Review of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) by Andrew C — 29 May 2009

A vastly underrated (or even misunderstood) movie, this is far better than its reputation implies. When it could have served up an action adventure, it prefers to present itself as a thoughtful and philosophical movie, going against the post-Star Wars period of its release.

Its missteps are obvious: casting newcomers upsets the dynamics of the established cast, the script tends towards 2001 when it might embrace a bit more Star Wars, and the effects sequences drastically need trimming down, although the extended shots of the Enterprise travelling through the vast interiors of the V'Ger ship have an impressive grandeur.

The cast slip back into their roles easily, and while Stephen Collins is bland enough to fade into the background, Persis Khambatta is entirely too beautiful to ignore, especially in the increased role she has towards the end.

There is a recent director's cut available, speeding up the action and snipping some of the overlong sequences, and I plan on watching that some time soon, as I imagine it will add more to what is a far better film than is generally perceived.