Home
search
more | tips
SHOP STAR TREK...
Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.fr
IMDb > Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
[Add to My Movies]
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

advertisement
Register or login to rate this title
User Rating: 6.1/10 (18,494 votes)
Photos (see all 56 | slideshow) Videos
IMDb Coverage of Comic-Con 2008

Overview

Director:
Robert Wise
Writers:
Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek) and
Alan Dean Foster (story) ...
more
Release Date:
7 December 1979 (USA) more view trailer
Tagline:
The human adventure is just beginning more
Plot:
When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 15 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(6 articles)
Director Robert Wise Dies at 91 (From IMDb News. 15 September 2005)
Actor James Doohan Dies at 85 (From IMDb News. 20 July 2005)
User Comments:
As far from the restrictions of TV as it could possibly be. more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Star Trek II (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Phase II (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Planet of the Titans (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition (USA) (DVD title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG for sci-fi action and mild language.
Runtime:
132 min | USA:136 min (director's cut) | USA:143 min (TV version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Klingon
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital EX (director's cut) | Dolby
Certification:
South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Canada:PG (Ontario - 2006) | Italy:T | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Ireland:G | Netherlands:12 | Norway:12 | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:G | USA:PG (director's cut) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) (director's cut) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating)
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The V'ger prop was so large and involved so much work that one end of it was being used in scenes while the other end was still being built. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Colors of bands on the sleeves of Spock and McCoy's uniforms upon return to the Enterprise after the battle. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Klingon captain: [giving an order in Klingon] Tactical...
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (2007) (V) more

FAQ

How Fast is the Enterprise?
Why does the Ilea character talk of an "oath of celibacy" to Kirk?
Why do the Klingons in this movie look so different from the Klingons from the Original Series?
more
13 out of 16 people found the following comment useful:-
As far from the restrictions of TV as it could possibly be., 1 October 2006
7/10
Author: Shawn Watson (gator_macready@yahoo.com) from The Underverse

Oooh, a difficult one this. Very difficult indeed. Unless you are particularly patient, or are a hardcore Star Trek fan this is going to take some effort to stick with. It doesn't seem like a Trekkie movie. Nowhere near as much fun as Wrath Of Khan, or First Contact. Not as much humour as The Voyage Home. In fact, there is no humour at all. Something that cripples the film badly. Everything is very straight-faced and sincere. To introduce someone to Star Trek with this film would be a bad idea.

Being the first Trek product since the original series one might expect the familiar campy story lines and beaming down to "M-class" planets - a bit of desert 10-minutes drive from LA - but there's none to be had. Veteran director Robert Wise has crafted a film very much in the style of his original version of The Haunting. His w-i-d-e-s-c-r-e-e-n compositions are beautiful and he really manages to lift Trek from the small screen to the cinema screen. It was a hard undertaking, but he set the standard for nine sequels to date.

The plot has a giant alien force destroying three Klingon ships on its direct course with earth. If the Federation doesn't stop this thing, it will blow up the planet. Admiral Kirk leaves his sunny San Francisco home to assume command of the Enterprise from Captain Decker and stop the alien menace. But Decker has a chip on his shoulder. The new Enterprise is not finished yet and he doesn't appreciate Kirk moving in on his territory.

Very slowly the original crew return and are in command of their posts again and there is a weird new navigator, a bald-headed, celibate alien woman named Ilia. Decker seems to have a thing for her. For some reason.

Once they reach the mysterious alien mass, the crew learns its name is Vger. Ilia is kidnapped and replaced with an android. Spock is driven to tears as he finds TOTAL logic in Vger actions and motivations. This is all sub-subtext and the actual explanation behind Vger might not come as a surprise to most. Once they fly inside Vger's mass of clouds and orifices it takes a healthy hour for the damn thing to be fully revealed.

To criticise a film for its length may be an ignorant thing to do. Audiences today are too satisfied with any plot lasting less than 100 minutes. This is not a good sign. Films with the scope and, dare I say it, class of Star Trek: The Motion Picture need their full and proper running time. Coherent story lines can be sacrificed for fast paced, exhilarating storytelling, or a dull, seemingly endless narrative can be the result of a big story being fully fleshed out. It's difficult to achieve both length and pace. Sadly, this film doesn't. But it looks very good, is well directed and has the balls to bite off more than it can chew.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Wooden performances DHD99
Did this movie deserve a G rating? blah020122
82 AUs NOT 2 AUs!!! AlbertC79
Longer version laserdisc? hjones7
What I never understood about this movie:--please read... millertime2500
New Life Form wp34gsh
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Star Wars The Transformers: The Movie Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Adventure section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.