Before a few nights ago, I'd never seen the old STAR TREK movies (I know; shocker). I saw THE VOYAGE HOME on a shelf, and, knowing that the plot was independent of the others, picked it up and watched it. I was wowed; it was sharp, funny, intense, and intelligent. This one...not at all. If you're hoping to watch the first to gain character knowledge: you won't get it. In fact, you're better off starting with number two. That said, there's little objectionable content. People are vaporized (their forms are seen screaming before they disappear), and there are some "d**n"s and "hells".
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Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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Is it age appropriate?
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Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 8; suggested age 8. -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
First big-screen flight of the Enterprise.
updated 07.04.08
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 8 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness :
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Sexy stuff :
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
About Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Parents need to know that the plot concerns a nonhuman entity asking quasi-religious questions like the purpose of life, and whether there is a creator. Just as confounding: what version of this movie will you find? There are both G- and PG-rated cuts of this on video. The original theatrical release was, in fact, rated G. A harsher rating on the video reflects more the changing attitudes toward that MPAA classification than the movie content; Paramount evidently decided a G might make video consumers think this was the one where Kirk meets Barney the Dinosaur. It's worth noting that the "PG" director's-edition VHS is in letterboxed widescreen -- really the way this expensive f/x spectacle was meant to be seen and appreciated -- and has an interesting making-of documentary with the participants 20 years later, and a prolonged intro of theme music. The DVD is crammed with similar extras and commentaries.
Read our full review by Charles Cassady Jr.
Families Can Talk About
- Families can talk about the conflict between Kirk and Decker, and how Dr. McCoy sizes up the situation of the starship having two rivals jockeying for the command chair. Those in more religious households might discuss the idea of creators and the search for meanings in existence. Spock's quest for perfect logic leads him to sympathize with V'ger, an entity that is planet-killing lethal, yet not really evil. You might ask kids if they prefer this kind of character- and idea-driven science fiction or the more simplistic notions of good and bad, in space swashbuckers like Star Wars. There is a small history lesson in the various real-life heroic vessels that have had the name "Enterprise," including a WWII aircraft carrier and a prototype space shuttle.
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Our Members Say
See all 4 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
Lives in NebraskaI rate this title on for age 10 and give itMy concerns are:- Inappropriate language
A Disappointment, to Say the Least...
- Lives in TexasI rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Fun to look back on
This was the first Trek movie and had ground breaking special effects (for the day). However, there is a very long period of musical interludes where there is no dialogue. My 11 year-old loves Star Trek and wanted me to fastforward through this really long sequence. But, for me, it was neat to see all the cast members. In this film they all look so young and skinny (William Shatner, for instance). Compared with others in the franchise, this one is very tame in terms of action and violence.
- Lives in FloridaI rate this title on for age 8 and give it
Probably the best Star Trek movie ever made.
The violent content in this movie is practically nonexistent. In a few scenes, an alien machine fires at other ships and turns them into what looks like static electricity. Later, an alien beam does this to one of the characters. Most cartoons are more violent then that, though. The language is comparable to most PG movies, you'll hear a few "D" words. The message at the end of the movie is a very good one. The movie ends when an artificial intelligence realizes that he can't grow without faith. Just like most of the episodes of the original series, this one ends with a moral message.
- Lives in OklahomaI rate this title on for age 2 and give it
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| 100% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
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