star trek 4 4k review

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review

The most accessible and perhaps most popular star trek feature film is brought into the 4k timeline in a wonderful remaster..

The Bottom Line

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review 99

Emboldened by the strong response to The Search for Spock which turned the clock back and reunited Spock with the crew of the Enterprise crew, Paramount almost immediately turned their attention to the next installment in the series. But in lightening the tone quite significantly from its two predecessors, the studio even managed to produce a film that was more accessible to casual filmgoers, which expanded the fanbase considerably.

Following immediately from the events of The Search for Spock , Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise crew are summoned to Federation Headquarters to account for the consequences of their actions in returning to the restricted Genesis planet and the destruction of their flagship vessel.

En route, however, Earth becomes attacked by a powerful and mysterious entity that has paralyzed global power grids and generated crippling superstorms across the globe. The only hope for Earth is the plucky crew of the Enterprise and ancient Kington technology, which sees the crew return to Earth - circa 1986!

Universally referred to as "the one with the whales," The Voyage Home is often singled out as the standout entry in the original six feature films, earned by a refreshingly lighter change of pace, a somewhat relatable time frame, and which breaks free from the sci-fi gobbled-gook and reliance on prior Star Trek lore.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review 01

Video transfer

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with H.265 compression and graded for HDR-10 and Dolby Vision.

As with its three predecessors, Paramount has returned to the original conformed camera negative in producing this brand new 4K transfer. In doing so, it wipes memories clean of the Blu-ray transfer, which exceeds two decades of age.

The image is stable, clear and detailed, and almost entirely cleaned of film artifacts and noise, which, owing to the analog nature of post-production, have been part of the image since conception. The 1980's settings offer a bit more visual panache and more natural lighting than the overly dark and dank sets that most of the Trek films to date had been filmed on, and this is reflected in a brighter and crisper image for the most part. Color balance is excellent, with rich and saturated tones where appropriate.

Overall, this is perhaps the best looking of the first four Trek features now released on the 4K format. We can only hope that the other entries are given the same care and consideration. Owing to their more recent vintage, I'd be very surprised if they don't easily surpass what's offered here.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review 02

Audio transfer

The default audio track is a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, at 24 bits.

Released theatrically in six-track Dolby audio, The Voyage Home debuted in a remixed 7.1 track for the 2009 Blu-ray release, which has been repurposed for this 4K release.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, and owing to its age, the mix remains quite a front-heavy mix, despite some reasonably impressive attempts to engage the rear channels with discreet effects to match the infrequent battle sequences, but less so during more reflective ones. I noticed no problems with audio sync, and the dialogue was fine for the most part. Surround usage is a little inconsistent; the general ambiance is a tad lacking, but the surrounds spring into life during some of the numerous action sequences. The subwoofer receives sufficient attention when called upon.

Again, Paramount has provided a good, albeit conservative remix for the film, bringing it into line with modern expectations, which remains true to the original intentions.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review 03

Bonus materials

Unfortunately, at odds with the U.S. release, Paramount has not included a copy of the standard Blu-ray in the Australian release, which means all the video-based features are completely, and disappointingly absent.

However, the 4K disc does include two previously released audio commentaries , the first provided by Director/ actor Leonard Nimoy and actor William Shatner which is a lot of fun, and the duo play off each other well. While their relationship soured in the latter few years of Nimoy's life, this is a nice time capsule (circa 2003) that preserves the height of their friendship forever.

The second commentary features Star Trek: Into Darkness writing duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who speak fondly of the film and what it ultimately meant for the career, noting that the latter has now received the keys to the Star Trek kingdom - for better or worse.

The lightest and most accessible of the original Trek features, The Voyage Home's 4K debut leaves the previous Blu-ray in the cold of space.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Ben Gourlay

Ben joined the TweakTown team in 2008 and has since reviewed 100s of movies. Ben is based in Australia and has covered entertainment news and reviews since 2002. A student of film, Ben brings a wide understanding of the medium to the latest happenings in entertainment circles and the latest blockbuster theatrical reviews.

Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4k Blu-ray Review

The Equipment

Star Trek: The 4-Movie Collection on 4k Blu-ray was reviewed on a 75” Sony Bravia LED 4k HDR TV with a Sony HT-ST5000 soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos audio. The disc player is the Sony UBP-X800M2 with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG HDR formats.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) has a nice cinematic quality that recalls what the movie must have looked like projected from 35mm film. There is good contrast and color saturation (enhanced with Dolby Vision), as well as detail in shadows not evident in past Blu-ray editions.

One might have hoped to see better sharpness in some scenes, for example, the opening of ‘The Motion Picture’ when the Klingons encounter the massive energy cloud (see image). But other shots are very impressive for the age of the original film elements.

star trek the motion picture klingon-still 4k blu-ray

Or, how about the incredible details in the model docking station for the Enterprise? That scene, when Kirk and Scotty shuttle to the Enterprise while being retrofitted, seems to last an eternity by today’s standards. But the amount of work in lighting, moving elements, and cinematography in this scale rendering can be more appreciated in 4k.

However, grainy and flat could be the words to describe some of the video quality in these four films. There are scenes, notably in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, that lack any contrast at all. However, the grain can be overlooked as just part of the quality of the film rather than a knock against it. The film elements are going back to the late 70s and early 80s. There is going to be grain.

star trek the motion picture 4k blu-ray settings

All four films in this collection are presented in English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 as well as many other languages in various formats. The case insert only indicates English TrueHD and French Dolby Digital 2.0, but as you can see from the Settings menu there are more options. The case inserts also only note subtitles in English SDH and French, but when going to the Settings screen there are many more including Dutch, Japanese, Spanish (Spain), and six more languages.

The audio on each disc is formatted in 48kHz and streams at around 4.9Mbps depending on the sound components, with good left/right surround effects in some scenes and a more centralized mix in others. Dialogue is exceptionally crisp even above the sounds of crashes, weapon fire, and explosions.

The audio side of Star Trek: The Motion Picture is, arguably, the best part of this film. With its Osar-nominated original film score from Jerry Goldsmith, the soundtrack to ‘The Motion Picture’ is both triumphant and transcending, having been influenced by John William’s Star Wars compositions and the romantic idea of space. As a new bonus on the 4k disc, the isolated music score is offered in Dolby 2.0. This can be accessed as a “Scene” from the menu or in the Settings under Audio.

We should let you know Paramount has promised a Dolby Atmos version of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , and this is confirmed for streaming on Paramount+. But, whether or not there will be a single movie release of the film to 4k Blu-ray is still not known (at least to us).

star trek the motion picture 4k blu-ray menu

The disc menu follows the same structure throughout all four movies — a poster image of the stars of the movie along with buttons for Play, Settings, and Scenes. There have certainly been more interesting Home screens, but we’re here for the movie right?

Bonus Materials

Most of the bonus materials are contained the Blu-ray Discs, but the 4k Blu-rays do include optional audio commentaries. In ‘The Motion Picture’ you can hear commentaries from Michael and Denise Okuda, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman.

The rest of the extras have been previously released on Blu-ray editions and are only accessible on the 2k Blu-ray Discs.

Digital Copies can be considered a bonus to this combo edition from Paramount. There are two codes provided in an insert (one for two films) and those are presumably redeemed in Digital 4k UHD where available.

Scores (averaging the 4 movies)

Movies 3-4/5

Video 3-4/5

Audio 4-5/5

Blu-ray reviews
Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection

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The Original Series
The Animated Series
The Next Generation
Deep Space Nine
Strange New Worlds
Lower Decks
Star Trek Movies
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The new 15-disc collection includes all of the following:

4K Blu-ray Disc and Blu-ray Disc
Bonus Features Blu-ray Disc
4K Blu-ray Disc — Theatrical Cut and Director’s Cut
Blu-ray Disc — Theatrical Cut and Director’s Cut
Blu-ray Disc — Theatrical Cut only

Standalone 4K / Blu-ray combo pack releases of Star Trek II, II, IV, V, and VI also arrived this week:

There will certainly be debates over “correct” color timing and lighting levels between the 2009 and the 2021/2022 editions of the original Star Trek films : each film does seem to have an issue with somewhat brighter-than-expected lighting levels, especially in space scenes, which seems to be a side effect from creating the remastered Blu-rays from 4K HDR sources.

A NOTE ON SCREENCAPS: At present, it is rather difficult to produce representative screencaps from 4K discs and maintain the full HDR color presentation for online publication. The remastered Blu-rays, which are based upon the 4K presentations, are what we can produce and share for this review.

We’ve watched the 4K discs on a proper HDR television display, and can say that those of you who will primarily watch the films on 4K discs on 4K HDR-capable displays (or on streaming services which present the full 4K HDR presentation) will probably not notice much of an issue on that front — but “downgrading” the new scans to 1080p for the standard Blu-ray discs have left some scenes feel a bit over-brightened, losing some of the shadowy moods one remembers from countless viewings over the decades.

That said — the primary problem with those first Blu-ray editions are the tragically-overused Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) and edge-enhancement (or “sharpening”) techniques used when bring the movies to HD for the first time.

For the 2009 editions, all six films were put through DNR processing to “scrub out” the natural film grain that was part of the original presentation, and then each were artificially sharpened to restore the detail lost because of the DNR pass — resulting in a strange mix of heavily-shadowed, chiseled faces, waxy skin features erasing the actors’ natural complexions, and elimination of much of the costumes’ and sets’ surface detailing.

Probably the most impacted by the DNR/sharpening effect was Star Trek VI , which in some scenes left the cast looking like clay sculptures brought to life — such as the below shot from Spock’s briefing at the beginning of the film — but the other films are impacted as well in varying degrees, as we’ve illustrated from The Motion Picture.

In the new 2022 editions, because the films have been rescanned from the original picture, those 2009-era modifications are not even part of the discussion anymore — restoring the look of each picture to something much closer to the original theatrical presentation.

While some have commented that the 2022 versions seem to be “blurry,” well, that’s because the slightly soft nature of each film were shot that way in the original production!

Because the heavily DNR’d/over-sharpened 2009 editions have been the default way fans have seen these movies for the last 13 years, on both Blu-ray and streaming services, many have little-to-no experience with the films’ original presentation — seen on LaserDisc, VHS, and DVD up until 2009.

Take this close-up of George Takei from Star Trek VI for example: compared to the original HD master used in the 1999 DVD, the new remastered version is a nice upgrade in color and clarity, while still keeping his face looking appropriately detailed.

…but as soon as the false-detailed 2009 image is added into the mix, it’s clearly an overcorrection which makes Takei’s face look pitted, adding ten years to his age!

The theatrical presentation of Star Trek: The Motion Picture features a lovely balance of lighting, color, and texture adjustments (again, without the DNR seen in the 2009 edition) which gives the film more depth — while at the same time toning down strange color casts like the purple lighting seen when McCoy is beamed up to the Enterprise for the first time.

Here are a collection of comparison screencaps between the 2009 Blu-ray and remastered presentations:

Unfortunately, if you are looking to pick up the theatrical cut of The Motion Picture on 4K disc, it’s only available in the multi-film box set — though a standalone Blu-ray of the film is available.

For Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , the picture quality is identical to the remastered Blu-ray released in 2016, and all bonus features from that first release have been included — and both the theatrical cut and Nick Meyer’s director’s cut of the film are included on 4K and Blu-ray discs using seamless branching.

Here are some 2009 vs. 2016 comparison screencaps we first presented at that time, which include a few comparisons to the original DVD picture illustrating color adjustments.

The remastered editions of Star Trek II are available in the 6-film box set, as a standalone 4K + Blu-ray release, or as a standalone Blu-ray.

The new look for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is full of welcome color corrections, which in some cases rewinds the clock all the way back to the original theatrical presentation. While the Blu-ray disc version still has a few overly-bright issues from the HDR-to-HD down-conversion, overall this film has never looked better, especially when viewed on a full 4K display.

From the start, the title sequence through sky above Genesis has been restored to the original picture width from the theatrical presentation — for some reason, the 2009 Blu-rays pillar-boxed the opening credits, adding black bars to the side of the screens and compressing the picture to fit. The text and framing have now been restored to the original look.

(All screencaps labeled “1984” are from a scan of a 35mm Star Trek III theatrical print.)

Fine details in the Enterprise’s helm console can be made out in the 2021 remaster, including the label on Sulu’s panel which reads THRUSTER IGNITION — while the overall teal-tinted cast has been corrected (blacks and greys are black and grey; skin coloration is must more natural-looking).

