Customer Reviews

Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU-RAY EDITION OF THE TRILOGY. AMAZON HAS A BAD HABIT OF COMBINING THESE REVIEWS UNDER THE DVD ONES AS WELL.

The "Star Trek" films with the original cast get a Blu-ray release with mixed results. I sprung for the trilogy because, frankly, outside of "Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country" these are the best films from the series of films produced with the original cast.

"The Wrath of Khan", "The Search for Spock" and "The Voyage Home" are ALL in high definition contrary to a misinformed review here. They also all use too much Digital Noise Reduction to eliminate film grain which "softens" the image and eliminates much of the detail that Blu-ray is famous for. The result is that skin textures look waxy lacking detail. Edge enchancement has been used to "refocus" the image a bit (DNR is a technique used to manage film grain and video "noise" but when over used it robs the image of the very qualities that make Blu-ray outstanding. This is often done by digitally throwing the image out of foucs if I recall correctly and then using edge enhancement to refocus the image). "Wrath" looks better simply because it was restored while the other two aren't).

You probably won't notice the difference unless you're watching this on a monitor above 40 inches (and if you watch it with a projection system it will be REALLY noticeable). That said, all three films could look better but they still look better than the DVDs. Audio sounds terrific.

We get a lot of new extras as well as all the original stuff from the 2 disc DVDs except the text commentaries. "The Wrath of Khan" features a new commentary track with director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto ("Odyssey 5", "Star Trek: Enterprise", "24"). We also get "James Horner: Composing Genesis", "Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics", A Tribute to Richardo Montalban", "Star Fleet Academy: The Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI" all in HD. We also get on all three films "Libary Computer" which is an interactive dictionary replacing in many respects the text commentary. Be aware that the pop up menu cannot be accessed when watching the film in "Libary Computer" mode.

"The Search for Spock" includes a new commentary track by long time "Next Generation" writer and "Battlestar Galatica" producer/writer Ronald D. Moore joined by "Trek" writer Michael Taylor. While they had nothing to do wih the film Moore an entertaining speaker discusses the differences between the films, the original series and "The Next Generation" with insight. "Spock: The Early Years", "Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame", "Starfleet Academy: The Vulcan Katrar Transfer" are all presented in high def. Something I never noticed before while watching "Khan" or "Spock" is that one of the shots of the Genesis Planet is less than a perfect matte--you can see the stars behind the planet if you look carefully.

"The Voyage Home" features "Star Trek" writers Roberto orci and Alex Kurtzman in a brand new commentary track. "Pavel Scheko's Screen Moments", The Three Picture Saga", "Star Trek for a Cause", "Starfleet Academy: The Whale Probe" are all in HD. Also included is the "Libary Computer" again while all three films have "Star Trek I.Q." available only via the Blu-ray Live option.

The packaging leaves something to be desired--I would have preferred each in its own slimline Blu-ray container. This is presented in a fold out style holder. The artwork is attractive enough but the slip case and fold out holder may not stand up well to wear and tear.

As far as the quality of the films themselves even with the small budgets for the films all three are well written with strong performances and direction. Unfortuntely we don't get the "Director's Special Edition" of "The Wrath of Khan" which has been digitally restored (the film was in fairly bad shape) and remastered. Grain is quite noticable throughout and it appears that DNR wasn't used quite as heavily here as on the other two films (which were remastered first).

The script by Nicholas Meyer and Harve Bennett (although Jack Sowards is credited his script was one of five that was the basis of the final script along with writer/producer Harve Bennett) for "Khan", by Bennett for "Spock" and with Nicholas Meyer for "Voyage Home" are all strong and feature the humor/action that was characteristic of some of the best episodes of the original series. Bennett never really got the credit (or the thank you from Roddenberry)for reviving the show and giving it a production that captured the best of Trek.

I'm looking forward to "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" receiving a deluxe Blu-ray transfer with the "Director's Cut" included since it features the many visual effects that Wise wanted added as well as added him the luxury fine tuning the edit of the film (something he never had a chance to do because of the time constraints due to visual effects snafus and a drop dead premiere date).

So a mixed review--all three films look better than they did in their DVD incarnation but the transfers could be better. Audio sounds terrific and the extras are all good and welcome. The packaging though could be better but the price for this three disc set is pretty good. Hopefully "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek: The Undiscovered" country will be available separately with the former including BOTH versions of the film and the latter including the "Director's Extended Cut".

