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Special Features
- Cast and Crew Commentary
Featurettes:
- Star Trek Summit
- Industrial Light & Magic: Visual Effects
- Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments
- Tom Morga: Alien Stuntman
- James Horner: Composing Genesis (HD)
- Star Trek Honors NASA
- The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture
- The Three-Picture Saga
- Spock: The Early Years
And more!
Featurettes:
- Star Trek Summit
- Industrial Light & Magic: Visual Effects
- Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments
- Tom Morga: Alien Stuntman
- James Horner: Composing Genesis (HD)
- Star Trek Honors NASA
- The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture
- The Three-Picture Saga
- Spock: The Early Years
And more!
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Star Trek I : The Original Motion Picture
Back when the first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S. Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very best (with its main theme later used for Star Trek: The Next Generation). And, fortunately for Star Trek fans, the expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek II :The Wrath of Khan
Although Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been a box-office hit, it was by no means a unanimous success with Star Trek fans, who responded much more favorably to the "classic Trek" scenario of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original TV series, the film reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend. This was the kind of character-based Trek that fans were waiting for, boosted by spectacular special effects, a great villain (thanks to Montalban's splendidly melodramatic performance), and a deft combination of humor, excitement, and wondrous imagination. Director Nicholas Meyer (who would play a substantial role in the success of future Trek features) handles the film as a combination of Moby Dick, Shakespearean tragedy, World War II submarine thriller, and dazzling science fiction, setting the successful tone for the Trek films that followed. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek III : The Search for Spock
You didn't think Mr. Spock was really dead, did you? When Spock's casket landed on the surface of the Genesis planet at the end of Star Trek II, we had already been told that Genesis had the power to bring "life from lifelessness." So it's no surprise that this energetic but somewhat hokey sequel gives Spock a new lease on life, beginning with his rebirth and rapid growth as the Genesis planet literally shakes itself apart in a series of tumultuous geological spasms. As Kirk is getting to know his estranged son (Merritt Butrick), he must also do battle with the fiendish Klingon Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who is determined to seize the power of Genesis from the Federation. Meanwhile, the regenerated Spock returns to his home planet, and Star Trek III gains considerable interest by exploring the ceremonial (and, of course, highly logical) traditions of Vulcan society. The movie's a minor disappointment compared to Star Trek II, but it's a--well, logical--sequel that successfully restores Spock (and first-time film director Leonard Nimoy) to the phenomenal Trek franchise...as if he were ever really gone. With Kirk's willful destruction of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Robin Curtis replacing the departing Kirstie Alley as Vulcan Lt. Saavik, this was clearly a transitional film in the series, clearing the way for the highly popular Star Trek IV. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home
Jumping on to the end-of-the-century bandwagon a little early, Paramount Pictures released 10 of their top films in one 10-pack, the Millennium Collection, in 1998. All the films are presented in their widescreen editions; one, Breakfast at Tiffany's, is offered in this format for the first time. The set includes 5 Best Picture Oscar winners and films that took home an additional 33 Academy Awards. All the tapes are available to buy individually. The pack, with a handsome mosaic of faces from the movies, also features collector gift cards (a movie version of baseball cards) and a commemorative booklet detailing the productions of all 10 films. The collection is oddly weighted toward the last 25 years, offering only one film from the 1950s and one from the 1960s. Your taste in current cinema will define the value of the set. Besides Tiffany's, one of Audrey Hepburn's finest films, the collection contains: The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston, Grease with John Travolta, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, the funny, whale-saving Star Trek IV--The Voyage Home, Tom Cruise's hit Top Gun, the smash hit Ghost with Demi Moore, Mel Gibson's Celt fest Braveheart, and Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks. --Doug Thomas
Star Trek V :The Final Frontier
