Long before Star Trek: The Motion Picture
The Enterprise receives a distress signal from the USS DaVinci. By the time they reach the sector the distress signal originated, the USS DaVinci has disappeared. While the Enterprise investigates, Kirk is hit by an electromagnetic wave that causes him to behave erratically and steal a shuttlecraft. He pilots the shuttlecraft towards an invisible planet and the shuttlecraft disappears.
Three years later, Spock leads a team back to that area of space and discovers the planet. The planet turns out to be the home world of the Titans, a highly advanced race that is believed to be extinct. The Klingons also turn up because they are also interested in the knowledge of the Titans. But a more serious problem is that the planet is being drawn towards a black hole and it now becomes a race between the Federation and Klingons to acquire the knowledge of the Titans before its too late.
Spock finds Kirk who has spent the last three years living in the wild. Spock managers to restore Kirk to his normal self and they both discover that the planet is populated an evil species known as the Cygnans. The Cygnans, it is revealed, were responsible for the death of the Titans. Kirk in an attempt to destroy the Cygnans, orders the Enterprise into the black hole. The black hole destroys the Cygens and throws the enterprise in to the orbit around Earth…Earth of the past. Kirk and crew beam down and realize they are witnessing the Dawn of man. They teach the Cro-Magnon man how to make fire and come to the realization that they are the Titans…
Ultimately, they ended up not using that script, and adapted a new story for the feature film. But it’s interesting to see what might have been.
What do you think of the original Star Trek movie’s story?
[Via whatculture]
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="40462 ">9 Comments
I admit the first Star Trek movie was boring, but who knows if this one would've been any better.
I would love to see that movie. 🙂
I loved the original ST movies. Wrath of Khan, #4 and #6 were my favorites.
Those were the best. Odd numbers rule
I agree, Alex. Thought it was a bit dull myself. But I think it was a better story. This story sounds pretty weak, and the ending a little too Twilight Zone.
The first Star Trek movie was of course NOT boring – maybe a little slow and ponderous – but you can't put Shatner, Nimoy, Kelley and the rest on the big screen and not get something worth watching. I personally don't think this one would have been much good – because the whole "main cast member is off turning savage and must be rescued and turned back into himself" thing is not the stuff of Major Motion Pictures – that's a fair to middlin' TV episode.
That doesn't sound like the most workable script, even for a first draft, but it is certainly very interesting history that I was not aware of. Thanks for the info!
Star Trek the motion picture made 82,000,000 million for 1979! Thats a ton of cash. Imagine encountering a living machine in the dark depths of space. For all v'gers vast knowledge, the machine in search of the creator just couldn't comprehend humans and their simple feelings. I think thats beautiful and it gets even better. V'ger asks : Is this all I am? Is there nothing more?
Thanks, glad you liked it. And you're right, the story seems pretty thin for a feature film
I agree, remo. The savage Kirk sounded kind of lame. And pointless.