Also notable are changes to the Enterprise bridge set during the final conflict with Kruge; the dark, moody scenes were color-shifted red in for the 2009 Blu-ray release, and have been corrected back to the original blue tones for the modern restoration.

The remastered edition of Star Trek III is available in the 6-film box set, as a standalone 4K + Blu-ray release, or as a standalone Blu-ray.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home fares nicely in the remastered presentation, as the popular “one with the whales” gets its missing film grain restored and thankfully loses the 2009-era slight blue-green cast from its color timing — evident in shots like the Yellow Pages advertisement and the opening debate in the Federation Council chambers.

Outdoor location shots now also look much more like the natural lighting under which they were filmed; Gillian Taylor’s drive-by now reflects the cloudy, overcast San Francisco weather visible in the sky above the actors, rather than the oversaturated coloring seen in the 2009 edition.

In sunny scenes, like Kirk and Spock’s visit to the Cetacean Institute, white fabric like Spock’s robe now carry a warmer tone reflecting the sunlight above the location, rather than a colder blue tone scene in the previous release.

The remastered edition of Star Trek IV is available in the 6-film box set, as a standalone 4K + Blu-ray release, or as a standalone Blu-ray.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier also gets a nice new presentation, with a correction to many blown-out highlights and the restoration of more natural-looking colors in a number of scenes — most notably during the Yosemite camping sequences and during the encounter with the Sha Ka Ree “god” near the end of the film.

While some of the blue tones still remain during Sybok’s final moments, the contrast has been dialed back down to near-original levels, allowing viewers to actually see what’s going on during the climactic encounter at the center of the galaxy.

Below, we’ve compared the HD master used for the 1999 DVD release with the 2009 and 2022 Blu-ray editions — the soft blue tones reflecting the Sha Ka Ree “god” remain, but the overall lighting levels have been reduced for a less-blinding experience.

The remastered edition of Star Trek V is available in the 6-film box set, as a standalone 4K + Blu-ray release, or as a standalone Blu-ray.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country arrives with two versions of the film on 4K: the original theatrical cut, which was also available in the previous 2009 Blu-ray (and what most people have seen on streaming services to date), and the longer director’s cut last released in the 2004 Special Collector’s Edition DVD.

(Both cuts of the film are presented in the same 2.39:1 aspect ratio, which is Nick Meyer’s preferred choice; previously the director’s cut was released in a taller 2.00:1 ratio.)

As stated above, this film suffered the most impact from the 2009-era noise-reduction/artificial-sharpening process, and as such benefits the most from the new scan for 2022’s remastered presentation. Gone are the craggy facial features and overly-dark shadowing caused by those filtering tools, and restored are natural skin and costume textures scrubbed away in 2009.

Magentas are dialed way back, most notably seen in the Rura Penthe surface scenes and during the Excelsior’s encounter with the Praxis shockwave. In addition, red colors in this Blu-ray edition of the film — notably in the Starfleet uniforms and Klingon ship environments — do seem to be pushed a bit too far into the orange spectrum, this again may be due to the HDR down-conversion to the 1080p Blu-ray presentation.

(Unfortunately it’s not easy to get representative screencaps from 4K discs and maintain the full HDR color presentation for online publication, but after having watched the film on a proper 4K HDR display, the orange ‘push’ was not noticeable during that viewing.)

This film also seems to be impacted the most by the HDR-to-HD lighting issue, as many scenes in Star Trek VI (on both 4K disc and Blu-ray) appear to be brighter than even the original 1999 DVD picture. The comparison between the three versions illustrates the thankful return to non-DNR’d picture quality in 2022, yet is still brighter than even the ’99 edition.

In what is perhaps the biggest misstep of the entire package, the director’s cut of Star Trek VI — which features Rene Auberjonois as Colonel West , West’s reveal as the assassin at the end of the film, and a few other cuts and edits throughout — is only available on the 4K disc, and not included on the remastered Blu-ray disc.

Unlike the Star Trek II director’s cut, these are not just a few trimmed scenes — there are multiple shot changes, different audio cues, and video overlays (the derided flashbacks during the Valeris mind-meld sequence) which require more space on the Blu-ray disc than that storage medium is capable of holding.

Even with seamless branching, both cuts of Star Trek VI won’t fit on a single standard Blu-ray disc, but they will both fit on the large BD-100 disc used for the 4K presentation.

The real solution, of course, would be to have included a second Blu-ray disc to hold the director’s cut in the packaging — but it seems Paramount chose not to do so, perhaps because of the extra cost.

It is still part of the iTunes streaming release ‘bonus features’ however, so if you’ve purchased the film there (or redeemed the included digital code), you’ll be able to watch the Star Trek VI director’s cut in high definition on that service — as well as on Vudu where it is listed as a separate entry from the theatrical edition.

Here are a collection of comparison screencaps between the 2009 Blu-ray and remastered presentation of the Star Trek VI theatrical cut:

The two remastered editions of of Star Trek VI is available in the 6-film box set or as a standalone 4K + Blu-ray release. The theatrical cut is also available as a standalone Blu-ray.

A few minor quibbles aside, the new Star Trek — The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection is the best way to revisit the big-screen adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew — and these new editions of each film are taking over the old 2009-era presentations on streaming services to bring them to the forefront of viewing options.

Illustrated below from iTunes ( picture by @StarTrekVHS on Twitter ), the remastered editions of each Star Trek film are identified by the rainbow-colored artwork on many streaming services like Vudu (though not on Paramount+, naturally).

While there’s been no formal announcement, the four films starring the Next Generation cast are expected to get the 4K upgrade next; if things follow the last two years, we should hopefully see them get their own 4K UHD Blu-ray box set by September 2023.

Our coverage of the new Star Trek home media releases will continue later this week, as we dive into the new Star Trek: The Motion Picture — The Director’s Edition 4K edition, and break down all the different versions of the first Star Trek film now available on disc.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Original Series
Trek Merchandise
Trek Movies

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K UHD Review

September 8, 2021

There Be Whales

After three serious, potentially galaxy-altering events, Star Trek IV lets the Enterprise crew settle down. Star Trek IV doesn’t work unless the characters do, or have the necessary build-up. It’s an odd, at times goofy sci-fi comedy – and the best of Star Trek .

Although Earth’s destruction is near, the script toys with fish-out-of-water comedy (almost literally). If there’s an equivalent, it’s Escape from Planet of the Apes , which after vaporizing Earth, the script implausibly sent the apes back into (then) current America. Cue antics after two devastatingly potent, cruel social parables.

Undeniably bonded after their near death experiences and loss, Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) view our modern living as a nightmarish hellscape. Forever positive about mankind’s future endeavors, Star Trek IV chastises the era of pollution, crude healthcare, and animal cruelty. The franchise indirectly dealt with racial inequality, but uses this fourth film’s script for a machine gun-like assault on society’s obvious errors.

Star Trek IV isn’t smug or preaching – it’s merely observant about the obvious. Being so playfully chipper, the entertainment value in the Russian Chekov (Walter Koenig) asking for nuclear devices, at the Cold War’s height, carefully navigates international paranoia through laughs. Arguably, as mass entertainment, Star Trek IV better delivers its wide-reaching thematic goals better than the other three film’s drama-laden action.

It’s weird, yes, imagining a solution that involves stealing whales through time so the mammals can communicate with aliens. Yet, to Star Trek IV , the logic fits. In their future, Kirk and Spock no longer have whales on Earth. Not protecting them led to near cataclysm. Using whales to symbolize climate-based extinction provides a wacky answer to a complicated scenario, and still connected to the grander story arc.

Seeing Spock work through a culture he doesn’t comprehend proves a delight, a generous, comic success, which brings light to a steadfast and certain personality. Spock adjusts, partly because of his book smarts, but also for his well-honed improvisation, a sort of Beverly Hills Cop in Star Trek where Shatner takes over for Eddie Murphy.

Always considered the headier series compared to a Star Wars , there’s a definite offensiveness to treating these iconic characters as out-of-place oddballs. Or rather, there could be, had Star Trek IV not cautiously maintained gargantuan stakes for the crew. That they play up their roles only hides their uncertainty as they pretend to be in control.

Of the four Star Trek films in this UHD collection , Star Trek IV looks the most accurate to the 35mm stock. While encoding struggles against the hazier, smokier cinematograohy in spots, the clarity excels considering the thicker grain structure. Better, the filtering apparent within the previous transfers is gone, leaving no smearing or unnatural glossiness. Oddly though, it’s the least detailed of the four, but blame the source material. Texture isn’t lacking by any means, rather not as precise.

Command screens on board the ships produce superlative color saturation. Primaries bloom. A few shots of Earth from space present ocean blues at their most gorgeous. Flesh tones pose no issues, and density in other colors (like red Federation uniforms) show dazzling, natural purity.

Generous without being overbearing, Dolby Vision highlights control panels, stars when against space’s strict black, and other such sources. It’s dynamic, but doesn’t draw attention to itself. Shadows push full black, albeit with careful nuance. Crush doesn’t cause problems.

Well formed ambiance aboard ships keeps a sense of space moving. Engines hum as characters speak, and computer panels bounce between the stereos where needed. Stormy weather on Earth sends rain and thunder into the surrounds. It’s consistently active and spacious, easily the best of these four.

LFE drops from the thunderstorms and the whale sound-producing ship. Weight is satisfying, still vintage, but enough to bring Star Trek IV into the modern audio era. When Kirk’s crew time travels, the air pressure builds a sustained power in the subwoofer, this as the ship erupts, spreading metal and glass into the rears.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy join up for one of two commentaries on the UHD. The other puts Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman in the booth.

The Blu-ray has them too, but also everything else. The Library Computer pop-up feature returns, running alongside the movie. Five production featurettes detail various elements in the production, even one on Chekov himself. Seven more featurettes explore various Star Trek lore. Two more detail the visual effects. Interviews, two tributes, galleries, and trailer complete the set.

Full disclosure : This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

A playful delight with genuine global stakes, Star Trek IV is the easiest watch of the series and arguably the best for it

User Review

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 47 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD:

Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com . You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki .

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

Audio Commentary : William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.
Audio Commentary : Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
Library Computer
Future's Past: A look Back
On Location
Dailies Deconstruction
Below-the-Line Sound Design
Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments
Time Travel: The Art of the Possible
The Language of Whales
A Vulcan Primer
Kirk's Women
Star Trek : Three Picture Saga
Star Trek for a Cause
Starfleet Academy SciSec Brief 004: The Whale Probe
From Outer Space to the Ocean
The Bird of Prey
William Shatner
Leonard Nimoy
DeForest Kelley
Roddenberry Scrapbook
Featured Artist: Mark Lenard
Production Gallery
Storyboards
Theatrical Trailer

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Other Editions

Blu-ray bundles/box sets with star trek iv: the voyage home 4k (3 bundles).

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Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection beams the original crew of the starship Enterprise to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in an 8-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray + digital collection. This set marks the beginning of the franchise's cinematic affair coupled with the three-film arc representing the so-called "Genesis Trilogy." Each transfer was sourced from new 4K restorations with Dolby Vision HDR, and depending on the film, marked notable improvements over previous home video releases. Perhaps these films' 4K debut would have been better received if they were released individually, but taken as a whole this is an impressive set featuring some of Trek's best moments with the original cast and crew of the Enterprise. The overall package is Recommended .

