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.
Buy Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Now
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.
Read Best Reviews of Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Here
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.
Want Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy Discount?
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.
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Agent 8 3/4 I'm psyched about this comedy/thriller from 1964 finally being released on DVD. Dirk Bogarde plays an unemployed writer who inadvertantly gets caught up in international espionage. Released in Britain as HOT ENOUGH FOR JUNE, this delightful adventure has rarely played on TV ( I only saw it once on a PBS station back in the '70's) and I've been looking for it ever since. Hopefully we'll get a good widescreen transfer on the upcoming release!
