mostly scripts form Star Trek Phase 2. The characters of William Decker and Ilea re redone as William Riker and Troi.
absolute trash
I am OBSESSED, with this series, THANK YOU for making it here.
A GREAT RETROSPECTIVE! I was one of those fans who saw Star Trek during its network years. I remember cracking open my first paperback copy of "The Making of Star Trek" and felt a new intense dimension of my love for the show envelop me. This retrospective truly recaptured those memories!
I've watched DVD's, BR's, Directors cut's, Theatrical releases and Web streams and still haven't seen the same version I saw in the original viewing in the theaters back in 79. I remember watching my first time and when they had the transporter accident in space dock you could see the people forming in the transporter stream, it looked like the acid melted man (Paul McCrane) in the first Robocop movie.
The "blaster bar" was also used on the soundtrack for the film METEOR which came out the same year as Star Trek The Motion Picture.
16:50 They could have done an hour of Kirk circling the Enterprise in detail. I would have considered that time well spent.
I always like the 1st motion picture. I especially liked the ending. 👍
Spock’s Arrival scene is fantastic. The music is incredible.
21:40 I respectfully disagree with Leonard Nimoy on the camera shots of the Enterprise moving through space. Moving through our solar system in a matter of seconds/sub-light was quite impressive, on how fast the Enterprise's first gear is.
uhg that score theme almost made me cry. Made me feel like a teenager falling in love with trek for the first time again all of a sudden 🥺
The problem with Start Trek The Motion Picture's wardrobe is that someone from its production team snuck in to Gerry Anderson's old warehouse and stole the costumes from Space 1999...
I agree. The costumes did look like Space 1999. They looked stiff and not too colourful and what was that stupid thing attached to their belly buttons? lol
It was the style at the time.
70s Sci-Fi = Everything in the future will be white. Or off-white. Or gray. It's an aesthetic inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey. You can even see it in Star Wars. The interior of the Rebel Blockade Runner has the same clean, bright, white look.
They look more like pyjamas than ever yeah
@Vodhin, It's just that the Space 1999 wardrobe is inspired by the one of Star Trek. We can even see that for the Star Trek movie they have returned to a similar color code used for the 1st pilot which was not broadcast at the time. Before talking and making claims, it is better to know what you are talking about and not reverse the roles. It is Star Trek that was revolutionary and inspired the most, not the nice Space 1999 series with weaker, less ambitious and questionable scenarios.
It was a good film to finish up the 70s with. I was only 27 at the time, had grown up watching every episode of Star Trek. I enjoyed the movie and the ending, sort of. Never knew all the behind-the-scenes stuff. Glad you put this video together.
I got into Star Trek fairly recently, only a couple of years ago. And I watched this movie on TV, and while it did feel slow (that acquired taste analogy is right on the money) I really got into it by the midpoint. When they started exploring Vyger and the weird ass visuals paired with the stunning ship models, it was a nice juxtaposition. In retrospect that sharp line between "human" and alien is one of the reasons I love the first Alien as well.
I love this movie to bits. In my honest opinion one of the best Sci-Fi-Movies ever, right up there with "2001" or "Close Encounters".
Hey! Let's not get crazy.....
Still the best of the ST movies. Great work.
My favourite scene is the one with the Klingons. The new design and upgraded ships and the best part the music, the Klingon battle song. I still remember watching this on it original release. Still unmatched but the opening of star trek IV comes close....
TMP catches loads of flak but it's a brilliant depiction of what it means to confront the unknown, which is exactly what Star Trek is all about. It's not about big space battles and people yelling at each other, it's about seeking new lifeforms and boldly going into the unknown, which is exactly what TMP is. TMP presents a lot of questions that are important; what does it mean to be human? Do any of us really understand ourselves? Stuff like that is exactly why I love this movie and I will defend it to my grave as an absolutely key viewing experience for any Star Trek fan.