Read our full reviews for:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it. The Wrath of Khan - It is the 23rd century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise™ is on routine training maneuvers and Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) seems resigned to the fact that this inspection may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan is back. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalban) - brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth - has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation Starship and sets out in pursuit of the Enterprise, determined to let nothing stand in the way of his mission: kill Admiral Kirk... even if it means universal Armageddon. The Search for Spock - Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis planet to recover Spock's body. The Voyage Home - It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Star Trek: The Motion Picture [Review Excerpt] "Rather than follow in the footsteps of action-fantasy Star Wars , Wise and his team conceived of a more traditional or "true" science fiction tale. Once we arrive at the surprise twist about V'Ger, it becomes clear that the plot is grappling with challenging philosophical themes about the concept of God, the purpose of existence and the difficulty of defining those observations outside of our cognitive experiences. One of my favorite aspects of Wise's film is the entity V'Ger while in a robotic replica of Ilia wrestling with understanding "carbon lifeforms" as living creatures, as opposed to being an infestation and measuring life according to the entity's own likeness. Granted, the ride getting there is arguably drawn out, and the production is not without its flaws. But for me, the journey is well earned and rewarding, and the feature-length debut of the crew of the USS Enterprise ultimately feels like a smart, elevated episode of the original television series." 4/5

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [Review Excerpt] "At the center of Khan's revenge against William Shatner's Starfleet Admiral James T. Kirk is the terraforming initiative called Project Genesis and a powerful device that could be weaponized. The plot doesn't carry the same weighty, pressing subject matter of its predecessor, but the sequel's ideas about mortality, rebirth and the cycle of life and death are no less heady and substantial. From Khan grieving the death of his wife to the literal birth of a new planet, the theme is prevalent throughout, impacting characters in various ways, even in Kirk grappling with the end of his tenure as Captain of the Enterprise and reconciling with his estranged son. With Meyer all the while aptly focusing on the camaraderie of Kirk, McCoy and Spock, the story skillfully builds to that emotionally memorable climax that has become a piece of cinematic history. And revisiting the film after countless viewings, the impact of that ending has not waned in the least." 4.5/5

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock [Review Excerpt] "For me, this has always felt like a blatant cheat on the part of the filmmakers, a complete dodge from genuinely grappling with the aftermath of Khan in a follow-up that's reputed to be about dealing with a major blow to the spirit of the crew. Naturally, we can't really have a Star Trek movie without Spock, and I completely understand the need for this. But this is essentially the equivalent of Kirk avoiding the "no-win scenario" of the Kobayashi Maru, and it seems like a missed opportunity for something truly great. Yet, in spite of my grumblings with Harve Bennett's plot, I admit enjoying Leonard Nimoy's film directorial debut. It's a fun third entry where Nimoy proves himself a skilled and talented helmer, navigating the action and drama with a great sense of adventure. At the same time, he gives fans a memorable and ruthless adversary in Christopher Lloyd's Kruge. The second entry in the so-called "Genesis Arc" storyline is somewhat of a letdown after two excellent installments, but all things considered, it's a competent Trek movie." 3.5/5

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home [Review Excerpt] "My love for this fourth installment, however, is due to deeply personal reasons, from a major part of my life that makes me forgive the film's shortcomings. When it was made available on home video the following year after its theatrical run, I had only been in the U.S. for maybe three or four years. And although I was already familiar with and a fan of the Star Trek series , Nimoy and Harve Bennett's fish-out-of-water story about time-traveling to present-day America oddly made a more lasting impression than the other movies or the show. I instantly related to Spock trying to make sense of the cultural norms and language, and I laughed at Chekov's pronunciation of vessel. Every time I sit down to watch the movie, I still find myself giggling at the silly humor while reminiscing on my childhood. For a young teen picked on for being an immigrant, movies and shows like Star Trek were my escapist solace, and the fourth entry, in particular, was one I could relate with the most at the time. The Voyage Home remains a fun and personally loved installment." 3.5/5

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray Paramount Home Entertainment brings the Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection to 4K Ultra HD as an eight-disc combo pack including a flyer with Digital Copy codes for each movie. Said code unlocks 4K UHD digital copies on services like iTunes and Vudu with Dolby Vision HDR video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. They are not Movies Anywhere compatible. The first four dual-layered UHD66 discs are housed inside a slightly thicker black, eco-elite case with two center spindles. Meanwhile, the remaining four Region Free Blu-ray copies are packaged inside a separate thicker-than-normal blue, eco-elite case with two center spindles. The two packages come with a glossy, side-sliding slipcover. Each 4K disc loads to a static image main menu with music from the film's soundtrack playing. Nearly all bonus features for each film is found on the accompanying 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Video Review

Star Trek: The Motion Picture "The forty-plus-year-old movie also looks fresher and in better shape thanks to Dolby Vision HDR, which brings a welcomed improvement in contrast and brightness balance. The scenes in space display snappy, sparkling stars in the distance, engulfed in inky black emptiness, and specular highlights provide for tightly crisp whites in the lights and a realistic sheen along metallic surfaces. Shadow details could be a tad stronger, especially in the many poorly-lit interiors, but visibility in the darkest corners remains comparatively better than the HD version. Richard H. Kline's cinematography has a distinctively muted, restrained palette, favoring more browns and tans with a mix of various shades of blue, which counters the movie's campy origins. Nevertheless, those secondary hues appear fuller with good saturation levels and more variation while primaries, especially those aforementioned blues, are bolder and more animated, making for an otherwise attractive watch on 4K UHD." (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 78/100)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan "Awash in a very fine layer of natural gain, the Dolby Vision HDR presentation also furnishes the forty-year-old film with a cleaner, livelier contrast balance and brighter whites throughout. It may not look it, at first, considering the filmmaker's deliberately dark, toned-down creative intentions, but the contrast is an improvement. And mixed with the richer, truer black levels and the strong shadow details, the 2.35:1 image comes with an attractive cinematic appeal and appreciable dimensionality, particularly in those scenes with Khan aboard the starship Reliant. Likewise, the cinematography of Gayne Rescher favors a more earthy, natural palette, bathing the visuals in richly-saturated browns, animated ginger-amber tones and deep rust-orange marigolds. Primaries are nonetheless accurately rendered and bolder than its HD SDR counterparts, such as the ruby-burgundy reds of the uniforms and vibrant, electrifying cobalt blues in the starship's computer consoles." (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 82/100)

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock "Unlike the previous two entries, cinematographer Charles Correll took a more colorful, vibrant approach to the second sequel, and his efforts really shine on UHD. The Dolby Vision HDR presentation displays a richly saturated palette, from the bold crimson red lighting and the deeper shade of burgundy in the uniforms to the electrifying blues and lively greens of the foliage and the Klingon ship. Moreover, the other earthy hues, oranges, and yellows are more animated and spirited, making the movie somewhat reminiscent of the original television series. Contrast and brightness balance also enjoy a welcomed boost, showering the action with brilliant, radiant whites and inky, velvety blacks with excellent shadow detail. The improved specular highlights add a crisp, tight sparkle to the stars, the lighting along the exterior of ships, and a realistic sheen to the various metallic objects." (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 84/100)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home "The Genesis storyline comes to a close on Ultra HD with what appears to be the result of another true remaster of the original camera negatives although a few notable issues remain worth mentioning. For the most part, the HEVC H.265 encode shows a welcomed uptick in overall definition and clarity, from the discrete sharp details of the Klingon ship and the streets of San Francisco to the fine stitching in the costumes and the individual leaves of trees. In Dolby Vision HDR, the most striking gain comes from the improved contrast and brightness balance, bathing the 2.35:1 image with bright, vivid whites and true, inky blacks that allow for better visibility within the shadows and the darkest, poorly lit corners of the Klingon vessel. Specular highlights supply the visuals with a crisp, dynamic sparkle along metallic surfaces and a more brilliant but narrower glow in the hottest areas to reveal more of the finer details...All things considered, despite its less-than-satisfying distractions, the overall transfer is strong and marked upgrade over its HD SDR counterparts. Awash in a very fine layer of grain, the encode has a nice film-like quality fans will appreciate." (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 74/100)

Audio Review

Star Trek: The Motion Picture "As far as I can tell, this Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack appears to be identical to the one enjoyed on the Blu-ray. Remaining faithful to the original sound design, the lossless mix is mostly a front-heavy presentation, displaying excellent acoustical details and clean separation in the mid-range, even during the loudest segments. Dialogue is intelligible and precise at all times, and an impressively robust low-end adds some appreciable weight and presence to the visuals. Although the surrounds are mostly reserved for Jerry Goldsmith's score, a few atmospherics move into the sides with satisfying effectiveness. When applying the receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, the music and ambient effects effortlessly bleed and flow into the top heights to nicely enhance the soundfield." 4/5

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan "Faithful to the original stereo design, the front-heavy presentation displays good channel balance with plenty of good background activity, especially during the action sequences to generate a relatively wide, broad soundstage. However, the mid-range isn't particularly dynamic or extensive, feeling more uniform and somewhat limited in the upper ranges, yet it maintains clarity and definition decently well in James Horner's score and during the loudest segments. The same can be said of the dialogue, but the conversations remain intelligible nonetheless. The low-end adds a bit of weight to the visuals but doesn't make much of an impression overall. There's little activity in the surrounds, mostly reserved for some mild bleeding and a few random ambient effects. The receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality does well in expanding some of these atmospherics into the top heights with satisfying effectiveness. All in all, it's an enjoyable lossless mix that does great to complement the on-screen visuals." 4/ 5

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock "Once again, the second sequel lands on UHD with an identical Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack that's relatively faithful to the original stereo design. However, the front-heavy presentation is arguably stronger than its predecessors, displaying excellent balance and good fidelity with background activity that moves convincingly between the channels and into the off-screen space. The mid-range may not be particularly dynamic or extensive, but it maintains clean definition and appreciable distinction in James Horner's score and during the loudest segments, generating a broad, spacious soundstage during action sequences. While vocals are clear and precise, a hefty low-end provides some weight and presence to the on-screen visuals. There's little activity in the surrounds, mostly reserved for some mild bleeding and a few random ambient effects. The receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality does well in expanding some of these atmospherics into the top heights with satisfying effectiveness. All in all, it's an enjoyable lossless mix that fairs better than the previous two entries." 4/5

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home "The time-traveling adventure arrives to home theaters with an identical Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack and is arguably the strongest of the lot. Almost immediately, the soundstage feels broad and welcoming as Leonard Rosenman's score fills the room with clean distinction and an extensive, room-penetrating mid-range. Background activity convincingly moves between the three front channels, generating a broad sense of space, and several atmospherics display excellent directionality, nicely extending the soundfield. When applying the receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, those same effects appreciably bleed into the top heights with satisfying effectiveness. Dialogue is precise and very well-prioritized over the loudest segments, and a surprisingly robust, weighty low-end provides a palpable presence to the on-screen visuals, making for an outstanding listen and a really great lossless mix." 4/5

Special Features

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Ultra HD Disc

NEW Isolated Score in legacy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Audio Commentary featuring Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman

Remastered Blu-ray Disc

NEW Isolated Score in legacy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Audio Commentary featuring Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman
Library Computer Viewing Mode
Production: The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture (HD, 11 min)
The Star Trek Universe (HD)
Special Star Trek Reunion (10 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 001: The Mystery Behind V’Ger (4 min)
Deleted Scenes (SD, 8 min)
Storyboards (HD)
Trailers (HD, SD, 8 min): a teaser is joined by the theatrical preview and seven TV spots. Star

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Audio Commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer
Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut Only) featuring Nicholas Meyer & Manny Coto
Audio Commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer
Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut Only) featuring Nicholas Meyer & Manny Coto
Text Commentary (Director’s Cut Only) featuring Michael and Denise Okuda
Library Computer Viewing Mode (Theatrical Cut)
The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan (HD, 28 min)
Production (SD, HD)
Captain’s Log (27 min)
Designing Khan (24 min)
Interviews (11 min) with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (18 min)
James Horner: Composing Genesis (10 min)
The Star Trek Universe (HD, SD)
Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics (11 min)
A Novel Approach (29 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI (3 min)
Farewell: A Tribute to Ricardo Montalbán (HD, 5 min)
Storyboards (HD)
Trailer (HD)

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

Audio Commentary featuring Leonard Nimoy, Harve Bennett, Charles Correll, & Robin Curtis
Audio Commentary featuring Ronald D. Moore & Michael Taylor
Library Computer Viewing Mode
Production (HD, SD)
EASTER EGG! Ken Ralston on Models and Creature Effects (7 min)
Captain’s Log (26 min)
Terraforming and the Prime Directive (26 min)
Industry Light & Magic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek (14 min)
Spock: The Early Years (6 min)
Space Docks and Birds-of-Prey (28 min)
Speaking Klingon (21 min)
Klingon and Vulcan Costumes (12 min)
Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (17 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer (3 min)
Photo Galleries (HD) contains two sets of BTS photos and publicity stills

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Audio Commentary featuring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy
Audio Commentary featuring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Future’s Past: A Look Back (28 min)
On Location (7 min)
Dailies Deconstruction (4 min)
Below-the-Line: Sound Design (12 min)
Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments (6 min)
Time Travel: The Art of the Possible (11 min)
The Language of Whales (6 min)
A Vulcan Primer (8 min)
Kirk’s Women (8 min)
Star Trek: The Three-Picture Saga (10 min)
Star Trek for a Cause (6 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 004: The Whale Probe (4 min)
Visual Effects Featurettes (SD)
From Outer Space to the Ocean (15 min)
The Bird-of-Prey (3 min)
Original Cast Interviews (SD)
William Shatner (15 min)
Leonard Nimoy (16)
DeForest Kelley (13 min)
Special Tributes (SD)
Roddenberry Scrapbook (8 min)
Featured Artist: Mark Lenard (13 min)
Production Gallery (SD)
Storyboards Galleries (HD)
Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection marks Paramount's welcome return to the franchise on home video. This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the premiere of the original series on television. This collection marks the beginning of their cinematic adventures through the fan-favorite "Genesis Trilogy." While it would have been nice to see all six of the original cast and crew films on 4K at the same time, Paramount isn't done with Trek. In 2022, after a nearly year-long restoration effort, the Director's Cut of Star Trek The Motion Picture will be released in theaters, on disc, and on Paramount+. It's understood the remaining Original Crew films along with The Next Generation cast films will be following on the format shortly. But for now, fans eager to upgrade over the previous waxy DNR tragedies of the previous releases will be happy to hear that these films look terrific on 4K with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. True, some fair better than others but the overall package is impressive offering the same excellent legacy lossless audio mixes with a terrific collection of bonus features. If you can't wait for single releases, buy with confidence, the overall package is Recommended.

