For non-addicts, the smart plot and effects go some way towards compensating for the plastic characters and costumes.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:30
Fresh:15
Rotten:15
Average Rating:5.7/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 23 mins
Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy
Synopsis: In STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, the original crew of the Starship Enterprise from the 1960s TV show is reunited in this dramatic, full-length science fiction epic. Admiral James T. Kirk (William... In STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, the original crew of the Starship Enterprise from the 1960s TV show is reunited in this dramatic, full-length science fiction epic. Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), formerly a captain, is called upon to collect his old crewmates in order to save humanity from a giant, hostile alien vessel steadily approaching Earth and destroying everything in its path. The complex alien life-forms apparently possess such an advanced intelligence that even the brilliant Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) fails to comprehend the massive structure that contains them. There is tension on the ship, as well as in the universe, as Commander Willard Decker (Stephen Collins), the Enterprise's new captain, is relegated to being Kirk's assistant. In addition, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), the lovable, crotchety doctor who is constantly at odds with Spock, must be tricked away from his life of relaxation to serve on a voyage he wants no part of. It's not long before the Enterprise is taken over by the alien entity, and navigator Ilia (Persis Khambatta) is abducted. When she is returned to the Enterprise, she informs Kirk that unless the entity is united with its creator, it will destroy the Earth. With excellent special effects and witty nods to the old series, STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE set a new standard in sci-fi films--and paved the way for a host of excellent sequels. [More]
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Persis Khambatta, Stephen Collins
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Persis Khambatta, Stephen Collins, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Majel Barrett, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols
Director: Robert Wise
Director: Robert Wise
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
Reviews for Star Trek: The Motion Picture
As an exploration of the loneliness of a unique machine consciousness, great! As an exciting SF experience, maybe not.
Director Robert Wise has no feeling for Trek's pop insouciance, and the movie unfolds ponderously.
The rule with Star Trek films is even-numbered films are good, odd-numbered are bad -- and the first film in the series is no exception.
You've heard the about the curse of the odd-numbered Star Trek films. It REALLY applies to this one.
This 1979 movie adaptation of the cult TV series is blandness raised to an epic scale.
Star Trek-The Motion Picture is a smart sc-fi thriller whose fascinating characters and thought-provoking plot are emphasized more than special effects.
Star Trek - The Motion Picture: Director's Edition is no 2001 (its obvious inspiration -- a fact that is more evident here than ever before), but it represents thought-provoking, well constructed science fiction.
An inventive and thoughtful science fiction movie, even if it is not entirely in keeping with either the television show that preceded it or the movies that would follow it.
So okay, perhaps the plot is somewhat substandard but the glorious special effects thrown up by director Robert Wise ... and a no doubt expert team of special effects craftsmen actually makes this one well worth seeing.
The long, majestic scene in which Scotty (James Doohan) takes Kirk in a shuttle toward the refurbished Enterprise is still breathtaking.
If the endless interstellar vistas of 2001: A Space Odyssey tested your patience, Star Trek: The Motion Picture will make you cry like a little star child.
Often unfairly maligned because it's slow and contemplative, but has some real ideas behind it.
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