While the original Blu-ray of Star Trek Into Darkness had numerous special features, there were actually more that only appeared on special versions of the disc sold at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers. But while you can now get them all, and then some, on the new Blu-ray collection Star Trek The Compendium, which also includes the first Trek flick and its extras, it’s probably not worth the double dip unless you’re such a big Trekker that you don’t mind doubling up.
Right off the bat you should know that if you liked the first Star Trek and already own it on Blu-ray, but don’t like Star Trek Into Darkness, you can stop reading now, as Star Trek The Compendium doesn’t add anything for the first film. It just has the same extras you already own. And the same goes for people who like both movies, but don’t care about extras.
But if you do enjoy watching the extras on a Blu-ray, Star Trek The Compendium has a wealth of new ones you probably haven’t seen before.
First up are seven deleted and alternate scenes. But while they only last a little more than five minutes, a couple are rather interesting, such as the one that would’ve ruined one of the film’s big twists.
Next, Star Trek The Compendium has twenty-one making-of featurettes, thirteen of which were not included on the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray. These include “The Voyage Begins…Again,” during which the cast and crew reflect on the start of filming, “National Ignition Facility Home Of The Core,” a look at one of cooler the location where they shot the movie; an examination of the U.S.S. Vengeance called “Vengeance Is Coming”; “Mr. Spock And Mr. Spock,” in which ice cream lover Leonard Nimoy talks about playing Spock for what may be the last time; “Down With The Ship,” a look at the scene where the Enterprise loses internal gravity; “Kirk And Spock,” an exploration of their relationship; the cleverly named “Fitting The Future,” which look at the costumes; a look at the props cheekily named “Property Of Starfleet”; “Unlocking The Cut,” which explores the movie’s editing; and a look at the special effects called “Visual Affection”; while the rest — “Introducing The Villain,” “Rebuilding The Enterprise,” “Aliens Encountered,” “Brawl By The Bay,” and “The Sound Of Music (And FX)” — are all self-explanatory. But while the previously release eight did a good job of showing how Star Trek Into Darkness was made, these additional featurettes go into even greater detail about their respective parts of the film.
And then there’s the fun stuff: “Safety First,” about a practical joke that Simon Pegg played on his costars, and the “Gag Reel,” a fun compilation of the cast and crew goofing around.
Star Trek The Compendium also has a disjointed running commentary with such people as director J.J. Abrams, editors Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey, and writer/producer Damon Lindelof. But rather than just have them talk while the movie plays, it’s broken up into nine segments in which different people or groups of people talk while using picture in picture and the pause and rewind buttons on their remotes (not yours, theirs) to illustrate what they’re talking about in the scene. The problem being that because some of these were done with only one person chatting, and because no one from the cast is involved, these sometimes get a bit too film schoolish at times.
But for me, the best thing they included on Star Trek The Compendium that they left off the Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray are the original trailers. Granted, I would’ve loved them even more had they put them on the first disc, which would’ve made it easier to watch them before I watch the movie, as I like to do, but at least they’re here.
Unfortunately, Star Trek The Compendium kind of screws up one of the two most important elements: how it presents Star Trek Into Darkness. Instead of the regular, letterbox version of the movie, the movie’s action scenes have been swapped out for the ones that were in the IMAX version of the film, which fill up your whole TV. Which not only causes a jarring juxtaposition that’s awkward to watch, but also one that’s rather unnecessary since the IMAX versions of the action scenes don’t really add that much. And since Star Trek The Compendium doesn’t also include the regular, letterbox version of Star Trek Into Darkness….
In the end, most movie fans shouldn’t bother getting Star Trek The Compendium. But with so many extra features, the trailers, and deleted scenes, there is a lot here for Trekkers, even if it does mean keeping their Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray.
SCORE: 7.5
