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Star Trek - The Motion Picture: The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Back when the first Star Trek feature was released in December 1979, the Trek franchise was still relatively modest, consisting of the original TV series, an animated cartoon series from 1973-74, and a burgeoning fan network around the world. Series creator Gene Roddenberry had conceived a second TV series, but after the success of Star Wars the project was upgraded into this lavish feature film, which reunited the original series cast aboard a beautifully redesigned starship U.S.S. Enterprise.
Under the direction of Robert Wise (best known for West Side Story), the film proved to be a mixed blessing for Trek fans, who heatedly debated its merits; but it was, of course, a phenomenal hit. Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew into the vast structures surrounding V'Ger, an all-powerful being that is cutting a destructive course through Starfleet space. With his new First Officer (Stephen Collins), the bald and beautiful Lieutenant Ilia (played by the late Persis Khambatta) and his returning veteran crew, Kirk must decipher the secret of V'Ger's true purpose and restore the safety of the galaxy.
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Star Trek III - The Search for Spock
You didn't think Mr. Spock was really dead, did you? When Spock's casket landed on the surface of the Genesis planet at the end of Star Trek II, we had already been told that Genesis had the power to bring "life from lifelessness."
So it's no surprise that this energetic but somewhat hokey sequel gives Spock a new lease on life, beginning with his rebirth and rapid growth as the Genesis planet literally shakes itself apart in a series of tumultuous geological spasms. As Kirk is getting to know his estranged son (Merritt Butrick), he must also do battle with the fiendish Klingon Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who is determined to seize the power of Genesis from the Federation.
Meanwhile, the regenerated Spock returns to his home planet, and Star Trek III gains considerable interest by exploring the ceremonial (and, of course, highly logical) traditions of Vulcan society. The movie's a minor disappointment compared to Star Trek II, but it's a--well, logical--sequel that successfully restores Spock (and first-time film director Leonard Nimoy) to the phenomenal Trek franchise...as if he were ever really gone.
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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
While back on Earth, standing trial for their hijacking of the starship Enterprise (see STAR TREK III), Kirk and his crew are thrust into a new adventure.
A space probe threatens to destroy the planet if it is not allowed to continue its longstanding communications with a certain species of Earth mammal -- humpback whales.
Unfortunately, there is an obstacle to their simple demand; the whales are extinct in the 23rd Century.
So Kirk, Spock and the gang travel back in time to San Fransisco, circa 1986, where they battle culture shock, as well as the clock, while trying to corral a few friendly whales to bring back to the future.
Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Cinematography, Best Original Score.
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Star Trek - Insurrection
Star Trek fans were decidedly mixed in their reactions to this, the ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise, but die-hard loyalists will appreciate the way this Next Generation adventure rekindles the spirit of the original Trek TV series while combining a tolerable dose of New-Agey philosophy with a lighthearted plot for the TNG cast.
This time out, Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his executive crew must transport to a Shangri-la-like planet to see why their android crewmate Data (Brent Spiner) has run amuck in a village full of peaceful Ba'ku artisans who--thanks to their planet's "metaphasic radiation"--haven't aged in 309 years.
It turns out there's a conspiracy afoot, masterminded by the devious, gruesomely aged Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham, hamming it up under makeup resembling a cosmetic surgeon's worst nightmare), who's in cahoots with a renegade Starfleet admiral (Anthony Zerbe, in one of his final screen roles). They covet the fountain-of-youth power of the Ba'ku planet, but because their takeover plan violates Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference, it's up to Picard and crew to stop the scheme.
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Star Trek-Nemesis (Widescreen)
In STAR TREK: NEMESIS, based on the STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION television series, the USS Enterprise is gearing up for a challenging mission.
While responding to a call from the Romulan neutral zone, the crew comes across a signal on the nearby planet Remus. It turns out to be Data's (Brent Spiner) less advanced brother, B-4 (also played by Spiner).
Soon thereafter, Picard is confronted by Shinzon (Tom Hardy), who makes an offer of peace on behalf of the Romulans. As Starfleet enters into negotiations, they realize this treaty may have a twist. Shinzon presents himself as a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and as a simultaneous friend and foe.
Though the baby faced Shinzon wears an intimidating shiny black metallic suit of armor, and spits his words through a nasty sneer, he is clearly no match for Picard. Meanwhile Data has a nifty side project debugging his clone, whose intentions are not as innocent as they may seem.
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