Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy (Blu-ray)
Directed by Nicholas Meyer, Leonard Nimoy
Studio: Paramount
Year: 1982/1984/1986
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:11080pAVC codec
Running Time: 112/105/118 minutes
Rating: PG
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 English; Dolby Digital 2.0 surround French, 2.0 mono Spanish
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
MSRP: $ 48.99
Release Date: May 12, 2009
Review Date: May 14, 2009
The Films
Overview
Could there possibly be anyone alive who doesn’t know the backstory to the legend of Star Trek? How the show ran for three increasingly low-rated seasons on NBC and upon cancellation and entry into the world of syndication grew into a monster hit that convinced Paramount to mount a movie version ten years after the series had left the network airwaves? That despite a big budget return directed by the Oscar-winning Robert Wise, fans were left a bit underwhelmed with a movie that had the original cast but only a faint resemblance to the fun and adventure of the original series? And thus was born its first sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan which took a well remembered villain from the show’s first season and fashioned a new story around his revenge on his Enterprise enemies.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - 4/5
The evil super alien Khan (Ricardo Montalban) escapes from the planet where he’s been exiled, manages to gain control of a Federation starship, and seeks out his old nemesis, (now) Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) who has been reunited with his old crew including Spock (Leonard Nimoy), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Scotty (James Doohan). Khan is also interested in the new invention Genesis which is a terraformation invention he plans to use as a weapon. To do that, he must capture its two inventors, Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and Dr. David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), both of whom have strong ties to Admiral Kirk.
Nicholas Meyer’s rebooting of the Star Trek we all know and love is perhaps this film’s greatest achievement. The sense of adventure, both light-hearted and deadly serious, is palpable in the marvelous screenplay by Jack Sowards, and Meyer handles what could have been a very talky script with great verve. The space duels between Kirk and Khan are gripping as each man thrusts and parries to gain the upper hand. And the story also contains some genuinely moving scenes for audiences who have grown up with these characters. Much more entertaining and briskly paced than the lumbering first film in the franchise, Khan is one of the apex films in the entire series’ history.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - 3.5/5
Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) reassembles his crew and steals the Enterprise on a quest to bring the missing Spock back to existence after he finds out that the latter's living spirit is extant in another form and that is spirit has been transferred to his old friend Dr. “Bones“ McCoy (DeForest Kelley). Complicating matters is a renegade Klingon warship helmed by the warlike commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) endangering the mission.
Though the script by producer Harve Bennett does not have quite the vivacity of the second film in the series, The Search for Spock improves with each new viewing. The story allows Shatner to once again have a very emotional scene to play, and he comes through admirably. Because his character is off screen for much of the film’s running time, Leonard Nimoy has the time to direct his colleagues in another fun adventure with only the film’s opening few scenes rather lethargically paced. Once the old crew gets the Enterprise out of dry dock and take off to retrieve their friend, the adventure and good times are contagious.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 4/5
After a strange space probe starts beaming signals to Earth, natural disasters start happening and the Earth‘s power supply is drained almost instantaneously. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew’s learn that the probe is waiting for humpback whales to return their songs, but as they are extinct in the 23rd century, the Earth’s only hope is for the Enterprise crew to travel back in time and find two humpback whales to bring back to their present day so they can return the signals.
Though four screenwriters are credited with the screenplay, the commentaries and bonus features make it clear that producer Harve Bennett and writer-director Nicholas Meyer contributed the bookend acts and the middle two acts of the script respectively. Without a real central villain, the story instead can focus more on fish-out-of-water antics from the crew as they attempt to negotiate life in the 20th century. This is the breeziest of the Trek sagas, and director Leonard Nimoy lets his knowledge of the quirks of the crew work to advantage in some hilarious set-ups for both gags and adventure. Catherine Hicks plays a marine biologist who is helpful in the quest for the whales and also as a budding love interest for Kirk (though perhaps more should have been done with this).
Video Quality
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - 4.5/5
The film’s 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio is replicated here in a 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Color depth and richness is the transfer’s greatest asset as hues parade before our eyes with delightfully vivacious saturation levels. Though sharpness is very good, black levels are appropriately inky, and the image is quite film-like, it’s not quite reference quality despite the film’s having undergone a complete restoration beforehand. The film has been divided into 17 chapters.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - 4/5
The film’s 2.35:1 aspect ratio is delivered in a 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. The image is sharp and reasonably dimensional, but there is some evidence that DNR has been applied to smooth out the grain. It hasn’t been done severely; not to the extent it was applied to Gangs of New York, for example, but it‘s not nearly as film-like as Trek II. Flesh tones look fine, and black levels are well delivered. The film has been divided into 11 chapters.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 3.5/5
The 2.35:1 aspect ratio of the original film is presented here in 1080p using the AVC codec. DNR has been more heavily applied here than in the previous picture giving artificially smoothed backgrounds and somewhat waxy appearances to faces. Color saturation is very strong, and black levels are first rate, but this doesn’t look much like a film image. There is also some slight moiré to be seen midway in the film. The movie has been divided into 18 chapters.
