Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Disc 2: New Retrospective documentaries with cast and crew interviews: Phase II -The Lost Enterprise / A Bold New Enterprise / Redirecting The Future; Teaser trailer; Theatrical trailer; New Director's Edition trailer; Eight television commercials; Five additional scenes (from the 1979 theatrical version); 11 deleted scenes (from the 1983 TV version); Storyboard archive Star Trek: Enterprise; promotional spot

Comments: Filmed in Panavison, the 2.35:1 anamorphic picture is very new-looking. The enhanced effects are subtle and hard to spot. This doesn't look like a 23-year-old film at all. Although the grain and colour do go a little screwy when the massive beam of light rips through the deck. Very little damage, or wear can be spotted at all.

The newly re-edited and mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is pretty good, but obviously not up to current standards. Jerry Goldsmith's brilliant score sounds as fresh and new as modern movies. The surrounds are used sporadically and the.1 LFE could have been used a bit more, but still great picture and sound presentation for the film.

The group commentary by Robert Wise, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Jerry Goldsmith and Stephen Collins is a good 'un. I especially like Goldsmith's comments, as he is one of my fave composers.

There is also a text commentary by Star Trek Encyclopaedia author Michael Okuda. This means you can watch the movie as normal with cool trivia popping up on the bottom part of the screen every few seconds.

The second disc doesn't really have much of interest despite the packaging. Three documentaries are included but the first, Phase II: The Lost Empire, is boring. Joe Public trekkies make some comments and they have the dullest, most un-interesting voices imaginable. Stay away from this. Thank heavens it's only eight minutes long.

The second is called A Bold New Enterprise and focuses on the making of the film and includes opinions from the cast and Wise himself. It's a bit better and lasts a good half-hour.

The last, Redirecting The Future, is all about the restoration of the movie for this DVD. It's cool that such a mishandled film (in terms of shooting schedules) can now finally get such high regard on DVD. Robert Wise deserves to have his final cut of the film. And as this documentary shows, all the sound effects have been completed, new SFX have been integrated and old scenes dropped, new scenes put in.

Some scenes from the theatrical release that were dropped for this version are included. Skip them. They were dropped for a reason. Plus there are 11 deleted scenes (oh God no!) plus trims and outtakes. Please, if you thought that this film lasted an eternity then leave these scenes be. Excitement is not a factor here.

A trailer, a teaser, a DVD trailer, some TV spots, eight television commercials and a promo for Star Trek: Enterprise are on Disc 2 also.