And moreover, I find TMP to be an essential story moment for Spock. Spock, a half-human, half-Vulcan has, at his own admission, felt alien to both of his heritages, and has spent his entire life trying to find his place in the world and with his crew and friendships, trying to understand his human half and his Vulcan half equally. That is, until he encounters V'Ger, a being of pure, unassailable logic, which is what Spock craves and aspires to attain for himself, but a twist Spock wasn't expecting was the fact that V'Ger is empty and wanting, pure logic in and of itself is cold and lonely. Only by mind-melding with V'Ger and confronting its crippling loneliness head-on was Spock able to understand that what he was seeking and what he truly needed were not the same thing. He desired logic and order in his life, and were he a full-blooded Vulcan that might've been satisfactory, but the human side of him longed for something else, and it was tearing him apart for years, going all the way back to the Original Series. Only in TMP does Spock understand that he desires friendship, and camaraderie and a sense of belonging and feeling needed, and from then on he's a little more at ease with himself, more focused, and a teeny little bit more witty. Where as in TOS and for years prior, his human and Vulcan sides were "always fighting below the surface", after the events of TMP, his two sides have fit together and attained harmony with one another, and Spock can now effectively employ the strengths of each. In fact, it's Spock's new-found ability to intuit and listen to his gut rather than cold logic that will save the Enterprise crew several times over the next few movies.
Thanks for reading my text wall. Peace and long life.
Kudos for pointing out the relationship of this movie to "2001 A Space Odyssey"; especially with respect to visual effects. I finished reading the book "Space Odyssey", which details the creation of that movie, a few weeks ago. I had no idea that Douglas Trumbull was involved in the "Star Trek" franchise.
The fan disappointment wasn't, in my opinion, the movie itself. Many of us had been swept up in all the hype that had been created for the aborted Phase II series and were very disappointed that all we were getting was a one off movie. I personally liked the movie, and consider the scene where Scotty flys Kirk around the enterprise one of the highlights of the movie, it still brings tears to my eyes remembering seeing the Enterprise again after all the waiting.
I remember a longer TV version, which many moons ago, I had recorded on VHS from ITV. I didn’t find it boring!
If I remember right, this was the 2nd movie my parents ever took me to when I was a little kid. I think I fidgeted a lot and I have a vague memory that my dad was disappointed in it (he was a huge fan of the TV show). And I think because of that, we didn't see Wrath of Khan in the theater.
This is really good work, and never boring. Thank you for posting. It also really brings into focus just how incredibly groundbreaking 2001ASO was. It set a standard that really is not even matched today when you consider what they had to work with. Love Star Trek, so much hope for us in every episode pretty much.
Grew up with Star Trek so I never tire of watching behind the scenes documentaries. This ranks right up there as one of the best ever. Thanks!! 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
This remains my all time favorite of the Star Trek Movies and every single word you said is true, accurate and fair. Thanks for the Action Packed Reviews! Great work!
I can never not like this film. After watching and reading all things Trek in the 60's and 70's, I really wanted this film to happen. I didn't care about the fan reaction or the critics or anything like that. When I sat down in the theater and the characters began to appear, each getting there own re-introduction to the audience, I was thrilled. Even today it still gets lambasted by some. As for me just seeing it back, on the big screen no less, was pure joy. Star Trek: The Motion Picture has been, and always will be, my friend.
My fav original series movie. Solid classic sci-fi concept, massive scale and beautifully put together. Really hope I can see it in the cinema someday.
The reason Star Trek TMP works so well for me is the same reason the original TV pilot (Cage) had so much trouble, I was very cerebral. It was a thinking person's movie. Thought wise there was so much going on. I loved this movie. It is my favorites of the Star Trek (The Original Series) films.
Nimoy refused to join the Phase 2 project because of a royalties dispute with Paramount, not just because of a fear of type casting. That dispute was eventually settled, and he agreed to be a part of TMP.
