10 Times Star Trek Reused Footage And Hoped You Wouldn't Notice
2. Leaving Drydock - The Motion Picture/The Wrath Of Khan
Star Trek: The Motion Picture was an expensive piece of work. Being the first film of the franchise, every single shot had to be brand new, as there was nothing to draw from. The Enterprise was redesigned by Matt Jefferies for the big screen, and the audience was treated to absolutely gorgeous panning shots. Say what you like about the pacing of the film, but this is truly Starship porn at its finest.
The spiralling cost of the film ended up having a negative effect, as the box office receipts, while impressive, resulted in the sequel having its budget slashed. Robert Wise did not return as director for Star Trek II. Nicholas Meyer took over, and he immediately set about getting creative with what he had to work with.
Those shots of the Enterprise both in and leaving drydock are reused from the previous film. This clearly helped to keep the budget down, especially with such action sequences as the intial battle between the Enterprise and the Reliant, and the Battle in Mutara Nebula, to consider as well. The film is an excellent balance of old and new. While it could be fair to say that the shots are obviously recycled, in this case, it's very much an example of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.