Star Trek fans can rejoice as the classic Motion Picture collection has made its way to 4K Blu-ray with a stunning restoration! After watching The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan, I have to admit, this is by far the best these two movies have ever looked.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Khan certainly feel like classic Star Trek from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The first movie in the series takes places after a destructive space entity is spotted while it is approaching Earth; Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine and hopefully stop it.
The film certainly feels like it is inspired by what Kubrick did with 2001: A Space Odyssey, mainly down to the grand science-fiction shots and slow-burn pacing. Robert Wise directs the movie to have these sweeping shots of the Enterprise which look breathtaking in 4K. The crispness in each frame immediately makes this set worth buying but the movies are also pretty good too. The pacing does make the film to drag in certain places but because it feels like a blast from the past, it is a lot of fun.
However, The Wrath of Khan is where my love for Star Trek comes from. It’s such a great sequel and a huge step-up from its predecessor. You can tell it has a bigger budget as the special effects feel a lot more polished and the stakes are much higher. Khan is a great addition to the film and makes for a fantastic villain. Ricardo Montalban truly is amazing as the film’s antagonist, Khan, and truly made him the iconic Star Trek villain that he is. While Benedict Cumberbatch was great as the character in Star Trek: Into Darkness, he does come close to what Montalban did in this film. He feels menacing and is a great opposition to the Enterprise.
Now, you are probably wondering, are these 4K restorations worth picking up? Well, if you aren’t a Star Trek lover then these won’t sway your thoughts on the franchise but for Trek lovers, this feels like a gift from the Gods! The Dolby Vision picture looks gorgeous adding more colour to each frame. The Wrath of Khan restoration, in particular, looks incredibly detailed and is a vast improvement over the standard Blu-ray. The Dolby Atmos audio track also becomes a nice companion as the sound design is stellar here.
Overall, the first two movies in this Six-Film Collection are 100% worth buying on 4K if you are a fan of the classic Star Trek movies.
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