Theres a lot of hating going on in this customer review section and I totally understand. Yes, this set is a blatant cash-in from Paramount, and yes they only 'fully restored' one of the films in the set. I read these same reviews and was a little leary of getting this set, but at $40, i figured thats not too bad for three great Trek films, one of which was guaranteed to look good.

So I took a risk and bought the set after reading elsewhere that the other transfers were actually pretty decent. So after watching all three films I can say that it was a pretty good purchase considering all thats included in the set.

As far as PQ is concerned, Wrath of Kahn is definitely the best. Great colors, great depth and great detail. Nothing like The Dark Night, but very respectable for a film of its age. I would give it a 9/10.

PQ on The Search For Spock fairs a little worse, but not by much, colors and detail are right up there with Kahn, though not quite reaching its quality. Its not OBVIOUS that II was restored and III was merely remastered, they are very close with the only real knock against III being its depth. The image is just slightly flatter than II, but again, not by much. 8.5/10

The only downside for me was The Voyage Home, which while decent on its own, is noticably lacking when compared to the first two. The colors are often muted and a bit hazy, and the depth is just not there. However some space shots look great, so its not terrible. 7/10

I watched this set on a 50" 1080p plasma and really only noticed the DNR when I got right up to the screen otherwise it rarely bothered me.

So there you have it. Yes I would have liked Paramount to go all out on restoring these movies and Im sure they will someday, but IMO unless youre a videophile you'll probably only notice it on STIV because III looks about as good as II. So if youre like me and are on the fence about whether or not to buy this set now or wait for Paramount to give a proper release a few years from now, I would say that while you might not be blown away by these transfers, theyre definitely respectable and far from as bad as the other reviews would have you believe. Plus, at $40 its a pretty good deal for what you get. Highly Recommended.

I don't know who Paramount is trying to lure into buying this set. But for what it's worth, this is a pretty sweet package.

In case you're unfamiliar with the "Star Trek" franchise, this set includes the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movies. The reason it's tagged as a "trilogy" is because each film starts almost immediately where the previous one left off. Also, these are three of the most popular of the series.

I could talk forever about these movies, but I think the important thing to remember is that all of them will hold up if you're not a fan of the franchise.

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is a fan-favorite for many reasons, one of them that the villain is a character from the original 1960s TV show. But, if you've never seen Khan's appearance from the TV show, I think you'll still get a huge thrill seeing him ooze of cold vengeance. Admiral Kirk's struggle to face life & death --- both literally and spiritually --- is sure to please anyone who enjoys a good character drama. The drama and relationships between the characters are what drive the story from start to finish, and you don't need to be a fan to appreciate the connections. The space battles are still a treat even after over 25 years, and the ending scenes are incredibly powerful.

"Star Trek II" is one of my favorite movies of the 80s, and I'm sure I'd say that even if I wasn't a fan of this franchise. It's an expertly-crafted sci-fi action/drama, and earns its acclaimed status.
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"Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" is probably the least favorite from this trilogy, but it's still a good one, in my opinion. Even though non-Trekkers may be confused by a few of the story developments (notably Spock's Vulcan culture), I believe this one holds its own simply because of its production merits. James Horner's music reuses tracks from "Star Trek II", but has a few haunting melodies specifically for this installment. The action is good, and kinda brutal when the Klingons take decisive action. And I find the premise intriguing...try to recover a resurrected companion who's stranded on a planet about to explode, while you're being hunted by ruthless, greedy warriors!

"Star Trek III" will speak well enough to newcomers, but it's definitely tailored more for the familiar audience.
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"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is sure to be a pleasant ride for anybody. Our heroes must travel back in time to recover an extinct species to save the planet. Why and how humpback whales are supposed to tell an alien to stop ruining our O-zone layer is beyond me. But somehow it all makes sense, and it's not the reason to invest in this film.

In addition to the usual merits we look for in "Star Trek" movies (great music, engaging special effects, and fun characters), this one is faltout hilarious! Try to imagine how seven 23rd Century explorers (one of them an alien) attempt to steal two enormous mammals when their spaceship has lost most of its energy after their time travel. You got misused profanity, Cold War tension, primitive technology, and contemporary music. But rather than being a farce, the movie is great fun.

