Review of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) by Joseph K — 02 Jul 2009

Mild Spoiler Alert: I give a little away, but not that much.

Definitely the Slowest of the Trek Movies, but not the worst (no, I save that one for V). The first 45 minutes of the movie are dedicated to being a nostalgia fest for fans of the TV show. The thing I did like about this film is that you finally get "modern" Klingons in this film. Gone were the cheap looking mongol warriors from the original series, and present are the leathery warriors with forehead ridges who shoot first and ask questions later. The plot drags along just a bit too much. The idea itself was actually pretty good, but somehow, it got lost in translation from storyboard to movie screen. The movie could have been about 30 minutes shorter and it would have perfect. The thing is, you will have to watch the entire thing in its entirety in order to figure out what is happening. Some movies like that I enjoy, but for what is supposed to be a Sci Fi adventure, you should be able to sit back, relax, and have some escapist action going on. What do I mean? It's good old fashioned Kirk Saving the Earth from yet another super powerful alien force, with a twist at the end. The twist would do M. Night Shyamalan Proud, but like an M. Night movie, that can be good or bad depending on which film you are talking about.

That out of the way, what did I like:

The visual effects are beautiful. The film was made in 1979, and the special effects stand toe to toe with another well known science fiction movie released around the same time by someone named George Lucas.

Leonard Nimoy gives one of his best performances as Spock. There are films where he did even better, but the fact of the matter is, Spock makes the film bearable.

The Film is well scored. The theme for the movie, as well as the Enterprise itself (during the glory shot) would be used in Star Trek: The Next Generation. We also get what has become known as the "Klingon Battle March", which would be used time and time again in the films (including TNG films) to let you know that the Klingons were around and ready for battle.

And as mentioned earlier, you get the "modern" Klingons.

If you want to watch the entire series, then you'll have to watch it. It won't be your favorite, and if you are a casual Trek viewer, you'll hate the movie. Still, trust me, it's not the worst of the series.