how could Roddenberry make such an expensive snooze-fest? - Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Discussion

[–] TheDemon (458) 3 years ago

Trying to be too scientific I think, to make it different from Star Wars.
The plot was a good idea using Voyager, but the delivery was too slow paced.
They got it back on track with Khan.

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[–] Cognoscente (2463) 3 years ago

The first movie is like a shelved pilot of a TV series whereas the second movie is like a successful pilot. Weirdly enough, it reminds me of the Mission: Impossible films because those films have a consistent arc from Part 3 onwards whereas the first two M:I films have no real narrative thread that's continued other than Ethan Hunt's association with Luther Stickell.

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[–] strntz (10775) 10 months ago

The plot was a good idea using Voyager

I think that would have been a great story line if The Changling didn't exist in TOS. I remember being struck with almost horror when V'ger was revealed to be Voyager - I just felt cheated.

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[–] mikethemartian (6052) 2 years ago

I always really liked it.

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[–] bozo_500 (12152) 2 years ago

Bc this is Roddenberys version of Trek. Like the way The Cage was Roddenberry's original true vision of TOS. then others came in (like Gene Coon) and shaped and defined the series. Same with the movies after TMP (Bennett, Meyer, Nimoy)

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[–] strntz (10775) 2 years ago

Interesting answer.

The Cage was great Sci-Fi, but maybe not great Trek, so I see your point. It makes a lot of sense.

At the end of the millennium, you still have to appeal the group that will pay the most reliably in movie tickets and TV viewership, so we can see how TWOK appealed to the larger group of people who had seen TOS reruns dozens or more times each. I don't see a problem with that model either - give the most reliable fans what they want.

I generally like TMP and appreciate having at least one *serious* Trek that is true sci-fi. I'm sure they were shooting for a Trek version of 2001 but without the 20 minute acid trip at the end.

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[–] Sparky (2299) 2 years ago

Special FX can be a distraction. Look at the success of Dr. Who.

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[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

Which Doctor Who? There's only one, as far as I'm concerned.

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[–] kenburke (2279) 2 years ago

He wanted a movie meant for die-hard Star Trek fans, NOT the Star Wars-loving John Q. Public types. I wasn't that crazy about Star Trek: The Motion Picture but I'll openly admit it was super successful in Europe.

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[–] Druff (1446) 2 years ago

People who don't enjoy this movie skew lower on the IQ scale. Fact.

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[–] kenburke (2279) a year ago

He wanted something that would appeal to the mature, educated science fiction fan.

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[–] TylerAArse (2651) a year ago

Exactly.

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[–] Ripkens25 (1898) a year ago

He wanted space opera, not action movie. Turns out (as TWOK proved), a hybrid of both was the best formula.

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[–] kenburke (2279) a year ago

Good point!!!

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[–] mikethemartian (6052) a year ago

Original Star Trek always had a variety of different types of episodes. Every Star Wars movie seems to require a climatic battle as part of its formula. On the other hand Trek could do a movie about whales with almost no fight scenes and pull it off since there has been variety in the types of stories from the very start.

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