Star Trek 1 “The V'Ger Incident”

This is a great edit, and IMO, a great movie in this form.
It is easy to see why this movie didn't become a blockbuster--there is no finale. There is no big fight scene. The plot doesn't call for it, and what a cerebral plot it is!
This movie doesn't back away from the biggest question everyone faces, the big existential Why Am I Here? Is There A God?
And this plot will always be relevant. Anyone watching Cosmos or Through The Wormhole on TV in 2014 has seen questions like these posed. But because of this plot, instead of a big space battle finale, like Star Wars had, we get Decker hooking up with the bald chick in some glowing lights. Again, I can see how it was perhaps disappointing to the masses, but this is the story they told and I still think it was a damned brave one.
I've watched BionicBob's first 3 Star Trek movie edits in order, but am reviewing this one 3rd because I have virtually nothing to say about this edit other than it is flawless. It is never going to be my fav movie, but this is def my fav edit of the movie. And, of the first 3 Trek edits that Bionic Bob has done, this is my fav. Though I am looking forward to Trek 4-6!

Having watched all six of Bob's TOS movie edits, I can definitely say that they're all recommended, and all of them make me WANT to say that they're my new go-too versions of the films they edit. With ST2, I'd say the original and Bob's version both have their merits. With ST3 through ST5, I'd say Bob's versions are slightly better (and when I say that, it's important to note that I liked the originals quite well), but I'd still recommend that people watch both from time to time.

This edit is actually the most troubling, because while it does almost everything it needs to do in order to make the film more tightly paced and more focused on the proper characters, I feel that it actually cuts too much. Everything about it makes me want it to be my preferred version, because in basically every way it is a massive improvement over the one TOS film that I never really liked that much. There's just one problem: Decker has been cut too much. His choice at the end makes no sense because we've only seen hints of his feelings for Ilia--or, for that matter, his feelings about anything other than wanting command of the Enterprise. All we know about him in this edit is that he had a thing with Ilia and he wants his ship back. In that context, his actions at the end make no sense.

Other than that, it's great. It's the film TMP should have been. Other than that.

I just watched Bob's newest version of this edit (v2)

Technically it is a much more proficient edit. It looks better, the cuts are better. The Decker/Kirk relationship is explained and makes sense. The ending is slightly more ambiguous, which is more in the spirit of the original (and also better.)

On the whole, this turns a bad movie in to an enjoyable TV special (which is almost as good as good movie.)

Maybe one day we'll get treated to the same edit in HD, but for now this is as good as Star Trek: The Motion Picture can be.

Review by JetSetWilly — July 10, 2012 @ 8:07 pm

I first saw this edit over two years ago, and I’m ashamed to say I’ve only just got around to writing a review about it. Overall, I thought it was very well done. BB’s intention of keeping it inline with the original TV series, and as a start to a second 5 year mission, works very well. The original music, fade outs, it all fits, and works very well. It is also an achievement that he managed to take a movie that’s 135 minutes long, and condense it down to 80 minutes, and STILL tell the same story.

UPDATE: April 2013

BionicBob has released an updated version of this edit, which has slight improvements in the video, with a few added extras to boot. Still a good edit, the added bits make this even better.

Is it an improvement? I don’t think it’s a question I can answer, because I still think the original version is a classic Trek story, whereas BionicBob’s version is a different take on it altogether, so it would be unfair to compare them both side by side. What I will say is that it is an excellent way to start a series of edits based on the first 6 Original Series movies, and moulding them into something that he has thought a hell of a lot about.

This is the start of the crew’s second 5 year mission. It would be rude to not join them.

A solid 9/10.

Review by Neglify — March 24, 2012 @ 8:11 am

I only watched Star Trek TMP once and I liked it but thought it was a little too boring for my tastes. I really dug Bob’s edit “The V’Ger Incident”. For me, the pacing was much better and I felt the story flowed really nicely.
There are some technical issues that other reviewers have brought up, such as the audio levels and the letterboxed picture. For me, these didn’t bother me too much, but still factors into it.
Overall Rating – 8/10