If you’ve never seen a Star Trek movie, you’re missing some of the most important aspects of not just science fiction cinema, but movie history altogether. But, if you’re someone who hears “Star Trek movie” and you think of Chris Pine, J.J. Abrams, and a lot of lens flare, there’s a new, affordable, and impressive Blu-ray box set that can become your quick education as to why the first 10 Star Trek movies are so important, and why these films continuously redefined science fiction cinema for decades.
Here’s why the new 12-Disc Star Trek Movie Blu-ray Box Set is great for old-school fans, but perhaps best as a starter pack for new fans. And, at a retail price hovering around $50, this is one of the better Star Trek movie deals in several stardates past.
There are those who might say that the ideal format of Star Trek is not in a feature film, but rather, as a TV series. There’s certainly some wisdom to this statement. Because Star Trek began as a big idea sci-fi concept in 1966, it achieved greatness by delivering those big ideas in smaller packages. In fact, part of why the 1960s Star Trek series was such a revolution for science fiction in general is because some great writers of sci-fi short stories (Harlan Ellison, Theodore Sturgeon, George Clayton Johnson, Norman Spinrad, and Jerome Bixby, to name a few) populated the Final Frontier with bit-sized tales that could have existed as stories in an anthology, or a magazine.
And yet, while a new fan could get excited about Star Trek by binging key episodes of the various different series, there’s also the common-sense argument that the Star Trek feature films might easier convert a Trek-curious non-fan. And why is that? Well, because while hardcore Star Trek fans might complain that the different movies are overstuffed and paradoxically unrepresentative of the breadth of the Trek oeuvre, even the worst Trek film is extremely well-paced, and chock-full of amazing character work, fun action, and at least a handful of truly original sci-fi ideas. To put it another way, if someone only watched the first 10 theatrical Star Trek movies — which consists of six movies featuring the original cast and four movies in The Next Generation era — that person would have a pretty great idea of what Star Trek is all about.
The new box set then, would allow this new fan to level-up on their Trek knowledge in a big way, because these Blu-rays provide a wealth of information in the special features, but also, quite notably, feature alternate versions of the first two films. This set covers the first 10 Star Trek movies, but its 12 Blu-ray discs. Here’s why.
DISC 1: Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director’s Edition
This is a 2022 remaster of the first 1979 Trek film, directed by Robert Wise. This edition originally released on Blu-ray and 4K as a standalone. It was later on Paramount+, which is still the case. This is the first time this impressive Director’s Edition has been in a box set.
DISC 2: Motion Picture Special Features
This is disc includes a ton of new featurettes and behind-the-scenes segments. This includes vintage VFX tests, costume tests, deleted scenes, and more.
DISC 3: Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Theatrical Edition)
This is the 1979 first Trek movie in its original format. Yes, you’re getting three of the 12 discs devoted to the first Trek movie, which, back in the 1980s, was the least popular of the classic films. (Well, until The Final Frontier that is.)
DISC 4: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
This disc contains both Nicholas Meyer’s director’s cut of The Wrath of Khan, as well as the theatrical cut from 1982. The special features on this one have been kicking around on other formats since at least 2016. However, like all the other movies in this set, The Wrath of Khan has been transferred to Blu-ray from the 4K remasters. One note, the director’s cut has a ton of additional scenes and lines of dialogue. We love Nick Meyer here, but it’s nice to have the theatrical cut, too, as it more accurately represents how people tend to think of this movie.
Disc 5: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
This disc contains the 1984 theatrical movie, as well as commentary tracks from director Leonard Nimoy and producer Harve Bennett.
Disc 6: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
This contains the 1986 theatrical version of The Voyage Home, as well as commentary track from William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Interestingly, as has been the case since at least 2013, this also has a commentary track from the late Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, back when they were the screenwriting duo responsible from the first two J.J. Abrams Trek reboot films. At the time this was a contemporary commentary track, now it feels slightly vintage.
Disc 7: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
This contains the 1989 theatrical version of The Final Frontier. There’s also a commentary track from William Shatner and his daughter, Lisabeth Shatner. (Lisabeth Shatner wrote a memoir about the making of Star Trek V in 1989.) Famed Trek production designers Michael and Denise Okuda also have a commentary track here.
Disc 8: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
This contains the 1991 theatrical movie. There’s a commentary track from director Nicholas Meyer as well as co-screenwriter, the late Denny Martin Flinn. There’s also a second commentary track from Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr and longtime Star Trek expert and author Larry Nemecek.
Disc 9: Star Trek Generations
This contains the 1994 film plus a commentary track from writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga.
Disc 10: Star Trek: First Contact
This contains the 1996 film plus a commentary track from writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga.
Disc 11: Star Trek: Insurrection
This contains the 1998 film, plus a commentary track from Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis.
Disc 12: Star Trek: Nemesis
This contains the 2002 film, plus a commentary track from producer Rick Berman, as well as another track from Michael and Denise Okuda.
All the discs also contain a variety of special features which have been included in previous releases. In fact, there’s almost no new special features here for the very, very diehard fans. And, crucially, it should be noted that this is not a 4K set, but rather a set of Blu-rays. As a rep for Paramount confirmed, the films themselves have been transferred to Blu-ray from the 4K remasters. So, that detail is new for a box set of Star Trek movies; all pre-2009 Trek movies in one set, all remastered in 4K on Blu-ray.
For the hardcore physical media collector, this might not be the greatest box set of Star Trek movies ever. But, for those looking to start their collection of Trek discs with a lot of great features and content, this set boldly delivers the goods. In fact, since it seems that we’re still a long ways away from a new Star Trek feature film, this box set provides something else Trekkies might be needing right now — comfort.