Audio Quality
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - 4/5
The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio mix is very impressive for a film of this age, but it can’t be compared to the full-bodied richness of today’s modern soundtracks. The dialog is well recorded and is placed appropriately in the center channel, and the surround channels get good if only sporadic use. There’s some LFE channel moments when the subwoofer gets some work to do, but, again, not to the extent that the channel is used in more modern sound design.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - 4.5/5
The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix is my favorite of the three audio tracks in this set. There is surprising heft to the soundfield and more surround presence than I was expecting. The LFE channel gets a pretty fair workout here.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 4/5
The Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio track does feature occasional front to rear pans and some directionalized dialog. The alien probe also emits a nice rumble that gives the subwoofer something to do. Still, it’s not as active as a more modern audio mix would be resulting in a good but not great surround presence.
Special Features
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - 4.5/5
There are two audio commentaries available for listening: the original commentary from director Nicholas Meyer and a new commentary featuring Meyer and Manny Coto. Meyer repeats many anecdotes from one commentary to the other though Cotto does ask some probing questions to spur Meyer’s thoughts when the conversation begins to lag.
The library computer is an interactive interface which can be turned on as the movie plays. It allows the viewer the option to select pop-up facts about dozens of aspects of the movie organized in the following groups: Culture, Science & Medicine, Starfleet OPS, Life Forms, Planets & Locations, People, Technology, Ships, and Miscellaneous. The interface also contains an index to all of the drop down facts so the viewer can choose ahead of time and read them instead of waiting to be prompted as the film plays.
“Captain’s Log” is a 27 ¼-minute summary of the issues facing the producers, the director, and the actors in deciding about the plot for the film featuring interviews with select important members of the cast and crew. It’s in 480p.
“Designing Khan” is a 24-minute 480p featurette featuring interviews with production designer Joe Jennings, costume designer Robert Fletcher, art director Lee Cole, and director Meyer all discussing their work to give the picture its specific look and tone.
Original 1982 interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley, and Montalban are in 480i and run a total of 11 minutes.
“Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” goes into some depth with the model work and animation used on the picture. This 480p featurette runs 18 ¼ minutes.
“Star Trek Universe: The Novel Approach” features interviews with Greg Cox and Julia Ecklar who have written books based on the mythology established in the television series and the films. This 480p feature runs 29 minutes.
“James Horner: Composing Genius” is an interview with the film’s gifted composer lasting 9 ½ minutes in 1080p.
“A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban” spends 4 ¾ minutes with director Nicholas Meyer waxing rhapsodic on the classy, urbane actor in this brief feature presented in 1080p.
“Collecting Star Trek”s Movie Relics” is an 11-minute featurette hosted by collector Alec Peters who shows us some gems of his collection along with introducing is to other Trek collectors who show off some of their most prized possessions. It’s in 1080p.
“Starfleet Academy: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI” features actress Sarah Backhouse in an on-going lecture on an aspect of the film some have found perplexing. This lasts 3 minutes in 1080p.
There are 13 storyboards which the user may choose and step through.
The theatrical trailer is in 1080p and lasts 2 ¼ minutes.
BD-Live for the set (available on each disc) offers a series of trivia quizzes for viewers and the ability to compose and upload your own quizzes for others.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - 4.5/5
There are two audio commentaries available for listening. The first and best edits together comments from director Leonard Nimoy, writer-producer Harve Bennett, cinematographer Charles Correll, and actress Robin Curtis (who played Saavik in the movie). The other features two men connected to other parts of the Trek television legacy but not connected to this film: Ronald Moore and Michael Taylor.
The library computer is an interactive interface which can be turned on as the movie plays. It allows the viewer the option to select pop-up facts about dozens of aspects of the movie organized in the following groups: Culture, Science & Medicine, Starfleet OPS, Life Forms, Planets & Locations, People, Technology, Ships, and Miscellaneous. The interface also contains an index to all of the drop down facts so the viewer can choose ahead of time and read them instead of waiting to be prompted as the film plays.
“Captain’s Log” features director Nimoy recounting how he came to get the job and how he enjoyed his first feature film directorial assignment. Star William Shatner also has a few zingers to fire off at his old friend. This is in 480p and lasts 26 ¼ minutes.
“Terraforming and the Prime Directive” is an interesting interview with scientist David Brin describing the real possibilities of forming a new biosphere on Mars in this 26-minute segment presented in 480p.
“Industrial Light & Mahic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek” is a 13 ¾-minute summary of some of the effects work the famous company accomplished on four of the Trek films: II, III, IV, and VI. It’s in 1080p.
“Spock: The Early Years” allows actor Stephen Manley to introduce the actors who play Spock at different ages during the movie and recount some of his fondest memories of making the picture. It’s in 1080p and lasts 6 ¼ minutes.
“Space Docks and Birds of Prey” finds the film’s designers and props people discussing their work on the project. This 480p featurette runs 27 ¾ minutes.
“Speaking Klingon” gives some insider information on how the language for the aliens was developed based on previous Klingon conversation in earlier shows and films. This 480p feature runs 21 minutes.
“Klingon and Vulcan Costumes” looks at the wardrobe, make-up, and jewelry needed for various characters in the film. It runs 12 ¼ minutes in 480p.
