# Star Trek The Motion Picture **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [September 30, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691 "2021-09-30T21:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2021, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/61 "2021-10-01T19:12:48Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > “What does a god need with a starship?” is a classic movie line. I think about that every time I eat marshmelons. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/62 "2021-10-01T19:23:47Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > The movie scene wasn’t quite _that_ horrific, but it was pretty intense (especially compared to the rest of the movie). > And then a few scenes later, they’re back to chuckling over Dr. McCoy’s aversion to having his molecules scattered around the galaxy… Yeah, after I wrote my post I went back and watched the scene (because YouTube has everything). Even the one in the movie was pretty horrific. I realized “liked” wasn’t really a good description of my opinion. It really hit me hard, probably because everything that had come before in Star Trek was always so sanitized, and this was so visceral (in a G-rated movie, even!). That’s why it stuck with me for over forty years. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/63 "2021-10-01T19:45:16Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Yeah, after I wrote my post I went back and watched the scene (because YouTube has everything). Even the one in the movie was pretty horrific. I realized “liked” wasn’t really a good description of my opinion. It really hit me hard, probably because everything that had come before in Star Trek was always so sanitized, and this was so visceral (in a G-rated movie, even!). That’s why it stuck with me for over forty years. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen TMP, but it was a pretty intense scene for a kid to watch. What I can recall most about it was something that sounded a bit like a baby screaming and Enterprise hearing a message from the other transporter location, “What we got back didn’t live for very long. Thankfully.” And after watching it again on Youtube my memory was pretty close. I think it’s the second most terrible transporter accident in all of Trek right after the creation of Tuvix. And you know, some of the acting wasn’t that bad. Kirk leaving the transporter room immediately after that scene with a shocked expression on his face only to get lost and having to ask a yeoman for directions was a nice touch. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2021, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/64 "2021-10-01T19:51:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I happened to rewatch TOS recently, for the first time in decades, and I think people here are overstating how cerebral the show was. It had its intellectual moments, sure, but it was also stock full of fistfights, gunfights, swordfights, bickering and sex - there was probably more sex in the first three seasons of Trek than in the following thirty-odd. Honestly, if TMP were really trek, Kirk and the bald robot chick would have at least made out a bit. > > TOS wasn’t a work of genius. It was pulp sci-fi that just happened to be slightly smarter than anything else on TV, and TMP completely failed in capturing that. Combining the intellectual stuff with the audience friendly fights and sex was the key. Notice how the third season, when they lost this ability with Roddenberry, sucked. I also watched “Have Gun, Will Travel” which Roddenberry wrote for. There seemed to be a rule that Paladin’s gun had to be fired at least once an episode, but a lot of the scripts combined ideas with gunfighting. I’m not sure if Roddenberry inspired that or learned from it. I watched it when it originally aired, and it was far ahead of any other sf show, including Twilight Zones, where they hit you over the head with the morals. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2021, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/65 "2021-10-01T20:58:09Z")
The novelization (by Roddenberry) was very good. It helped place some of the movie into a much broader context, especially the relationship between Decker and Ilea and Spock’s “conversion” at the end. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/66 "2021-10-02T01:45:55Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The (interminably long) flyby of the Enterprise in drydock looked awesome, even if you could go out for a smoke, a piss and buy a bag of popcorn before it finished. That was understandably extremely popular among hard core fans who had been watching only reruns for years. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/67 "2021-10-03T12:46:42Z")
Minor tangent: Even though I watched a zillion TOS episodes as a kid, I never noticed that James Doohan was missing a middle finger (it was shot off on D-Day.) Was it common knowledge at the time? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/68 "2021-10-03T14:38:38Z")
Among Trek fans, yes. I’ve always wondered why they didn’t just make up a latex prosthesis for him to wear on-camera. Medical science could presumably replace missing digits by the 23rd century. As an aside, Gary Burghoff always hid his deformed (right?) hand on _ **MASH** _ by carrying a clipboard or something. Once you know this, it’s impossible not to notice it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/69 "2021-10-03T15:01:10Z")
Left hand. Doohan’s missing finger is pretty evident when you know about it. Not so much if you don’t. I remember being fairly excited when the movie started and terribly disappointed when it was over. I’ve long held that once visionaries like Roddenberry, Lucas, etc. have had their visions, they need to be locked away, far from their ideas, which should be developed by rational beings. ST:TMP was _boring_. **First Contact** is three movies. The character studies are well done. The “I built a warp drive out of spit and baling wire” section destroyed any good will the other parts established. Total crap. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/70 "2021-10-03T16:47:36Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The “I built a warp drive out of spit and baling wire” Aw come on! He’s just ol’ Doc Brown. He was hanging a picture, hit his head, and when he woke up he had a vision of warp drive. Warp drive was Cochrane’s one and only idea. You can’t say “today I will be brilliant”. That’s why he ran off and hid. Otherwise he might have invented “postwarp” drive that went insane and murdered people that used it. It turns out, warp drive is easy, IF you understand. You don’t _need_ antimatter, dilithium crystals, those are just product improvements. If it weren’t easy, we wouldn’t see so many independent species with it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/71 "2021-10-03T17:06:20Z")
Oh, yeah? Then where did he get his beryllium sphere? Answer that! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/72 "2021-10-03T17:11:59Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It turns out, warp drive is easy, IF you understand. I am reminded of Harry Turtledove’s story [“The Road Not Taken”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken_(short_story)). ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/73 "2021-10-03T17:28:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Oh, yeah? Then where did he get his beryllium sphere? Answer that! The Shadow. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/74 "2021-10-03T17:35:06Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > I am reminded of Harry Turtledove’s story [“The Road Not Taken”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken_(short_story)). I’d never heard of that. That’s a pretty good one. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/75 "2021-10-03T17:36:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I’ve long held that once visionaries like Roddenberry, Lucas, etc. have had their visions, they need to be locked away, far from their ideas, which should be developed by rational beings. That’s why _The Wrath of Khan_ was more successful. Roddenberry was forced out of production and it was given to Nicholas Meyer to direct and Harve Bennett to write. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/76 "2021-10-03T18:59:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Left hand. Doohan’s missing finger is pretty evident when you know about it. Not so much if you don’t. Jeez, I even met James Doohan in person once and never noticed he was missing a pinky! (Also, until I saw the “supercut” video, I never noticed the way Riker hikes his leg over the back of a chair when he sits down. Maybe I should change my username from “shoeless” to “clueless”.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/77 "2021-10-03T19:00:11Z")
Back injuries will do that to you. PS. Not his pinky. [![](https://cdnmetv.metv.com/H8Kqn-1487869377-7885-list_items-trekdetails_scottyfinger.png) ](https://cdnmetv.metv.com/H8Kqn-1487869377-7885-list_items-trekdetails_scottyfinger.png) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/78 "2021-10-03T19:02:31Z")
Looks like @discobot shorted out. ETA:@silenus. No fair fixing it. ---
**Author:** ![discobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/discobot/32/570_2.png) [@discobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discobot)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/79 "2021-10-03T19:02:33Z")
Hi! To find out what I can do, say `@discobot display help`. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691/80 "2021-10-03T19:03:39Z")
Yeah, don’t know what happened there. Sorry about that! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-the-motion-picture/951691.md?page=5)