Space..the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise’. These immortal lines led us into a world of possibilities, into a time when humans would travel galactic distances at warp speeds seeking and encountering different energies and life forms. The film based on the series lives up to the standards set by its predecessor in its exploration of the impact of seeking adventure and facing danger on the crew of the USS Enterprise.
The film revolves around a powerful alien energy cloud that consumes everything in its way as it moves towards Earth. James T Kirk, now Admiral Kirk takes command of the Enterprise, the closest starship to the path of the cloud. He brings aboard his old trusted friends in ‘Bones’ McCoy and the legendary science officer Spock, the Vulcan. Along other old hands Uhura, Checkov, Sulu and Scott they are joined by the Deltan Ilia and the new but usurped captain of the Enterprise, Decker. The plot is about determining the force behind the cloud and determining a way to stop it in order to save the Earth
The qualities that made the television series special are seen in the film as well. Although the scale of the production is much larger, the focus clearly remains on emotions, relationships and grappling with problems rather than on special effects and technology. Science fiction films often tend to lose out on soul in the quest for razzmatazz. Director Robert Wise, who gave us classics like ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Sound of Music’ attempts a genre literally ‘alien’ to him but comes out trumps by keeping the focus on the people rather than what is outside. By 1979 standards, the special effects are impressive and as in any sci-fi film, the role of the background score is vital as prolonged shots of the vast expanses of space are shown. Jerry Goldsmith’s score stands out for its quality of composition in keeping with the history of the ‘Star Trek’ theme.
William Shatner as James T Kirk towers over the rest of the cast and brings to the role the same steely grit coupled with a very human vulnerability that helped make this role his claim to fame. He is ably supported by Leonard Nimoy as Spock who revels in a role that is difficult to play. His control over facial expressions so as to not betray any emotion, yet indicate purpose is commendable. DeForest Kelley as ‘Bones’ and James Doohan as Scott do not have much meat in their roles and are reduced to fence-sitters at most times. The exquisite Persis Khambatta as Ilia is at best eye candy but has a central role in the film.
‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ is a must watch for any fan of the series and for anyone seeking science fiction entertainment with soul.
The film revolves around a powerful alien energy cloud that consumes everything in its way as it moves towards Earth. James T Kirk, now Admiral Kirk takes command of the Enterprise, the closest starship to the path of the cloud. He brings aboard his old trusted friends in ‘Bones’ McCoy and the legendary science officer Spock, the Vulcan. Along other old hands Uhura, Checkov, Sulu and Scott they are joined by the Deltan Ilia and the new but usurped captain of the Enterprise, Decker. The plot is about determining the force behind the cloud and determining a way to stop it in order to save the Earth
The qualities that made the television series special are seen in the film as well. Although the scale of the production is much larger, the focus clearly remains on emotions, relationships and grappling with problems rather than on special effects and technology. Science fiction films often tend to lose out on soul in the quest for razzmatazz. Director Robert Wise, who gave us classics like ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Sound of Music’ attempts a genre literally ‘alien’ to him but comes out trumps by keeping the focus on the people rather than what is outside. By 1979 standards, the special effects are impressive and as in any sci-fi film, the role of the background score is vital as prolonged shots of the vast expanses of space are shown. Jerry Goldsmith’s score stands out for its quality of composition in keeping with the history of the ‘Star Trek’ theme.
William Shatner as James T Kirk towers over the rest of the cast and brings to the role the same steely grit coupled with a very human vulnerability that helped make this role his claim to fame. He is ably supported by Leonard Nimoy as Spock who revels in a role that is difficult to play. His control over facial expressions so as to not betray any emotion, yet indicate purpose is commendable. DeForest Kelley as ‘Bones’ and James Doohan as Scott do not have much meat in their roles and are reduced to fence-sitters at most times. The exquisite Persis Khambatta as Ilia is at best eye candy but has a central role in the film.
‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’ is a must watch for any fan of the series and for anyone seeking science fiction entertainment with soul.
