Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The 1979 film is the first installment in the Star Trek film series. It stars the cast of the original television series. The film received mixed reviews, many of which faulted it for a lack of action scenes and over-reliance on special effects. It earned USD 139 million worldwide, short of studio expectations.

About Star Trek: The Motion Picture in brief

Summary Star Trek: The Motion PictureStar Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Robert Wise and based on the television series Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry. It is the first installment in the Star Trek film series, and stars the cast of the original television series. In the film, set in the 2270s, a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud known as V’Ger approaches Earth, destroying everything in its path. Admiral James T. Kirk assumes command of the recently refitted Starship USS Enterprise, to lead it on a mission to save the planet and determine the origins of the cloud. The film received mixed reviews, many of which faulted it for a lack of action scenes and over-reliance on special effects. It earned USD 139 million worldwide, short of studio expectations but enough for Paramount to propose a less expensive sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In 2001, Wise oversaw a director’s cut for a special DVD release of the film with remastered audio, tightened and added scenes, and new computer-generated effects. The final production cost ballooned to approximately USD 44 million, and it earned USD139 million worldwide. The original series was canceled in 1969, but the success of the series in syndication convinced the studio to begin work on the film in 1975. In 1978, Paramount assembled the largest press conference held at the studio since the 1950s to announce that Wise would direct a USD 15 million film adaptation of theOriginal television series and Star Trek:  Phase II. With the cancellation of Phase II, writers rushed to adapt its planned pilot episode, \”In Thy Image\”, into a film script.

The Enterprise was modified inside and out, costume designer Robert Fletcher provided new uniforms, and production designer Harold Michelson fabricated new sets. Jerry Goldsmith composed the film’s score, beginning an association with Star Trek that would continue until 2002. Starfleet Command assigns Enterprise to intercept the cloud entity as the ship is the only one within range, requiring its new systems to be tested in transit. The cloud easily destroys three of the Klingon Empire’s new K’t’inga-class warships when they fire on it and disintegrates Epsilon Nine when it tries to investigate. On Earth, the starship Enterprise is undergoing a major refit; its former commanding officer, James Kirk, has been promoted to Admiral and works in San Francisco as Chief of Starfleet Operations. Citing his experience, Kirk uses his authority to take control of the ship, angering Captain Willard Decker, who has been overseeing the refit as its new commanding officer. She is replaced by a replica of Ilia Ilia, whom he is distraught over the loss of. A probe probes the energy cloud and is attacked by an alien vessel, which calls itself \”V’Ger\”, and abducts the navigator, Ilia. The ship’s science officer Sonak is killed by a malfunctioning transporter, and improperly calibrated engines nearly destroy the ship’s unfamiliar engines. Commander Spock, demoted to first officer, arrives as a replacement, explaining that while on his home world he believes a consciousness emanates from the cloud, making him unable to complete a ritual to purge himself.