"Star Trek IV" may not be my favorite of the series, but I'm sure it's the one that everyone will enjoy. It stimulates your brain, uplifts your spirit, and forces some strong laughs.
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To my knowledge, some of the bonus extras that were released on the 2-disc sets back in 2001-2003 won't be on this "Motion Picture Trilogy". Instead, there will be a new goodies.

The main reason I want to check this set out is that Ronald D. Moore provides a track on "Star Trek III". Moore wrote some of the best episodes for "The Next Generation" TV show, was the driving force behind the new "Battlestar Galactica" series, and has proven to be an engaging speaker through his podcast commentaries.

But that's just the fanboy in me. I don't see much of a reason to buy this set if you already own the 2-disc releases of these movies. But if you've never owned "Star Trek II, III, or IV" --- or never SEEN them --- then this is a good way to go.

What's good about it: contains the 3 best "Trek" films that feature the original cast. The picture is slightly better than the 2-disc DVDs of these films, which looked great. The Dolby Digital EX sound is a nice improvement over the previous releases.

What's bad about it: Wrath of Khan is the theatrical cut, whereas the 2-disc DVD was the Director's Cut. NONE of the incredible bonus features from the 2-disc releases are included with this set, and the all-new features are mostly a bust. The visual effects featurette in this set is a real letdown, as it covers the first 6 movies in 13 minutes, so there is no time for any great detail on the FX work.

Bottom line: The transfers, both video and audio, are as good as DVD gets. If that's what you are after, or if you don't have the out of print 2-disc releases, this should do fine.

I got an advance copy of this and the first thing I noticed is that ONLY "The Wrath Of Khan" has been re-mastered in Hi Definition!

BEWARE: The other two movies are NOT Hi Definition transfers! So why buy Blu-Ray copies of Standard Definition transfers? You are only going to buy "The Search For Spock" and "The Voyage Home" again when Paramount re-masters them in Hi-Definition!

Some customers may not notice this cheap-out when buying this set. The BIG lettering on the back says "DIGITALLY REMASTERED WITH BRILLIANT PICTURE AND SOUND QUALITY", but if you look closer you will see the small print says "The films have been digitally remastered and The Wrath of Kahn has been fully restored in high definition picture quality and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD."

So it seems that Paramount only had one of these movies ready for Blu-Ray but wanted to have a Box-Set on the store shelves when the new movie came out.

****CLARIFICATION****
Some fans are confused by my review. Let me first say that I am a television engineer, not a novice Blu-Ray owner. So I want to list some clear facts to help all understand what this set is.

1) Are all of these movies 1080p High Definition video presentations? YES
2) Do all of these movies have 7.1 Dolby TrueHD Audio? YES
3) Will all of these movies look better than the older releases? YES

What is the difference?
Paramount returned to "Khan"'s original film negatives to make new high definition transfers and restore the movie. All of the other movies are the 2001 transfers, digitally enhances using DNR technology and upconverted to 1080i for a high definition look. This is a form of DIGITAL REMASTERING IN HIGH DEFINITION. And this is the term that confuses the average Blu-Ray collector. 90 percent of the time when a studio claims "digitally remastered" on a DVD or Blu-Ray Disc they do NOT mean they went back to the original film negatives to make a new transfer, they just used digital technology to clean up the old transfer.

So why the complaint?
Because we all believe that Paramount will re-release these again, newly "Restored" from the original negatives. If you do not believe that, look back at Paramount's track history of Star Trek releases.

Ahhh, a true science fiction tale told through a fantastic film. Again, I had to convince myself it was 1979, and ignore the special effects that have been achieved since then. But I really don't need to ignore those cgi advancements to enjoy a film such as this one. It was told during what I like to consider the golden age of sci fi. Where thanks to 'star wars' stories/scripts once deemed unfilmable were now possible. You don't see today's sci fi films having such a fascinating story like this. Foster and Livingston did a fine job. It was great to see the original cast together again. By 79's standards this film is top notch, and still should be considered in that way today. I'd like to also add that I thought Persis Khambatta was amazing in her role. It's too bad I didn't see her in anything else too relevant. And I was sorry to hear about her passing in the late nineties.

Oh and the blu ray edition of this film is fantastic!! The picture/audio quality were so superb that I could not believe my eyes and ears. If you're a fan of the 2009's 'Star Trek' prequel/reboot/remake(?) I think you should definitely check out where it all began.