Movie critic Roger Ebert summed it up very succinctly: "Of all of the Star Trek movies, this is the worst." Subsequent films in the popular series have done nothing to disprove this opinion; we can be grateful that they've all been significantly better since this film was released in 1989. After Leonard Nimoy scored hits with Star Trek III and IV, William Shatner used his contractual clout (and bruised ego) to assume directorial duties on this mission, in which a rebellious Vulcan (Laurence Luckinbill) kidnaps Federation officials in his overzealous quest for the supreme source of creation. That's right, you heard it correctly: Star Trek V is about a crazy Vulcan's search for God. By the time Kirk, Spock, and their Federation cohorts are taken to the Great Barrier of the galaxy, this journey to "the final future" has gone from an embarrassing prologue to an absurd conclusion, with a lot of creaky plotting in between. Of course, die-hard Trekkies will still allow this movie into their video collections; but they'll only watch it when nobody else is looking. After this humbling experience, Shatner wisely relinquished the director's chair to Star Trek II's Nicholas Meyer. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek V left us nowhere to go but up, and with the return of Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI restored the movie series to its classic blend of space opera, intelligent plotting, and engaging interaction of stalwart heroes and menacing villains. Borrowing its subtitle (and several lines of dialogue) from Shakespeare, the movie finds Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and his fellow Enterprise crew members on a diplomatic mission to negotiate peace with the revered Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner). When the high-ranking Klingon and several officers are ruthlessly murdered, blame is placed on Kirk, whose subsequent investigation uncovers an assassination plot masterminded by the nefarious Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer) in an effort to disrupt a historic peace summit. As this political plot unfolds, Star Trek VI takes on a sharp-edged tone, with Kirk and Spock confronting their opposing views of diplomacy, and testing their bonds of loyalty when a Vulcan officer is revealed to be a traitor. With a dramatic depth befitting what was to be the final movie mission of the original Star Trek crew, this film took the veteran cast out in respectably high style. With the torch being passed to the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov would return, however briefly, in Star Trek: Generations. --Jeff Shannon
Back when the first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S. Enterprise. Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy. The story is rather overblown and derivative of plots from the original series, and avid Trekkies greeted the film's bland costumes with derisive laughter. But as a feast for the eyes, this is an adventure worthy of big-screen trekkin'. Douglas Trumbull's visual effects are astonishing, and Jerry Goldmith's score is regarded as one of the prolific composer's very best (with its main theme later used for Star Trek: The Next Generation). And, fortunately for Star Trek fans, the expanded 143-minute version (originally shown for the film's network TV premiere) is generally considered an improvement over the original theatrical release. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek II :The Wrath of Khan
Although Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been a box-office hit, it was by no means a unanimous success with Star Trek fans, who responded much more favorably to the "classic Trek" scenario of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original TV series, the film reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend. This was the kind of character-based Trek that fans were waiting for, boosted by spectacular special effects, a great villain (thanks to Montalban's splendidly melodramatic performance), and a deft combination of humor, excitement, and wondrous imagination. Director Nicholas Meyer (who would play a substantial role in the success of future Trek features) handles the film as a combination of Moby Dick, Shakespearean tragedy, World War II submarine thriller, and dazzling science fiction, setting the successful tone for the Trek films that followed. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek III : The Search for Spock
You didn't think Mr. Spock was really dead, did you? When Spock's casket landed on the surface of the Genesis planet at the end of Star Trek II, we had already been told that Genesis had the power to bring "life from lifelessness." So it's no surprise that this energetic but somewhat hokey sequel gives Spock a new lease on life, beginning with his rebirth and rapid growth as the Genesis planet literally shakes itself apart in a series of tumultuous geological spasms. As Kirk is getting to know his estranged son (Merritt Butrick), he must also do battle with the fiendish Klingon Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who is determined to seize the power of Genesis from the Federation. Meanwhile, the regenerated Spock returns to his home planet, and Star Trek III gains considerable interest by exploring the ceremonial (and, of course, highly logical) traditions of Vulcan society. The movie's a minor disappointment compared to Star Trek II, but it's a--well, logical--sequel that successfully restores Spock (and first-time film director Leonard Nimoy) to the phenomenal Trek franchise...as if he were ever really gone. With Kirk's willful destruction of the U.S.S. Enterprise and Robin Curtis replacing the departing Kirstie Alley as Vulcan Lt. Saavik, this was clearly a transitional film in the series, clearing the way for the highly popular Star Trek IV. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home
Jumping on to the end-of-the-century bandwagon a little early, Paramount Pictures released 10 of their top films in one 10-pack, the Millennium Collection, in 1998. All the films are presented in their widescreen editions; one, Breakfast at Tiffany's, is offered in this format for the first time. The set includes 5 Best Picture Oscar winners and films that took home an additional 33 Academy Awards. All the tapes are available to buy individually. The pack, with a handsome mosaic of faces from the movies, also features collector gift cards (a movie version of baseball cards) and a commemorative booklet detailing the productions of all 10 films. The collection is oddly weighted toward the last 25 years, offering only one film from the 1950s and one from the 1960s. Your taste in current cinema will define the value of the set. Besides Tiffany's, one of Audrey Hepburn's finest films, the collection contains: The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston, Grease with John Travolta, Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, the funny, whale-saving Star Trek IV--The Voyage Home, Tom Cruise's hit Top Gun, the smash hit Ghost with Demi Moore, Mel Gibson's Celt fest Braveheart, and Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks. --Doug Thomas
