Star Trek Trilogy (The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home) [DVD] [1982]

Now that the price has been reduced, so it works out at a little over a fiver per film, this is great value. Something that hasn't been mentioned in the other reviews is that as well as including the 2009 new audio commentary and extra. The bluray also include the commentaries and extras from the previous 2-disc DVD sets (with the exception of the text commentaries). OK only Wrath of Kahn has received a full restoration but Search For Spock and Voyage Home look and sound better than ever. Personally I've gone for this bluray box for these 3 films and got the 2009 DVD collection for all the other films as I do suspect that Paramount will eventually fully restore them all for bluray

I don't understand the other reviews, this boxset perfectly takes the "good" trek films and conveniently pretends the other terrible ones didn't happen. All for a very competitive price, whats the point in shelling out over £100 buying all the trek films when the only ones that stand up to repeated viewings is 2, 3, 4 and 6!!
This deffinately gets my vote.

Star Trek II, III and IV are three films which continue directly from each other. They are an unlikely trilogy with Wrath of Khan being an action adventure, Search For Spock being a slow burning drama, and The Voyage Home filmed as a light hearted comedy - it shouldn't work, but it does, and brilliantly so. Each film stands out and the very different feel of each title gives the trilogy an energy you rarely get in a collection. Instead of a story broken into three pieces we get three very different, self-contained stories which continue on from each other. It was never planned this way, it is an accidental trilogy and that makes it more extraordinary.

Many felt that the first Star Trek film was a disappointment, it simply didn't feel like Star Trek (though I personally feel it to be one of the most underrated Sci-Fi films ever) and Wrath of Khan brought a villain from the TV series to the big-screen in order to embed familiarity into the film franchise. Star Trek II continues on from a TV episode 15 years previous and shows us the repercussions of Kirk's actions, outside of the cosy world of TV the films are free to show us the grittier side of Star Trekking across the universe and when Khan attacks the Enterprise we don't just see crew falling from one side of the bridge to the other - there are serious consequences - casualties, death, sorrow. It's easy to see why 'Trek fans love Khan, Ricardo Montelban is excellent as the genetically enhanced baddy and his melodramatic delivery gives him an immense screen presence. You understand his motive for revenge and the film becomes a very personal battle between two great adversaries, it's a perfectly crafted movie which is generally regarded as the best of all Star Trek films. It's not all action though, it's thought provoking and emotionally engaging - especially the end which could bring a tear to the eye of any battle-hardened Klingon warrior.

Star Trek II tied the TV series into the films, but Star Trek III expands the Trek universe beyond anything we've seen before and we see the vast scope of Starfleet and its many ships. Sadly though, it's time to retire the Enterprise, she suffered the wrath of Khan and has bits dropping off to prove it. But there's time for one last adventure when Kirk, McCoy and Scotty steal the Enterprise to find a lost friend. Star Trek III enriches the Trek universe by exploring Vulcan folklore and contains a tender scene of intimacy which is erotic in a startlingly beautiful way. The visual effects here are more stunning than a handheld phaser, the space-dock looks superb and the Enterprise looks amazing - its final scene is particularly awesome. After the action and intense drama of the second and third films, the fourth provides some humour. The Voyage Home feels different to any of the other Star Trek films because of the comedy relief it provides. It would have been so easy for this to have been a silly flick which descended into a poor parody of everything which makes Star trek so great, something to laugh at rather than a concept with plenty of life left in it. But against the odds it exists as a very funny film which still feels like great science fiction. It's probably the most accessible of all the Star Trek titles, you don't necessarily need to have seen any of the other films or be that familiar with Star Trek to enjoy it. The films don't exist simply to take advantage of a well-known series, each film explores themes such as aging, authority, and even environmentalism. Star Trek doesn't ignore the fact that the original crew are no longer in their physical prime, in fact it directly addresses it and shows how difficult it is for them (Kirk particularly) to let go when they know that the torch is in the process of being passed to a new generation. We also see that just because the crew are advancing in their years, it doesn't mean they aren't fit for duty, and still have a lot to offer.

This Blu-Ray collection contains the same bonus features as the individual Blu-Ray releases, there are hours of extra material here and the majority of it is well worth watching. A lot of it is recycled from former DVD releases but new commentaries will please fans and making-of documentaries contains everything you want to know about the model work and visual effects. The actual picture quality improves with Star Trek III, with IV also looking good. Wrath of Khan often looks a bit soft but that's to do with the way it was filmed in the first place. James Horner's score (II and III) sounds excellent on Blu-Ray, Leonard Rosenman's music (IV) isn't as evocative but The Voyage Home has less need for such an atmospheric and intense score.

I have reviewed each Star Trek individually and more in depth, for anyone interested - links can be found on this Amazon list: http://www.amazon.co.uk/lm/R212N2N5QZLUME/ref=cm_pdp_lm_title_1

In a nutshell: It's a shame that Star trek is often overlooked or even derided, this trilogy is certainly not a second class collection and I genuinely believe this is every bit as good as that other well-known Science Fiction trilogy ...Darth who?!