10 Reasons You Need To Revisit Star Trek: The Motion Picture

2. Meet The (New) Klingons

One of The Motion Picture's forgotten achievements is how it reshaped the Klingons for a new generation of fans. From those now iconic forehead ridges to the new K't'inga class battlecruiser, The Motion Picture squeezes a lot of mileage out of the Klingons' fleeting moments of screen time. The film even marked the first time audiences heard the Klingon language on screen. But that was just the beginning. Those few simple phrases opened the floodgates to the Klingon weddings and college courses we enjoy today. The universe is a wild place sometimes.

It's all for the best, though. The Motion Picture's impressive Klingon makeup and uniforms set the standard for years to come. Even the bridge of the Klingon battlecruiser does an amazing job of building tension and excitement in the film's opening moments. Although the Klingons are quickly dispatched by V'Ger, they sure go out in style. And that initial Klingon vocabulary, developed by producer Jon Povill and actor James Doohan, adds a rich new layer to one of the franchise's most enduring species. Is there anything Scotty couldn't do?