Pop Culture Movies and More: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

A massive alien spacecraft of enormous power destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers as it makes its way towards Federation space The Epsilon IX space station alerts the Federation, but they are also destroyed by the alien spacecraft. The only starship in range is the Enterprise, after undergoing a major overhaul in drydock orbiting Earth. Admiral James T. Kirk is ordered to take command of the U.S.S. Enterprise for the first time since her historic five-year mission. Kirk rounds up the rest of his crew and acquires some new members, and sets off to intercept the alien spacecraft. However, it has been three years since Kirk last went into deep space, is he up to the task of saving Earth? Following the adventures of the original Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969) we are once again reunited with the members of the starship Enterprise for a much grander scale mission in terms of effects and scope. This was the first movie ever made in the Star Trek franchise, which would sprout six total excellent adventures. Although not the best in the series of films, I did quite enjoy this starting point. The Motion Picture is quite unlike any of the following movies which gives it a unique feel compared to the rest. Being their first big screen outing, and having to compete with other big blockbusters like Star Wars, I think they decided to take the approach of making everything feel extremely grand and cinematic to create a sense of awe, blowing away their viewers. It certainly did that and it reminded me very much of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), especially with the many long shots featuring little to no dialogue as we pan across stunning visuals accompanied by the beautiful score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. His music elevates the movie to a whole new level with countless breathtaking songs that brings this adventure to life. I would have to say that Jerry's album for this film is one of, if not the best of all Star Trek movies. The special effects used were certainly impressive and look outstanding, still holding up to today's standards and this was before ILM was brought on board for the following films. One of the most dazzling effects was that of the mysterious alien craft later identified as V'Ger using a generated power field around itself. With being the current objective of the Enterprise with the impending arrival of this entity, we spend most of the film on long wide shots of the craft that intertwine and frequently breaks up the story. Whilst looking very fascinating and hypnotic, these scenes drastically dragged out what could have been a much shorter adventure. It feels like a regular episode of the original series but dragged out and stretched as much as possible. I slowly began to become impatient with how long these scenes would go on, not that I hated them, but they would take far too long. Once the story became more the focus, I was easily re-captivated because it was fantastic. Everything about V'Ger intrigued me and as more of the mystery surrounding it unfolded I became more and more engaged. The revelation of what V'Ger is was also incredibly well executed and cleverly done. I loved seeing the entire crew back in action following the series and just hearing their iconic banter once again was truly delightful. From our main trio Kirk, Spock and McCoy, to the other members: Scotty, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov, it was amazing to see them all back again. As always, the trio steals the show. Every scene they are in together is an instant pleasure filled with their usual witty back-and-forth quips, their duty of care to one another, their ability to work as a team and emotionally heartfelt moments. Another aspect in need of recognition is the new and improved Enterprise, which also steals the show with its sleek new design, which looks simply magnificent. Overall, I had a great time with this first instalment in the original Star Trek movie lineup. It most definitely has the aesthetic of a cinema experience with its large shots and lingering on extravagant special effects. It is one of those films I find best experienced in a dark room, especially at night, and get completely lost in this other world. A worthy start to a phenomenal series. Check out the next expedition in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).