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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.