To coincide with J.J. Abrams rebooting of the Star Trek franchise, Paramount has re-released Star Trek II through IV in a box set with brand new extras that are geared towards new fans generated from the latest film. These three films were already given the deluxe treatment (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition), Star Trek III - The Search for Spock (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) and Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)) with extras geared towards Trekkies so for them this set is not really worth purchasing.

If you already own the special editions of these films that were released a few years ago, none of the extras are carried over and The Wrath of Khan is only presented in its theatrical version and not the Director's Cut. So what is included?

On The Wrath of Khan DVD is an audio commentary by director Nicholas Meyer and Star Trek: Enterprise producer Manny Coto. Meyer admits that he knew nothing about Star Trek when he accepted the job. He says that Kirk and his crew reminded him of the famous Horatio Hornblower novels and how the Enterprise reminded him of a submarine. Meyer cites authors Jules Verne and H.G. Wells as influences. Coto does a good job of asking Meyer the right questions and keeps him talking.

"Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI" is a mock Starfleet training film that explains the background of the planet that Khan was banished to.

"Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics" takes a look at some of the more memorable props from some of the Star Trek films with clips that show which film they are featured.

"James Horner: Composing Genesis" features an interview with the film's composer. He talks about how Jerry Goldsmith's work on the first film influenced him. Horner talks about his approach to scoring The Wrath of Khan including specific musical cues.

Finally, there is "A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban" which features a fine celebration to the late great actor by Meyer.

The new extras on The Search for Spock DVD include an audio commentary by former Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine staffers Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor. They were huge fans of the original series and reminisce about seeing this film for the first time on the big screen. They talk about how The Search for Spock takes place right after The Wrath of Khan and starts off with a melancholic vibe. They also talk about the depiction of the Klingons and how it influenced their depiction in later shows.

"Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer" gives the lowdown on this rare practice, how it is performed, and what happens.

"Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame" features screenwriter Harve Bennett talking about how he got the gig to write for the Star Trek films. He wasn't a fan of the show or the first film but told the studio that he could do a better job. He also talks about Star Trek's place in science fiction.

"Industrial Light & Magic: the Visual Effects of Star Trek" examines how the visual effects for the Star Trek films were done. Some of the artists who worked on them talk about certain memorable examples.

"Spock: The Early Years" features an interview with Stephen Manley who played Spock at 17 in the film. He talks about how he was cast and shares some of his experiences working on the film.

Finally, the new extras featured on The Voyage Home DVD include an audio commentary by Star Trek (2009) screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. They approach this film from the fan perspective, talking about when they first saw it. Orci and Kurtzman discuss the informal trilogy of The Wrath of Khan through to The Voyage Home and the notion that this film is a "message picture." They also talk about how the threat in this film comes from the unknown but is really man. They analyze this film from a screenwriting perspective - i.e. story structure, themes, and so on.

"Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 004: The Whale Probe" is a brief explanation of the mysterious alien probe from The Voyage Home.

"Star Trek for a Cause" takes a look at the film's environmental message. Greenpeace representatives talk about how commercial whaling is depleting the Earth's population of whales.

"Star Trek: Three Picture Saga" examines the dramatic arc of these three films. It was an accidental trilogy but a sense of continuity was established. Various key crew members talk about their involvement in these films.

"Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments" features actor Walter Koenig talking about the significance of his character in The Voyage Home and how he actually got to do things in this one. He shares some of his memories working on it and is quite candid about what he had to (or didn't do) in the other films.

While all of these new extras are nice, they are definitely geared towards new fans and not to Trekkies. If you already own these films on the previous released special editions then it really isn't worth double-dipping.

Well i just finished looking at the star trek blu ray
trilogy DVD's............the picture and sound are excellent...........lots of nice extras.........its great to see the original cast in hi definition.......and 7.1 surround sound.........this is a keeper

When it comes to the "Star Trek" films, some regard the trilogy as the best and the only ones to watch. But personally, I enjoyed each and every "Star Trek" film that had been released.

But if you are the type that couldn't care for the first, fifth and sixth films, then the Motion Picture Trilogy is perfect for you.

These three discs are fantastic and are just loaded with special features. I do have some personal nitpicks (especially when it comes to DNR usage) but overall, I enjoyed this trilogy release.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

Of the three films featured in this trilogy box set, "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN" is the only film to receive digital remastering to 1080p High Definition form the original negative. According to the director, the film's negative was in terrible shape and that is why it underwent through extensive restoration. The film which is 27-years-old, looks very good on Blu-ray. As expected, there would be noticeable grain but details are much more evident and much sharper than the DVD and LD release. A good showcase of clarity and detail that definitely is notable with this film on high definition. Of the three films featured, "THE WRATH OF KHAN" has the best picture quality.