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Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection Review: The definitive TOS film release has arrived

Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection

For the past year, fans have enjoyed the first four Star Trek films on 4K in high-dynamic range (HDR) thanks to The Original 4-Movie Collection . That release marked the first time those movies were available on the top-tier home media format that is 4K/HDR, and we called it the definitive way to watch those movies. But, as they say, good things come to those who wait. One year to the day after that four-movie collection was released, Paramount Home Entertainment has unleashed what is now, for sure, without a doubt, the definitive Original Series movie collection: Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection.

What’s in the box?

Forgetting the wordy name, bundled in this impressive box set are the first six Star Trek feature films. Excitingly, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country marks their debut in 4K/HDR with this release. Fans everywhere will be overjoyed at seeing some of the most important moments in Star Trek , such as Spock toasting a marshmellen or Kirk wrestling with himself, in all the fidelity 4K/HDR offers!

Let’s get the main contents of the box set out of the way:

Additional Blu-ray with bonus content
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (Theatrical Cut) – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
Includes Director’s Cut (as released in 2016)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier – Ultra HD & Blu-ray
Includes Director’s Cut (as released in 2004)

Importantly, The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition included in this release is the remastered version that was released earlier this year only on Paramount+. You can check out our interview with producer David C. Fein about what it took to bring this impressive version of the classic movie to life.

This box set also includes digital copies of all six films, as well as 1080p Blu-ray counterparts. Remember, you can only watch these movies in 4K/HDR if you have a 4K/HDR-capable TV and a 4K/HDR Blu-ray player. Game consoles such as the Xbox One X, Xbox Series S/X, and PlayStation 5 will play 4K/HDR discs.

(A side note: what did Walter Koenig or George Takai ever do to Paramount? Theirs are the only faces not seen on the covers of both the four-movie and six-movie collections outside the case!)

Special Features

Yes, there are also a plethora of extras – basically all the previously released special features, and a few new items – so please get comfy as we list them all.

Screenshot from Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K Director's Cut

Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition

4K Ultra HD Disc

Audio Commentary featuring David C. Fein, Mike Matessino, and Daren Dochterman
Audio Commentary featuring Robert Wise, Douglas Trumbull, John Dykstra, Jerry Goldsmith, and Stephen Collins
Text Commentary featuring Michael and Denise Okuda
Isolated Score Track (found in the settings menu)

Blu-ray Disc

Bonus Blu-ray Disc

Preparing the Future
A Wise Choice
Refitting the Enterprise
Sounding Off
Return to Tomorrow
A Grand Theme
The Grand Vision
Ilia & Decker in Engineering
Security Guard
Three Casualties
NEW Effects Tests (HD 3:30)
NEW Costume Tests (HD 4:40)
NEW Computer Display Graphics (HD 3:10)
Phase II: The Lost Enterprise (SD 12:39)
A Bold New Enterprise (SD 29:41)
Redirecting the Future (SD 14:06)
The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture (HD 10:44)
Special Star Trek Reunion (HD 9:37)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 001: The Mystery Behind V’Ger (HD 4:24)
The New Frontier: Resurrecting Star Trek (HD 30:01)
Maiden Voyage: Making Star Trek: The Motion Picture (HD 29:13)
Vulcan
Enterprise Departure
V’Ger Revealed
Trims (SD 6:08)
Outtakes/Memory Wall (SD 2:49)
Vulcan and Starfleet (SD 4:15)
Attack on the Enterprise (SD 2:36)
Cloud Journey (SD 3:31)
V’Ger Flyover (SD 5:04)
Wing Walk (SD 4:48)
Sulu and Ilia 1 (SD 1:06)
Sulu and Ilia 2 (SD 00:27)
Kirk’s Quarters (SD 00:21)
Officer’s Lounge (SD 00:13)
Attack on the Enterprise (SD 1:08)
Intruder Transformation (SD 00:32)
A Huge Vessel (SD 00:47)
Kirk Follows Spock (SD 1:13)
Ilia’s Quarters 1 (SD 1:05)
Ilia’s Quarters 2 (SD 1:20)
Its Creator Is a Machine (SD 00:17)
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer

Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Theatrical Cut

NEW Isolated Score in legacy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Audio Commentary featuring Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman
Audio Commentary featuring Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman
Library Computer Viewing Mode
Production: The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture (HD, 11 min)
Special Star Trek Reunion (10 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 001: The Mystery Behind V’Ger (4 min)
Deleted Scenes (SD, 8 min)
Storyboards (HD)
Trailers (HD, SD, 8 min): a teaser is joined by the theatrical preview and seven TV spots. Star

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Audio Commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer
Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut Only) featuring Nicholas Meyer & Manny Coto
Text Commentary (Director’s Cut Only) featuring Michael and Denise Okuda
Library Computer Viewing Mode (Theatrical Cut)
The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan (HD, 28 min)
Captain’s Log (27 min)
Designing Khan (24 min)
Interviews (11 min) with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (18 min)
James Horner: Composing Genesis (10 min)
Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics (11 min)
A Novel Approach (29 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI (3 min)
Farewell: A Tribute to Ricardo Montalbán (HD, 5 min)
Trailer (HD)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Audio Commentary featuring Leonard Nimoy, Harve Bennett, Charles Correll, & Robin Curtis
Audio Commentary featuring Ronald D. Moore & Michael Taylor
Library Computer Viewing Mode
EASTER EGG! Ken Ralston on Models and Creature Effects (7 min)
Captain’s Log (26 min)
Terraforming and the Prime Directive (26 min)
Industry Light & Magic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek (14 min)
Spock: The Early Years (6 min)
Space Docks and Birds-of-Prey (28 min)
Speaking Klingon (21 min)
Klingon and Vulcan Costumes (12 min)
Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (17 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer (3 min)
Photo Galleries (HD) contains two sets of BTS photos and publicity stills

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Audio Commentary by William Shatner and Liz Shatner
Audio Commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman
Library Computer
Harve Bennett’s Pitch to Sales Team (SD 1:42)
The Journey: A Behind-The-Scenes Documentary (SD 28:55)
Makeup Tests (SD 9:50)
Pre-Visualization Models (SD 1:41)
Rockman in the Raw (SD 5:37)
Star Trek V Press Conference (SD 13:42)
Herman Zimmerman: A Tribute (SD 19:09)
Original Interview: William Shatner (SD 14:37)
Cosmic Thoughts (SD 13:05)
That Klingon Couple (SD 13:05)
A Green Future? (SD 9:24)
Star Trek Honors NASA (HD 9:57)
Hollywood Walk of Fame: James Doohan (SD 3:07)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 005: Nimbus III (HD 3:02)
Mount Rushmore (SD 00:18)
Insults (SD 2:03)
Behold Paradise (SD 00:52)
Spock’s Pain (SD 1:02)
Production Gallery (SD 4:04)
The Gag Reel (SD 1:08)
The Face of God
Theatrical Trailers

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Theatrical Cut Audio Commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn
Theatrical Cut Audio Commentary featuring Larry Nemecek and Ira Steven Behr
Director’s Cut Text Commentary featuring Michael and Denise Okuda
Audio Commentary by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn
Audio Commentary by Larry Nemecek and Ira Steven Behr
Library Computer
The Perils of Peacemaking (SD 26:30)
It Started with a Story (SD 9:46)
Prejudice (SD 5:02)
Director Nicholas Meyer (SD 5:57)
Shakespeare & General Chang (SD 5:53)
Bring It to Life (SD 23:26)
Farewell & Goodbye (SD 7:04)
Conversations with Nicholas Meyer (SD 9:33)
Klingons: Conjuring the Legend (SD 20:43)
Federation Operatives (SD 4:53)
Penny’s Toy Box (SD 6:06)
Together Again (SD 4:56)
Tom Morga: Alien Stuntman (HD 4:57)
To Be or Not to Be: Klingons and Shakespeare (HD 23:04)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 006: Praxis (HD 2:38)
DeForest Kelley: A Tribute (SD 13:19)
William Shatner (SD 5:05)
Leonard Nimoy (SD 6:26)
DeForest Kelley (SD 5:00)
James Doohan (SD 5:33)
Nichelle Nichols (SD 5:39)
George Takei (SD 5:28)
Walter Koenig (SD 5:28)
Iman (SD 5:04)
Production Gallery (SD 3:24)
Rura Penthe
Leaving Spacedock (Omitted)
1991 Convention Presentation by Nicholas Meyer (SD 4:43)
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer

Video Quality

Does the video quality of these movies stand up to high expectations? They sure do! (For context, we watched these movies on an LG C2 OLED television). We already know the theatrical cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan look fantastic in 4K/HDR thanks to last year’s release, and it’s safe to say the transfers of Star Trek V and VI from 1080p, which was the highest resolution available before today, to 4K is striking. It’s four times the number of pixels, after all. And the addition of color-boosting high dynamic range, which resolves a film’s colors in more natural quality, is the icing on the cake. If you haven’t seen these movies in a while, now is the perfect time to rewatch them. Likewise, newer fans who haven’t had the opportunity to see these classic movies now can do so in the most modern way possible.

A major attraction of this set is the inclusion of the recently released The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition, which is itself a thorough remaster of 2001’s The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition, which added new VFX and trimmed scenes to make the movie flow more nicely. Before today, this remastered The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition was only available via Paramount+. No more! The inherent visual benefits of on-disc playback compared to streaming make this disc-based The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition an incredible treat for fans. We already knew an astonishing amount of time and effort went into making the 2022 version of The Motion Picture , and now the work of David C. Fein and his team can be seen in all its glory. Watch this one on the biggest screen possible.

(If you’re a Motion Picture superfan, there is a special, more elaborate release dedicated solely to this movie that includes a multitude of extras, including the first-ever widescreen presentation of the Special Longer Version of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , originally created for broadcast television in 1983.)

We want to take a moment to note our experience with The Final Frontier. That movie, released in 1989, is famous (or infamous) for less-than-ideal visual effects, even compared to its predecessors. If you see this movie in 4K/HDR, some scenes, like the journey across the Great Barrier or Sybok’s introduction in the desert, will look fabulous, with bright, vivid colors that show off landscapes and the creative but lower-budget visual effects done by Associates and Ferren.

On the flip side, some of the bad VFX, like some orbiting shots of the Enterprise or Kirk battling God, will look particularly bad thanks to the higher resolution and lack of any remastering work like The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition. Of course, that’s not a reason to skip what’s objectively the best Star Trek movie (especially considering Strange New Worlds seems to be inspired by the film ), just a heads-up that you should expect to see some ugliness. Star Trek V is really the only TOS film with this problem, as the beautiful model-heavy VFX done by Industrial Light and Magic for every other Star Trek movie other than The Motion Picture look fantastic in this collection. You’ll want to sell your old Star Trek movie discs, that’s for sure.

Star Trek: 6-Movie Collection (2022) vs. Star Trek: 4-Movie Collection (2021)

But I bought the Four-Movie Collection last year!