The space dock ..... As an 11yr old I had water in my eyes...... Well that's what I told my father when I first saw it at the cinema.
To be honest it still does it for me now.
Shame the future never caught up.
The nostalgic pictures/photos in this video made it that much better.
I remember seeing this in the theater with some college buddies. They were Trekkies but although I wasn't, I was happy to go as I had seen the original TV show and of course knew the characters. I remember the suspense leading up to the Enterprise reveal, and as noted here, it was quite protracted, but I think this was done on purpose for the benefit of the true fans who wanted to see the refurbished spacecraft in all its glory and relish it for a while--one of those "goose-pimple" moments. (Indeed, one of my friends said, "VERY NICE!) Same thing is true with Spock's reveal. For me, the best moment was the nod to the Voyager spacecraft at the end, as I am a fan of the space program and enjoyed seeing art become reality--or reality become art? 🙂
Yep, after watching this...Time for me to go and pop in my ' Star Trek The Motion Picture DVD ...heheheh
I've watched a lot of stuff about the making of this movie and yet I still found this video informative thank you 👏👏👏
You have such a great way of making these part documentary and part opinion piece over these videos, it makes them so good to watch. I never get bored of you sharing your thoughts on all things sci fi.
There is a story that says that when Goldsmith was composing the Enterprise meets V"Ger segments he was wondering what he would do next musically. He was viewing the print when someone in the room with him said that the Enterprise flying over that larger ship gives a sense of vertigo. A light bulb then went off in Goldsmiths head and he recalled Bernard Hermann's score for the film Vertigo and it gave him inspiration. Now, I don't know if this story is true or not, it just sounds plausible to me
TMP .. my fave movie of all time. And the Directors Edition .. perfection! Now gimme the sodding blu-ray
The Motion Picture has always been my favorite Trek film, even as a boy. It blew my mind then & as an adult I watched it 3-5 hits deep on LSD. Trust me, it’s how the film was meant to be seen.👍🏽🖖🏽
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Nice retrospective, but my problem with the Original motion picture is that it was completely lifted from an original Trekisode called The Changeling. I liked Ilea and wish would could have seen more of her. The transporter malfunction was good effects, but bad thinking. In real life, they would never have used it without testing.
Agreed. That took away from it for me also. I was waiting for someone to reference it in the film and was disappointed they didn’t as it would have been a nice tie in. Felt like that was a missed opportunity. Actually using their history together to solve this mystery
I think the Enterprise in this film is really one of my favorite Enterprises, if not my all-time favorite. Yes, it's not as colorful inside as it was in the Original Series, but it still really does look beautiful. I think I just really can accept it as an actual ship that could exist one day in the future. It really does look gorgeous, especially when lit by the Sun from behind.
It took me almost a decade to actually really appreciate this film but now find it owe inspiring to watch and it's so nice to have a nice slow pace that I can allow me to just soak up film rather than just getting worn out with some action films.
excellent work dude - cant wait for part 3!
At my first Grateful Dead concert (one of about 100), I was floored by the "drum solo" (which was really more of a drums and percussion jam featuring the band's two drummers) when I heard the unmistakable sounds of V'ger. I was in a particular head space often associated with Dead shows, and I wasn't entirely sure if I really was hearing what I thought I was hearing. Eventually I learned about the "blaster beam" used on the ST:TMP soundtrack, and also learned that Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart had one with him on stage as part of his arsenal of drums and percussive gear. So, yes, it wasn't my imagination, I really was hearing V'ger
I hear that the remastered image, enhanced color, enhanced VFX, and enhanced sound of the 4K Director's Edition really help enhance the film and bring the whole film together much more effectively.
Just imagine if the film had been given the official green-light 6 months sooner than it was? Imagine what 6 months of extra time, prep and polish could have done for the film back then? Imagine if the Studio had mandated an even 100-120 minute run time?
