Star Trek: The Motion Picture Movie Review

The crew of the Enterprise reassembles to search out and fight a strange alien force that threatens Earth. This was the first film adaptation of the classic ‘60s TV series. Director Robert Wise, whose previous credits included noted sf epic The Day the Earth Stood Still, gives it his all, but the movie was a disappointment to most Trek fans. Ponderous and slow moving, the movie is ultimately crushed under its legendary source material. The many sequels that followed were much more effective in terms of pacing and story-telling. Twelve additional minutes of previously unseen footage have been added to the home video version. The laserdisc edition offers the film in widescreen format.

1980 (G) 143m/C William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Stephen Collins, Persis Kham-batta, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, George Takei; D: Robert Wise; M: Jerry Goldsmith. Nominations: Academy Awards ‘79: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, Best Original Score. VHS, Beta, LV PAR