Topic: Tom's Star Trek Movies Marathon

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Year: 1979
Director: Robert Wise
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 131 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
George Takei

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Storyboards
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Although a little on the slow side, I can appreciate the effort. For its time nice special effect, which they went on to milk to death by a slow journey through the cloud. The pacing is better in this Director's Edition than in the original cut (at least of what I remember of the original cut).
In the beginning of the movie we also got a nice, long model shot of the Enterprise. After all they flew around it for at least five minutes
The score is great and saves the long effect shots. The theme is so good, that they used it as the opening theme of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and after hearing it now countless times, I am still not tired of it.

What I do not understand: They knew that the transporters are acting up. This is why Kirk took the shuttle. A few minutes after Kirk boarded Enterprise, they were using the transporters again and lost two people this way. How careless can you be?

Rating:

[Dragonfire]

I'm not sure I've ever seen all of this one. 

I have been thinking that I might watch these movies before the new one comes out.  So maybe I'll do that in a few weeks once work slows back down..I'll swipe my step-dad's..though since he has two copies - courtesy of my goof  - I could swipe one and keep it and he wouldn't know.   

[DJ Doena]

What I do not understand: They knew that the transporters are acting up. This is why Kirk took the shuttle. A few minutes after Kirk boarded Enterprise, they were using the transporters again and lost two people this way. How careless can you be?

I always understood this as a miscommunication. The transport was initiated by the Earrth-based side (not necessarily the same transporter site from which Kirk would have beamed up) and maybe they didn't get the memo.

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Year: 1982
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
Walter Koenig


Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A great Star Trek movie. A great advisary in form of Khan. An interesting story with a great ending. And good production values for its small budget.

I like that they are addressing the age of the characters. I like the scenes, where Kirk has to put on glasses to read something.

Kirstie Alley's Saavik is a bit strange though. It seemed like the actress didn't know what a Vulcan should be like. She showed too much emotions. She even cried at Spock's funeral. Also it seems like Kirstie Alley refused to let her eyebrows shaved off to have the make-up department attach the distinctive Vulcan eyebrows.

I think Scottie took a wrong turn somewhere. Why would he take his injured nephew to the bridge first instead of taking him to the sickbay first?

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Year: 1984
Director: Leonard Nimoy
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 101 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
Walter Koenig

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A boring and rather disappointing coninuation of Star Trek II. The premise is rather ridiculous and only serves as a way to bring Spock back from the dead.
Highlight of this movie is of course the destruction of the Enterprise. I also liked Kirk's reaction to his son's death.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Year: 1986
Director: Leonard Nimoy
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 117 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
George Takei

Extras:
Commentary
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

One of the best Star Trek movies further supporting that the Star Trek movies with even numbers are the better ones (that is, until Star Trek: Nemesis came along). Only the premise of having to get whales from the 20th century to the 23rd century I find ridiculous.

Rating:


Note to Jimmy: This is a recycled review

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Year: 1989
Director: William Shatner
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 102 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
Walter Koenig

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

The worst of the original Star Trek movies. This time with the captain itself in the director's chair. Stupid story with plot holes through which you can fly the Enterprise. Traveling to the center of the universe, which nobody has ever done in a matter of hours (thousands of light years)? Passing a barrier without any problems whatsoever which is said to be impossible? Flying up 60 levels on ship which has about 14 or so? Star Fleet commissions a new ship which is already falling apart? They must have really bad quality control.
Horse-crazy Shatner also just to integrate horses into the plot. Putting a stupid horn on the head does not make a horse an alien creature.
The only thing which saves the movie a little are some of the scenes between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The other characters are sadly reduced to laughing stock material (maybe this is the reason the other actors often talk ill about Shatner).

Rating:

[Jimmy]

The worst of the original Star Trek movies.

Rating:

Now I know why I've taken a good decision to not watch it after the others when I've bought the first five last year.
Not in a hurry to watch it after reading your review.