It may have been perceived as a classic of the genre back then and found much greater success right off the bat.
I suspwct the more time passes the more well known and respected this movie will get. It was ahead of its time. Kinda still is. It is as of yet the only ST movie about discovering something new and dealing with a mystery that is only resolved in the end, a concept that harks back to the very earlier Star Trek. Meanwhile most of the ST movies made afterwards are nonstop remakes of Wrath Of Khan.
The story line was closer to the original Star Trek than the other ST movies.
The most memorable thing about TMP is the music. The legacy was cemented when it became the theme for tng
There's just something about TMP that we can always remember was special. It was the encore performance of the original gang coming back together. Nice that they brought back Grace Lee Whitney for at least a couple of scenes for they knew assessing the series she had a special place in the hearts of the fans....one who was let go in Season 1 of the original but they learned later that fans thought of her contribution as endearing . The film's story line....yes a little bit draggy but a good first step in the new movie franchise. As I say the first coming back of the gang should always be thought of as uniquely special and always will. Even for that reason alone it should be looked upon fondly be liked and enjoyed.
I'm sorry I missed the live chat. This was excellent. I learned some new things, which I honestly thought wasn't possible when it came to Star Trek. That part about how the main theme changed was especially fascinating.
Thanks for the effort you put into putting this together.
I like this movie, but my favorite part of this movie is how McCoy repeatedly enters and leaves the bridge while they approach the center of V'Ger like "Are we there yet? No? Ok."
So glad to see a serious retrospective of this underrated movie from both you and Oliver Harper.
Oliver Harper's videos are a big inspiration on this series. He makes brilliant content.
I was completely in awe of this movie when I first watched it in the theater. And it's funny because, here in my city, it had never been really advertised, so I was just walking past a movie theater one day and saw they were showing a Star Trek movie. I immediately went in and watched 3 screenings in a row. And kept coming back on a daily basis for 2 weeks. It's for me by far the best Star Trek after the Original Series, by far. Wrath of Khan was a very good MOVIE, but for me, too much action and adventure to be what I really enjoy about Star Trek, which is meeting the unknown and exploring strange new worlds.
For me, the relationships between the characters was great. Yes, they didn't go deep into the Decker/Ilia thing, but I perfectly understood what was going on, why Decker left (not the novel reason, the fear of being submerged in Deltan multi-mind sex-consciousness - Ilia's "oath of celibacy" being also left unexplained for the same reason -; in the movie it feels a lot more like he chose his career over her and I was fine with that).
Kirk was obsessed with getting the Enterprise back. Again, stuff could have been better explained, but it was clear that he felt like his life "on the grounds, behind a desk" would be the death of him. And I think that he goes a fine arc from being a "villain" that's fucking up Decker any way he can because he's jealous of him and wants "his" ship back to actually cooperating with him. And I much like how McCoy challenges Kirk's fitness for captaincy.
Spock was also extremely interesting in the movie. His pathetic attempts at not reacting to the crew's evident love for him because he was so ashamed of his human heritage is, well, pathetic and moving at the same time. I know that Vulcans were often displayed as arrogant dicks who see humans as little better than monkeys, but I like how his mentor at the Kohlinahr ceremony was - of course - not annoyed or disappointed with him (as Spock clearly was with himself), but just coolheadedly stated, "This is not the way for you, go look for answers somewhere else".
In the version I had there was a scene in which Kirk came out the airlock and you could see the scaffolding of the set above him.
So many of the early pitches for the Motion Picture sound like what happened in the 2009 film. A black hole threatening to swallow the whole universe? An origin story for the crew of the Enterprise? Spock's the main character? Yeah, the Kelvin timeline movies went back to the well it seems.
A lot of those ideas kept coming up over and over again. I'll be mentioning them more in subsequent videos.
Strange that the Kelvin movies retain some of the 1960s aesthetic regarding the uniforms while bringing a more contemporary look to the ship.