“Star Trek and the Science Fiction Hall of Fame” has the curators of the museum in Seattle escorting writer-producer Harve Bennett around to show him the contents devoted to Star Trek. This lasts 17 minutes and is in 1080p.
“Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer” finds actress Sarah Backhouse once again explaining briefly an apparent anomaly in the portrayal of an alien in the film. It lasts 2 ¾ minutes in 1080p.
There are two photo galleries which the viewer may step-through: behind-the-scenes production shots and movie stills.
There are nine storyboards which the viewer may step through.
The theatrical trailer runs 1 ¼ minutes in 1080p.
BD-Live for the set (available on each disc) offers a series of trivia quizzes for viewers and the ability to compose and upload your own quizzes for others.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 5/5
There are two audio commentaries from which to choose. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy host an affable remembrance of making the film in their track while two men connected with the new Star Trek movie, Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci, contribute a new commentary from a fan’s perspective.
“Future’s Past: A Look Back” is a 27 ½-minute discussion of how the plot for the film came about building on the stories from the previous two films. It’s in 480p.
“On Location” spends 7 ½ minutes talking about the thrill of shooting on location in San Francisco rather than within the confines of a studio. It’s in 480p.
“Dailies Deconstruction” shows multiple takes and multiple camera angles for the downtown San Francisco scene. It lasts 4 ¼ minutes in 480p.
“Below the Line: Sound Design” has the film’s sound editor discussing how he came up with the sounds needed for various scenes in the picture. This 480p featurette runs 11 ¾ minutes.
“Time Travel: The Art of Possible” finds a series of Ph.D’s discussing the physics and possibilities of time travel in an 11 ¾-minute feature. It’s in 480p.
“The Language of Whales” is a quick overview of the different types of whales and the mysterious sounds they make. This 480p short lasts 5 ¾ minutes.
“A Vulcan Primer” is a 480p primer on what we know about Vulcans based on information contained in the original series and the movies. It runs for 7 ¾ minutes.
“Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments” is a 1080p visit with actor Walter Koenig basking in the extra attnetion his Chekov character received in this particular film. This lasts 6 minutes.
“The Three-Picture Saga” is a series of interviews with the writers of the three trilogy films discussing how the plots were written to tie each film to the next. This 1080p featurette runs 10 ¼ minutes.
“Star Trek for a Cause” finds two members of Greenpeace advocating their work in the preservation of the whale in a 5 ¾-minute feature in 1080p.
“Starfleet Academy: The Whale Probe” is another 1080p feature with actress Sarah Backhouse basically summarizing the plot of the film. It lasts 3 ¾ minutes.
“Kirk’s Women” features four actresses who have appeared on the Trek series as either love interests or involved in some way with Captain Kirk: Louise Sorel, Catherine Hicks, Celeste Yarnell, and Cathy Browne. This 480p series of interviews lasts 8 ¼ minutes.
“From Outer Space to the Ocean” is a 14 ¾-minute slight EPK featurette on the special effects used for the movie’s four main effects sequences: the whales, the dream sequence which used early CGI effects, the space probe, and the Bird of Prey. It’s in 480p.
“The Bird of Prey” discusses the concepts for the design and implementation of the space vehicle used in the film, both its look and sound. This 480p feature runs 2 ¾ minutes.
Interviews from 1986 are individually held with William Shatner (14 ½ minutes), Leonard Nimoy (15 ¾ minutes), and DeForest Kelley (13 minutes). All three men play their cards close to their vests about the central problem in the film's plot not wanting to give away any surprises.
“Roddenberry Scrapbook” is a tribute to the creator of the original series by his son Eugene. This 480p feature runs 8 ¼ minutes.
“Featured Artist: Mark Lenard” is a tribute to the actor who played Spock’s father in the series and the films with his wife and two daughters contributing personal reminiscences about the actor and the man. It’s in 480p and lasts 12 ¾ minutes.
A production gallery featurette is a montage of movie stills and behind the scenes production shots collected in a 480p 4-minute vignette.
There are eight storyboards which the viewer may step through.
The film’s theatrical trailer runs for 2 ½ minutes in 1080p.
The library computer is an interactive interface which can be turned on as the movie plays. It allows the viewer the option to select pop-up facts about dozens of aspects of the movie organized in the following groups: Culture, Science & Medicine, Starfleet OPS, Life Forms, Planets & Locations, People, Technology, Ships, and Miscellaneous. The interface also contains an index to all of the drop down facts so the viewer can choose ahead of time and read them instead of waiting to be prompted as the film plays.
BD-Live for the set (available on each disc) offers a series of trivia quizzes for viewers and the ability to compose and upload your own quizzes for others.
Each of the films in the set contain a 1080p trailer for the new Star Trek movie and also for the new Blu-ray edition of season one of the series.
In Conclusion
4/5 (not an average)
Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy includes what many believe are the three best films made by the original series stars and bundles them together in this one Blu-ray package. Extras are plentiful (both ported over from the Collector’s Edition DVD sets and some new high definition featurettes), and while the films themselves have not been given reference quality transfers, they will likely satisfy all but the most demanding consumers.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC