Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Beaming down to Earth December 12 1986
They travelled back where 23rd century man had never gone before. To a mad, crazy, outrageous time. 1986.
How on Earth can they save the future?
The key to saving the future, can be found only in the past.
Admiral Kirk and his crew vow to return to Earth after rescuing Captain Spock to face criminal charges after his unauthorized mission and theft of the U.S.S. Enterprise. After rescuing two humpback whales, Kirk is found guilty of disobeying a Starfleet superior officer and is demoted to Captain and given command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A.
| William Shatner | Admiral, Captain James T. Kirk |
| Leonard Nimoy | Captain Spock |
| DeForest Kelley | Dr. Leonard |
| James Doohan | Commander Montgomery |
| George Takei | Commander Hikaru Sulu |
| Walter Koenig | Commander Pavel Chekov |
| Nichelle Nichols | Cmdr. Uhura |
| Jane Wyatt | Amanda |
| Catherine Hicks | Dr. Gillian Taylor |
| Mark Lenard | Ambassador Sarek |
| Robin Curtis | Lieutenant Saavik |
| Robert Ellenstein | Federation Council President |
| John Schuck | Klingon Ambassador |
| Brock Peters | Admiral Cartwright |
| Leonard Nimoy |
7.30 out of 10 (20292 votes)
Visitor Reviews
great fun(not your conventional StarTrek movie)
posted on 28 Jul 2009i enjoyed this installment of the Star Trek franchise quite a bit.in my opinion,it's better than the previous ones.i think they did a very good job here,balancing many different elements.there is certainly the action/adventure element here but there is also so quite a bit of humour.the writing is very intelligent and witty.there is also the element of danger,which is very real in this one.the threat is very grave and imminent.the suspense factor is high here too.the story itself is very well written and well paced.this is almost a comedy at its heart.the dialogue is very sharp and fresh.it's more of a family movie than the previous ones.there is some mild language,but it is not used maliciously.it does actually serve the story.the movie is also a cautionary tale i think,to humanity.i think it's just as relevant today as it was then,maybe more so.generally,this movie is probably the most fun of the original Star Trek movies,in terms of comedic value.i also think it is probably the best of the original movies.for me,Star Trek 4:The Voyage Home is a definite 8/10.
A wonderful caper with our future at stake.
posted on 28 Jun 2009This film originated with Leonard Nimoy concerned at the plight of whales and the very real probability of their extinction. Nimoy does a documentry on the making of this movie which is fascinating to say the least. It is part of the director's edition series from Paramount.The beauty of this film is that it as Nimoy puts it. "a caper, after the first three films a chance to lighten up." Everyone in the crew gets to shine and have fun doing it. In fact some of the things that a lot of Star Trek fans have dreamed of doing our friends actually do it and for a good cause. We get to see Kirk and crew as a family here something that will also be brought out in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The Voyage Home is considered the best in the series and in the final moments of the film the USS Enterprise NCC-1701A is traveling through space with Kirk and crew aboard.
nice....nothing more, nothing less
posted on 25 Jun 2009No, I don't like the ST-movies. I still prefer the tv-series, which I can't live without. But oh how nice, sometimes a ST-movie is shown on TV, and of course as a fan I watch them. This particular movie is one of the most enjoyable. But still I can't be hilarious about this one as well. It's a nice movie.... nothing more, nothing less. Why is it so hard to make a movie as strong as some of the episodes on TV? e.g. the episode(s) "Best of both worlds" could be a great SF-movie....
Nimoy's comical time travel adventure
posted on 04 Jun 2009SPOILERSOne of the reasons that the entire "Star Trek" universe has been so successful is that it is forever looking for original ideas. Whilst occasionally an idea might be copied to some degree ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" copying an Original series episode early on with "The Naked Now"), a lot of the time the people involved take great pride in giving the public a fresh new idea to grasp hold of. In the list of all ten films to date (as of 2004), 1986's "The Voyage Home" was a novel idea in that it attempted to inject humour into the story. Written and directed by our very own Mr Spock (Leonard Nimoy), "Star Trek IV" is a fresh and occasionally very funny story which stands out alright as a film on it's own, but falters when considered as a "Star Trek" movie.Continuing on from the previous events of "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984), the crew of the now destroyed Starship Enterprise are located on planet Vulcan. With a Klingon Bird of Prey, named "The Bounty", the crew decide to face multiple charges in front of a Federation Court. Heading for home however, they soon become aware that something is wrong. A probe of Alien origins has positioned itself near Earth and is attempting to contact the now extinct Hump Back Whale. Realising that this probe is inadvertently draining power from the entire planet, Kirk decides that the only way to save Earth is to travel back in time and gather some whales. As a result the crew are forced to face one of their toughest ever missions, the 1980s.With the writing team of Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett, the forth film to feature the original crew concludes it's three film story with a comedic touch. After the sometimes criticised "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", these two men chose to go in a completely different direction with their latest offering. Whilst the previous two parts of this trilogy of sorts were serious, arguably to an extreme, this third part attempts to add a bit of humour to the series. As a result we have Kirk and crew discussing profanity, Chekov asking people where he can find the "nuclear wessels" and Dr McCoy condemning twentieth century medicine as "the Spanish Inquisition". All in all, this is not a terrible idea. By attempting to lighten