STAR TREK will never be 2001. But that didn’t stop the filmmakers of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE from trying. Director Robert Wise (WEST SIDE STORY) attains the cold tone of space and the methodical pacing of 2001, but where’s STAR TREK in all of this pretentiousness?
Sci-fi was hot post-STAR WARS and Paramount thought it could cash in on the buzz with its cult TV favorite. Set years after the series, Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) is now an admiral. A strange cloud is moving toward Earth and destroying all ships that get in its way. So the Starfleet Federation calls on Kirk to take command of the Enterprise again and discover the nature of the mysterious cloud. His old crew is still aboard the newly supped up Enterprise, except for Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who has been on Vulcan training to rid himself of all emotion.
Kirk’s first obstacle is getting control of the ship from its new captain William Decker (Stephen Collins, TV’s 7TH HEAVEN), who questions every move Kirk makes. When the Enterprise gets into some trouble, Spock miraculously shows up with all the answers. However, his sly disregard for human emotion has moved into creepy coldness. Again where’s the STAR TREK that we all loved? As they get closer to the cloud, Spock receives signals that a ship or something is at the core of the cloud. Then Lt. Ilia (Persis Khambatta, NIGHTHAWKS) — Decker’s love interest — is kidnapped by the being in the cloud that goes by VGER.
First of all, the pacing is snoresville all the way. Long panning shots of space ships are just boring compared to the graceful awe in 2001. Knowing the characters going in, the dynamic between Kirk, Spock and Bones (DeForest Kelley) is hardly present. The uncertainty created around Spock’s motives is wrong, wrong, wrong. As is the love story between Decker and Ilia. The combative dynamic between Kirk and Decker is good, but we never care enough for these new characters, especially when too many of the beloved characters are underused to the point of walk-on roles.
While the TV series had a goofy wit and dealt with issues of tolerance, this film wants to take on more heady sci-fi issues. Once those heady issues come to light, the film takes on a nice fascination, but it takes way too long to get to the at-arm’s-length emotional conclusion. Spock’s extra coldness seems to permeate over the entire adventure.
With STAR WARS’ revolutionary advances in editing, this film seems like a plodding relic that develops zero tension. Despite all of the film’s flaws, it’s not a complete waste of time. Shatner and the original cast are still able to infuse the film with the fun of the original series even if Nimoy’s Spock is not what we remember. In addition, the core sci-fi premise, which is revealed in the end, is actually a very intelligent and intriguing idea. However, the themes and thoughts brought up by the ending are not weaved into the fabric of the overall tale enough. For STAR TREK fans, it should still be required viewing. For those who don’t align themselves with the legions of Trekkies out there in the universe, you should stick with STAR TREK II or IV or VI. Those STAR TREK films, remember why we liked the TV show in the first place.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
