Review: STAR TREK 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection Box Set

I think Paramount dropped the ball in a profound way with its Star Trek 50th anniversary video a few weeks ago, but at least they've done right by the long-running sci-fi franchise with this brand new, limited edition 50th anniversary TV and movie collection box set. If you dig Trek and you prefer the original cast, this seems like a must-have set because it includes every major piece of Star Trek entertainment those actors participated in during their careers.

Not only does it include every episode of The Original Series on Blu-ray, but this 30 disc set also comes with remastered Blu-rays of The Animated Series and each of the first six movies in the franchise, ranging from The Motion Picture all the way to The Undiscovered Country. You'll also get a pretty sweet limited edition Starfleet pin/magnet and some cool mini-posters for the films designed by artist Juan Ortiz. Check out an unboxing video from Jordan Hoffman, the host of Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast:

The only slight disappointment is that it doesn't include Star Trek Generations, so you don't get to see the finale of Kirk's journey. I sort of wish they'd tossed that in there just for completion's sake, but on the other hand, I understand why they didn't: that movie is far more about Picard than it is about Kirk, and not every member of the original cast was included in it, so I can see why they'd want a clean delineation after The Undiscovered Country.

But everything you do get in this set is extraordinary. There's a new, two-and-a-half-hour, multi-part documentary called The Journey To The Silver Screen which covers the history of the franchise from when it was saved from cancellation by a fan campaign all the way through production of the first six films. For someone like me who has seen all of the movies but didn't know the in-depth history behind the making of all of them, it was incredibly valuable to be able to get a crash course in the time it takes to watch a feature length movie, and the interviews (including with people like Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer) are often engaging and enlightening. And if all of that wasn't enough, there are over 20 hours of previously-released bonus content spread across the entire set! It's a truly insane amount of stuff, and would be a crown jewel in the collection of any diehard Trek fan. 

And unlike that ridiculously overpriced Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings set (which also includes 30 discs), you won't have to drop a mind-blowing $800 for this box set. When Mick wrote about this set a little while back, he guessed it'd be around $200, and that's pretty damn accurate: it's listed at $208, but right now, it's on sale at Amazon for only $129.99. Let us know if you plan on snagging one of these sets for yourself! I'm going to spend the next few weeks watching The Original Series all the way through from start to finish for the first time.