Star Trek V :The Final Frontier
Movie critic Roger Ebert summed it up very succinctly: "Of all of the Star Trek movies, this is the worst." Subsequent films in the popular series have done nothing to disprove this opinion; we can be grateful that they've all been significantly better since this film was released in 1989. After Leonard Nimoy scored hits with Star Trek III and IV, William Shatner used his contractual clout (and bruised ego) to assume directorial duties on this mission, in which a rebellious Vulcan (Laurence Luckinbill) kidnaps Federation officials in his overzealous quest for the supreme source of creation. That's right, you heard it correctly: Star Trek V is about a crazy Vulcan's search for God. By the time Kirk, Spock, and their Federation cohorts are taken to the Great Barrier of the galaxy, this journey to "the final future" has gone from an embarrassing prologue to an absurd conclusion, with a lot of creaky plotting in between. Of course, die-hard Trekkies will still allow this movie into their video collections; but they'll only watch it when nobody else is looking. After this humbling experience, Shatner wisely relinquished the director's chair to Star Trek II's Nicholas Meyer. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek V left us nowhere to go but up, and with the return of Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer, Star Trek VI restored the movie series to its classic blend of space opera, intelligent plotting, and engaging interaction of stalwart heroes and menacing villains. Borrowing its subtitle (and several lines of dialogue) from Shakespeare, the movie finds Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and his fellow Enterprise crew members on a diplomatic mission to negotiate peace with the revered Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner). When the high-ranking Klingon and several officers are ruthlessly murdered, blame is placed on Kirk, whose subsequent investigation uncovers an assassination plot masterminded by the nefarious Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer) in an effort to disrupt a historic peace summit. As this political plot unfolds, Star Trek VI takes on a sharp-edged tone, with Kirk and Spock confronting their opposing views of diplomacy, and testing their bonds of loyalty when a Vulcan officer is revealed to be a traitor. With a dramatic depth befitting what was to be the final movie mission of the original Star Trek crew, this film took the veteran cast out in respectably high style. With the torch being passed to the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov would return, however briefly, in Star Trek: Generations. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Prepare to boldly go where no man has gone before with the Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection, an action-packed box set featuring the six films in their original theatrical versions starring the U.S.S. Enterprise's legendary crew. The films have been digitally remastered and The Wrath of Khan has been fully restored in high definition with brilliant picture quality.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1,209 of 1,240 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I'm floored by the number of reviews here that give this a 1 star review, and then state that they haven't seen the movies. If you actually compare the picture quality with these new BDs to previous DVDs, you do see a vast improvement. Star Trek II, III, and IV have more consistant color and detail then what I saw in the DVDs. In previous editions of ST III, I always noticed an upped contrast in comparison to II and IV: but in this set, it's in line with all the other movies. There seems to be a lot of rumors here about what "Digitally Restored" is over "Digitally Remastered" (as TWOK was the only to get "Digitally Restored"). A digital restoration is when it's accessed that there has to be a new edit of the film due to the state of the print (it could be going in and adjusting color levels for consistancy or even digitally painting out blemishes). It seems Paramount found TWOK to be the only movie in need of a restoration: when you see the other movies on a HDTV, you can easily tell that they are coming from an HD master and not an SD upconversion like some are claiming. They compare favorably to other blu-ray movies from all the big studios. I notice some of the HD interviews are the same interviews taken from the special edition DVDs: it's nice to see them in their original HD resolution (where the studio has obviously been gearing up for HD for several years). Note that there's also some interviews from the special edition DVDs that were shot in SD and have been transfered to this issue (the main one seemed to be ST V). The only gimmick I find with the movies is the "new" 7.1 sound mixes. I don't see the need in mixing 5.1 to 7.1....but the lossless audio does sound great. This blu-ray set is a definite improvement over any other issues of the movies. Issues like DNR or restorations are always subjective; but these transfers are good enough that whenever the movies get a re-issue, I suspect it will be more along the lines of adding more featurettes (or rendering out HD resolutions of the CG shots in the case of TMP).
