Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

The "Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection" on 4K UHD is a luminous presentation that rejuvenates the visual narrative of this beloved series. Each film benefits significantly from Dolby Vision HDR, providing enhanced contrast and better brightness landscapes, bringing life to the vastness of space with snappy, sparkling stars and deep, inky darkness. The thoughtful restoration of these films captures the era's cinematography—whether it’s Richard H. Kline’s muted tones in "The Motion Picture" or Charles Correll’s vibrant palette in "The Search for Spock." The color saturation across these movies is striking, with deeper shades of blue and bolder reds that enrich the visual experience beyond their HD predecessors. Distinctive shadows and heightened highlight details afford a notable cinematic depth that fans will exuberantly appreciate.

Notably, "Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director's Edition" sees an admirable ground-up restoration using original 35mm negative elements, resulting in well-managed grain and detail preservation. As you venture through nostalgia, the superlative quality transcends slight flaws in original optical effects or film grain variations. The contrast improvements and specular highlights provide a crisp sheen along metallic surfaces, enhancing the authenticity of starship vistas. "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," shot on Super35, particularly shines with high-definition restoration, revealing fine film grain and clothing textures in stunning detail.

Despite certain artifacts from the original productions appearing more pronounced due to higher clarity, these transfers are a sensational testament to restoration efforts and technology’s ability to breathe new life into classic films. Advanced encoding, particularly for earlier movies like "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," counters past errors with graceful recovery of film appearances, balancing vibrantly bold hues, brilliant whites, and profound black levels. Each film offers an invigorating retrospective ride through the expansive universe of "Star Trek," now visually sharper and nostalgically richer than ever.

The audio presentation of the "Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection" offers a rich sonic experience, albeit with some variations in quality between the films. Most soundtracks, originally from the 2009 Blu-ray release, are reissued in Dolby TrueHD 7.1 format, preserving the authentic sound design and meticulously balancing dialogue and soundtrack elements. Notably, the Director's Edition of "The Motion Picture" receives a Dolby Atmos upgrade, delivering an expansive soundstage with excellent channel engagement, including overhead effects and a standout orchestral score by Jerry Goldsmith. This Atmos mix broadens the auditory experience, utilizing updated ADR for clearer dialogues and creating an immersive environment that enhances even quieter scenes.

The remaining films, while presented in the same Dolby TrueHD 7.1 format, reflect varying levels of dynamism and spatial depth. For example, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" maintains its original stereo front-heavy design with a balanced but limited mid-range dynamic, while "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" stands out with a broad soundstage and extensive mid-range reproduction, capitalizing on Leonard Rosenman's invigorating score. Similarly, "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" features the return of Jerry Goldsmith's score with clean dialogue and actively engaging sound effects that benefit from additional up-mixing through DTS: Neural:X or Dolby Surround functionality to enhance the soundfield.

"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" also outputs an effective Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix similar to its predecessors but could have benefited from a new Atmos track. However, all entries offer satisfying audio fidelity, clear dialogue, and robust low-end elements that add substantial weight to the visuals, ensuring a cohesive and enjoyable listening experience consistent with the cinematic heritage of the franchise.

The extras presented in the 4K UHD Blu Ray collection of "Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection" are comprehensive, making it a treasure trove for enthusiasts. With a profound assortment of high-definition documentaries and commentaries from esteemed contributors, each film in the collection delves into intricate production details. Supplementary materials, such as isolated and audio commentary tracks in both legacy and Dolby Digital formats, cater to audiophiles yearning for an enriched listening experience. Expositions regarding the making-of, spur insightful contemplation about the film's journey from concept to screen and explore deeper thematic elements. Noteworthy inclusions like storyboards and high-definition trailers encapsulate the cinematic experience's development. This extensive array of extras ensures an immersive understanding of the series' intricate production dynamics and creative dialogues.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentaries: Featuring notable commentators across each film.
• Isolated Scores: Tracks offering music enthusiasts pure auditory immersion.
• Documentaries: Comprehensive breakdowns of each film’s making.
• Deleted Scenes: Insight into editorial decisions with scenes cut from releases.
• Storyboards and Trailers: Visual representations paralleling film evolution.

Paramount's 4K UHD Blu-ray collection of the original six 'Star Trek' films, often referred to as 'The Original Series' crew, is a thoughtfully curated set for the avid collector. It builds on the foundation of the previous four-film release by including 'The Final Frontier' and 'The Undiscovered Country,' along with the Director's Edition of 'The Motion Picture.' The collection is noted for its impressive restoration efforts, especially in the Director's Edition, where enhancements in visual effects contribute significantly to the cinematic experience. These nuances are not merely technical upgrades but elevate the film’s thematic depth, aligning with its ambitious philosophical core.

Each film in this collection delivers its own unique experience. 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' stands out with its exploration of existential themes and is often likened to '2001: A Space Odyssey' in ambition. The newly added Director’s Edition bolsters this perception with its refined pace and updated effects. Conversely, 'The Wrath of Khan' shifts focus to action-driven narrative without forsaking its substantive meditation on mortality and legacy. 'The Search for Spock,' while viewed by some as circumventing deeper consequences from its predecessor, still offers an engaging journey with Leonard Nimoy's competent directorial debut.

As we advance through the sequence, 'The Voyage Home' embraces a lighter tone, offering a time-travel adventure that resonates through its cultural references and humor. 'The Final Frontier,' albeit ambitious in its aim to tackle grandiose ideas, is critiqued for its inability to cohesively deliver them. Meanwhile, 'The Undiscovered Country' returns to form under Nicholas Meyer’s expertise, presenting a compelling political narrative wrapped in a mystery framework, offering a fitting send-off to the beloved cast. This set is an essential addition for collectors, emphasizing quality restoration while preserving the essence of what makes these films timeless classics.

The "Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection" on 4K UHD Blu-Ray is a definitive compilation for any fan of the iconic franchise. This collection brings together the complete series of original films featuring the classic cast aboard the USS Enterprise. While the films vary in ambition and execution, they remain entertaining journeys that highlight the series' pioneering spirit. Noteworthy is the inclusion of restored versions, particularly the fully restored "Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director's Edition," enhancing the saga with superior 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10 transfers that deliver impressive improvements over previous releases.

This collection is more than just an accumulation; it's a transformative experience for the viewer. The set includes the newly released discs for "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," completing the oeuvre in its entirety. Audiophiles will appreciate the immersive soundtracks accompanying the improved visuals, though it's important to note that individual editions are available if purchasing separately is preferable. However, those with a penchant for comprehensive cinematic adventures will find this set an irresistible addition to their collection, despite the absence of an alternative SteelBook option.

In conclusion, this collection represents the definitive release that fans have eagerly awaited. Each film benefits from refined aesthetics and sound, presenting the beloved narratives in a remarkably polished format. With an array of supplementary materials to delve into, it promises endless hours of exploration with the crew of the Enterprise. For those who wisely delayed purchase for this deluxe edition, it is indeed worth every penny. This release comes highly recommended to all who cherish these timeless interstellar adventures.