2 out of 5

Director: Robert Wise

Even knowing what to expect, ST:TMP is a bit of a slog to work through, its TV-episode-extended-to-movie shell (the script flip-flopped around from a small-screen geared ‘Phase 2’ of the original series to a billion movie drafts and then back to mostly adapting Rodenberry’s initial idea) apparent from the many, many drawn out reaction shots of people staring at the stars while Jerry Goldsmith’s bombastic score bombasts all over the joint and Robert Wise lets his old school ‘The Sound of Music’ style out with overtures and interludes… All of which, for better or worse, turns a totally workable sci-fi plot into a rather thin movie that happens to be in full swing while you’re waiting for the story to start.  There are moments – moments – of the sense of excitement and curiosity the show offered, where the cast is suddenly allowed to string several lines of dialogue together to get into a rhythm or we’re not overly tainted by dour stargazing, but otherwise the awe and ‘speculative’ nature of the tale feels rather forced.  Things start out well enough, with some unspecific energy entity decimating some Klingons and then here’s now-Admiral Kirk getting the old crew back together to take the best option of Starfleet – The Enterprise – to go check out this entity.  It works as intro for newbies and wink to fans of the show, and Kirk’s struggle with taking the Enterprise back from its current captain, Decker, is a great little character drama that gives us room for development.  We’ll even allow for the 2001-esque captive camera eyeballing the stars at first, and though I poke fun at Goldsmith, hearing the theme so blown out when the ship is introduced works perfectly to make it seem like a big deal.  But it all grinds to a halt.  The crew is on its way, then meets its destination, and though some things certainly happen, it never feels too serious or threatening. The at-the-time budget breaking sets don’t impress even though Wise shoots it like a play, letting his actors have plenty of space to move… perhaps because he rarely moves the camera to follow, favoring static over-the-shoulder or group shots.  The ‘reveal’ is classic sci-fi, but the plodding pace we’ve taken to get there robs it of effect and, unfortunately, cheeses it up.  Still, when Kirk sends us back into space at the end, there’s a glimmer of magic, and there’s a sense that the confusion the studios faced bringing this film to screen means this muddled start was sort of required to give the series a footing.  ABSOLUTELY not required if you’re casually investigating Trek; you’ll get a much more concise effect by watching the show.