***Addition****
Since there are still more 1 star reviews, I thought I should address the misinformation about what remastering means in relation to Blu-Ray. It's impossible for any of these movies to have come from a DV (digital video: SD DVD resolution) because studios have been working in 2k resolutions for awhile. A 2k file is 2048 pixels wide by X number high (it's a standard that has varying aspects....with some of my 3D files, I work in 2048x2048). Studios are currently converting to 4k work for new movies and for film restorations of older titles. So the restoration for TWOK might have been scanned at 4k for the 35mm scenes and 8k for the 70mm VFX. The other movies could have been scanned a number of years ago, but the studio would still have masters that are at least 2k resolutions.
Now studios do not author BDs themselves: they go hire companies to do that. So for a genuine HDTV movie, Blu-Ray title, or DVD title the company is getting a copy of the 2k studio master and then remastering for that particular medium: for Blu-Ray, they rescale and process the image to be 1920x1080 at 24 fps....for HDTV, they rescale to 1920x1080 60I, and for DVD, they rescale to 720x480. At this stage, the authoring company then adds particular DNR and compression appropriate for for the medium. When it comes to DNR, some people are more against it then others. I personally don't feel the DNR is that bad here: there are some scenes in these movies that weren't processed the way I'd like them to....but if they ever do get a remaster, it's going to be at the HD level: the studio master is unadulterated.
To conclude my thoughts....it's a pity that the reviews here are getting dragged down by mis-information. I gave this set a 4 star review simply because I save 5 stars for the extremely good titles on BD. If you have a 100" TV, then maybe you want to wait for another HD remaster with less DNR. I'm not as anti-DNR as others....but I'd say that it's not as bad as some make it out to be: I still see plenty of grain for appropriate scenes, and there's not huge edge enhancement going on during scenes with too much softfocus. And for me, the softfocus issues (only in certain scenes) and certain cinematography effects are a lot more glaring then DNR: things that were harder to pick up back when these movies were made, and something that's niether correctable in a transfer and is more clearly evident in HD. For a 110" TV DNR issues might be more overwhelming, but for my more modest TV set with great 7.1 sound system, I'd say this is a no brainer purchase for any passing fan of the series. The movies are marred by some production values that prevent this set from being a "demo" set, but I think the transfers do more closely reflect the studio masters. All of the movies have never looked or sounded as good: they should be stunning for any passing fan of Star Trek.
***Addition****
Since there are still more 1 star reviews, I thought I should address the misinformation about what remastering means in relation to Blu-Ray. It's impossible for any of these movies to have come from a DV (digital video: SD DVD resolution) because studios have been working in 2k resolutions for awhile. A 2k file is 2048 pixels wide by X number high (it's a standard that has varying aspects....with some of my 3D files, I work in 2048x2048). Studios are currently converting to 4k work for new movies and for film restorations of older titles. So the restoration for TWOK might have been scanned at 4k for the 35mm scenes and 8k for the 70mm VFX. The other movies could have been scanned a number of years ago, but the studio would still have masters that are at least 2k resolutions.
Now studios do not author BDs themselves: they go hire companies to do that. So for a genuine HDTV movie, Blu-Ray title, or DVD title the company is getting a copy of the 2k studio master and then remastering for that particular medium: for Blu-Ray, they rescale and process the image to be 1920x1080 at 24 fps....for HDTV, they rescale to 1920x1080 60I, and for DVD, they rescale to 720x480. At this stage, the authoring company then adds particular DNR and compression appropriate for for the medium. When it comes to DNR, some people are more against it then others. I personally don't feel the DNR is that bad here: there are some scenes in these movies that weren't processed the way I'd like them to....but if they ever do get a remaster, it's going to be at the HD level: the studio master is unadulterated.
To conclude my thoughts....it's a pity that the reviews here are getting dragged down by mis-information. I gave this set a 4 star review simply because I save 5 stars for the extremely good titles on BD. If you have a 100" TV, then maybe you want to wait for another HD remaster with less DNR. I'm not as anti-DNR as others....but I'd say that it's not as bad as some make it out to be: I still see plenty of grain for appropriate scenes, and there's not huge edge enhancement going on during scenes with too much softfocus. And for me, the softfocus issues (only in certain scenes) and certain cinematography effects are a lot more glaring then DNR: things that were harder to pick up back when these movies were made, and something that's niether correctable in a transfer and is more clearly evident in HD. For a 110" TV DNR issues might be more overwhelming, but for my more modest TV set with great 7.1 sound system, I'd say this is a no brainer purchase for any passing fan of the series. The movies are marred by some production values that prevent this set from being a "demo" set, but I think the transfers do more closely reflect the studio masters. All of the movies have never looked or sounded as good: they should be stunning for any passing fan of Star Trek.