A quick note for those a little angsty about buying the four-movie collection last year, only for the six-movie collection to come out this year: we understand your pain. But just know each of these movies has its own standalone release. So, if you have the four-movie collection, you could buy Star Trek V and Star Trek IV individually to complete your TOS -era movie collection. Just know The Motion Picture included in last year’s collection was the theatrical cut only, and not the recently remastered Director’s Edition. You can get the remastered Director’s Edition individually here .

The fact that Paramount Home Entertainment is double-dipping with releasing a partial Star Trek movie collection last year only to release a complete collection this year is understandably frustrating for consumers. (The salt on the wound is that the six-movie collection and the four-movie collection share almost the same box art, albeit with a dark background for the newer collection along with a few new elements to reflect the additional movies.) The individual Blu-ray releases help soften the blow a bit, but we still must question why the back-to-back releases. Sure, they were probably trying to hit a sales mark by releasing the incomplete TOS movie collection last year, and perhaps the Star Trek V and VI transfers weren’t completed yet, but this release schedule likely just makes fans weary of any future movie collections Paramount wants to sell. We would have liked to see a discount given to verified owners of the four-movie collection, but alas…

What does a Star Trek fan need with this box set?

There’s no beating around the bush: if you are someone who values the disc-based video quality upgrade over streaming, and the ownership stability that comes with home media, there’s no reason not to get this collection. Not only does this set include every TOS movie and all available director’s editions, along with every extra feature under the sun, but these decades-old films will look as best they can if you have the necessary hardware. It’ll make the perfect addition to your home media cabinet, and the Star Trek fan in your life will thank you. It’ll certainly satisfy us media hounds until Paramount releases a TNG movie collection, which surely must be in the works.

Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection is now available on Amazon .

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the news on Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Lower Decks , Star Trek: Prodigy , and more.

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Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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Star Trek 4K 6-Movie Collection Boxset Review

Coming to our screens straight from the 70s, 80s, and 90s is this year’s Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection . From The Motion Picture to The Undiscovered Country . The movies have all been re-mastered for the second time this century, this time in 4K. This release follows on from last year’s I – IV set. This, at the time, oddly omitted the final two silver screen outings for the original cast on 4k and blu-ray. But what would we Trek fans be if not eagerly ready to double dip? Especially on what will likely be the ultimate releases of these films.

Fortunately, for those that purchased last year’s 4-movie set. Or those that really, really hate The Final Frontier . The films have all now been released separately. Before picking up the 6-movie set, it’s worth noting Star Trek: First Contac t was spotted in 4K on Paramount+ US earlier this year. So there’s a good chance The Next Generation movies will follow soon. So, if you want to be a little more frugal, it’s worth waiting for a complete movie set.

Although much like they did with the original blu-ray masters back in 2009, they may (and are likely to) release a TOS and TNG package separately alongside the complete set.

The Packaging

The Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection box set includes the new masters in HDR and on standard Bluray. But trust this reviewer when he says that it’s worth buying one for The Motion Picture Director’s Cut alone. The disks themselves come in two ‘jumbo’ blu-ray cases. One for the 4K disks (in black) and one in the traditional blue for the standard Blu-Rays (including The T MP bonus disk). The cover art continues the theme of last year’s release. A somewhat scattergun approach portraying The Original Series cast with images used from at least three different films. Also included are their villains and, oddly enough, the Phase II Enterprise again. The Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection’s inner cases have the same key art but are strangely utilized to create tall, cut-off portraits of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura. Even weirder, the art is still the same on the 4K and standard Blu-ray cases. You would have thought they would swap Uhura and Scotty out for Chekov and Sulu on one, at least.

The sets’ disks themselves are uninspired. They have the standard reflective silver no-art, an approach that has become a staple of Paramount Trek releases. Another weird addition is a disk-shaped cut-out of the boxset art that’s included in the 4K box for some reason. I can’t see the purpose of it, it certainly won’t be featured on my wall any time soon.

The Films – Technical advisories and historical context

My review of the Star Trek 4k 6-Movie Collection is based on viewing via a 4K HDR display. It has been noted in other reviews that the downsampling of the 4K scans to 1080p for the Blu-ray has led to some scenes feeling overly bright. This is partly due to the lack of HDR on that format, and a soft colour shift under some lighting, the screencaps provided here are from the Blu-rays.

In another oddity of this set, the Director’s Cut of The Undiscovered Country is only available in 4K. The Dolby Atmos logo is plastered all over the sets, but The Motion Picture Director’s edition is the only film with an Atmos track. While some may fondly put their 2009 master copies of the films on the TV and enjoy the experience, as a film student at the time I always found them oddly off-putting and ‘unnatural’ looking. It wasn’t until I discovered the process that had been used in their creation – Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) – that I understood why.

When the prints were scanned for blu-ray, at the time it was popular to erase the 35mm film grain much loved by more ‘traditional’ directors. To do this an automated tool went through and essentially blurred the image until it was no longer apparent, then went back through and sharpened the image to give the appearance of the resolution being restored.

The film that suffered from this the most and so is most improved since the 2009 master in this release was The Undiscovered Country . Spock especially in various shots looked like he’d been taken right off a plinth at Madame Tussauds. I’m pleased to say this release has corrected the overzealous use of DNR. However, fair warning to those used to their 2009 blu-rays – the image does now appear softer – but this is as the directors intended.

The Motion Picture – Directors Edition

Following the Paramount+ release in the US, the director’s edition of The Motion Picture has finally hit UK shores. While it certainly is an odd choice only to give this version of the film an Atmos track, it has never sounded or looked better. A lot of work has gone into this grounds-up remaster and it shows, building on the template Robert Wise set out in 2001 this film finally feels close to what TMP should have been from day 1. For example, the wonky effects shots are gone in favor of re-composited original footage that was found during the remaster and the odd bit of CGI to fill in the gaps – but you wouldn’t be able to tell while watching.

My memory, like I assume many others, is of TMP as a fairly colorless film (in no small part due to costuming choices). This release has turned that on its head. The film truly ‘pops’ for lack of a better term in a way I never thought possible. It’s clear it’s been a labor of love for those involved and the light bouncing off the hull of the Enterprise truly makes you appreciate the artistry of those that built that iconic model.

The Wrath of Khan

The most popular of the original cast’s filmography finally makes it to 4K in a physical format! After causing many raised eyebrows following the 2015 re-release of the Director’s Cut and Theatrical editions only on standard blu-ray. Only for it to be spotted in the following years on the likes of iTunes in 4K. This release is however the least interesting in this box set given that it is just a re-release (on blu-ray at least), however like with the other films the HDR really elevates the color to another level. Unsurprisingly, the later scenes of the movie are the ones that benefit the most, the iconic 1701 reaches a new level of beauty pitted against the backdrop of the Mutara nebula as James Horner’s score fills your speakers.

The Search for Spock

The 2009 release of The Search for Spock , often referred to as the un (or less) loved middle child of the Genesis trilogy, was plagued with several issues. Colour timing – for example, the Enterprise bridge had a blue hue, not red, after its final battle. Then the opening credits are pillar boxed – a change that wasn’t present in any previous (or now later) release. I’m happy to report these issues alongside the DNR mentioned above have been fixed. Returning the film to what is likely to be the closest to the opening night theatre experience that we will get. While some effects shots don’t hold up too well, thinking specifically about Kruge’s fall. The majority of the film makes the journey to 4K in good standing. The destruction of the Enterprise and the death of David remain an emotional one-two gut punch. Additionally, the vibrant sunset as the Enterprise streaks across the sky takes on new life with HDR.

The Voyage Home

The joyous time travel romp that closes out the Genesis Trilogy was one of the better, though still troubled parts of the 2009 release. It was helped in a lot of ways by the nature of the film and how it took place on contemporary Earth. I imagine this made the color timing easier for those doing the master back in 2009, but there were still plenty of issues. Most notably the odd cyan tint that seemed to affect almost everything. The film is set in the present day and uses more live locations compared to the previous TMP era films did however cause some of the effects shots to look particularly bad after they had been through DNR and sharpening. The fishing boat at the end was a prime example with it looking like a toy that had been hastily put in with Microsoft paint when superimposed with the Bird of Prey. This new master fixes those issues and returns the film to its delightfully 80s natural state. It also reflects the sunny conditions under which a number of scenes were shot instead of it looking somewhat gloomy, much in contrast to the general tone of the film.

The Final Frontier

Despite having a bit of a tongue-in-cheek resurgence with its many references in Star Trek: Lower Decks The Final Frontier doesn’t hold a high position in many fans’ rankings. The film suffered from budget issues that are apparent throughout, especially in the effects department with it being the first Trek film not to rely on the talents of Industrial Light & Magic due to budget constraints. The previous master of the film seemed to take the approach that as much of this as possible should be covered up by cranking the saturation up in a number of scenes, most notably the ‘God’ encounter in the final act. The final result is that you could probably light up half of New York if you paused it at the wrong moment. This is thankfully fixed in this version, while also giving us a split-second look at the cut-for-budget rock monster that was originally intended to make an appearance and later found life in Trek fan favourite film Galaxy Quest .

The Undiscovered Country

We now come to the final Trek film to grace our screens in 4K (at least until – fingers crossed – next year) and it’s The Original Series casts swan song. This film when released in 2009 was a tough watch. On top of the DNR, there were also the color timing changes which amongst other things made Spock look slightly green and ill in many sequences. Well, that is gone in favor of much more natural skin tones in this master. The 4K disk as mentioned also includes the Director’s Cut. Featuring the late and great René Auberjonois in the Colonel West Scooby Doo-esque subplot. Much of the effects work is improved as well with improved contrast in HDR, be fairly warned though that this does not include the very 90s CG pink blood. Which sticks out like a sore thumb to this day (while also making no sense with every other Klingon appearance).

If you’re looking to re-live the theatre experience of the original casts’ movies, you’re not going to get any closer than having the Star Trek 4K 6-Movie Collection editions with a good quality screen, some may argue it’s even an improved experience. Having only watched the Director’s Edition and Wrath of Khan re-release in cinemas this past summer in the UK I won’t make that claim on behalf of all of the films though.

It’s undeniable that these are improved (even on the standard Blu-ray versions) over the 2009 masters though. The films all have a much more natural look to them and are rid of (invented) excess detail. The Star Trek Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection is available now from all retailers.

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Review: ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation 4-Movie Collection’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Is An Engaging Upgrade

| April 4, 2023 | By: Matt Wright 67 comments so far

Just in time for First Contact Day on Wednesday, the four Star Trek: Next Generation movies have been newly rescanned and released in 4K Ultra High Definition. The films are being released today in a new boxed set edition as well as individual releases. This review covers the new boxed set.

Seeing The Next Generation crew “graduate” to the silver screen, like The Original Series crew did before them, was a momentous occasion for a Trek fan in 1994. Generations didn’t quite live up to the hype, but it sure did look nice, showing just how great the Enterprise-D sets could appear with more cinematic lighting. The new 4K HDR transfer gives the moody Enterprise interiors a bit more room to breathe, and the harsh sunlight of Veridian III looks a little bit more natural than before.

The Enterprise-D bridge in the new 4K remaster

The Enterprise-D bridge in the 2009 HD version

The sophomore outing for the crew, First Contact was an instant success, setting a high bar for future Trek movies. The next film, Insurrection , is enjoyable in the spirit of an expanded episode of TNG, but not exactly blockbuster status. (Screenwriter Michael Piller’s Fade In: The Making of Star Trek Insurrection documents all the changes the plot went through to get to the average outing we ended up with.)

Geordi looks over Ba’ku with real eyes in the 4k restoration

Geordi looks over Ba’ku with real eyes in 2009 HD

First Contact and Insurrection were both directed by Jonathan Frakes with cinematographer Matthew Leonetti. Both films look great and both have similar gains in this new 4K transfer. Arguably, First Contact is the best-looking of the 4 films. Insurrection started to use more CGI, so it has a few softer or less convincing shots here and there. Where the two films really shine (pun intended) is in the natural lighting when our characters get off the ship. The new HDR dynamic range also helps with small things like the specular highlights from sweat beads in the hot and humid (39.1ºC) Borgified sections of the Enterprise-E.

