Movie Review: Star Trek the Motion Picture
My turbo nerd friends and I have for years argued about which is the best of the six Original Series Star Trek movies. Sure, we all agree that The Final Frontier is by far the worst and The Search for Spock is underrated. But while most of my circle agree with the popular consensus putting Wrath of Khan at the top, I hold fast to a minority view that the first film Star Trek the Motion Picture is the best.
Allow me to make my case
Let us first remember that Star Trek the Motion Picture came out in 1979, two years after a little flick called Star Wars. Coming on the heels of that cultural phenomena and more than a decade after the end of the Original Series run, The Motion Picture had huge shoes to fill.
Given its success at the box office and all the additional films and media it spawned it is fair to say that it more than succeeded. Having recently rewatched it I was amazed by two things: 1 — the maturity of the story and 2 — how well the effects and music have held up. On the second point all I will say is that the Director’s Cut looks great in HD and the film’s OST is perfection. I will never get tired of that theme.
On the first point what struck me was how much the movie feels like a long episode of the TV show. The basic conflict is similar to the flow of many of those plots from the 60’s. A mysterious powerful phenomena is discovered in space, Kirk and the Enterprise go investigate, along the way they deal with challenges both alien and interpersonal. One thing that stands out, especially compared to many modern sci-fi films, is the maturity of the characters. Kirk is virtuous but also flawed and human. He makes mistakes. His rival, captain Decker who is unhappily forced to relinquish the Enterprise to him, is not just some cartoonish one-dimensional antagonist. The two interact as professionals even when critical of one another.
I won’t spoil the great twist related to the alien threat but I will say that the rather abstract nature of the enemy they face makes this first Star Trek movie less emotionally satisfying compared to the second. Khan was an amazing villain and the strong personal stakes and sacrifice made that movie feel much more cinematic. It may be the better standalone movie, but The Motion Picture is for my money the better Star Trek story.
Fans of the Original Series have debated endlessly about their favorite members of the cast. Great arguments can be made for Kirk, Spock, and my personal favorite, based “Bones” McCoy. However in truth the ship the Enterprise itself is really the most important character. It represents not only Kirk’s dreams and the heart of his team but also all of the ambitions of future mankind. The very soul of Star Trek is this idea that out there in space lie all manner of fascinating creatures, phenomena, and adventures just waiting to be discovered.
Actual outer space may not have quite so many shape shifting alien babes or reality-bending trickster gods as Star Trek would have us think. Still I agree with Carl Sagan that, whatever might be out there, it is humanity’s destiny to reach for the stars. Star Trek the Motion Picture embodies this idea more profoundly than any of its sequels. For that reason it will always be my number one.
Grade: A