294 of 315 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Mr. Sulu, Impulse power."
I thought this might help, as there is very little info from Amazon on this product. This review is mostly for the content of this STANDARD DEFINITION 7 Disc ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE COLLECTION Box Set released Sept. 22, 2009.
Obviously, these are the 6 Original Paramount films with the Original Series cast.
STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE
THE WRATH OF KHAN
THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
THE VOYAGE HOME
THE FINAL FRONTIER
and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
Every film in this set is the Original Widescreen Theatrical Version. The 7th Bonus Disc is THE CAPTAINS' SUMMIT. A 70 minute round table discussion with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and host Whoopi Goldberg.
Each Movie Disc includes commentaries, a few short Special Features, and NO theatrical trailers. The Insert Card states: 2 1/2 hours of Special Features. My guess is that they're leftovers from the previous 2 Disc Editions for each film, none of which I've ever owned. So, don't take my word for it. (Anyone that thinks 5 Stars may be too generous for this Edition, I only really care about the films. And, the way they look and sound. SFs are of secondary concern to me.)
Sound for all the films is 5.1 Dolby Digital EX and maintains a good presence. There is NO 2.1 or DTS setting. As usual with big studio blockbusters, music is too far forward in the mix for my taste, and dialogue is at a lower volume. (For optimal home theater playback, your center channel should always be set at a hotter level than your front speakers. Here's a good starting point for louder films: The individual speaker volume levels for my surround receiver go to 12. Please, no Spinal Tap jokes. I usually leave my L/R front speakers at level 4, and make my center channel all-the-way hot at 12. I always leave my rear effects speakers at 8 or 10. My Velodyne subwoofer is usually set at -7 because I have neighbors, and the darn thing really pumps those ultra low earthquake frequencies.)
The transfers look EXCELLENT. I've perused them all, but I have only viewed the FIRST film in its entirety. Very nice. Good color timing. (NOSTALGIA ALERT: I really appreciate the primitive Special Effects, models, matte painting, and miniature photography of this era. With the advent of CG, these kinds of photographic effects are a rarity these days. The wormhole sequence is still awesome, and the VGER probe scene still looks really cool. I can't wait to view the rest of the films. Especially THE WRATH OF KHAN!)
This Box Set is a very handsome Edition. Each Disc comes in an ultra thin slipcase with a different cast member in silver on the cover of each case, with Shatner's photo on the Bonus Disc. (I would have preferred the Original movie poster art for each film, but the design is unique for this Edition.)
The Box has a 3D Trek logo on the front, is only 2" deep, and doesn't take up much shelf space. The entire Box is covered with a transparent slipcover that is open on the top and bottom. (CAREFUL: The insert card is glued to the outside and the bottom of the Box. If it comes off, the entire Box can fall thru the bottom of the outer slipcover and crash onto the floor. Remove it, put it under the slipcover, or throw it away.)
A very affordable way to own the 6 Original films.
SPOCK LIVES!
Enjoy.
I thought this might help, as there is very little info from Amazon on this product. This review is mostly for the content of this STANDARD DEFINITION 7 Disc ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE COLLECTION Box Set released Sept. 22, 2009.
Obviously, these are the 6 Original Paramount films with the Original Series cast.
STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE
THE WRATH OF KHAN
THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
THE VOYAGE HOME
THE FINAL FRONTIER
and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY
Every film in this set is the Original Widescreen Theatrical Version. The 7th Bonus Disc is THE CAPTAINS' SUMMIT. A 70 minute round table discussion with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, and host Whoopi Goldberg.
Each Movie Disc includes commentaries, a few short Special Features, and NO theatrical trailers. The Insert Card states: 2 1/2 hours of Special Features. My guess is that they're leftovers from the previous 2 Disc Editions for each film, none of which I've ever owned. So, don't take my word for it. (Anyone that thinks 5 Stars may be too generous for this Edition, I only really care about the films. And, the way they look and sound. SFs are of secondary concern to me.)
Sound for all the films is 5.1 Dolby Digital EX and maintains a good presence. There is NO 2.1 or DTS setting. As usual with big studio blockbusters, music is too far forward in the mix for my taste, and dialogue is at a lower volume. (For optimal home theater playback, your center channel should always be set at a hotter level than your front speakers. Here's a good starting point for louder films: The individual speaker volume levels for my surround receiver go to 12. Please, no Spinal Tap jokes. I usually leave my L/R front speakers at level 4, and make my center channel all-the-way hot at 12. I always leave my rear effects speakers at 8 or 10. My Velodyne subwoofer is usually set at -7 because I have neighbors, and the darn thing really pumps those ultra low earthquake frequencies.)
The transfers look EXCELLENT. I've perused them all, but I have only viewed the FIRST film in its entirety. Very nice. Good color timing. (NOSTALGIA ALERT: I really appreciate the primitive Special Effects, models, matte painting, and miniature photography of this era. With the advent of CG, these kinds of photographic effects are a rarity these days. The wormhole sequence is still awesome, and the VGER probe scene still looks really cool. I can't wait to view the rest of the films. Especially THE WRATH OF KHAN!)
This Box Set is a very handsome Edition. Each Disc comes in an ultra thin slipcase with a different cast member in silver on the cover of each case, with Shatner's photo on the Bonus Disc. (I would have preferred the Original movie poster art for each film, but the design is unique for this Edition.)
The Box has a 3D Trek logo on the front, is only 2" deep, and doesn't take up much shelf space. The entire Box is covered with a transparent slipcover that is open on the top and bottom. (CAREFUL: The insert card is glued to the outside and the bottom of the Box. If it comes off, the entire Box can fall thru the bottom of the outer slipcover and crash onto the floor. Remove it, put it under the slipcover, or throw it away.)
A very affordable way to own the 6 Original films.
SPOCK LIVES!
Enjoy.
115 of 123 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Having just gone through my set of the Blu-Rays, I'm very happily surprised at the content. The only aspect keeping this from being a 4 or 5 star review is the fact that only the theatrical versions are available. Blu-Ray is specifically made to hold a great deal more data than any prior video or DVD format. Aside from the issues regarding the new effects of the director's cut of TMP, there's little reason (other than monetary) for Paramount to hold back the extended cuts. Seamless branching, used so successfully on the TOS first season set, would work equally well here.
The Motion Picture is another story, since the new effects were rendered for lower resolution and it will take time and, of course, money to rerender them. We can expect to see a Director's Edition release on BD in the near future, I'm sure. However, this does not excuse the lack of the inclusion of the extended TV cut put out on video.
Having said that, it is an amazing thrill having the theatrical cuts of The Motion Picture, and The Undiscovered Country on disc for the first time ever. TUC was NEVER seen in this version since its original release and until today, I had totally forgotten how good a film it was. Many fans enjoy the additional scenes, but I always felt they brought the film down some. The scenes were obvious and amped up the silliness fact in a film that very much needed to be played straight. The two video versions really brought the maturity level of the story down some notches.
Now, however, we once again see the film as originally released 18 years ago (oh God, it's been that long). Over the years, the film had become less enjoyable and fallen down the ranks in my personal list of favorites. None of the other had, but this one - a film I really loved in the theater - had dropped in favor. Now, having watched it again from beginning to end, I found I loved the film once more. The story is tighter and less obvious. These changes were not major, but they made an impact. This is the best movie for the cast to exit on and is once more a 4 star film to me.
The Motion Picture: it's great to see this movie in this format again, as released without alteration. However, this film is more problematic. The extended version was just a "longer cut" with some great scenes added, but none of the fat trimmed (these scenes are included in the extras). The Directors Cut was better paced and more tightly edited and also added some amazing effects to cover some of the less successful work in the picture, but they also lost bits that made the film unique which weren't "bad." Since there never actually was a "perfect" version of this film, it's vital all three versions should be made available (or maybe someone should redo the DE).
The Wrath of Kahn: again the theatrical cut and, as we all know, this film had the full restoration, presumably because the master elements needed it badly while the other films were fine. I'll comment on picture shortly, but let's just say this is a fantastic presentation of the movie.
