Star Trek: The Motion Picturemay not be the most highly regarded of theStar Trekfilms, but it holds up surprisingly well for several reasons. Ten years after the cancelation ofStar Trek: The Original Series,James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his Enterprise crewmade the transition to the big screen in 1979’sThe Motion Picture.With a plot that would not have felt out of place on the television show,The Motion Picturereceived mixed reviews upon its release and currently sits at 52% on review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes.
Despite its lackluster reception, there’s a lot to love aboutStar Trek: The Motion Picture,especially when considering the Director’s Cut of the film. The story follows Admiral Kirk and his crew, as they intercept apowerful entity called V’gerthat is rapidly approaching Earth. With fascinating new characters, stunning visuals, and a quintessentiallyStar Trekstory,The Motion Pictureis actually a pretty greatStar Trekfilm,even if it does lack the wider appeal of some ofTrek’slater blockbusters.
6Star Trek: The Motion Picture Was A New Level Of Visual Effects
All Of The Shots In Space Look Incredible
AlthoughStar Trek: The Original Seriesincorporated big sci-fi ideas, its visuals were limited by the technology of the 1960s and the show’s often meager budget. WhileTOSdid the best they could with what they had,The Motion Pictureintroduced an entirely new level of special effects.The new uniforms and interiors of the Enterprise are a bit bland compared to the color ofTOS,but the space shots look truly stunning.
But it’s the USS Enterprise itself that steals the show.Star Trek: The Motion Picturemay have been a bit self-indulgent with its lengthy shots of the Enterprise exterior, but it was the first time viewers had seen the ship in all of its glory on a big screen.The Enterprise looks like a true starship,not a small model floating through a black void. As The Enterprise approaches V’ger, the special effects get even cooler, and Spock’s flight to the heart of the cloud is truly stunning.
5Star Trek: The Motion Picture Has A Stellar Soundtrack
Not Only Does The Film Look Amazing, It Sounds Great, Too
To accompany the new visual effects ofStar Trek: The Motion Picture,Jerry Goldsmith composed a sweeping score that beautifully captures the wonder and magic ofStar Trek. Influenced by the music ofStar Wars(which was released in 1977), Goldsmith’s score uses synthesizers and other electronic instruments that were state-of-the-art at the time. The music ofThe Motion Picturewas critically praised and is widely considered to be one of Goldsmith’s best scores.
With its stunning visuals, slower pace, and dramatic score,The Motion Picturedraws obvious inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s2001: A Space Odyssey.
Star Trek: The Motion Picturehas a slower, more cerebral plot than many sci-fi movies, but the score elevates the film and makes everything feel more exciting. The soundtrack truly captures the awe and wonder of space exploration, and the music would come to definetheStar Trekfranchisefor generations. The Main Theme ofThe Motion Picturewould be used asthe theme song forStar Trek: The Next Generation, further cementing the music as one ofStar Trek’smost recognizable songs.
4Star Trek: The Motion Picture Evolves Spock’s Character
Spock Has A Beautiful Journey In The Motion Picture
Spock’s journey inStar Trek: The Motion Pictureis one of the best things about the film. Spock spent much of his time onStar Trek: The Original Seriestrying to suppress his human side and the emotions that came along with it. At the beginning ofThe Motion Picture,Spock is on the planet Vulcan, undergoing the kolinahr ritualto purge all of his emotions. When Spock detects V’ger’s consciousness, it stirs up his human emotions again.
When Spock first arrives on the Enterprise, he is more distant than ever, but throughout the film, he comes to see the value in human emotion.AfterSpock mind melds with V’ger, he cries for the entity, as he recognizes that it is searching for meaning just as he is.Spock’s connection with V’ger helps him see that"logic and knowledge are not enough,“and by the end of the film, he no longer wishes to continue seeking kolinahr. Spock’s journey continues throughout theStar Trekfilms, as he strives to find the balance between his human and Vulcan sides.
3Star Trek: The Motion Picture Introduces Interesting New Characters
In addition to reuniting the main cast ofStar Trek: The Original Serieson the big screen,The Motion Picturealso introducedCaptain Will Decker (Stephen Collins)and Lt. Ilia (Persis Khambatta).Captain Decker was hand-picked by Admiral Kirk to take over command of the Enterpriseand oversaw the ship’s refit. Decker was a by-the-books officer who was eager to embark on his first mission, and he wasn’t afraid to call Kirk out when the Admiral took over command.
Will Decker and Ilia were initially conceived as characters forStar Trek: Phase IIand later became the blueprints for Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) onStar Trek: The Next Generation.
A member of the Deltan species,Lt. Ilia served as the ship’s navigatorand had been involved in a previous romantic relationship with Will Decker. AlthoughThe Motion Pictureultimately reveals little about them, Ilia and Decker both come across as interesting characters with compelling backstories. In the end, V’ger absorbs Ilia and Decker, becoming a new lifeform and giving the two characters a bittersweet, almost happy ending.
2Star Trek: The Motion Picture Ends With A Twist
The Voyager Reveal At The End Of The Film Makes Perfect Sense
Star Trek: The Motion Picturemay not feature epic space battles or phaser fights, but it does end with a surprising reveal that recontextualizes the rest of the film. When Admiral Kirk and his crew finally make their way to the center of the V’ger probe, they discover it to be a deep space probe called Voyager 6 that was launched by NASA 300 years before.The probe was designed to collect data and transmit it back to Earth, but it was believed lost to a black hole.
In reality,Voyager 6 emerged on the other side of the galaxy, where it was found by a race of advanced living machines. These machines upgraded the probe and sent it back with a directive to collect as much information as possible and return to its creator. The probe amassed so much information that it developed consciousness and sought to join with its creator — humanity. AlthoughStar Trek: The Original Serieshad done similar stories before, the Voyager twist works well and nicely brings the story full circle.
1The Motion Picture’s Big Philosophical Ideas Truly Feels Like Star Trek
Star Trek: The Motion Picture May Be The Most Star Trek Of Any Of The Franchise’s Films
Like many ofthe bestStar Trekepisodes,The Motion Picturetackles some of life’s biggest questions.Having amassed astounding amounts of knowledge, V’ger seeks connection because it has consciousness but no emotions. Spock, too, begins to realize how important emotion and compassion are to being a complete person.The Motion Pictureposits these philosophical questions about human connection, but ultimately leaves it up to viewers to find their own meaning.
Star Trek wrestles with what it means to be human, and Star Trek: The Motion Picture provides a compelling exploration of that question.
Many of the characters inThe Motion Pictureare on their own journeys of self-discovery, and reach different conclusions about finding themselves. The film also raiseswhether Ilia and Decker truly die at the end, instead suggesting they have transformed into an entirely new lifeform. All of this feels like classicStar Trekin the best way. In every iteration,Star Trekwrestles with what it means to be human, andStar Trek: The Motion Pictureprovides a compelling exploration of that question.
