Star Trek: The Motion Picture – An Epic Beginnings of a Franchise
Since its debut in 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture ushered in a new chapter for the beloved Star Trek franchise, bringing Admiral James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) and his crew to the silver screen. The film opens with a spectacular sequence featuring a colossal space cloud that obliterates three Klingon ships before charting a course for Earth. In response, Starfleet commands the recently upgraded USS Enterprise to intercept this mysterious cloud, which threatens the planet.
This cinematic masterpiece, directed by Robert Wise, captivated audiences with its groundbreaking visual effects and classic Star Trek narrative, achieving box office success at the time of its release. Nevertheless, it faced a mixed reception from critics, with some pointing out its slow pacing and heavy emphasis on visuals. Despite this, Star Trek: The Motion Picture has garnered a loyal fanbase, solidifying its position as a vital entry in the franchise’s timeline. The film’s success set the stage for five additional Star Trek films featuring Kirk and his Enterprise crew, and while the pacing may have been debated, the reunion of Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) made it all worthwhile for many fans.
The Mystery of V’Ger: Earth’s Voyager 6 Probe
Unveiling V’Ger: Not a Villain After All
As the USS Enterprise inches closer to the ominous space cloud, Spock discovers a method to communicate with the enigmatic V’Ger. Upon reaching the core of this vast creation, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Captain Will Decker (Stephen Collins) exit the ship, only to find themselves within a massive chamber housing V’Ger, which is, in fact, the long-lost NASA probe Voyager 6, launched from Earth centuries ago. Kirk remembers that the Voyager missions aimed to gather extraterrestrial data and relay it back to its creators.
Captain Decker speculates that Voyager 6 journeyed through a black hole and landed on a mechanical planet, where it encountered machines that fashioned a vessel for the probe to fulfill its original mission. As V’Ger traveled the galaxy, it accumulated so much knowledge that it ultimately achieved sentience. Arriving at Earth, V’Ger aims to complete its purpose by delivering the vast array of information it has collected to its creator.
The Fate of V’Ger in Star Trek: The Motion Picture
The Union of V’Ger, Ilia, and Will Decker
As the Enterprise’s crew seeks to further understand the entity approaching Earth, V’Ger dispatches a probe to scan the ship’s bridge. This probe ultimately kidnaps Ilia, the new Deltan navigator (Persis Khambatta). Shortly thereafter, V’Ger infiltrates the Enterprise as a robotic duplicate of Ilia, possessing her memories and emotions. V’Ger expresses its intent to return to Earth in search of its creator, leaving Kirk and his crew grappling with how to address V’Ger’s profound inquiries.
Seeking answers to existential dilemmas, V’Ger embarks on its journey to Earth to discover its true creator. After identifying V’Ger as Voyager 6, Kirk and his team devise an old Earth communication code to respond to V’Ger’s signals. However, V’Ger is resolute in merging with its creator, leading Decker to deduce that a human connection is necessary for V’Ger to evolve. Having formerly shared a bond with Ilia, Decker volunteers to merge with V’Ger. In a climactic moment, Decker and V’Ger/Ilia become one, transcending into a new form of existence and vanishing into space, no longer a threat to Earth.
Setting the Stage for New Voyages: The Ending of Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Kirk Reassembles His Crew for New Adventures
Before the events of the film, Kirk and several of his former crew members had scattered across the galaxy following the conclusion of Star Trek: The Original Series. While some crew members, such as Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Sulu (George Takei), and Chekov (Walter Koenig), remained aboard the Enterprise, Spock and McCoy were elsewhere. Spock was undergoing a kolinahr ritual on Vulcan, while McCoy had retired from Starfleet. Tasked with the V’Ger mission, Kirk seeks to bring McCoy back on board, with Spock later catching up with the Enterprise after receiving telepathic communications from V’Ger.
In a closing scene, the Enterprise navigator inquires about the ship’s next destination, to which Kirk simply replies, “Out there. Thataway.”This mission not only reunites Admiral Kirk and his crew aboard the Enterprise but also hints at the potential for another five-year exploratory mission. As the film concludes with a message stating, “The Human adventure is just beginning,”it suggests continuity into future Star Trek films, even though Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan later jumps ahead in the timeline to the late 2280s.
Star Trek’s First Movie Was Successful, But Why Isn’t It More Celebrated?
Fans Believe the Director’s Edition Enhances the Original Film
While Star Trek: The Motion Picture achieved box office success upon its initial release, Paramount was let down by its financial returns compared to their expectations. The film’s initial budget soared to $44 million — a staggering figure for a cinematic project at that time. Although it earned enough to warrant a sequel, critics ultimately reviewed the film unfavorably, with it currently holding a score of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. The studio concluded that extensive rewrites by Gene Roddenberry were to blame for the film’s perceived flaws.
The film’s performance was sufficient for Paramount to greenlight a sequel, but they stripped Roddenberry of his creative oversight and cut down the budget for the next installment. Enter Harve Bennett, who decided to draw from a classic episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, capitalizing on its action-packed elements. The results emerged in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which became a tremendous success, earning positive reviews and breathing new life into the Star Trek franchise.
After 45 Years: V’Ger Returns in Star Trek: Lower Decks
Lower Decks Revives V’Ger (Sort Of)
Following its merger into a unique lifeform, V’Ger does not make another appearance for 45 years following its debut in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. However, Star Trek: Lower Decks pays homage to the film, featuring references to the iconic entity in its recent seasons. In the opening of season 5, episode 8 titled “Upper Decks,”characters are seen carving pumpkins, with Lt. Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) sharing that he has created a likeness of V’Ger.
Moreover, the new animated series includes V’Ger in a space battle during the opening credits of season 5, showcasing various prominent Star Trek villains. Despite its reputation for striking visual effects, Star Trek: The Motion Picture continues to be cherished not just for its imagery but also for the significant impact it had on the franchise’s evolution.
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