Finally The Search for Spock, my favorite Trek film. For those who notice such things, the video versions always screwed up the opening credits. The VHS version had them replaced by "video graphics" which looked like a cheap, high school AV squad attempt to make Star Trek movie credits. The wide screen VHS and laserdiscs were much better, givings us the titles seen in the film. However, the DVDs had a "glitched" version of the titles, with the timing off badly. It's tough to explain, but if you compare the BD and the DVD opening credits, you'll see them. And since this is my all time favorite Trek film, one I saw in the theater 7 times and memorized with obsessive Trekkie abandon, you can imagine my thrill when I saw the BD version corrected the credits. Ahhhh! :-)
Okay, my impression of the picture quality. There's been a lot said about the excessive digital noise reduction Paramount slathered on the films. I was expecting some bad stuff when I fired up my 52 inch HDTV. You know what I got? An amazing picture - every time. The level of sharpness and clarity to these films is a revelation! I had NEVER seen these films looking so amazingly sharp and detailed. The Wrath of Kahn, which - as noted - got the real restoration, is very nice, but I didn't notice a huge difference between this restoration and the other films. Mostly, I noticed the print was a little darker than prior prints and the other films. The blacks do hold up well on BD, better than on HD-DVD, to my surprise.
I have read that those who watch the movies on HUGE screens will notice the DNR, I have to say that my 52 inch, which I sit 6 to 8 feet away from, does not reveal any obvious dullness. And, really, I would assume the great majority of people don't go much larger than 52 inch (unless you have a mansion and more money than God). Honestly, I have no issues with the picture quality, and can wholeheartedly give the picture a thumbs up.
The sound is also extremely impressive. The dialog is not lost among the music and sound effects, like so many other HD presentations. The muddiness in much of Kahn and The Search for Spock is not as strong, and the music score for the films never sounded so good.
The subtitles for various alien languages are, however, disc generated, not embedded in the films. So the "species centric" fonts are lost (and, I guess, really doesn't make these true theatrical cuts). However, they are not obviously bad or "video titles" and won't stand out to people not that familiar or who don't care.
To sum up: the only disappointment is in the fact that there's plenty of room for all versions of the films, either side by side or through branching, so (aside from the DE of TMP), there's no reason to have left them out. Having all versions would justify the price tag of this double or triple dip. Especially since you know Paramount will release these again with these versions included.
Otherwise, it's a great set. The theatrical cuts are the versions I fell in love with and it's great to have them back. The picture is outstanding, with refreshing sharpness and clarity, while the sound mix is comfortable and satisfying.
5 stars for the presentation
Subtract 2 stars for leaving out the alternate versions.
For fans of the original cuts, this is an essential set. It's up to you to decide if you want to hold out for the next and probably more complete release of these films.
The Motion Picture is another story, since the new effects were rendered for lower resolution and it will take time and, of course, money to rerender them. We can expect to see a Director's Edition release on BD in the near future, I'm sure. However, this does not excuse the lack of the inclusion of the extended TV cut put out on video.
Having said that, it is an amazing thrill having the theatrical cuts of The Motion Picture, and The Undiscovered Country on disc for the first time ever. TUC was NEVER seen in this version since its original release and until today, I had totally forgotten how good a film it was. Many fans enjoy the additional scenes, but I always felt they brought the film down some. The scenes were obvious and amped up the silliness fact in a film that very much needed to be played straight. The two video versions really brought the maturity level of the story down some notches.
Now, however, we once again see the film as originally released 18 years ago (oh God, it's been that long). Over the years, the film had become less enjoyable and fallen down the ranks in my personal list of favorites. None of the other had, but this one - a film I really loved in the theater - had dropped in favor. Now, having watched it again from beginning to end, I found I loved the film once more. The story is tighter and less obvious. These changes were not major, but they made an impact. This is the best movie for the cast to exit on and is once more a 4 star film to me.
The Motion Picture: it's great to see this movie in this format again, as released without alteration. However, this film is more problematic. The extended version was just a "longer cut" with some great scenes added, but none of the fat trimmed (these scenes are included in the extras). The Directors Cut was better paced and more tightly edited and also added some amazing effects to cover some of the less successful work in the picture, but they also lost bits that made the film unique which weren't "bad." Since there never actually was a "perfect" version of this film, it's vital all three versions should be made available (or maybe someone should redo the DE).
The Wrath of Kahn: again the theatrical cut and, as we all know, this film had the full restoration, presumably because the master elements needed it badly while the other films were fine. I'll comment on picture shortly, but let's just say this is a fantastic presentation of the movie.