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Year: 1991
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 109 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.00
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Arabic, Bulgarian, Commentary, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
James Doohan
Walter Koenig

Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A great farewell movie for the original crew. Maybe a little to much prejudice involved for supposedly open-minded Starfleet officers.

I always liked the passing of the torch to the Next Generation crew with Kirk's final log entry:
"This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun, and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man... where no one has gone before."

Expecially the "where no man... where no one..." part as this reflects the opening narrations of the respective series.

Rating:

[Najemikon]

This was my favourite Trek movie and I must get it to have another look. Shame the series would never come up to par again. First Contact is good, but just not as special.

Shatner is a nut though! He was on TV with Jonathan Ross the other night and it was hilarious; I honestly can't work out where his real eccentricity begins and which bit he's playing up to.

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek: Generations
Year: 1994
Director: David Carson
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Czech: Dolby Digital Surround, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Brent Spiner
LeVar Burton
Michael Dorn

Extras:
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

A decent Star Trek movie. Certainly not one of the better ones. I like the beginning. The rest is more like an extended average TV episode.
But it was nice to see Picard and Kirk meet.
I think that Shatner had in his contract, that he would only appear, if he got to ride his horse

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek: First Contact
Year: 1996
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 106 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Czech: Dolby Digital Stereo, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital Stereo, Polish: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Bulgarian, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Brent Spiner
LeVar Burton
Michael Dorn

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

My favorite Star Trek movie. This is a good example how you can bring beloved TV characters to the big screen. And obviously it was made by people who know their Star Trek stuff. A lot of little thinks to please the hard core fans. A cameo by the EMH and by Barclay, for example. Then of course it has time-travel, which is always a plus in my book
Again the first officer of the Enterprise has shown, that he is capable on the director's chair.

I really like the soundtrack to this movie. Especially the opening and closing theme. I also think it is a great choice to play "Magic Carpet Ride" during the warp ship launch.

Sadly this has been the high point of the Next Generation movies. From here it goes downhill to almost killing the franchise. Even going so far, that everybody is excited now to have new actors as a young original crew. Fans would have had a fit, if they would have tried it ten years ago. Actually they almost did try it for a sixth Star Trek movie. Only with the 25th anniversary coming up, they changed their mind and made another movie with the original crew.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek: Insurrection
Year: 1998
Director: Jonathan Frakes
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 99 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish

Stars:
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Brent Spiner
LeVar Burton
Michael Dorn


Extras:
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

After the action-ladded Star Trek First Contact, this movie seems to let down. But if seen not as a follow up to that movie, but to the series, this movie is quite alright. We see the character act more like in a standard episode of TNG.
I thought it was great how they solved the explanation why Worf was on the Enterprise yet again. The screenwriters just didn't let him finish explaining
I think it was a good choice to resolve some open issues from the series, like the whole Riker-Troi thing. Or Geordi's wish to experience real eye-sight. And we get to the first season's baby-face Riker again.
Really unnecessary was the joke of data being able to inflate himself. It wasn't needed for the plot and was just ridiculous. Another ridiculous thing was the joystick for manual control of the ship.
But overall this movie was more fun than I was remembering it.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Star Trek: Nemesis
Year: 2002
Director: Stuart Baird
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Surround
Subtitles: Commentary, Dutch, English, German, Hungarian, Polish, Turkish

Stars:
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
Brent Spiner
LeVar Burton
Michael Dorn


Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Photo Gallery
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

This movie put a halt to the franchise. And I can really understand why. Breaking the tradition, that even numbered Star Trek movies are good, this movie's main problem is, that it is not true to what we have learned throughout the series.
Why for example the ridiculous buggy scene in the beginning? Why again a predecessor model of Data? And why no mention of Lore?
Why didn't they keep the real eyes Geordi got in the previous movie? It wouldn't have detracted from the character to let him finally have them.

I find it sad, that they break the tradition of the Star Trek movies to have a proper opening credit sequence.
I think this movie could have been a decent outing, if they would have left out the buggy, B-4 (was he really needed?) and the Picard clone (they could easily have had another advisary with more interesting motivation in his place).

Rating: