Nov

Review-”Star Trek: The Original Series: Season 3 Remastered”

Release Date: November 18, 2008
Publisher: Paramount
Price: $39.99 on Amazon.com (Buy It)
Rating: Not Rated
Run Time: 1320 minutes
Special Features: Two Versions of the Original Pilot “The Cage,” “Bill Blackburn’s Treasure Chest,” “To Boldly Go…Season 3,” “A Star Trek Collector’s Dream Come True,” “Life Beyond Trek: Walter Koenig,” “Chief Engineer’s Log,” “Memoirs from Mr. Sulu,” “Star Trek’s Impact,” “Collectible Trek,” “Captain’s Log: Bob Justman”
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley
Genre: Sci Fi

I think of myself as a huge nerd but I do have a confession to make, I had never watched an episode of “Star Trek” before this set. I’ve always wanted to, I just haven’t had the money to buy the expensive sets or the time to watch them. Obviously it isn’t a smart idea to watch the third season of a sci fi show like this before the first two but I did so anyway. I wouldn’t recommend this strategy for others though.

I’m sure everybody knows that “Star Trek” is the cult show to end all cult shows. It aired way back in the ’60s and was the first show that was saved by a letter-writing campaign. While this original series was never very popular it launched a series of movies and several spin-off series. The show is set in the 23rd century when Earth has begun to explore the stars.

I’m sure nearly everyone that fits into the target audience (nerds and fans of science fiction) has tried the show but if you somehow haven’t, it is definitely worth a look. It obviously doesn’t have the flashy look of current sci-fi shows but it’s still a very good show. Whatever you do, make sure to watch seasons one and two first because this show is heavily serialized.

For those who already have the original season sets, are these new remastered DVDs worth a purchase? I’d say it depends on how much you value video quality and whether you can wait for the inevitable Blu-ray release. The video quality has definitely improved and the special effects look much nicer. Obviously neither are perfect but considering the show’s age, I don’t think anyone can honestly be disappointed. I still wouldn’t recommend upgrading unless you really care about video quality. A Blu-ray release is almost certainly on the way and then you’ll have to upgrade once again.

The extras are very nice but all but one have been taken from previous DVD releases. Since I’m sure almost all of you have seen those already, I’m not going to get into detail with those featurettes. The one new featurette is called “Captain’s Log: Bob Justman.” It features the now deceased Justman talking about his time with the crew. It’s nice but it definitely won’t sell the new set for anyone.

If you haven’t watched “Star Trek,” go ahead and pick up this season but only after you’ve tried the first two. As for those who already have the original sets, I probably wouldn’t upgrade unless you always love having the highest quality set.