Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection ? Blu-ray Review

If you're anything like us, the recent theatrical release/franchise reboot of Star Trek probably made you a tad nostalgic for the original Kirk, Spock and the rest of the original USS Enterprise crew. As luck would have it, Paramount is boldly releasing this mega collection of the six original films featuring Captain Kirk & Co. on Blu-ray for the first time.

This release is seriously any HD-ready Trekkie/Trekker's dream. All of the films have been digitally re-mastered (and Wrath of Kahn even gets a full-on restoration) in 1080p and sweetened with a booming 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio track. Like the recently released first season of the TV series on Blu-ray, these flicks truly pop and are the must-own versions of the film.

The extras — clocking in at more than 14 hours of bonus content — are far too many to mention individually. In truth, any owner of the 2004 Star Trek: The Original Crew Movie Collection (Special Edition) DVD set has seen most of this content, but there are some additional commentaries and BD-Live features worth a look. The best extra is the "Star Trek: The Captains' Summit" bonus disc, which features an hour-long roundtable discussion moderated by Whoopi Goldberg with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes. Despite (or perhaps because of) Shatner's ego-inflating antics and almost dissing of the Next Generation boys, this is a must-watch.

Let's be honest, we don't need to see all these movies again. (We're looking at you Final Frontier.) But this package is definitely an economical way to beam much of the franchise onto your upgraded DVD shelf. If you're looking to save some coin, might we suggest the Motion Picture Trilogy Blu-ray release, which only features the second, third and fourth films. Our biggest reservation here is whether this will still be the definitive release in a few years. With all the renewed interest in the franchise (and a sequel to the reboot already in development), we're sure many a special edition is heading our way. If you're willing to commit, you won't be disappointed, but no one will blame you for waiting it out a bit.

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