Search - Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 12/16/2018...

3/5 Wrath of Khan - One of my favorite Star Trek movies!!!

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

I'm on the fence about this release

J. Hall | Tulsa, Oklahoma United States | 05/13/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Great Set, but Who's It For?

R.A. McKenzie | New York | 05/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

4 1/2 Stars: A respectable blu-ray set

ImNotaCylon | 05/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."