Originally released in 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture became the fourth highest grossing movie of the year and earned three Academy Award® nominations for Best Visual Effects, Best Art Direction, and Best Music, Original Score. The film successfully launched the Star Trek franchise beyond the original television series, despite having been rushed to theaters with incomplete special effects and forced editing choices. Ironically enough, the Robert Wise-supervised “Director’s Edition” of Star Trek: The Motion Picture runs for two hours and 16 minutes – four minutes longer than the theatrical release. It also includes some of the scenes Wise left out initially, which surfaced in the interim in the TV version of the movie (a detailed list of alterations and additions can be found here). Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Theatrical Version/Special Longer Version/Director’s Edition): B/B-/A V'Ger (6:53): Why the film's antagonist is so memorable, creating the cloud and what is inside of it, and the complexities of the VFX Also, I’m less of a fan of this version of the second torpedo being disarmed versus the DVD release. That shot of the Enterprise looks so CG, and I liked how on the DVD the torpedo sort of winked out, but in this new release it sort of flashes out in a bang. It’s such a subtle change that nonetheless I find inferior to the way they originally re-did it.

Audio Commentary – With Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren DochtermanAudio Commentary – With Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman, only for the Theatrical Version. Re-shoots were a standard part of his deal since the mid-60’s and Paramount’s breach of this and director’s final-cut were one of a long list of Paramount violations that caused Mr. Wise to petition the DGA to have his name removed from the film and his refusal to do most of the promotion that Paramount had booked with him. If you grew up watching TMP on VHS as I did, then you probably know this version fairly well. In the USA for quite some time it was the only version of the film sold. It’s really rather amazing that Paramount agreed to have this alternate version put together in 4K. It’s really only for completists, but I do like the idea that I have every major version available to me. It’s amazing what they managed to pull off in 1979 and Robert Wise would love what they’ve managed to do here. So as of this week, all 13 theatrically released Star Trek films are finally available in 4K and HDR. The latest releases also support the Dolby Atmos audio standard in addition to Dolby Vision HDR.

The glaring scale and proportion mistakes in the 4k maneuvering is even more pronounced in the theater – it actually seems to be much worse than the original theatrical which I saw a few years ago in a theater. After more than two decades, Robert Wise’s Director’s Edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture has been remastered in 4K HDR, which debuted last month on Paramount+ (see TrekMovie review). This week, it has returned to the big screen via Fathom events, with the final screenings being held Wednesday night. There’s a new 8-part documentary titled “The Human Adventure,” which runs about 48 minutes in total. This includes new interviews with the DE team, and others. Notably we hear from visual effects pioneer John Dykstra, who split duties with the late Douglass Trumbull on the visual effects for TMP. There will certainly be debates over “correct” color timing and lighting levels between the 2009 and the 2021/2022 editions of the original Star Trek films: each film does seem to have an issue with somewhat brighter-than-expected lighting levels, especially in space scenes, which seems to be a side effect from creating the remastered Blu-rays from 4K HDR sources. A couple of retailers have shared this artwork this morning (including our friends at HD Movie Source, who are always on the money), so it looks like this could be the final cover art for the forthcoming Star Trek Original Series films in 4K.Things get even better: no matter which version you buy, you get a second disc, a standard Blu-ray filled with new and legacy features. Editor’s Note: Producer David C. Fein has informed me that he’s had Paramount add the original Director’s Edition trailer, and the new 2022 trailer, to the Digital special features available through iTunes. A nice touch—thanks, David!]

Paramount Home Entertainment just announced that the newly restored Star Trek: The Motion Picture—The Director’s Edition will arrive September 6, 2022 on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with a bonus Blu-ray Disc that includes new and legacy special features. The film will also be released in a Limited-Edition Collector’s Set entitled “The Complete Adventure,” which includes the new Director’s Edition, the theatrical cut, and the special longer cut (originally broadcast on ABC in 1983), all on 4K Ultra HD, along with special features on Blu-ray. In addition, Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection will arrive on September 6 with all six big-screen adventures featuring the original series crew on 4K Ultra HD.The original opening credits were plain white as they were only supposed to be temporary. For the DVD, the original plates were scanned in as the base for the new gold version. The credits were recreated from scratch for the 4K, and now have sparkles around the edge. Own the Definitive Vision of Director Robert Wise September 6, 2022 with Extensive New Bonus Content We don’t say that frivolously. Star Trek: The Motion Picture is one of Hollywood’s most famous “unfinished” films. Rushing to meet a December 7, 1979 release date, with many of the visual effects being completed right up until the last possible minute by Douglas Trumbull (who had replaced the previous VFX supervisor), director Robert Wise ( The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Sound of Music) pretty much just stopped working on the film, carrying the first available print on a plane to the movie’s Washington D.C. premiere. Finally, the officers lounge scene. What on earth were they thinking? They should have just kept the original shot.