In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Friday 2 May 2014

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Often referred to as 'The Motionless Picture' affectionately by fans, and from the opposite view point by haters, Alan Dean Foster's final draft (screenplay by Harold Livingston) forgets that it's supposed to be Star Trek. Instead, it opts for cold, clinical sci-fi that would work better if it was half the length and didn't have the expectations that a film with the Enterprise crew carries.
The amusing name change isn't just a clever play on words, it's an apt description of the pace at which the snooze-fest moves. With too many meandering establishing shots, it's the dullest 132 minutes that I've ever spent in the TOS universe. A cubic inch of empty space contains more atmosphere.

1½ pho…tohn…tohr…pee…dohs out of 5

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