The third film "STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" gets its 1080p High Definition treatment (aspect ratio of 2:35:1) via a remaster from the 2000 transfer. The film looks like there was Digital Noise Reduction used as picture quality seems a bit static and detail is not as evident as the second film. This can lead to debate by some who feel they don't like seeing grain on their films but grain is part of film and thus, the picture quality is not as vibrant as "THE WRATH OF KHAN".

For "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME", there appears to be some DNR implemented and there is a bit of a softness as colors seem a bit muted at times. Outdoor shots, especially sunlight shots in San Francisco is where you will see the vibrancy of colors in the film. Overall, I actually expected this film to actually look the least bit vibrant in terms of picture quality but overall, on Blu-ray, the film actually seems quite nice and better than expected.

As for audio, all three films are presented in Dolby TrueHD 7.1. "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN" is a film that although has action scenes, the film showcases clear dialogue and James Horner's music is used effectively to create a mood. I didn't recall much use of low frequencies through my subwoofer but I did notice the panning from various special effects through my side two channels, use of the warp for the rear surround channels. Audio is good but during the final scenes with Khan, I was expecting more utilization of audio. But overall, audio quality was satisfactory.

The audio for "STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" actually uses the audio much more effectively than the second film. Good use of sound coming from the fronts and rears and better usage of low frequencies with the Romulan ship.

As for the audio quality of "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME", also presented with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack and dialogue is clear as well as the 80's music. This is one film that doesn't really utilize special effects but overall dialogue is clear, especially the schlocky 80's music, the thunder storm and the whale sounds do come alive on the soundtrack. Again, not much lower frequency usage from the subwoofer, minimal usage from the rear surrounds. If anything, the film is front channel and your center/side channel usage is where you will notice the audio.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Each of the three discs included with "STAR TREK - THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY" are loaded with special features that were included on the previous DVD release of each film but also includes a few Blu-ray exclusives. Included are:

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

* Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer - The first audio commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer. Meyer is an intellect and with each scene he discusses, he will discuss certain classic storylines and how a certain scene in the film would come to play because of his instincts from reading those books. Especially the book the "Adventure of Captain Horatio Hornblower" and how that came to use Kirk as a basis for the film because he was not familiar with science fiction.
* Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto - Commentary by Manny Coto (co-executive producer of "24' and executive producer of "Enterprise" and self-professed "ST: TOS" fan) and Director Nicholas Meyer. It's interesting to note that when Meyer took this project to direct, he had never watched "Star Trek" before. So, this commentary is actually quite exciting to her Meyer discuss his work on the film, especially certain nuances that some hardcore fans have had with the film and most of all the ending and compromises that had to be made.
* Library Computer - Exclusive to Blu-ray, fans can watch the film with menus that a viewer can use their remote and click on and will show information on characters, objects, music, planets and more.
* Production Log - Featuring a compilation of several featurettes. Included are:

- Captain's Log - (27:18) Featured in standard definition. Interviews of how "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN" came to be from cast and crew. How Leonard Nimoy was convinced to come back, how a wife (or ex-wife) and a son was introduced to Kirk's life and the crew brought on to help create this film.

- Designing Khan - (23:54) A featurette in standard definition about the design of the film. Because of the popularity of "Star Wars", the debates that went on behind in terms of the design process of "STAR TREK". From clothing to the design of the ship. How Director Nicholas Meyer had a navy in mind, so the film would have a more Navy-like look but keeping in the "STAR TREK" theme.

- Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig and Ricardo Montalban - (10:56) Original interviews from the early 80's with Shatner, Nimoy, Koenig and Montalban.

- Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan - (18:14) The film was among the first films at its time to exclusively use digital effects and how Industry Light of Magic (ILM) came to work on the film. How special effects were created at the time, use of pyrotechnics, shooting models on blue screen. Interviews with the crew who worked on the film and how they had to do what they can in the amount of time they were given.

- James Horner: Composing Genesis - (9:25) A featurette presented in High Definition and featuring an interview with James Horner and his first musical score for a film.

* The Star Trek Universe - The following featurettes cover the "Star Trek Universe". Included are:

- Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics - (11:05) A featurette presented in High Definition. How Paramount had so many items in their many warehouses and put several thousand of the items and set pieces for auction. Featuring a presentation of items by Alec Peters (C.E.O of PropWorks) who shows his favorite props in his collection that were used on many of the "Star Trek" films.

- A Novel Approach - (28:55) A featurette featured in standard definition starring Greg Cox and Julia Ecklar about the "Star Trek" novels.

- Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI - (3:08) Presented in High Definition, a brief with a Federation officer discussing the mystery of Ceti Alpha VI. This is the planet where Khan and others were exiled.

- Storyboards - Using your remote, you can view the following storyboards:

- Main Title Concept, Kobayashi Maru, Ceti Alpha V, Regula I, Chekov and Terrell Find Khan, Admiral's Inspection, Khan's Revenge, Kirk Strikes Back, Finding the Genesis Cave, The Mutura Nebula, Sneak Attack, Genesis, Honored Dead

* A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban - (4:44) A featurette presented in High Definition in honor of Ricardo Montalban who passed away in Jan. 2009. Featuring Writer/Director Nicholas Meyer and his admiration of the works of actor Ricardo Montalban. Also, discussing memories of working with Montalban on "STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN".
* Star Trek I.Q. - A Blu-ray BD-Live exclusive game.
* Theatrical Trailer - (2:20) The original theatrical trailer for the film with all its grain, dust and glory.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

* Commentary by Director Leonard Nimoy, Writer/Producer Harve Bennett, Director of Photography Charles Correll and Robin Curtis - The commentary with many people from the staff off the third film. How Nimoy wanted it to be life and death, operatic and everything to rise to a large canvas. Really good tidbits to learn from the director's commentary but all recorded at separate times. How Leonard Nimoy didn't want his name in the opening credits and only wanted it seen at the end.
* Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor -Writers from the later Star Trek television series "The Next Generation", "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" doing commentary on their feelings of the third film. As "Star Trek" fans, the two discuss their life as fans lining up to watch the film and interesting tid-bits such as Moore bringing an audio recorder to record the audio from the film so he could listen to it later.
* Library Computer - Exclusive to Blu-ray, fans can watch the film with menus that a viewer can use their remote and click on and will show information on characters, objects, music, planets and more.
* Production - Featurettes about "STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" which include the following:

- CAPTAIN'S LOG - (26:13) Interviews with the cast and crew. With the success of the second film, Head of Paramount Michael Eisner told Harve Bennett to write the third film after the success of the three day opening. If Leonard Nimoy was to come back for a third film, Nimoy said he wanted to direct the third film. A lot of behind-the-scene discussion on the making of the film. And how the producer and head of Paramount were in support but then against Nimoy directing the film but how Nimoy and Eisner made the deal.

- TERRAFORMING AND THE PRIME DIRECTIVE - (25:53) Interviews with David Brin (author) about terraforming. How "Star Trek" showed the process of changing the environment and how the environment changes us. If we are good people with high moral values, we would be allowed to have so much power to create whole environments.

- INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC: THE VISUAL EFFECTS OF STAR TREK - (13:51) Discussion from the ILM team of creating visual effects in the good ol' days. Showing visual effects from various Star Trek films. Behind the scenes of ILM and interviews with staff. How certain things were difficult to make back then. A very informative featurette.

- SPOCK: THE EARLY YEARS - (6:22) Interview with those who played the Spocks in the third film. Interview with Stephen Manley who played the 17-year old Spock.

* THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE - Featurettes in relation to the "Star Trek Universe". Included are:

- Space Docks and the Bird of Prey- (27:49) A featurette in standard definition. Because there was more money in the budget for this film, ILM introduced more ships, a space dock, the Bird of Prey and more. Utilizing the models and showing how vast the universe is and its scale.

- Speaking Klingon - (21:04) A featurette in standard definition with the interview with the person who created the Klingon dialog in the "Star Trek" films. So, the studio hired a linguist who could create the Vulcan language in the second film and then the Klingon language for the third film. How he came up with the words to match the mouth movements.

- Klingon and Vulcan Costumes - (12:16) Interviews with the Mandy Shpock who, along with her partner make the jewelery, insignia and costumes for the "Star Trek" films. Interviews with Robert Fletcher (Costume Designer) and the various designs made for the third film.

- Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame - (16:50) A featurette in HD of the Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame. Hosted by the pop culture writer of the Seattle Times and Harve Bennett, the producer and writer of "Star Trek" films. A look inside the museum in Seattle.

- Star Fleet Academy Scisec Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer - (2:41) A brief of the Vulcan Katra transfer ritual.

* Photo Gallery - Using your remote, you can view photo galleries taken in production and stills from the movie.
* Storyboards - You can view the storyboards using your remote. The storyboards featured are: Main Titles, The Klingons Attack, Entering Spacedock, Search for Life, Finding Spock, The Destruction of the Grissom, Stealing the Enterprise, Self Destruct, Kirk Fights Kruge, The Katra Ritual
* Theatrical Trailer - (1:11) The original theatrical trailer in HD
* Star Trek IQ - An IQ game featured on BD-Live

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

* Commentary by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner - Commentary by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. The two commentary are not real time and are edited to feature their commentary in separate sections of the film. The two talk about how fun it was working on this film and how lighthearted the film was. Discussion of time travel and working with the cast again.
* Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman - Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who are writers and executive producers on the new "Star Trek" film (2009) give their fan perspective of the film. Both who are big fans of the film talk about how difficult it was to come up with a new story after two emotionally intense films and the message the film had to give to the viewer. And how it resonated well with audiences because of the movie's humor.
* Library Computer - Exclusive to Blu-ray, fans can watch the film with menus that a viewer can use their remote and click on and will show information on characters, objects, music, planets and more.
* Production - The following five featurettes are featured under production:

- Future's Past: A Look Back - (27:28) Featuring interviews with the cast and crew and the fun everyone had on working in the film.

- On Location - (7:26) A featurette presented in standard definition featuring the crew shooting at major locations in San Francisco with the main cast in their Starfleet outfits walking throughout the city. Tidbits on how a woman in the film when Chekov was looking for nuclear vessels was not an extra but a person who was walking to work and didn't know that a film was being shot and answering Chekov's question about Alameda. Also, shooting on a military vessel with actual soldiers.

- Dailies Construction - (4:11) side by side comparison of cameras shooting a scene when the crew were walking in San Francisco. Presented in standard definition.

- Below-the-Line : Sound Design - (11:45) Interview with Mark Mangini (Sound Effects Editor) and creating the sounds for the film. How Leonard Nimoy wanted to use a lot of sound and where musical score doesn't create the mood but fabricated sounds. Presented in standard definition.

- Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments - (6:09) Walter Koenig discussing about his onscreen moments for "Star Trek IV". How happy he was to have his own theme and his own action scenes. A featurette presented in HD.

* The Star Trek Universe - The following seven featurettes are featured under "The Star Trek Universe".

- Time Travel: The Art of the Possible - (11:15) - Scientists talk about time travel and discussion about black holes and quantum tunneling. Featured in standard definition.

- The Language of the Whales - (5:44) A featurette featured in standard definition. Featuring the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and how the location became popular after the filming of "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME". Discussion on various types of whales in the ocean.

- A Vulcan Primer - (7:50) A featurette in standard definition with Margaret Wander Bonnano (author) as she talks about Vulcans and how they are different from humans.

- Kirk's Women - (8:19) Interviews with Catherine Hicks and other actresses from the television series about their character and their romances with Captain Kirk.

- Star Trek: Three Picture Saga - (10:11) A featurette in high definition and interviews with various producers and writers who worked on the trilogy. How Harve Bennett was not planning for a trilogy but to make a good "Star Trek" film and working on the new scripts for the next film while working on the current film. Also, discrepancies discussed by Walter Koenig talking about how he knew that Chekov wasn't in the first season of the TV series and how Khan would says he remembered Chekov (despite the two characters never seeing each other from the original TV series) and Walter keeping his mouth mum because it was such a juicy part. A very informative featurette.

- Star Trek for a Cause - (5:38) A featurette in High Definition featuring Karen Sack of Greenpeace and the ecology message of "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME". A featurette about the tragedies of whaling.

- Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 004: The Whale Probe - (3:34) A Starfleet Academy Scisec brief about the probe and the encounter with the Federation. Featured in High Definition.

* Visual Effects - The following two featurettes are featured under "Visual Effects":

- From Outer Space to the Ocean - (14:43) Featured in standard definition, featuring classic interviews with Leonard Nimoy and working with talented visual effects people about recreating the humpback whales and more.

