Amazon.com video review:
Back when the
first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the
Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the
original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a
burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene
Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of
Star Wars the
project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the
original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship
U.S.S. Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best
known for West Side
Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek
fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a
phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the
vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is
cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new
First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful
Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his
returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true
purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather
overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid
Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But
as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen
trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry
Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very
best (with its main theme later used for Star Trek: The Next
Generation). And, fortunately for Star Trek fans, the
expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network
TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original
theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon
