Star Trek: The Motion Picture

I'm sitting here watching the first Star Trek movie on IFC, and I just had to say that it is on order of magnitude the best of all the Star Trek films. Firstly, the solemnity with which is was made, with which the story was told makes all subsequent attempts, in my opinion, sophomoric. Secondly, if you're a straight man, you must love the lead female above all females...I'm in love...c'est la vie. Comments?

PS: Is the avatar for this thread the characters from Twilight? Seriously? Can we change that?

Lee Sager

I agree wholeheartedly! I love Star Trek: TMP the best of all. I remember renting all 6 films one weekend to watch them all for the first time. I remember how disappointed I was after watching the other five haha!

I mean, I love all the feature films, but The Motion Picture does have a special place in my heart that left all the subsequent films lacking in my opinion.

I love the long visual-musical sequences (not to mention the beautiful overture!) The music and look on Kirk's face as he is in the shuttle with Scotty peppered with gorgeous shots of the Enterprise--it's enough to make a man tear up.

I think V'GER was genius! Sure it's just a ripoff from the episode: The Changling, with Nomad. But it is brilliant as a character/villain/entity.

My favorite movie of all time is 2001: A Space Odyssey...so, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is definitely my favorite feature film of the original 6 Star Treks. They are so alike in many ways.



I think people that don't like this movie just really, really don't like to be mellow and think deep thoughts

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
I agree wholeheartedly! I love Star Trek: TMP the best of all. I remember renting all 6 films one weekend to watch them all for the first time. I remember how disappointed I was after watching the other five haha!

I mean, I love all the feature films, but The Motion Picture does have a special place in my heart that left all the subsequent films lacking in my opinion.

I love the long visual-musical sequences! The music and look on Kirk's face as he is in the shuttle with Scotty peppered with gorgeous shots of the Enterprise--it's enough to make a man tear up.

I think V'GER was genius! Sure it's just a ripoff from the episode: The Changling, with Nomad. But it is brilliant as a character/villain/entity.

My favorite movie of all time is 2001: A Space Odyssey...so, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is definitely my favorite feature film of the original 6 Star Treks.

I think people that don't like this movie just really, really don't like to be mellow and think deep thoughts

So we're apparently spiritual brothers. Oh, by the way, there's a commercial on right now for legal compensation for complications with vaginal mesh. Thanks for that! I really never wanted to be interested in sex again. Anyway, I digress.

John Lennon said that 2001 should be played 24 hours a day in a temple.

Lee Sager

reply to post by BBobb


Haha really about the John Lennon quote? I read two biographies of Lennon and never heard that before! But, I would definitely visit that temple at least once a month with some popcorn!

Yeah, that commercial kind of irks me too. Wow, we just have all sorts of things in common! But, universal contempt for that commercial is kind of a given

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha
reply to post by BBobb

 

Haha really about the John Lennon quote? I read two biographies of Lennon and never heard that before! But, I would definitely visit that temple at least once a month with some popcorn!

Yeah, that commercial kind of irks me too. Wow, we just have all sorts of things in common! But, universal contempt for that commercial is kind of a given

That's pretty funny. I seriously hate that commercial. I love women, I mentioned in my OP how smitten I was by the female lead, so that is literally part of my joy of the movie I was watching. That doesn't make me bad, makes me a man. Then, I have to listen to complications of post-surgical transvaginal mesh, and I'm like..."DAMMIT"

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


Also, I have John Lennon's name tatood on my arm. Another spiritual brother. Nice meeting you by the way.,

Lee Sager

reply to post by BBobb


Hey, don't forget that Lt. Ilia's oath of celibacy is on record! Did you even pay attention to that movie at all? and I think it's extremely funny that is the FIRST thing she says to Kirk.

Makes me wonder about what oath Kirk has on record

By the way, I am a huge Lennon fan too. I love Walls and Bridges.

reply to post by BBobb


Get a room you two!


Then you can watch Star Trek together and sing John Lennon songs to each other!

Originally posted by tvtexan
reply to post by BBobb

 

Get a room you two!

Off-topic post that does not lead to discussion about the topic of the original post. That's it, I'm alerting the mods!

I'm reporting you, me, and the OP for off-topic posts!

Originally posted by tvtexan
reply to post by BBobb

 

Get a room you two!

You're an A-hole, but that was pretty funny. And it was turning into a bit of a bromance. Touche Douche...



Then you can watch Star Trek together and sing John Lennon songs to each other!

edit on 12-11-2012 by tvtexan because: (no reason given)

You're an A-hole, but that was pretty funny. And it was turning into a bit of a bromance. Touche Douche...

Watch the T&C guys.

I grew up with the OS. The first movie was a turd. It was about 17 years after the TV show was scrapped. AND a ripoff of one of their own original episodes. If they are going with a chronology, the Wrath of Khan will be next and it is considered the best ST movie. Not a ripoff, a sequel.

Then TNG First Contact. Great movie.

As a long time fan, I have seen them all at or near their release. I subscribe to the odd and even theory regarding the history of the Star Trek movie franchise.

1)Star Trek TMP = Visually stunning for the time but ultimately dull (IMHO)

2)Wrath of Kahn= Most rate this their favorite.

3)Search For Spock =Clumsy and predictable. (extra mention for the destruction of the Enterprise)

4)The Voyage Home = Quirky but ultimately enjoyable.

5)The Final Frontier= Panned by critics and fans alike as a mess.

6)The Undiscovered Country = James Tiberius Kirk at his best. Christopher Plummer's Shakespeare quoting Klingon performance was fantastic.

7)Generations = A silly vehicle to bring the Next Generation cast onto the big screen.Kirk's death was terrible, should have left him dead after the first time when he was sucked into the void of space.

8)First Contact = Dark, the Borg Queen's creepy seduction of Data, the Borg earth and the reluctant drunken hero Zefram Cochrane made for a good Star Trek plot.

9)Insurrection = How many Star Trek fans reading this even remember the plot?

10)Nemisis= Picard's best showing, the TNG cast were getting a bit stale however the overall effort was satisfying.

11)Star Trek 2009= IMHO, J. J. Abrams re-imagining breaks the odd/even cycle. I was skeptical and resistant to the thought of tampering with TOS characters however the re-imagined Star Trek was deeply satisfying and gave me a new hope for the future of the franchise.

Any other Trekkies/Trekkers agree?

Originally posted by intrepid
Watch the T&C guys.

I grew up with the OS. The first movie was a turd. It was about 17 years after the TV show was scrapped. AND a ripoff of one of their own original episodes.

If they are going with a chronology, the Wrath of Khan will be next and it is considered the best ST movie. Not a ripoff, a sequel.

Then TNG First Contact. Great movie.

Ok, I watching Wrath of Kahn right now. Do none of you have IFC? Firstly, I'm sorry about your mental problems. And First Contact!!?? Listen, if you have mental health issues, you really need to see a professional. I actually think maybe you should dial 911.


Holy hell, the lead female on Kahn is the chick from Cheers! Does she compare in any way to the hottest woman in the world walking around in a little mini for the whole movie? No. You could probably talk with your shrink about your sexual issues as well.

reply to post by intrepid


Yes, I pointed out that it was a rip-off of Nomad on The Changeling. But consider this...if Star Trek Phase II was a-go...this would have been an episode. ST: TMP was simply a drawn-out version of a Phase II script.

As a Star Trek adventure, I can see how TMP was a letdown. As a film, it is a good one right up there with 2001: A Kubrick Classic

The biggest let down of Khan was that there were no Kirk and Khan scenes. How can you really make Wrath of Khan without a scene containing Kirk and Khan on the same set?!

First Contact = brilliant Trek movie

Originally posted by Drunkenparrot

9)Insurrection = How many Star Trek fans reading this even remember the plot?

I actually like Insurrection right after First Contact. I don't know why. I guess I just didn't like Nemesis very much. It's just another "madman-villain-like-Khan-out-for-revenge" kind of movie. I just didn't believe in that Picard clone's anger or motive. It was all too contrived if you ask me--not to mention Deeana and Riker's marriage.

I didn't like Nero either. What a terrible and unconvincing villain. What, did he have like 4 bits of dialogue in the whole movie?


I am really getting sick of this type of villain in my Trek movies. Who's with me?

Originally posted by Drunkenparrot
11)Star Trek 2009= IMHO, J. J. Abrams re-imagining breaks the odd/even cycle. I was skeptical and resistant to the thought of tampering with TOS characters however the re-imagined Star Trek was deeply satisfying and gave me a new hope for the future of the franchise.

Any other Trekkies/Trekkers agree?

Totally. You can only do something over so many times. The Amazing Spiderman? What's that? 3rd redone? The Man of Steel? Gotta be 4th or 5th including the TV shows. A new timeline for ST was a stroke of genius. Now they can tell different stories with interesting twists... which fans will get.

Originally posted by NarcolepticBuddha

Originally posted by Drunkenparrot

9)Insurrection = How many Star Trek fans reading this even remember the plot?

I actually like Insurrection right after First Contact. I don't know why. I guess I just didn't like Nemesis very much. It's just another "madman-villain-like-Khan-out-for-revenge" kind of movie. I just didn't believe in that Picard clone's anger or motive. It was all too contrived if you ask me--not to mention Deeana and Riker's marriage.

I am really getting sick of this type of villain in my Trek movies. I didn't like Nero either. What a terrible and unconvincing villain. Who's with me?

edit on 12-11-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha because: (no reason given)

edit on 12-11-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha because: (no reason given)

I'm with you brother.

reply to post by NarcolepticBuddha


If you haven't already seen it, you sound like you would really enjoy the 1972 film Silent Running.

If John Lennon had met Arthur C. Clark and written a screenplay in the early 70's it would have been something like this...

Silent Running takes place in the not-so-distant future, at a time in which Earth's plant life has been decimated. Only a few specimens of flora have been preserved, and are currently in space in a fleet of orbiting greenhouses.

Freeman Lowell (played by Bruce Dern) is the main character, one of four extraterrestrial forest rangers aboard the Valley Forge, one of the 2,000 metre-long green house freighters. He is passionately dedicated to preserving the orbiting forests and their natural inhabitants, and eventual returning them to Earth for reforestation of his now-barren planet more so than his crewmates, whose main priority seems to be returning to Earth after their one-year deployment to space.

The main conflict comes when Lowell and his crew are ordered to destroy the orbiting greenhouses and redeploy the freighters to commercial service. Lowell decides to disobey orders and save the forests he has worked so hard to preserve.

Silent Running/IMDB

It also has a couple of great Joan Baez contributions to the soundtrack.

Here is the film in its entirety, gotta love youtube....

As to the last movie I thought they went with what makes ST work. Interaction of the characters. I thought they were excellent with the exception of Uhura. She seemed "latex" in this movie. Uhura is a velvet hammer. Soft on the outside. Kick your ass on the inside.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


Thanks for the suggestion. I used to want to be a sci-fi writer, so I am definitely interested in this kind of stuff even if I am not adamant about writing anymore.

Thanks for posting the film as well. I have never heard of it (a bit before my time) and wasn't aware of any other Arthur C. Clarke adapted films. I will check it out