Finally The Search for Spock, my favorite Trek film. For those who notice such things, the video versions always screwed up the opening credits. The VHS version had them replaced by "video graphics" which looked like a cheap, high school AV squad attempt to make Star Trek movie credits. The wide screen VHS and laserdiscs were much better, givings us the titles seen in the film. However, the DVDs had a "glitched" version of the titles, with the timing off badly. It's tough to explain, but if you compare the BD and the DVD opening credits, you'll see them. And since this is my all time favorite Trek film, one I saw in the theater 7 times and memorized with obsessive Trekkie abandon, you can imagine my thrill when I saw the BD version corrected the credits. Ahhhh! :-)
Okay, my impression of the picture quality. There's been a lot said about the excessive digital noise reduction Paramount slathered on the films. I was expecting some bad stuff when I fired up my 52 inch HDTV. You know what I got? An amazing picture - every time. The level of sharpness and clarity to these films is a revelation! I had NEVER seen these films looking so amazingly sharp and detailed. The Wrath of Kahn, which - as noted - got the real restoration, is very nice, but I didn't notice a huge difference between this restoration and the other films. Mostly, I noticed the print was a little darker than prior prints and the other films. The blacks do hold up well on BD, better than on HD-DVD, to my surprise.
I have read that those who watch the movies on HUGE screens will notice the DNR, I have to say that my 52 inch, which I sit 6 to 8 feet away from, does not reveal any obvious dullness. And, really, I would assume the great majority of people don't go much larger than 52 inch (unless you have a mansion and more money than God). Honestly, I have no issues with the picture quality, and can wholeheartedly give the picture a thumbs up.
The sound is also extremely impressive. The dialog is not lost among the music and sound effects, like so many other HD presentations. The muddiness in much of Kahn and The Search for Spock is not as strong, and the music score for the films never sounded so good.
The subtitles for various alien languages are, however, disc generated, not embedded in the films. So the "species centric" fonts are lost (and, I guess, really doesn't make these true theatrical cuts). However, they are not obviously bad or "video titles" and won't stand out to people not that familiar or who don't care.
To sum up: the only disappointment is in the fact that there's plenty of room for all versions of the films, either side by side or through branching, so (aside from the DE of TMP), there's no reason to have left them out. Having all versions would justify the price tag of this double or triple dip. Especially since you know Paramount will release these again with these versions included.
Otherwise, it's a great set. The theatrical cuts are the versions I fell in love with and it's great to have them back. The picture is outstanding, with refreshing sharpness and clarity, while the sound mix is comfortable and satisfying.
5 stars for the presentation
Subtract 2 stars for leaving out the alternate versions.
For fans of the original cuts, this is an essential set. It's up to you to decide if you want to hold out for the next and probably more complete release of these films.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
collection
My sons have the collection and I thought I'd add it to my own. It takes me back to the days when the movies first came out. Fun memories.
Published 3 hours ago by Serious Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Star Trek
All five movies in one Blu-Ray collection, A great way to watch them. But be warned, not all of the movies were re-master, so read the description carefully.
Published 22 hours ago by Jeffrey E. Combs
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie
Great Movie great price non stop action complex plot sprinkled with humor. I cant wait for the next movie release.
Published 2 days ago by Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars
fan
i am a fan of star trek fan. i was waiting for a sale price to get this. i have other collections
Published 4 days ago by john
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movies. Great transfers.
If you're gonna own them, you may as well own them in high definition. Picture is great; sound is great.
Published 4 days ago by ableekertomorrow
5.0 out of 5 stars
All excellent movies !!
Enjoyed them all !! I just kinda wish they would put out all the Star Trek movies with EVERY SCENE SHOT, with everything that was cut, and I mean EVERYTHING, on the Dvd. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Rpsj2
5.0 out of 5 stars
Can I Give it More Than 5 Stars?
Well...I'm not sure anything needs to be said. Star Trek is 5 stars because it is! I realize that isn't very helpful, but honestly, if you haven't watched Star Trek (where have... Read more
Published 4 days ago by D Christiansen
5.0 out of 5 stars
STAR TREK
What more is there to say? How about Director's Cuts? No, these ain't them, just wishing. I wanted the Blu-ray and got tired of waiting. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Terry J. Keaton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Trek fans!
great set of DVDs - have been wanting this set since I saw they updated the entire Original Star Trek series
Published 5 days ago by Matthew Roper
5.0 out of 5 stars
big treekie fan
My daughter had previously watched all these movies, but wanted this & said it was a good price. She is thrilled.
Published 5 days ago by k in conway
