Star Trek: The Motion Picture U.S.S. "Enterprise", by Dinky. 1979 was a GREAT year for Trekkers everywhere...the long, laborious campaign to bring back a TV series (dead since 1969) bore fruit. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released by Paramount Pictures...the first film based on the NBC "Star Trek" television series. The long, laborious plot involved a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'ger approaching Earth, destroying everything in its path. Who ya gonna call? Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) assumes command of his old starship...the U.S.S. "Enterprise"...to lead it on a mission to save the planet and determine V'ger's origins. Okay, so it wasn't Shakespeare. The final result was really quite a mess. But hey, seeing Kirk and Spock and Bones and Scotty again was like running into long-lost friends after many years. When the original television series was canceled in 1969, "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry lobbied Paramount to continue the franchise through a film. The success of the series in syndication convinced the studio to begin work on a feature film in 1975, but it scrapped the project in 1977 in favor of a new television series, "Star Trek: Phase II". The box office success of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars" convinced Paramount to resume work on the film, with Academy Award–winning director Robert Wise ("The Sound of Music") heading up a $15 million adaptation of the television series. The planned pilot episode of "Phase II", "In Thy Image," became the basis of the film script. During a delay-filled and increasingly costly production process, the Enterprise was completely redesigned inside and out, costume designer Robert Fletcher provided new uniforms which looked like pajamas (and probably gave Sulu a wedgie). Production designer Harold Michelson fabricated new sets. Jerry Goldsmith composed the score, beginning an association with Star Trek that would continue until 2002. When the original contractors for the optical effects proved unable to complete their tasks in time, Douglas Trumbull and his effects team completed the work. Nonetheless, Wise always felt that the theatrical version was a rough cut of the film he wanted to make. Released in North America on December 7, 1979, Star Trek: The Motion Picture received mixed reviews from critics, many of whom criticized the film for its lack of action and over-reliance on special effects. The final production cost, which ballooned to approximately $46 million, drew considerable media attention. The film earned $139 million worldwide, which fell short of studio expectations and forced Roddenberry to relinquish creative control of the sequel. Nonetheless, the world was Trek mad for a while, complete with "Star Trek" meals at Mickey D's. Thank God, though, that they made a few more Trek pictures and didn't stop at this one...it would have sent the franchise out with a big, flatulent whimper. Hooray for Khan for putting the "fun" back into the plots, and Eisner for bringing Spock back to life!! Love those films. Anyway...here is a FANTASTIC, MINT-CONDITION on UNPUNCHED, SEALED CARD diecast Starship U.S.S. "Enterprise" released by Dinky in conjunction with the film's release. Don't let it beam into someone else's collection, make it yours. Only one in stock.