BADass SINema Unearthed - Blu-ray 4K UHD Review

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before!“

There was a time when those words - no, that entire opening  speech - was dripping on the lips of every kid in my neighborhood.  We had it memorized and timed perfectly to match Shatner’s narration and, thanks to the syndicated reruns, we grew up well versed in the original Star Trek series, as well as the movies which this set covers.  Kirk. Spock. Bones.  Scotty.  Sulu.  Uhura.  Chekov.  We played in our yards and alleys as them all.  You name the character and we all knew EXACTLY what they would say when faced with whatever our imaginations could come up with.  Those days are over, but the series - and the movies - STILL live long and prosper.

And for good reason.  Warts and all, these four movies - Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - are ALL certifiable classics.  Now, why Paramount would release only 4 of the original 6 films has me betting that we vote for more with our wallets.  If you want more, then BUY THIS SET! 

Now, those with only a casual interest in the franchise will probably shake their head at my calling Star Trek: The Motion Picture a classic, but true fans know it and feel it as the spectacle that TMP is washes over the screen and, gloriously enough, this new 4K scan leaves me completely breathless with great jaw-dropping sequences.  It’s dialogue-heavy and full of BIG IDEAS which continue to inspire as Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) assumes command of the newly refitted Enterprise, gathers the original crew, and faces down a powerful alien cloud known as V'Ger that is on a path toward Earth and is destroying everything in its path.

It won’t be the last time that Kirk assumes command of the Enterprise either.  Let’s just say that his promotion to Admiral is short-lived as he finds himself - which is a big arc in these films - unaccustomed to not getting his hands dirty.  Kirk is action-oriented and the duties of an Admiral bore him to tears, which is why in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn he finds himself once again at the helm of the Enterprise facing down an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), and having to stop him from using the life-generating Genesis Device . . . no matter the consequence.  This is the beginning of a three-story arc which sees the original crew of the Enterprise - Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy, James Doohan as Montgomery Scott, George Takei as Hikaru Sulu Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura - bonding as they race against a ticking clock to stop Kahn, save Spock in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and travel back in time to San Francisco in 1986 in order to get a pair of humpback whales and bring them safely into the year 2286.

While we can question Paramount’s logic to release this 4 film set when, at the time of this writing, a 4K remaster of the Director’s Cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is in the works, these movies are truly worth the upgrade.  Unfortunately, the full story is still waiting to get the same visual treatment as Trek V and Trek VI get no love from Paramount here.  It makes little sense as the fanbase around V is growing and, well, VI - featuring a return to the helm of Nicholas Meyer (who directed Trek II) - is simply a classic space age murder mystery.  Maybe in time 4K restorations will be released from Paramount.  

For now, we have this set to beam you deep into the 23rd century.

Home Video Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Available on Blu-ray - September 7, 2021
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Discs: 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc; Eight-disc set
Region Encoding: Region free playback

The first four STAR TREK original motion picture adventures boldly voyage to 4K UHD in one collection. Starring the original series cast, including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and James Doohan, all four have been remastered in HDR for optimum picture quality from their original film elements. The human adventure is just the beginning when Captain James T. Kirk returns to the hem of a newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. In STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, an adversary from Kirk’s past returns with a vengeance. The crew is forced to defy Starfleet regulations in STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. And in STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME, an unforgettable time-travel adventure places Earth on the brink of disaster. Featuring hours of special features, this highly anticipated collection is an essential for original fans of the franchise, and beyond!

Video:

Paramount’s 4K restoration is fantastic in giving the film a clean look without sacrificing too much of the grain. The contrast and colors are restored to extenuate the muted color palette of the film, and the sparkles and other mystical elements really seem to pop out wonderfully. Overall, this is probably a perfect transfer and the best version of the film we will ever see.  The organic depth of color leaves the previous blu ray releases in the dust. From opening to ending, the darks throughout these four films are inky black and the vibrant colors pop off the screen. There are almost imperceptible shots that are a touch on the soft side, and the optical effects stand out more so at this resolution, but this is completely faithful to the source, organic even, and the finest these films have ever looked.

Audio:

The new Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mixes are also another massive upgrade over the previous release. With new overhead channels mixed in, a robust soundscape awaits your ears. Again, the start of these films waste no time in showing you the difference aurally as well as visually.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• See Individual discs for specifics.

Special Features:

Settle in.  There’s a lot to take in.  Yes, some of it has been ported over, but the results are discs that are loaded with great supplemental items.

Disc 1: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (THEATRICAL CUT – 4K ULTRA HD)

• Isolated score in Dolby 2.0 — (New).
• Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Daren Dochterman.

Disc 2: STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (THEATRICAL CUT – BLU-RAY DISC)

• Isolated score in Dolby 2.0 — (New).
• Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Daren Dochterman.
• Library Computer (HD).
• Production (The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture in HD).
• The Star Trek Universe (Special Star Trek Reunion in HD; Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 001: The Mystery Behind V’ger).
• Deleted Scenes.
• Storyboards.
• Trailers (HD).
• TV Spots.

Disc 3: STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (THEATRICAL CUT and DIRECTOR’S CUT – 4K ULTRA HD)

• Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version).
• Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version).

Disc 4: STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (THEATRICAL CUT and DIRECTOR’S CUT – BLU-RAY DISC)

• Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version).
• Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version).
• Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Cut).
• Library Computer (HD).
• Production (Captain’s Log; Designing Khan; Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalban; Where No Man Has Gone Before - The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; James Horner: Composing Genesis in HD).
• The Star Trek Universe (Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics in HD; A Novel Approach; Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI in HD).
• Farewell (A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban in HD).
• Storyboards.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD).

Disc 5: STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (4K ULTRA HD)

• Commentary by director Leonard Nimoy, writer and producer Harve Bennett, director of photography Charles Correll and Robin Curtis.
• Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor.

Disc 6: STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (BLU-RAY DISC)

• Commentary by director Leonard Nimoy, writer and producer Harve Bennett, director of photography Charles Correll and Robin Curtis.
• Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor.
• Library Computer (HD).
• Production (Captain’s Log; Terraforming and the Prime Directive; Industry Light and Magic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek; Spock: The Early Years in HD).
• The Star Trek Universe (Space Docks and Birds of Prey; Speaking Klingon; Klingon and Vulcan Costumes; Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in HD; Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer).
• Photo Gallery (Production; The Movie).
• Storyboards.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD).

Disc 7: STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (4K ULTRA HD)

• Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
• Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.

Disc 8: STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (BLU-RAY DISC)

• Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
• Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
• Library Computer (HD).
• Production (Future’s Past: A Look Back; On Location; Dailies Deconstruction; Below-the-Line: Sound Design; Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments in HD).
• The Star Trek Universe (Time Travel: The Art of the Possible; The Language of Whales; A Vulcan Primer; Kirk’s Women; The Three-Picture Saga in HD; Star Trek for a Cause in HD; Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 004: The Whale Probe in HD).
• Visual Effects (From Outer Space to the Ocean; The Bird of Prey).
• Original Interviews with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and DeForest Kelley.
• Tributes (Roddenberry Scrapbook; Featured Artist: Mark Lenard).
• Production Gallery.
• Storyboards.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

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