The detail and gleam from the sweat elevate the feeling of being there to a new level

Picard and Borg Queen (2009)

After Insurrection didn’t reach the heights of First Contact , the future of the TNG film franchise was mulled over by Paramount leadership, stalling the cadence of Trek film releases. Eventually, Nemesis was released in 2002. The film desperately wanted to say something about roads not taken, age, mortality, and sacrifice for comrades, but it just didn’t land (for a number of reasons that are well-known to Trek fans). Sadly, this ended the TNG cast’s time on the silver screen. Nemesis comes to 4K looking as good as it ever has. The darkly lit throne room scenes are a bit better refined in HDR, but it’s not a massive difference. For those wondering, the dune buggy chase on Kolarus III is just as blown out as ever since that was an intentional style choice.

Captain Picard bids farewell to newly promoted Captain Riker in Nemesis (4K)

Captain Picard bids farewell to newly promoted Captain Riker in Nemesis (HD)

The Ultra HD Blu-ray set

The boxed set comes with a large 8-disc flipper case inside. The four Ultra HD Blu-ray versions of the movies are in the front half, and then in the back half are the four movies on standard HD Blu-ray discs. The Blu-ray discs are based on the same newly restored versions of the films, just in 1080p. The Ultra HD movies are also sold individually. And new versions of the 1080p Blu-ray movies are also available, sold individually, for those who haven’t made the leap to 4K/HDR.

Video Quality

The short version: These four movies look great. The wider color gamut of Ultra HD allows for richer colors; for example, the deep shades of the departmental colors in the uniforms. It’s especially noticeable in Generations , where the later season TNG uniform is still used. The films also benefit from a restrained HDR grade that helps retain details in the extremes (dark/light) of a scene.

Geordi and Data discuss Data’s emotion chip (2023)

Geordi and Data discuss Data’s emotion chip (2009)

Unlike the TOS movies, the TNG movies fared a bit better in their older 2009 versions. The older versions still leave quite a bit to desired, with too much grain reduction at times and certainly too much sharpening applied, which makes them look a bit too digital. Those versions might have looked pretty good in the early 2000s when they were first created, but as TVs have gotten larger and better quality, they’ve started to look pretty ragged. Thankfully, the new 4K scans of the original 35mm films freshen them up and make them as engaging as ever, with skin tones and skin texture looking noticeably more natural now.

Data and the Borg Queen (2023)

Data and the Borg Queen (2009)

Audio Quality

The audio mixes are effectively the same excellent lossless 5.1 Dolby TrueHD mixes that were released with the previous Blu-rays; however, this time it’s presented in 7.1 format. I will say I’m slightly disappointed they didn’t remix the movies in Dolby Atmos, but that isn’t a deal-killer by any means. The mixes were great in 2009 and still sound great on a modern surround system.

Having a 5.1.4 Dolby Atmos system, I can attest that the audio tracks work very nicely via Dolby Surround Upmixer (DSU) to fill out a room (this is a technology to extrapolate Dolby Atmos-like sound from a traditional surround soundtrack). Doing a rewatch of the four films, I was quite engaged by both the video and audio.

Special Features

As is common practice, the Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have minimal special features to allow maximum space for the 4K video. The majority of the extras are found on the standard Blu-ray discs. This set carries over pretty much all of the special features from the 2009 versions of the movies, which in turn carried over most of the DVD features from before. I recommend you check out our review for more . (A full list of special features can be seen below)

There’s only one noteworthy feature missing: “The Captain’s Summit,” made for the original series 2009 boxed set and not released again. The summit included the Next Generation cast, so I had some small hope it might be included in this TNG boxed set. It’s understandable why “The Captain’s Summit” feature isn’t there, as it was a specially commissioned documentary that was included as a separate bonus disc, but it sure would be nice to make it available to people who don’t have the 2009 set.

Final thoughts

The four Next Gen movies have never looked better. For fans who enjoy these films and want to have them in the best possible format, this is a must-buy. Fans need to vote with their wallets. Releasing the movies only to digital is relatively easy and low cost for Paramount (the remastered First Contact has quietly been available in digital for a year now), but physical media requires time and effort since it is a physical product. Showing the studio that fans want Trek movies on physical media is important.

Streaming rights come and go and vary by region, so the only surefire way to collect these movies in 4K to keep as your own is on disc. And at least for the US version of the set, it comes with a code for a digital copy of each movie, so you can have your handy digital version while also showing your support for the disc format.

Available today

Standard Blu-ray

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Full list of features

Star Trek Generations 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by director David Carson and Manny Coto
Commentary by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda

Star Trek Generations Blu-ray

Text commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda
Library Computer
Uniting Two Legends
Stellar Cartography: Creating the Illusion
Strange New Worlds: The Valley of Fire
Scoring Trek
Inside ILM: Models & Miniatures
Crashing the Enterprise
Main Title Sequence
The Nexus Ribbon
Saucer Crash Sequence
A Tribute to Matt Jeffries
The Enterprise Lineage
Captain Picard’s Family Album
Creating 24 th Century Weapons
Next Generation Designer Flashback Andrew Probert
Stellar Cartography on Earth
Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 1
Trek Roundtable: Generations
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 007: Trilithium
Deleted Scenes

Star Trek: First Contact 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by director and actor Jonathan Frakes
Commentary by screenplay writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
Commentary by Damon Lindelof and Anthony Pascale

Star Trek: First Contact Blu-ray

Making First Contact
The Art of First Contact
The Missile Silo
The Deflector Dish
From “A” to “E”
Borg Queen Assembly
Escape Pod Launch
Borg Queen’s Demise
Jerry Goldsmith: A Tribute
The Legacy of Zefram Cochrane
First Contact: The Possibilities
Industrial Light & Magic – The Next Generation
Greetings from the International Space Station
SpaceShipOne’s Historic Flight
Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 2
Trek Roundtable: First Contact
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 008: Temporal Vortex
Unimatrix One
Design Matrix

Star Trek: Insurrection 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis

Star Trek: Insurrection Blu-ray

It Takes a Village
Location, Location, Location
The Art of Insurrection
Anatomy of a Stunt
Making Star Trek: Insurrection
Director’s Notebook
Westmore’s Aliens
Westmore’s Legacy
Star Trek’s Beautiful Alien Women
Marina Sirtis – The Counselor Is In
Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 3
Trek Roundtable: Insurrection
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 009: The Origins of the Ba’ku and Son’a Conflict
Shuttle Chase
Advertising

Star Trek Nemesis 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by director Stuart Baird
Commentary by producer Rick Berman
Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda

Star Trek Nemesis Blu-ray

Nemesis Revisited
New Frontiers – Stuart Baird on Directing Nemesis
Storyboarding the Action
Red Alert! Shooting the Action of Nemesis
Build and Rebuild
Four-Wheeling in the Final Frontier
Screen Test: Shinzon
A Star Trek Family’s Final Journey
A Bold Vision of The Final Frontier
The Enterprise E
Reunion with The Rikers
Today’s Tech Tomorrow’s Data
Robot Hall of Fame
Brent Spiner – Data and Beyond Part 4
Trek Roundtable: Nemesis
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 010: Thalaron Radiation
Romulan Lore
Shinzon & the Viceroy
Romulan Design
The Romulan Senate
The Scimitar

More images

Captain Kirk in Generations (2023)

Captain Kirk in Generations (2009)

Picard pursues the Borg (2023)

Picard pursues the Borg (2009)

Riker and Geordi on Earth (2023)

Riker and Geordi on Earth (2009)

The landing party beams down to Ba’ku (2023)

The landing party beams down to Ba’ku (2009)

Keep up with all the home video and streaming news, reviews, and analysis at TrekMovie.com.

All Access Star Trek podcast - supplemental - TrekMovie - Jonathan Frakes, Kitty Swink, Armin Shimerman, Juan Carlos Coto talk Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

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Podcast: Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink, Jonathan Frakes & Juan Carlos Coto—Trek Against Pancreatic Cancer

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All Access Star Trek podcast episode 172 - TrekMovie - John de Lancie interview

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Section 31 , Star Trek: Picard , TNG

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Is it me, or are these 4K Shots a bit Darker then their HD counterparts? Is this some HDR thing?

I was wondering the same thing. The HD version looks better than the 4K shots.

NOTE: The screenshots included in this article are down-converted from 4K and HDR, so they’re not a perfect representation—they may appear darker on your screen than they will when watching the movie on a proper HDR display—but still give a good idea of the subtle improvements that give these latest editions a more filmic quality. Staring at still frames of a motion picture isn’t exactly how a film is intended to be watched, so take these as a general demonstration of the changes.

That note appeared after my Comment, so it’s all good

Ah! I didn’t catch the note.

Same here; thanks for clarifying :)

I agree and thought it was just me; the 2009 HD’s all look crisper and brighter than 2023, I don’t understand…

It’s like Star Trek :) They are so used to their Scanners and View Screens, that most forgotten to look outside the Window.

(aka Silent Run of the Normandy – Mass Effect)

That’s artificial sharpening. Look at the images full screen, there’s much more natural skin textures.

I own all of these already. Remaster Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and I’ll make it rain.

But according to this article things won’t happen unless everyone buys more physical media! Buy it all! Again and again!

some kind of Idol industry

no, “some kind of star trek”

Same here. How many times am I supposed to buy the same films, for God’s sake.

Nice to see Riker, as a character, getting his due on the promo art.

Alt TNG movies:

Generations – Tomorrows Enterprise (Ent D in 23rd Century) First Contact Insurrection – Into The Mirrorverse Nemesis – The Resurrection of Khan

Not sure how these stills were grabbed, but the brightness levels look far too low in the new version examples. Hopefully that’s due to how they were obtained.

I’m incredibly disappointed. I was expecting a dynamic new transfer that improved upon the original Blu ray release. Sure, there will obviously be greater resolution for the 4K, but these screen grabs look like a downgrade in terms of overall visual quality. Meh.

As the disclaimer says, these screenshots were made with an algorithm that adjusted the HDR for standard displays, it’s an art not a science, I targeted them for a bit brighter screen (200 nits) than it seems most people have, if you view it on a high quality display at higher brightness you can see they look just fine. I will re-do them at some point soon for 100 nits.

In person they look great.

Cool, good to know.

What about the included regular 1080p HD Blu-rays? I plan to get these, but although we do have a 4K display we don’t yet have a 4K player, and it may be a whole, during which time I’ll just be watching the “regular” 1080p Blus in these packages (where so many of the extras live anyway).

The same basic comments apply since they come from the same source. They look more natural/filmic and the color timing has been redone for the films, I think again, they look more natural, and in some cases a little warmer. Generations and First Contact are the most noticeable. In the older versions, Generations had a yellow cast to it, and First Contact was a little bit colder (bluer) in places.

I updated the images in the article, so you should be able to get a better idea of how the movies look now.

Super cool, but seriously; why are they all darker than the 2009 versions? WTHeck?

There’s a note right there in the article.

Yes, I see; but, like, every commenter is asking the same question. :)

Have to admit the screen-captures aren’t doing a good job convincing me. They look softer and darker.

Got my set in the mail today. Nice sturdy case for them. Cover art could be better but the price was very good for digital/blu/4k combo for 4 movies. Now i have all 13 features in combo packs except for VI and TMP those weren’t offered. VI directors cut was 4K only, TMP directors only available in limited box set no standard combo was offered. You could get the 4K and blu separately now for what they should have offered a combo for in the first place but that isn’t my point.

I’ve bought each of these 3 times already – on VHS, then DVD, then Blu-Ray. Nemesis, 4 times (the initial bare-bones DVD edition, then the two disc special edition). I’m sure these will look better than the 2009 edition, but I can’t justify buying them again. (Yes, I bought the TOS movies on 4K – but there we got the remastered TMP, and Director’s cut of TWOK.) But I’ll be there for Picard Season 3 in 4K!

I will probably just buy First Contact.

If they stick the landing I’ll be picking up PIC s3 as well. Big time rewatch value, here.

I’ll get FC and Insurrection. I love those two films!

Cool. Interesting to see that Star Trek has actually been too dark since 1994!

Ha! Good one!

I’m never sure what to do with these kind of reviews. The 4K images always look worse than the 2009 editions and you give us a NOTE as to why that is. So what exactly are we to take from this? Why provide us with screen grabs if they don’t actually show us what we would see on screen? If you (Paramount) want us to vote with our wallets, this won’t achieve that to be honest, because based on this review, I don’t need this set.

You’re right — the images with the review are completely unhelpful. It would have been better not to include them at all.

The thing is, I picked it up earlier today and just finished watching “Generations. Trust me when I say that it looks an order of magnitude better than the previous blu-rays. This is as crisp and clear and beautiful as that film has ever looked, and I every reason to expect the other three will be just as remarkable.

The other thing is, when you have a good TV/home theatre system these days, it’s somewhat pointless to debate things like “It’s too dark” since TVs have so many customizable settings. Before-and-after pictures just aren’t that helpful when any person can make their TV display a film any way they want…

Count me as one of the people who doesn’t understand all the “It’s too dark” people, for what it’s worth. Those people obviously don’t have their TVs set up properly. Or even if they do, and they still legit just think it’s darker than they would prefer, it would be a simple matter to go in and bump up the brightness 10% or something.

Thanks for the reply. This was really helpful. Would love to hear your thoughts on the other 3 films once you’ve seen them.

Surely someone has these image descriptions the wrong way around??

7 episodes into (Picard season 3) darkness and everyone is like: “second one, second one, second one!”

“If people don’t buy these on disc, it sends the message that streaming-only is okay.”

Sir, respectfully, this is your own narrative.

Sometimes… if people don’t buy new released on disc… it’s more often because the releases are lazy, overpriced or do not add any specific extra value. ie: no Atmos remixes.

That last part is certainly true for me. I’ll buy any new updated edition IF it’s worth it (price, content, quality), but only then. You can only spend your money once (this might be a Dutch expression).

Also that whole “buy now to send the right message” is kinda consumerist. But then again, he didn’t say WHEN to buy it. ;) You could wait till the price goes down haha.

It goes beyond being consumerist. I enjoy reading reviews of new products, and unbiased recommendations are useful. That statement is not.

My biggest problem with physical media releases are the mind-boggling attempts that studios make to DARE me to not make future purchases…

Forced movie trailers / advertisements when I insert the disc in the player.
Painful navigation menu animations.
A closing title screen / copyright paragraph at the end of EVERY single special feature segment or deleted scene. To the point of sometimes the end title copyright paragraph is longer than the deleted scene clip.
The sheer laziness and disdain of special features ported over from previous releases not converted to 16:9 so that the formatting goes screwy on your TV…. or not doing a simple upscale to HD of old SD special features.

I found that statement incredibly distasteful. Because 1) what if we think streaming-only is okay. 2) what if we just don’t want to buy these discs.

It might be fine for someone to say in the comment section, but for the site to peddle that message is bad form, and hardly any kind of journalism. At best it essentially paints those who don’t buy the discs as bad fans, and at worst, it comes across as a paid endorsement, and makes me wonder if they were told to push that message — or some “go buy this” message — in exchange for free copies.

We get it. You think streaming only is just fine, which you’ve said all over our comments any time a physical media release comes up. So then you’ve made your choice, and you’re voting with your wallet. Which is really what my point was, vote with your wallet. I encourage people to support physical media, and in the current business climate of physical media becoming a niche, this is what we’re going to get, and it’s not a bad upgrade for $18/movie that you own forever. You’ve made your choice. Now please move on.

“Showing the studio that fans want Trek movies on physical media is important…If people don’t buy these on disc, it sends the message that streaming-only is okay.”

I disagree with this (and I’m a big supporter of physical media). These need to be in 4K HDR anyway because that future-proofs them for streaming in the future when the public will prefer 4k HDR streaming (and the future bandwidth will support it for most homes/locations).

Besides, they’re not going to use the expensive physical methods to eventually upgrade DS9 and Voyager to 4K. Instead, they’re going to use AI/deep learning software remastering tools — once these tools mature in the next three to five years — to remaster them to 4K via software/AI.

That all being said, I’m still going to pick this up for my collection. I just don’t believe in this rationale that’s all

Yup. This does not look like a great product, so the message it sends if everyone buys it isn’t “they want high quality physical media,” it’s “wow, they’ll buy lackluster products.”

Every single one of the 2009 screencaps looks better to me. Hopefully the movies will look better to me in motion.

They look great in person.

Just don’t understand why they’re Not in Atmos, and the same for 2,3,4 and 5 when The Motion Picture is. So I don’t think I’ll be buying. Pointless

I care more about the lack of original theatrical audio. It wasn’t a deal breaker i bought the 4K/blu set. But wish i could retire my DVD’s and Laserdiscs. I have no idea why all the studios now never include the original mix. Even Disney just released Cinderella in 4K its mono mix was left off, ridiculous. Its the original audio.

Surely it would be better to compare remastered blu ray to the older blu ray. Then you’d see the difference. I have the 4k remaster and in 4k her dolby vision is much brighter than these screenshot which do a dis service to the release.

I typically do Blu-ray to Blu-ray (apple to apples), this was an experiment with this review. I will re-do the screenshots at some point soon to better match the standard Blu-ray shots.

I found these screenshot comparisons perfect. I know the brightness will be different on my TV – it’s the detail and colour I’m interested in and these screenshots you provided show it all perfectly. Thanks to your review I am very excited to own this box set once it is available in my country.

Thank you, that was my hope when I first posted the shots, but it became clear I needed to re-do them since people were really distracted by the brightness differences.

I haven’t seen any announcements for release dates in other countries, which is disappointing.

Not everyone understands how HDR and 4K generally works. It’s not easy to capture in a computer screenshot. The fact you got it as clear and useful as you did deserves applause in my book! You’re doing great work for us Trek (and physical media) fans.

I agree, too. Please do not take it wrong @Matt Wright.

The New 4K Update Pictures looks now more fuller then their HD Counterparts

Much more filmic and natural looking over the overly-sharpened 2009 versions, can’t wait to see them in person (minus Nemesis, the worst Trek movie)

Hard pass. Especially Generations which was a real missed opportunity. TNG is great…. when done as a TOS movie era movie series!

Watched the 4K discs over the last couple of days, they are a MONUMENTAL upgrade over the excessively sharpened & DNR-laden 2009 Blu-rays.

(IMO) You must be half crazy (in the most innocent sense..) to pay those prices for what in essence is a product offering a different, but arguably marginal difference, in picture quality, no dolby atmos, and no new special features compared to the blu-ray 2009 edition. Paramount will not have worked especially hard with ‘remastering these’ because if they did, why wouldn’t they have upgraded the sound, and included at least one or two new features offering an up to date perspective on the film/s? These should be premium products but what are you actually paying for here? A somewhat different picture and that’s about it really.. seems extraordinarily expensive to me. But, if some find that worth it that’s OK. Maybe just a bit jealous I don’t have that sort of money to burn (lol).

I loved the lighting in Generations. The Bridge actually looked great dimly lit with the industrial lighting in the door alcoves… I also loved the warm orange from the Veridian star and wished more episodes considered how the external environment would effect the lighting in the ship. Overall, childhood fond memories made me love this movie no matter its faults (which I will agree is many)

Great review Matt. Lovin’ your work. It’s not easy to capture 4K screenshots (most reviewers don’t bother) and so it’s been great to see comparisons that are helpful. The detail and colours are an incredible upgrade. Also, the 7.1 mix is a draw for me.

I was always going to buy this box set, but this review has convinced me to pay top dollar for it instead of waiting like I sometimes do with these things!

I agree with the review’s comment on physical media. I love streaming, and it definitely has its place, but I’ve lost access to so many films and TV shows too many times. If I love something (as I do with these films and TV shows) I’ll always get them on disc if I can. Also, if my internet goes down – I can keep on Trekkin’! ;)

Are the included digital codes for upgraded versions of the movies on iTunes, or are the same releases? I already have the existing ones purchased, so don’t want to waste the codes.

The newer 4K versions of the TNG movies are on iTunes.

Typically (but not always) with digital purchases on iTunes you get access to the latest version of a movie. If you’ve already bought the TNG movies previously iTunes should offer up the newer version when you go back to it in the store. If the details say it’s available in 4K and Dolby Vision, you know it’s the new version.

A shame for Paramount these films aren’t worthy enough to do a Dolby Atmos 3D sound mix!

Rather disappointingly, there is less exposed frame on these 4K scans isn’t there? I’m watching Insurrection for instance, which had a geometric distortion corrected on the 2009 Blu-ray. By which I mean some shots the actors’ faces are heading towards an oval squashing. Coupled with the loss of picture at the edge of frame – cropping essentially – and I have to say there’s a difference here in the attention to detail applied to the original six films, and gleaning every last mm of picture information out of the frame.. that seems somewhat lacking in remastering First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis. Generations is the best I think I’ve ever seen it, but that’s a small consolation.

Actually disregard my above post. Double checking – by playing the 2009 Blu-ray side-by-side with the UHD and I find no loss in the frame. There’s actually slightly more to either side of the picture.What I’m seeing might be just an effect of the over-sharpening on the old standard HD disc.

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Pulled Off a Huge Call Back to a Beloved Enterprise Character

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 digs deep into The Original Series lore in an episode full of references to "The Paradise Syndrome."

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

Although Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is focused on a season-long quest for ancient secrets from before the dawn of history, there have also been a few episodes that have been almost standalone in structure. From the time loop in “Face the Strange” to the return of the ISS Enterprise in “Mirrors,” Discovery ’s final seasons has episodic stories, woven into the bigger arc. And, out of all of season 5, episode 6, “Whistlespeak,” is probably the most standalone of the bunch.

In order to retrieve the latest clue to the Progenitor tech, the USS Discovery jumps to the planet Halem’no, a pre-warp planet. Here, Burnham and Tilly have to go undercover to not only find the clue, but also, repair some concealed technology. Along the way, Discovery pays homage to The Original Series , the prequel series Enterprise , and beyond. Here are the biggest Star Trek easter eggs and references in the episode…

Weather Towers

Throughout all of Star Trek , or at least the time of The Voyage Home , there’s been the strong suggestion that the weather on Earth, and other Federation planets, is controlled by low-key terraforming technology. In “Whistlespeak,” Burnham and Tilly have to fix a weather tower that is malfunctioning on a pre-warp, Prime Directive-protected planet. This exact mission hasn’t happened before, but it is reminiscent of several Trek episodes from the past…

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Going Undercover With an Indigenous Culture

The conceit that Burnham and Tilly have to blend in with a pre-warp civilization has several precedents in other Star Trek series and films. In The Original Series episodes “Pattern of Force,” “Return of the Archons,” “A Private Little War,” and “The Paradise Syndrome,” the crew has to infiltrate planets and pass themselves off as natives. Ditto The Next Generation episode “Who Watches the Watchers?” and the beginning of the feature film Insurrection . Burnham, Owo and Captain Pike also went undercover in a pre-warp civilization in the Discovery season 2 episode “New Eden.” Then, the entire Strange New Worlds gang, including Pike, Spock, and La’an all went undercover in the series premiere of that that show, also titled “Strange New Worlds.”

Finally, the very first glimpse of Michael Burnham ever happens near the start of the first Discovery episode from 2017, “The Vulcan Hello.” And in that episode, Captain Georgiou and Michael Burnham are helping save a pre-warp civilization from a drought without being detected. So, in Disco’s first season and its last, Burnham is on a very similar mission. At least once, anyway.

Subcutaneous Comms

Burnham and Tilly also rock both subcutaneous — under the skin — communicators, as well as tricorders embedded into their eyes. The retinal tricorders are new, but Kirk and Spock both had subcutaneous transponders put into their arms in the episode “Patterns of Force.”

The scientist who created the weather towers for the Halem’nites was named Hitoroshi Kreel, a Denobulan. Though we never see him on screen, we know, generally, some basic features of what Denobulans look like. The beloved character of Dr. Phlox in the series Enterprise was a Denobulan, and it was in that series that nearly all the lore of the planet Denobula was established, even though the planet was never seen on screen. Outside of Enterprise , we’ve seen Denobulans in Lower Decks , Prodigy , and briefly in Strange New Worlds Season 2. But, despite being mentioned in this Discovery episode, no Denobulans appear.

Burnham’s Job

While it’s easy to forget what Burnham trained to do for Starfleet, this episode reminds us of the fact that in season 1, it was established that in both Starfleet and at the Vulcan Science Academy, Burnham studied xenoanthropology. She’s actually perfect for away missions like this because of her anthropological background, unlike say, several other Starfleet captains who frequently would go on missions like this.

“We could really use you at”

Ever since season 4, Tilly has been teaching at Starfleet Academy, which, for now, is located somewhere at Federation HQ. Tilly telling Burnham she wants her to teach there too is interesting, and has some precedent in previous Star Trek lore. When Spock was teaching at Starfleet Academy, in The Wrath of Khan , he brought Kirk in to help out at the beginning of the movie. Because Tilly and Burnham are both from the 23rd Century initially, it’s not too nuts to think of them both teaching at Starfleet Academy at some point in the future, much like their classic-era colleagues across space and time.

