Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek) and
Alan Dean Foster (story) ...

Release Date:

7 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The human adventure is just beginning

Plot:

When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Admiral | Space | Space Station | Star Trek

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

William Shatner	...	Admiral James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy
James Doohan	...	Cmdr. Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott
George Takei	...	Lt. Cmdr. Hikaru Sulu
Majel Barrett	...	Dr. Christine Chapel
Walter Koenig	...	Lt. Pavel Chekov
Nichelle Nichols	...	Lt. Cmdr. Uhura
Persis Khambatta	...	Lt. Ilia
Stephen Collins	...	Cmdr. Willard Decker
Grace Lee Whitney	...	CPO Janice Rand
Mark Lenard	...	Klingon Captain
Billy Van Zandt	...	Alien Boy
Roger Aaron Brown	...	Epsilon Technician
Gary Faga	...	Airlock Technician

Also Known As:

Star Trek II (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Phase II (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Planet of the Titans (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition (USA) (DVD title)
Ürszekerek (Hungary) [hu]
Jornada nas Estrelas - O Filme (Brazil) [pt]
O Caminho das Estrelas (Portugal) [pt]
Patrouille du cosmos (Canada: French title) [fr]
Star Trek (Denmark) [da]
Star Trek I Le Film (Canada: French title) (DVD box title) [fr]
Star Trek Le Film (Canada: French title) (video title) [fr]
Star Trek: Der Film (West Germany) [de]
Star trek (Italy) [it]
Star trek - A mozifilm (Hungary) [hu]
Star trek - Csillagösvény (Hungary) (TV title) [hu]
Star trek - avaruusmatka (Finland) [fi]
Star trek, le film (France) [fr]
Star trek: La película (Spain) [es]
Uzay Macerasi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Uzay Yolu: Uzay Macerasi (Turkey: Turkish title) (Pay-TV title) [tr]
Viaje a las estrellas (Colombia) [es]
Viaje a las estrellas: La película (Argentina) [es]

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi action and mild language.

Runtime:

132 min | USA:136 min (director's cut) | USA:143 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Klingon

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX (director's cut) | Dolby

Certification:

Italy:T | Canada:PG (Ontario - 2006) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | New Zealand:G | Netherlands:6 (theatrical rating) | Canada:G (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Ireland:G | Netherlands:12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | USA:PG (director's cut) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Century Associates

Trivia:

Orson Welles narrated trailers for the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When the Enterprise moves out of the spacedock, the bracing used to hold the model can be seen silhouetted against the spacedock on the Starboard side of the ship. This has been corrected in the Director's Edition.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Klingon captain: [giving an order in Klingon] Tactical...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Big Bang Theory: The Lizard-Spock Expansion (#2.8)" (2008)

At Last The Definitive Version!

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition"

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" is by far the most important of the series and in my opinion also the best. This Director's Cut has improved and tightened the 1979 theatrical release to create a truer version of the director's original vision. In most cases Director's Cuts ruin the original Motion Picture they set out to improve, yet this film is the exception. What Robert Wise did here was very necessary and it has been accomplished with great reverence for the original material. This is now the authoritative version of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and justly so.

What I admire about this first incarnation to the big screen is the faith that Robert Wise obviously has for his audience. Scenes are purposely slow which allows the atmosphere of the film to wash over the viewer like a warm bath rather than being bombarded by action and explosions as in the second of the Motion Picture series.

There are obvious references to Stanley Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey (1967), which I admire because to want to aspire to those heights and nearly succeed can only be regarded with respect.

I have to say that the production design by Harold Michelson has never been bettered. The scope of his sets gives real life and location to the interior of the Star Ship Enterprise. The gathering of the whole crew in the lounge for example or Kirk emotionally trapped in his quarters by the dark glass sliding doors. The bridge of the Enterprise has never looked, sounded or functioned better. (It would have been nice to hear the old sliding door sounds!)

A criticism would have to be levelled at the costume design, which I found uninspired, dreary and slightly camp. Decker's skin-tight body suit reveals more than modesty should allow! I suppose underwear is obsolete in the 23rd century? Kirk's sleeveless white shirt is quite off- putting, as I couldn't stop staring a William Shatner's extremely hairy arms. Yet these are my only criticisms. I really enjoy this film and have done so since its release. This version finally completes an unfinished work and improves upon it to such a degree that Trekkies will have to reevaluate yet again which is the best of the Motion Picture series. As for me apart from the original series this is Star Trek's finest hour!