Almost a year ago, “Star Trek – The Film” its worldwide 4K premiere – which was also quite impressive. Many trekkies in any case, they didn’t splash out and today have the so-called 4-Movie-Collection on the shelf, which also “Star Trek II – The Wrath of the Khan”, “Star Trek III – In Search of Mr. Spock” and “Star Trek IV – Back to the Present” in Ultra HD. However, the set brought with it a drop of bitterness: Part 1 is only included in the theatrical version from 1979. Almost exactly a year later to the day, the Director’s Cut, preferred by director Robert Wise and many fans, finally follows!
Tomorrow, September 8th, the time has come: The so-called Director’s Edition of “Star Trek – The Film” is finally available in a freshly revised version on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray. In the same breath, Paramount releases not only the already mentioned “Star Trek II-IV” individually in 4K, but also for the first time “Star Trek V – At the edge of the universe” and “Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country”:
» 4K Blu-rays on Amazon: * / * / * / * / * / *
But be careful: The standard version of the Director’s Edition of Part 1 only contains that version of the film, but not the theatrical version. This is only available in the edition The Complete Adventure with this, the as All-round carefree package with five discs and lots of extras comes from:
» “Star Trek – The Complete Adventure” on Amazon*
We have the Collector’s Edition ofStar Trek – The Film” under the magnifying glass and find: The luxury set is worth it – especially for those who do not yet have the film in UHD at home.
Just like the very good 4K version of the theatrical version the Director’s Cut in Ultra HD is convincing across the board – but it even goes one better in some places, as various comparison videos on the Internet prove all too clearly. If the Blu-ray and the 4K first edition already showed impressively how good films that are over 40 years old can look, you can, for example here from what is clearly the best version of “Star Trek – The Film”.
Sometimes a bit darker than older versions, sometimes a bit brighter and sharper than ever before in practically every scene: It feels like every shot has been optimized again, most of them even reveal completely new details, are bursting with (new) image information and have been better coordinated than ever before – for example when adjusting scenes that were once overexposed or color casts that were present to date. The same applies to the extremely clear, differentiated sound, although synchro advocates traditionally have to accept compromises here. The English Atmos sound overshadows the German Dolby soundtrack in all respects.
Webedia GmbHIn addition, the set is packed with additional extras such as various stickers, original press photos, a poster and a large booklet with photos that have never been published before. For a more in-depth behind-the-scenes look, there’s also an extra disc packed with features ranging from all-new audio commentary and deleted scenes to an eight-part documentary on the making of the Director’s Edition.
It took over 20 years after the turn of the millennium before director Robert Wise finally got the opportunity to express his true vision of a “Star Trek”-Films – and to inspire even skeptics of the theatrical version, which was completed in a hurry. A good two more decades later, that version now literally shines in new splendor: “Star Trek – Der Film” in the Director’s Cut is pure 4K enjoyment and probably the best version of the cult classic ever.
Fans of gimmicks such as stickers as well as completists who want to have both film versions in 4K at once will get involved The Complete Adventure offers the ultimate that leaves nothing to be desired. If you already have the theatrical version at home, can do without it or just want to save space on the shelf, you should also be satisfied with the cheaper Standard Edition of the Director’s Cut.
*The links to the Amazon offer are so-called affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, we will receive a commission.
