# Was Star Trek - The Motion Picture a bad movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911 "2006-03-11T05:02:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/1 "2006-03-11T05:02:32Z")
I’ve watched Star Trek - The Motion Picture twice. I really like Star Trek and yet I don’t like much about this movie. In fact, after Spock arrived, I find the movie boring. Am I missing something or is this just a bad movie? Obviously, Star Trek II, Wrath of Khan, is a great movie. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/2 "2006-03-11T05:09:43Z")
I liked the general atmosphere of the movie. And the big-purple-cloud sound effect was striking. But I thought Stephen Collins was terrible in it. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/3 "2006-03-11T05:14:06Z")
All odd-numbered Trek movies are bad. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/4 "2006-03-11T05:17:00Z")
My take was that it was a great one-hour episode. Unfortunately, it took two hours to tell. And halfway through, ILM was fired and a second-rate effects company was hired. Oh yeah, and the plot was done before with Nomad. And the V-GER thing was stupid. But otherwise, I was impressed that Roddenberry was able to assemble the original cast for a great one-hour episode. That took two hours. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/5 "2006-03-11T05:18:12Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > All odd-numbered Trek movies are bad. 😉 Consistantly. V was the worst ever. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/6 "2006-03-11T05:43:18Z")
Star Trek II, IV and VI remain the best movies. I still need to get a hold of the special edition of ST TMP, I understand it has more scenes and enhanced special effects. I liked the movie, it was interesting, but I agree with many that it did feel like a retcon, you could have title it: “Where **Nomad** has gone before” ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/7 "2006-03-11T06:11:08Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Consistantly. V was the worst ever. I take it you’ve not seen _Nemesis_. The God movie at least works as camp. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/8 "2006-03-11T06:13:44Z")
Pretty bad movie. I still love it and watch it all the time, though. V was the worst, of course, as has been said, but I’ll watch that, too. There were no Trek movies after First Contact. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/9 "2006-03-11T06:15:03Z")
Harlan Ellison called it “Star Trek - The Motionless Picture”, I meant to add. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/10 "2006-03-11T07:20:47Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’ve watched Star Trek - The Motion Picture twice. I really like Star Trek and yet I don’t like much about this movie. In fact, after Spock arrived, I find the movie boring. > > Am I missing something or is this just a bad movie? Obviously, Star Trek II, Wrath of Khan, is a great movie. It looked like it wanted to capture the spirit of a star trek episode on television and went on too long as mentioned in another ansewer , but its greatest achievement was that it started the ball rolling in the movie franchise. I remember when I was in the theater watching it , the awe of the crowd as the flyby of the Enterprise and the applause as Spock arrived on the shuttle. So I really can’t say it was good or bad , cause I was never really a trek fan, but wrath of Khan would not have been possible without TMP, IMO. Declan ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/11 "2006-03-11T07:47:54Z")
My friends and I nicknamed it “The Search For The Good Camera Angle” > [@Ensign Edison](#): > > There were no Trek movies after _First Contact_. _Insurrection_ was, at least, character consistant, and I liked it (but then I’m a sucker for seeing Troi and Riker together) ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/12 "2006-03-11T08:29:50Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > It looked like it wanted to capture the spirit of a star trek episode on television and went on too long as mentioned in another ansewer , but its greatest achievement was that it started the ball rolling in the movie franchise. > > I remember when I was in the theater watching it , the awe of the crowd as the flyby of the Enterprise and the applause as Spock arrived on the shuttle. > > So I really can’t say it was good or bad , cause I was never really a trek fan, but wrath of Khan would not have been possible without TMP, IMO. > > Declan I so much agree! ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/13 "2006-03-11T10:12:12Z")
> [@](#): > > I take it you’ve not seen Nemesis. The God movie at least works as camp. I think Nemesis gets an unjust rep. I just watched it again and its really not a bad Trek movie at all. I though it was better than Insurrection which I consider to be the Next Gen’s ST:V (i.e. a goofy comedy). I think Nemesis suffered at the box office mostly because they waited too long to make it (four years instead of the normal two), plus the only show on at the time was Enterprise and that hadn’t really found an audience yet. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/14 "2006-03-11T10:37:59Z")
I think \*Nemesis \* was a typical mindless sci-fi/action movie with occasional references to Star Trek. \*ST:TMP \* is a good–if leisurely paced–Star Trek movie. The Director’s Cut DVD is the best version. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/15 "2006-03-11T11:33:28Z")
It was the first one, made after TPTB saw how successful _Star Wars_ was. I’m sure a lot of nostalgic fans rushed to see it because it was Star Trek on the Big Screen!, and remember, they had no other Star Trek movies to compare it to. Then came Wrath of Khan, and oh, my… ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/16 "2006-03-11T14:13:16Z")
> [@anyrose](#): > > _Insurrection_ was, at least, character consistant, and I liked it (but then I’m a sucker for seeing Troi and Riker together) I’m glad you enjoyed it, then. I would never speak against another person’s personal Trek enjoyment. IDIC, don’tcha know. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/17 "2006-03-11T14:26:42Z")
Saw TMP on first release in the theatre- thought it was OK, but too 2001-inspired. 2001 is an excellent movie but not what you want when seeing the long-awaited STAR TREK reunion. It’s better than V, not as good as III or IV (to pick the three classic ST movies I most hear panned). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/18 "2006-03-11T14:41:15Z")
Truly horrible disappointing movie. Retread plot (space probe from the 20th Century is found by Enterprise, has been modified by some other intelligence, doesn’t “know” its own origins). Awful, wooden acting. Long luxurious self-aggrandizing slow panning shots of their expensive mockups (“Hey look, we got a budget now, check out our huge and highly detailed Enterprise!”). Waste of half the movie just reassembling the original series cast (to the point it probably took longer on film than in real life). Awkward uncomfortable interactions between actors who once seemed to fit quite well together (especially Nimoy and Shatner, good god! What was with those weird pauses between lines when they first meet? Need a teleprompter or something?). I’m amazed they got the chance to do a second one. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/19 "2006-03-11T15:04:32Z")
My exact words after leaving the first screening of it: “I hope it doesn’t stop them from trying to make another one.” Surpassed only by V. While III isn’t very good, it is in no way bad in the ways TMP and V are. In fact, if you watch II, III, & IV in a run, it is a pretty good trilogy and holds together well as such. In spite of the fact that Savvik (or is it 22 A’s and 1 V?) went from a totally hot Kirstie Alley to not particularly attractive (as Savvik–the Vulcan Makeup caused her to look extra mannish for some reason) Robin Curtis isn’t terribly jarring, and it feels like one long story, with three segments. Sorry, where was I–Oh, yes–it stank and even a die hard Trek fan had trouble staying awake after Spock arrived. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2006, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911/20 "2006-03-11T15:22:30Z")
Just to add my two cents. The theatrical release of STM was slow and disappointing but for Trekkies jonesing for Trek it was watchable. The Directors cut is better but still not a good movie. Wrath of Khan & ST IV were of course great science fiction movies with memorable lines. ST III was the best of the Odd Number movies to me. Jim [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-star-trek-the-motion-picture-a-bad-movie/347911.md?page=2)