Paradise Syndrome: Reloaded

Overall, the story of “Whistlespeak” feels like a modern update of tricky TOS episode, “The Paradise Syndrome.” In that episode, Kirk lost his memory, and became part of a tribe of Native Americans who lived on a planet that was not Earth. Progressive stuff for 1968 maybe , but less than great or thoughtful now. However, the sci-fi premise of “The Paradise Syndrome” was fantastic even if the politics were iffy: A device that was placed on the planet by an advanced alien race—designed to protect the people of the planet—malfunctions and gains religious significance. This is exactly what happens with the weather stations on Halem’no, and, just like Kirk and Spock had to go back into the obelisk in TOS to save the native population, Burnham and Tilly have to do the same thing in this Discovery episode.

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Interestingly, this “Paradise Syndrome,” connection goes even deeper when you realize that “The Preservers,” mentioned in that episode, were the first indication that an advanced humanoid species seeded several planets with humanoid lifeforms. So, without “:The Paradise Syndrome,” you kinda don’t have the TNG episode “The Chase,” and without that, you certainly don’t have Discovery season 5’s epic search for the Progenitor tech, which goes all the way back to 1993, or 1968, or millions of years in the past, depending on your point of view.

Ryan Britt is a longtime contributor to Den of Geek! He is also the author of three non-fiction books: the Star Trek pop history book PHASERS…

Screen Rant

Star trek: tng's "yesterday's enterprise" finally allowed denise crosby to play the tasha yar she auditioned for.

Denise Crosby reprising Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise" was the character she originally signed on for.

Lt. Tasha Yar was a compelling character with untapped potential on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Denise Crosby's return in "Yesterday's Enterprise" allowed for a deeper exploration of Tasha Yar.
"Yesterday's Enterprise" is considered one of TNG's best episodes, showcasing a more complex Tasha Yar.

The classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise," gave Lt. Tasha Yar actress Denise Crosby the chance to play the version of the character she had been presented with in her original audition. Denise Crosby's Lt. Tasha Yar was a member of TNG's original cast, but she was unhappy with her limited role and left the series. Tasha was abruptly killed off in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 23, "Skin of Evil." In 2023, Denise Crosby joined The 7th Rule podcast to review Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1.

Tasha Yar was a fascinating character with a tragic backstory who never reached her full potential. Yar rarely took center stage in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, and the lone episode in which she did, TNG season 1, episode 4 , "Code of Honor", is widely regarded as one of the series worst outings. Nearly two seasons after Denise Crosby left the show, she returned to play an alternate universe version of Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise." Not only does this episode fill in some important elements of Star Trek canon, but it's also a phenomenal episode of television.

TNG: Tasha Yar's Death, Alternate Reality & Romulan Daughter Explained

Tasha yar got more depth in "yesterday's enterprise" than all of tng season 1, "yesterday's enterprise" is widely regarded as one of tng's finest hours..

Denise Crosby returned to The 7th Rule podcast co-hosted by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Cirroc Lofton and producer Ryan T. Husk to discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Yesterday's Enterprise." When speaking about Yar's characterization in the episode, Crosby said the following:

You see a depth to her that is… you’re able to share in. You know, there’s not a lot of episodes in the show in the first season where Tasha’s contemplating those kind of deep ideas - the self-worth, the self-purpose. She’s reactionary, she’s doing her job, she’s taking care of business, but in this episode, it gives her time to be reflective and ask the deep questions of herself. And the writers allow those answers to come out and for us to touch upon that.

In "Yesterday's Enterprise," the USS Enterprise-D encounters a rift in spacetime from which the heavily damaged USS Enterprise-C emerges. Suddenly, everything on the Enterprise-D changes — the ship becomes a warship involved in a conflict with the Klingons and Tasha Yar is back as the ship's tactical officer. Only Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) , the enigmatic Ten Forward bartender, notices anything amiss. Guinan tells Captain Picard that the Enterprise-C must return to its own time period to restore the proper future. In the end, Tasha goes back in time with the Enterprise-C and the future rights itself.

Prior to the podcast episode, Crosby, Lofton, and Husk all watched "Yesterday's Enterprise," and Crosby remarked that this was the first time she had seen the episode since it first aired in 1990.

Denise Crosby's Original Audition Presented A More Complex Tasha Yar

Crosby read a scene during her audition that never made it into a tng episode..

Denise Crosby also spoke about her audition process for Star Trek: The Next Generation , during which she read a "beautiful" scene that never appeared in the show. Read her quote below:

You know, I’ve mentioned before that my audition piece was a very, very beautiful piece written for the Troi and Tasha characters that was never – It’s almost like they lured me in, you know? That was the carrot they dangled and said this is what this is going to be, and then the show wasn’t that. They never had a scene anywhere near that.

Crosby did the best with the material she was given in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, but that material didn't always live up to the character she had originally been promised. Crosby mentions a scene between Tasha Yar and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) , and it's true that TNG failed its female characters in some ways, especially when it came to friendships between them. Most of the stories that centered on TNG 's women focused on their relationships with men or featured weaker storylines. Thankfully, modern Star Trek shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have remedied this oversight, and Star Trek: Picard season 3 even allowed some of the women of Star Trek: The Next Generation to play more complex versions of their characters.

Source: The 7th Rule

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Why Does Spock Never Talk About His Long-Lost Sister, Michael Burnham?

Star Trek: Discovery introduced a big retcon to Spock's history by revealing an adopted sister; here is why he never mentioned Michael Burnham before.

Spock made a tough decision to keep his adopted sister a secret to protect the galaxy in "Star Trek: Discovery."
Spock's history of keeping personal matters private helps explain why he never mentioned Michael Burnham.
The addition of Michael Burnham to the Star Trek timeline has interesting implications for the Kelvin timeline.

When it comes to Star Trek , there is arguably no character more associated with the franchise than Spock. The Vulcan First Officer became the breakout character of the series and remained a fixture in pop culture. He is one of the few characters to make it past the original pilot for the series and then be a major character on not just Star Trek: The Original Series but original actor Leonard Nimoy returned to play a role in all six live-action films, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the two J.J. Abrams-directed reboots where he passed the baton on to actor Zachary Quinto. In addition, actor Ethan Peck plays a young Spock on both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , making him the character to appear in the most entries in the franchise.

As Spock's popularity grew, creators decided to expand on his backstory. One of the most controversial decisions was the revelation of Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green in the series Star Trek: Discovery . The series established her as the adopted sister of Spock, a human who was raised alongside Spock by his parents, Sarek and Amanda Grayson. This was a major shock to fans as it was a huge retcon to the franchise. Plus, with Star Trek: Discovery originally being a prequel series, the character was never mentioned by Spock or anyone else in the rest of the franchise.

While the obvious answer was the character was not created then, the writers of Star Trek: Discovery came up with an answer that fits within the established Star Trek timeline to explain why she was never brought up again despite her close connection to Spock. This is why Spock never mentioned his adopted sister, Michael Burnham, before.

Spock Vowed Never To Speak of Her or the Crew of the Enterprise to Save the Galaxy

Star Trek: Discovery season one firmly established that Michael Burnham was adopted by Sarek and his wife, Amanda Grayson, following the disappearance of her parents at a young age. Then, in Season 2, she introduced characters like Captain Pike and Number One, who debuted in the original pilot for Star Trek alongside Spock . This raised many more concerns about how nobody ever mentioned Spock's adopted sister. The series provides an explanation in the season two finale, “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2.” The Crew of the USS Discovery is able to take the rouge AI villain Control into the 31st century, which prevented itself from establishing.

The USS Discovery is reported to have been destroyed in action. To prevent another rouge AI like Control from emerging and risking Discovery's sacrifice being in vain, Spock proposed to the surviving members of the USS Enterprise and allies of Discovery to never speak of the ship or its crew again, wiping it from history essentially. This takes place in the year 2258, about eight years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series . This was also years before Spock met many members of the crew he was closely associated with, like James Kirk, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, or Uhura, so they never met Michael Burnham or knew of her existence.

This development creates a new context for viewing Star Trek: The Original Series and all subsequent stories featuring Spock after Star Trek: Discovery . He is keeping the pain of losing his adopted sister, Michael Burnham, to himself, but he also theorizes that the crew of Discovery survived and will emerge alive in the future, which he is proven correct. While Spock does not live to see it, Michael Burnham does get to see Spock's impact on the galaxy in her absence and looks to preserve the Federation her brother defined.

Spock Is Known For Keeping Things From His Friends Before

Spock, being half-human and half-Vulcan, has been known to keep things from his closest friends until it is time to inform them of an important piece of news. This is best summed up in his younger Kelvin timeline, when in Star Trek Into Darkness he informs Captain Kirk that their new science officer is, in fact, Carol Marcus, the daughter of Admiral Marcus. When Kirk asks him when he is going to tell him, Spock replies, "When it became relevant, as it just did."

This is clear many times in Star Trek: The Original Serie s. The first was in the season two premiere, "Amok Time," where Kirk discovers that Spock is bothered to T'Pring and set to be married. Later in that season, in episode ten, “Journey to Babel,” audiences are introduced to Spock’s father, Sarek, for the first time. Kirk was surprised at the announced familial connection between them as it was clear Spock never revealed much about his family to Kirk, and the Captain only gets details from talking to Spock's mother, Amanda. These two incidents show that Spock was never one to talk about himself to Kirk, so it is not out of the realm of possibility to believe that Spock would never mention Michael Burnham in public to anyone.

Star Trek: 10 Facts About Spock You Probably Didn’t Know (Or Forgot)

This also is not the first time that Star Trek has introduced a long-lost, never-before-mentioned sibling of Spock's to the franchise and used his not being the most open with his friends as a way to explain the retcon. The main villain of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is Sybok, who is revealed to be the half-brother of Spock, who is fully Vulcan and has a different mother. This means that Spock had two siblings: an adopted human sister and a half-brother who was fully Vulcan.

When Spock reveals to Kirk that Sybok is his brother, he is left in disbelief and thinks that Spock is lying. Kirk cites he would know if Spock had a brother, and Spock reveals that Sybok and he were raised together after Sybok's mother died. When Kirk asks why he had never mentioned it before, Spock plainly says, "I was not disposed to discuss matters of personal nature." showing that Spock only reveals information when it is absolutely important, even to those closest to him like Kirk. It certainly helps provide an explanation as to why Spock never mentioned Michael before.

Does Michael Burnham Exist in the Kelvin Timeline?

The addition of Michael Burnham to the main Star Trek timeline also creates a new wrinkle for the franchise in terms of the alternate reality created in J.J. Abrams's 2009 reboot, Star Trek . That film features a younger Spock and Kirk meeting at an earlier point in their lives, but no mention is made of Michael Burnham, despite Spock's parents being prominently featured in the first film. In fact, in the Kelvin timeline of films, it seems that the divergent event is what led to her never needing to be adopted.

The USS Kelvin is attacked and destroyed, resulting in the creation of a new timeline in 2233. In the original Star Trek timeline, Michael Burnham's parents did not go missing until 2236, which led to her being adopted and raised by Sarek. Since this is three years after the event of the Kelvin timeline's divergent origin point, it stands to reason the ripple effect in the galaxy meant that Michael Burnham's parents never went missing, and therefore, she was never adopted and raised alongside Spock. In the Kelvin timeline, Spock never had a sister, and Michael Burnham had to live and grow up with her birth parents.

Star Trek 4: Development History & Why It's Taken So Long

This might be an intentional choice by the creators as the showrunner of Star Trek: Discovery is Alex Kurtzman, who also was the co-writer of 2009's Star Trek , which created the Kelvin timeline and established the rules of how the universe works from branching off from the point of Nero's ship coming through the black hole. When writing Star Trek: Discovery , he likely picked the year that Michael Burnham's parents went missing to be set after that stardate, so it could be implied in the Kelvin timeline it altered events to where she would never need to be adopted.

It appears the creators have done a good job providing plenty of in-universe explanations for why Spock never mentioned his adopted sister in the original Star Trek series or in the Kelvin timeline movies.

Check out our interview with Michael Burnham herself, Sonequa Martin-Green, on the final season of Star Trek: Discovery below.

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