- The Bird of Prey - (2:48) Leonard Nimoy talks about his plans when giving details to Industrial Light and Magic about the creation of the Klingon ship, the Bird of Prey and also shots of the blueprints of how the Bird of Prey was created.

* Original Interviews - The following interviews with William Shatner - (14:33) Interview with William Shatner on the set of "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME", Leonard Nimoy - (15:40) Interview with Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley (13:02) - Interview with Deforest Kelly. Interesting interviews from the set.
* Tributes - The following two featurettes are included:

- Roddenberry Scrapbook - (8:15) Gene Roddenberry's son Eugene shares some personal memories of his father about the creation of "Star Trek" and how "Star Trek: The Next Generation" came about. Giving us a perspective of Gene Roddenberry the father and the "Great Bird of the Galaxy".

- Featured Artist: Mark Lenard - (12:44) The daughters of actor Mark Lenard talk about their father who played Spock's father Sarek and his emotional scene from "Star Trek: The Next Generation".

* Production Gallery - (3:55) The shooting of a photo with cast and crew all together. And photos from the making of the film in a music montage.
* Storyboards - Using your remote, you can view the many storyboards such as: Encounter with the Saratoga, The Probe Approaches Earth, Time Warp, Mind Meld, The Whaling Ship, Return to the 23rd Century, Communication and NCC-1701-A.
* Theatrical Trailer - (2:22) - The original theatrical trailer in HD.
* Star Trek IQ - An IQ game featured on BD-Live.

JUDGMENT CALL:

These three "STAR TREK" films are indeed classics. I can easily remember watching these films back then and I can tell you that watching "STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN" continues to make me laugh but watching the ending continues to make me cry. It was a powerful film and watching it digitally remastered is just awesome!

"STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK" (and like other of the odd numbered films), I had a few reservations watching it back then. Now, I realize that Spock can't be dead permanently, he's to important to the crew of this Enterprise and needless to say, it was no surprise for me to see the return of Spock. And with the final scene in the second film and the storyline of "Genesis", it was expected.

What was not expected was the time travel storyline of "STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME". Of course, we have seen our favorite "Star Trek: The Original Series" crew go back in time for the classic "Star Trek" episode, "THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER" but this was an interesting concept of bringing the crew members to 1986. So, clothing and music of the time is highlighted. Still, the film had a lot of humorous moments and an adventure so far out and not anticipated, that I actually enjoyed it a lot.

These three films together on Blu-ray and featured in High Definition and 7.1 Dolby TrueHD is indeed a collection that is worth it. That is if you were particular towards these three films. Personally, the whole collection of the six films on Blu-ray is worth owning but I can understand that for many fans, these three films may be enough for their collection and all they need. So, if that's the case, this trilogy is highly recommended!

Now will we see another "STAR TREK" film release on Blu-ray with the same digital remastering as "THE WRATH OF KHAN"? Maybe... Quite possibly. I guess we may not know for now. But at this current time, these are the first releases of these films on High Definition on Blu-ray. Featuring way better picture quality and audio quality over the DVD releases, they are also loaded with so many special features and for this trilogy alone, you can find the trilogy for a great price.

I can nitpick of how I wished all the films received the digital remastering as the second film or how I wish there was less DNR used in the picture quality but I'm sure everyone will have their qualms about the release or each film. But the truth is that I enjoyed every "Star Trek" film that has been released in their own way. These three films alone are just classics that are worth having in your Blu-ray collection (and I feel the other three are as well).

For now, this trilogy (and also the film collection on Blu-ray) are enjoyable and loaded with hours of special footage to keep one busy. If you enjoy these three films (and not interested in the other three films) focusing on Kirk and Spock but also watching more adventures of the crew of the Enterprise from that classic series we loved watching then or through syndication, then "STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE TRILOGY" is definitely worth the purchase!

As far as the Bluray version is concerned, I am very impressed by the picture quality in all three movies. I actually found the Search for Spock and the Voyage Home to be as good or better than the restored Wrath of Khan. I find myself to be a big critic when it comes to watching Blurays. I research whether the quality of the picture is worth purchasing the bluray version. I am very happy with this purchase, especially getting three of my favorite Star Trek's on Bluray for $30. I highly recommend.You won't be disappointed at the picture quality.