Star Trek: The Motion Picture Review

Star Trek: The Motion Picture


Release Date: 21st December 1979 - Australia


Production Companies
Paramount Pictures (presents)
Century Associates
Robert Wise Productions

Distribution
Paramount Pictures Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 132 minutes
                 136 minutes
                 (director's cut)


Budget: $46,000,000

Box Office Gross: $139,000,000
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
An alien phenomenon of
unprecedented size and
power is approaching
Earth, destroying everything
in its path. The only starship
in range is the U.S.S.
Enterprise--still in drydock
after a major overhaul. As
Captain Decker readies his
ship and his crew to face
this menace, the legendary
Admiral James T. Kirk
arrives with orders to take
command of the Enterprise
and intercept the intruder.

But it has been three years
since Kirk last commanded
the Enterprise on its historic
five year mission...is he up
to the task of saving the
Earth? (Source - IMDb)


Cast

William Shatner - Admiral 

James T. Kirk

Leonard Nimoy - Commander 

Spock 

DeForest Kelley - Dr, Leonard
"Bones" McCoy

James Doohan - Scotty

Walter Koenig - Chekov

George Takei - Sulu

Nichelle Nichols - Uhura
Persis Khambatta - Ilia
Stephen Collins - Willard
Decker
Majel Barrett - Dr. Christine Chapel
Grace Lee Whitney - Janice Rand
Mark Lenard - Klingon Captain
David Gautreaux - Commander Branch
Marcy Lafferty - Chief DiFalco
Jon Rashad Kamal - Lt. Commander Sonak
Terence O'Connor - Chief Ross
Michael Rougas - Lt. Cleary

Crew
Director - Robert Wise
Based on Series "Star Trek"/Producer -
Gene Roddenberry
Story - Alan Dean Foster
Screenplay - Harold Livingston
Associate Producer - Jon Povill
Producer (2001 director's edition) - David C. Fein
Special Science Consultant - Isaac Asimov
Casting Director - Marvin Paige
Production Designer - Harold Michelson
Production Illustrators: Apogee, Inc. - Jack Johnson,
Martin A. Kline, Syd Mead and John R. Shourt
Art Directors - Leon Harris,
Joseph R. Jennings and John Vallone
Set Decorator - Linda DeScenna
Costume Designer - Robert Fletcher
Director of Photography - Richard H. Kline
Second Unit (Uncredited)/Special Photographic
Effects Director - Douglas Trumbull
Special Photographic Effects Supervisor -
John Dykstra
Special Photographic Effects: Director of
Photography/Producer - Richard Yuririch
Film Editor - Todd C. Ramsay
Sound Effects Creators - Dirk Dalton,
Joel Goldsmith, Alan Howarth,
Francesco Lupica and Frank Serafine
Composer: Theme "Star Trek" -
Alexander Courage
Music - Jerry Goldsmith


Awards

1980 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration - Harold Michelson,
Joseph R. Jennings, Leon Harris and Linda DeScenna (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra,
Richard Yuririch, Robert Swarthe, David K. Stewart and
Grant McCune (Nominated)
Best Music, Original Score - Jerry Goldsmith (Nominated)

Review

When I first saw the first and original movie of 'Star Trek' on TV, as I recall it felt very slow-paced and boring. Years later, as I'm after having watched nearly all the later 'Trek' originals and the J.J. Abrams reboots. I said it before and I will say it again, I am not a die-hard Trekkie. At first, in revisiting the old and first 'Star Trek' only in the director's cut edition, it doesn't contain the action scenes that many fans were promised before its release. The plot-line is very similar and identical to Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey' which I can now see the differences in both movies of the science-fiction category. It didn't surprise me that some of the effects team responsible for the vfx on Kubrick's masterpiece were needed once again for 'STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE'. 

Although the director Robert Wise is an interesting candidate to helm the 'Trek' saga for the first instalment, the quality of the movie is lessened as a result of the main cast wearing bad outfits and slow moving pace. The film's musical score by Jerry Goldsmith complimented the moments of percussion in the film and I find it to be a better 'Trek' film score than the others.

The Trekkies have been moping about the results of this product since its release in 1979, it only has the exploration and mystery in a greater sense. It may not be the 'Trek' we knew in many years, but it's a lengthened cinematic experience for non-Trek fans.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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