Initially, I found the new effects to be slightly cheesy, especially close-up shots of the Enterprise, but the digital facelift grew on me as the episodes progressed. Purists will want to stick with the original effects, and fortunately, they can.
Speaking of purists, the audio defaults to the original mono 2.0 mix, but also included is an impressive 7.1 DTS-HD mix that is far more dynamic than the original. Dialogue and sound effects come through the front channel crisply, while the subwoofer gets a fair amount of work from spaceship blasts and often the dramatic score. The mix is consistently distinct throughout.
Special Features
There are a number of featurettes included, spread out among the discs. High def extras include a look at the process used to upgrade the visual effects – full of plenty of entertaining interviews with the geeks responsible – as well as an enjoyable interactive tour of the Enterprise that uses much of the new digital effects work and a selection of old home movies.
Standard def features include featurettes on Spock, Kirk, and the legacy of Star Trek. Six episodes have the option to turn on Starfleet Access – an in-episode trivia track with picture-in-picture interviews. A trailer for each of the episodes is also included.
The Bottom Line
The first season of Star Trek has never looked better – this is an extraordinary Blu-ray upgrade that is well worth the affordable price tag for fans.
Article comments