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Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80VarietyVarietyProducer Gene Roddenberry and director Robert Wise have corralled an enormous technical crew, and the result is state-of-the-art screen magic.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertStar Trek: The Motion Picture is probably about as good as we could have expected. It lacks the dazzling brilliance and originality of 2001 (which was an extraordinary one-of-a-kind film). But on its own terms it's a very well-made piece of work, with an interesting premise.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Fans will probably spend little time debating Star Trek's intellectual depths; there are none. But the human element triumphs over the technological in a resolution that is sentimental and highly satisfying. Star Trek is a visually boggling 23rd-Century fantasy. But peel away the budget and it's as comforting as an old-fashioned fable. [8 Dec. 1979]
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliPerhaps the greatest strength of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is that, despite a badly-paced middle, it boasts a strong beginning and end.
- 50The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyWatching Star Trek — the Motion Picture...is like attending your high-school class's 10th reunion at Caesar's Palace. Most of the faces are familiar, but the décor has little relationship to anything you've ever seen before.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittAs dull as it is to watch, "Star Trek" at least possesses a measure of intellectual pizzazz: not enough to provoke thought and discussion, exactly, but more than many "Star Wars" imitators have bothered to give us. [4 Jan. 1980, p.15]
- 50NewsweekNewsweekNo matter how important teamwork is on a job of industrialized entertainment like these ostensibly visionary films, the vision itself has to come from a single inspired sensibility. Despite some intriguing ideas, episodes and effects, that isn't the case with "Star Trek." [17 Dec. 1979, p.110]
- 40Washington PostWashington PostStar Trek is an essentially passive adventure movie, made more so by director Robert Wise's failure to prevent the protracted effects sequences from retarding the narrative pace. [8 Dec. 1979, p.E1]
- 30TimeRichard SchickelTimeRichard SchickelStar Trek is, finally, nothing but a long day's journey into ennui.
- 30Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrThis 1979 movie adaptation of the cult TV series is blandness raised to an epic scale. Robert Wise's bloodless direction drains all the air from the Enterprise.