When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is in essence an elongated version of an average Star Trek: The Original Series episode. In and of itself, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I do enjoy The Original Series and the chemistry between the cast (particularly Kirk, Spock and McCoy) but it's certainly not conducive to thrilling action. There are several positives. There are some excellent practical and visual effects (even if it is admittedly tiring seeing the same tracking shots of the Enterprise over and over again), Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack is very good, the performances are solid and there's quite a few interesting ideas in there. In particular there clear themes about life, particularly what where we're going individually and collectively, about creation and sex and about what defines life. It's not a film without purpose. The problem is the film doesn't get a key element in place and that's a compelling narrative. It's one thing to have strong themes, but an engaging narrative
