Being longer than a Star Trek TOS series episode, this movie still shares a ton of DNA with it's originating series. Once again, we find the Enterprise and it's crew against a mysterious and very destructive entity and see them overcome it with logic and reasoning and bravery too.
This, if it was a normal episode wouldn't have me put it as compelling as "Charlie X", "Where No Man Has Gone Before" or even the episode with two Kirks which I have forgotten the name of but undeniably it presents an interesting, curious set of events that have very value of a classic sci-fi story. Which is a shame because I feel like it was a little under-handed, possibly because even in a normal Star Trek episode we have more causalities and tension than in this entire movie but it's not without it's merits.
For one, the movie knows it has a higher caliber of visual fidelity and special effects and uses it to it's utmost by often showing us exteriors of an object or the Enterprise for minutes just so we can visually feast on it. The effects barring the astronauts that looked awkward floating in space, all look brilliant and very imaginative.
This is a must-watch for anyone watching the TOS series because it's essentially at its best, more Star Trek. Though it may not reach the character-driven complex narratives of a series like Deep Space Nine
I'd love to see those, because I didn't pick up on the egalitarian social structure, at least not in a way that stands out from the other movies.
i'm bummed that i can't find the videos now that i'm trying to share its messages with someone else.
the tldr (or too long didn't watch because they were long-ish videos) were centered around v'ger and kirk's interaction with everyone, particularly at the scene where he's showing the video of the v'ger encounter with the large audience at the beginning and how he interacts with decker, spock and mccoy. there's also a bit about ilia
from what i can remember: v'ger isn't some ordinary villain and, in fact, not a villian at all, but an artificial intelligence seeking answers just the same as any natural intelligence. once they realize this, they treat with with the respect and dignity that any intelligence deserves and even merge with it. the conflict is resolved through empathy and understanding, not domination or violence.
ilia's is representative of the time that the movie came out; where women and sexual liberation were at the forefront of american sensibilities during the 1970's. the crew accept and respects her despite her being a deltan; starfleet regulations respect her culture without discrimination when she informs them of her vow of celibacy while serving.
most of the egalitarianism comes from kirks' interactions with other people. the crowd taking in v'ger's encounter with the space station on video shows dozens of various cultural manifestations of people from the entire world (and all very subtle if you don't already recognize them), but all portrayed as equals in starfleet. his interaction with decker just after the first failed test of the improved warp engines; the way he appeals to his relationship with mccoy; the way he has to tell uhura twice to disable the viewscreen for the crowd; the way he takes in spock's realization that v'ger has no emotions (spock's own transition form his attempt attain the elitist rational-purity-like kolinahr to understanding v'ger's lack of emotion is a thing too), all reflect a leadership that values collaboration and respects the expertise of subordinates.
there were more, but these were the things that stuck with me the most since i watched them and i think that only star trek #4 matched star trek #1 in "trekkie" sensibilities.