@@evertonporter7887 Phase II would have done much the same, interestingly. The test footage of engineering was shown, which gives some hints already - the shiny white walls next to red doors instead of a pale matte grey. But if you look up how the bridge looked before they redressed it for the film, it was even starker. Everyone had TOS style uniforms but the bridge was mostly brilliant white, with an almost identical (if not exactly identical) viewscreen as in the movie set. So it would’ve still been quite a strong visual change from the show, albeit white and primary colours is still more eyepleasing than grey, beige, pale green, pale blue, etc. I wonder if Phase II had happened, yet also somehow the 2009 film also happened the same as it did IRL, if it would have been simply viewed as a pastiche to the later episodes.
Star Trek 2009 is one of the most stupid movie ever made. And it betrays everything that Star Trek is in every aspect. Besides, jar jar abrams (the franchise killer) confessed that he didn't understand anything about Star Trek, that he found too intellectual and that he wanted to make a Star Trek for people like him. That is to say, for idiots. So don't compare this masterpiece with this big piece of crap.
17:30 I can see why people would be annoyed by Kirk's behavior but I think it's completely in character. I suspect it was thrown in to give more emotional stakes to the first half of the movie. The conflict seems heavily inspired by Run Silent, Run Deep, with Kirk standing in for Clark Gable and Decker standing in for Burt Lancaster.
Man you deserve an award for this video future documentary maker! 🔟👍🏼👍🏼
I understand that 'Trekkies' was just a nickname and 'Trekkers' was the actual term.. Networks didn't realise that teenagers and such were hungry for space adventures even before 'Star Wars'. We had Star Trek but also Space 1999 already in 1974.
Great video! :D One note: the actor who was to play Xon in Phase II, and plays Commander Branch in TMP, is named David Gautreaux, not Daniel. ;)
Seriously...I was wondering if any one else caught this
The music for me is the best part of the film
Well done. I was one of the Senior CG leads for the DE. What a blast. So many stories!
Hey, if you ever need some inside info and pics, let me know.
I think that ST-TMP is one of the best Star Trek movies that was made.
What you don't comprehend for audiences at the time of the release was this was a meeting of old friends. Coming back together after years apart. If you really missed Star Trek and the characters. The long intro was able slow awakening of things to come. I remember the movie starting and my only thought is I get to see them again. Your looking backwards to something I remember evolving 🙃
Very good point.. most people who review this movie cant understand Start Trek was off the air for 10 years... These people were reuniting for the first time, and unlike most reunions shows/movies, these characters had evolved over the past ten years... things changed. Positions changed, personalities changed, relationships changed, technology changed, etc etc. I doubt this guy even watched the Original Series episodes. If he did, it would be obvious to him that the story was based on a TOS episode called "the changeling".. uhg.
Um.. I literally made a 50 minute long documentary about TOS before this video.
Of course I wasn't born then. But in my research, this was the contemporary reaction to the film at the time. Regardless of how long Trek was off the air, a lot of people were disappointed by it.
@@RowanJColeman making a documentary and actually sitting down and watching all the TOS episodes are two completely different things. Your behavior is , well, illogical. If you like Star Trek so much, then watch the series ... or are you afraid of what you may discover?... hmmmmm
@@itubeutubewealltube1 What are you talking about? I grew up watching the show, that's literally why I have a TH-cam channel. Maybe you should take a cursory glance at my videos, or are you afraid of what you may discover? Hmmm
V-ger seemed a revamped Nomad from the Changeling.
Amazing Doco! I remember loving the movie in 1979 as we had spent the 70's watching the same 79 episodes and were desperate for new Trek. I was blown away by the effects and music and still am. I think of The Motion Picture as a very special stand alone movie and don't really consider it part of the move series which for me starts with Khan in 82.
This is quite thorough. Great job!
I believe the actor's name is David Gautreaux, not Daniel Gautreaux.