Review of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) by Dan M — 06 Jul 2015

Almost immediately, the film was billed as the triumphant return of the original Star Trek cast. While I certainly can't put the film down for its intentions, it's the somewhat presumptuous and lazy execution of those intentions that bring the film down.

The plot is way too thin for a film as long as this one, and much of the film's first act is spent meandering about pointlessly before something plot-relevant actually happens. On the plus side, it would seem that the main cast's acting abilities have actually improved since the original Star Trek was cancelled, with some fine performances from characters who had become iconic by the time this film was released.

However, the newer characters don't really do anything for the film's narrative whatsoever. The film's main strength is its amazing special effects, which lead to some very dazzling cinematic moments.

It's almost like a light show that lasts for over two hours, though that isn't always favourable. When it comes to Star Trek, however, it's very hard to dismiss it as having more looks than brains, and in fairness, this film isn't bad, but the pacing is very sluggish, and considering how thin the film's actual plot is, this tends to make the film seem like an over-extended episode of the Star Trek TV show.