History Film / StarTrekTheMotionPicture

* InstantAIJustAddWater: Kirk surmised that V'ger "amassed so much data it achieved ... consciousness itself!"

%%* NeverFoundTheBody: "List... list them as 'missing'."

** Also is the start of Spock realising that having emotions (and showing love for your friends) is a good thing actually, with some stops and starts along the way.

* ShoutOut: Both the much-beloved fly-by tour of the new ''Enterprise'' and some of the music cues recall strongly elements of Creator/RobertWise's ''Film/TheHindenburg1975''.

* OminousClouds: The film opens with a massive cloud in space passing through Klingon Space heading directly to Earth. The cloud is already impressive and foreboding on its own. But then it is able to easily dispatch three Klingon Battle Cruisers, And then we're told it is on a heading directly towards Earth, and we later learn that it is over 2 [=AUs=] [[note]]Astronomical Units, the distance between Earth and the Sun, 2 [=AUs=] would equal over 185 million miles.[[/note]] in diameter.

* HumanSubspecies: "[[https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/New_Human New Humans]]", a large offshoot/movement of enlightened Earthlings which developed as a result of humanity throwing off the shackles of warfare and conflict. They're considered highly evolved and more intelligent and adaptable than the "primitive" humans around them, and have developed the inborn human potential for psychic abilities. They are, however, largely unfit for Starfleet (or even deep space travel) due to being ''too'' smart and ''too'' adaptable. During Starfleet's early years, there was a high rate of mysterious disappearances among ships crewed by New Humans. Eventually, a Vulcan study concluded that when they encountered new alien civilizations more advanced culturally or technologically than humanity, the New Humans would tend to feel they have more in common with said civilizations and decide to abandon Starfleet and Earth to join them. As such Starfleet was ironically forced to ''lower the standards'' on their recruitment tests somewhat if they wanted to operate efficiently.

* SpiritualSuccessor: Wise's intention for the film was to make it one to ''Film/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey''.

* HumanSubspecies: "[[https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/New_Human New Humans]]", a large offshoot/movement of enlightened Earthlings which developed as a result of humanity throwing off the shackles of warfare and conflict. They're considered highly evolved and more intelligent and adaptable than humans without the same advantages, and have developed the inborn human potential for psychic abilities. They are, however, largely unfit for Starfleet (or even deep space travel) due to being ''too'' smart and ''too'' adaptable. During Starfleet's early years, there was a high rate of mysterious disappearances among ships crewed by New Humans. Eventually, a Vulcan study concluded that when they encountered new alien civilizations more advanced culturally or technologically than humanity, the New Humans would tend to feel they have more in common with said civilizations and decide to abandon Starfleet and Earth to join them. As such Starfleet was ironically forced to ''lower the standards'' on their recruitment tests somewhat if they wanted to operate efficiently.

* AvoidTheDreadedGRating: The original version was rated G (and regraded to "Not Rated" on packaging of the recent DVD/Blu-Ray release), even with one truly frightening moment and frank sexual discussion. The Director's Cut was re-rated PG because the sound mixing was more "intense" and "menacing".

* HumanSubspecies: "[[https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/New_Human New Humans]]", an offshoot/movement of enlightened Earthlings which developed as a result of humanity throwing off the shackles of warfare and conflict.

* SexGoddess: Ilia, although she'd never take advantage of a sexually immature race, as Commander Decker can tell you. Hilariously, one of the first things Ilia tells Kirk after reporting for duty is that her oath of celibacy is on record. As noted in AllThereInTheManual, Deltans have sex as an everyday part of life; even communicating is with a sexual act -- so it makes sense that Starfleet wouldn't want to make saying "hello" awkward for non-Deltans.

* EasilyForgiven: Spock uses his famous [[PressurePoint neck pinch]] to disable a lowly ''Enterprise'' crew member, steals a thruster suit, then uses the suit to explore the inner depths of V'Ger. After the ''Enterprise'' recovers him he does not suffer any consequences for his actions and Kirk tells McCoy that he needs the recovering Spock back on the bridge as soon as possible.

* RedShirt: No one's wearing one, but that doesn't help much.
** Played straight with Ilia. The V'ger probe is interrupted by Spock, who it then zaps in retaliation. Decker then tries to help, and is also zapped. Then it outright vaporizes Ilia, who did absolutely nothing to provoke it. The probe would have also killed a security officer prior to her, but they cut his death to give Ilia's more dramatic weight.

** Not wearing red shirts[[note]]Rather, they are blue shirts.[[/note]] didn't seem help the two crew members horribly mangled by the transporters, the Klingons, or the crew of Epsilon IX.
** The crewman who Spock neck-pinches before stealing a thruster suit has a reddish-brown uniform, the closest we see to an actual red shirt.

* RankUp: Since end of the ''Enterprise'''s five-year mission depicted in the original TV series, Kirk has been promoted from Captain to Admiral, Scotty has been promoted from Lt. Commander to full Commander, Sulu and Uhura have been promoted from Lieutenant to Lt. Commander, and Chekov has been promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant. Neither Spock nor McCoy were promoted because both left Starfleet after the end of the five-year mission.

* RankUp: Since the ''Enterprise'''s last mission, Kirk has been promoted from Captain to Admiral, Sulu and Uhura have been promoted from Lieutenant to Lt. Commander, and Chekov has been promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant.

* HatedItemMakeover: As the old hands become reacquainted with the rebuilt and refitted ''Enterprise'', Doctor Leonard [=McCoy=] declares that he'll go down to the ship's sick bay with a certain dread. "I know engineers," he forebodes, "they just love to change things." Sure enough, his report to Admiral Kirk is: "My sick bay looks more like a computer center."

** In ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', also scored by Jerry Goldsmith, the Borg's leitmotif is very similar to V'ger's leitmotif from this movie, perhaps lending credence to the popular fan theory that the "planet of machines" was the Borg homeworld. (This is also supported by Spock, after melding with V'ger, saying that "[[ResistanceIsFutile Any show of resistance would be futile, Captain.]]")

* DressOMatic: The V'ger probe in Lt. Ilia's form beams an outfit onto itself when it finishes with the sonic shower.

* CriticalStaffingShortage: After Sonak suffers from a TeleporterAccident, Kirk has Decker find him another Science Officer, Vulcan if possible, but is informed that Sonak happened to be the last qualified applicant on the planet (in the sense that no one else is familiar with the ''Enterprise'' redesign). Kirk presses Decker into the role since they're on a tight schedule.