the mood, Leonard Nimoy has tried to breath life into a series which had began to get a bit too serious. Ultimately however, Nimoy goes from one end of the scale to the other. Rather than having a film which was too serious, Nimoy directs a film which is far too laid back.When making an episode or a film in this fictional universe, the key has always been the interaction of the crew. There are countless occasions in series and films alike where the crew make us laugh by their own little in-jokes. By watching how these jokes develop, we become part of this to a degree. In countless examples of "Star Trek: The Next Generation", episodes finish with a light hearted reference to an event earlier in the episode. After the heavy plot has resolved itself, this light hearted conclusion leaves the audience feeling happy. Whilst Nimoy will be fully aware of this, in this forth movie, he appears to try to force this feel good feeling across countless times. By placing certain obvious moments of humour into the film, Nimoy does succeed in making us laugh and smile. The problem however is that this isn't "Star Trek". This fourth film actually feels more like some spoof of the serious universe, than an official film in it's own right.The other problem with "Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home", and arguably something major, is that it is severely lacking in futuristic technology. Whilst "Star Trek" IS all about characterisation, part of it's genius is that this bonding amongst a crew, with their occasional funny jab at each other, always took place far in the future aboard a futuristic starship. By relocating Captain Kirk and his crew to an ugly Klingon Bird of Prey and twentieth century San Fransisco, the film removes a key part of what is "Star Trek". The original Enterprise is only shown in footage of the previous film, and the second Enterprise is only shown briefly at the end as well. This is a bit of a huge problem since the Enterprise is just as important as the crew itself.To sum up "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" therefore, it's not a bad film. With moments of fun and laughter, it is definitely worth a watch. The problem with it however is that it just doesn't feel like it belongs in the "Star Trek" universe.
Save the whales while you still can!
posted on 29 May 2009I first saw this movie in Orlando, Florida right after Navy boot camp. Ironic that I ended up serving on board USS Enterprise CVN-65 as a nuclear machinist. Their depiction of the engine room was pretty good, but I can tell you that there are no German shepherds running around and the nuclear reactor doesn't have a nice window looking into lava-land.Another neat thing was the Pontiac Fieros you see driving through San Francisco. Don't see that much any more - but I still got one! And how can you go wrong with time travel? So many great one-liners too! All in all, Star Trek IV is my favorite Star Trek movie; it was very timely when it came out. It combines the revival of Spock with saving the whales and demotion of Kirk from Admiral to Captain. I think when Star Trek first came out, it was Hollywood's way of dealing with the Cold War. It placed Russians side by side with Americans on the same ship, thus showing that we could all get along - with or without a greater enemy. After the tremendous success of Star Trek due to its love of high tech space exploration, I think we forget that original message. It jeers back at us in this movie when Chekov asks the San Francisco police officer where the naval nuclear "wessels" are. And the policeman just stands there in disbelief - as if the Russians can't afford to train their spies in proper English. Kudos to Star Trek IV for bringing us full circle!
A wacky caper with that ol' Star Trek feel
posted on 08 May 2009Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was a fun filled film for the whole family to enjoy. Despite some cursing, the overall film was great fun. The crew of the late starship Enteprise, have been exiled to the planet Vulcan because the crew bring Captain Spock's katra, or spirit, back to his body, in the previous movie. They take a Klingon Bird of Prey after Admiral Kirk kills it's Commander, and they name it the HMS Bounty. It is then decided by the crew to return to Earth and be court martialled. On their way, they intercept a planetary distress signal from the United Federation of Planets President, to discover that a probe that came from the outer reaches from space has destroyed three Klingon vessels, and disabled a few Federation ships, is also vaporizing Earth's oceans and blocking out the Sun by sending a strange message to the surface of Earth. Spock recognizes this transmission as Humpback whale song. Spock also points out that the Humpback whale has been extinct for centuries, and was only indigenous to Earth. Admiral Kirk then gives the order to start computations to time warp, and slingshot around the Sun to the year 1986. From this point forward to the last 10 minutes of the movie, this Trek tale becomes a caper more than a mission that determines the fate of Earth. Landing their cloaked Bird of Prey in the middle of Golden Gate park in San Francisco and spooking a couple of garbage men, they locate two Humpback whales, a male and a female, in a Cetacean Institute. While at the institute, Spock mind melds with the female whale, Gracie, to communicate their intentions, as well as persuade the Marine Biologist Gillian Taylor to hand over the whales. Meanwhile, Doctor McCoy, Sulu, and Scotty try to find four plexi glass sheets, all one inch thick, that could withstand the pressure of 20,000 cubic feet of water, and two humpback whales. Scotty impersonates an Engineering professor, and Dr. McCoy impersonates his assistant. They give the formula for a futuristic substance, transparent aluminum, to one of the manufacturers at PlexiCorp, in order to have walls to their "little aquarium". On the other hand, Sulu flies a helicopter to carry the plexi glass walls. During this, Uhura and Chekov find a naval vessel, named Enterprise, and take it's radioactive photons to fuel their Klingon vessel's warp drive. They retrieve them, and Uhura beams out, but Chekov was not as lucky. He is chased out of the ship, and falls from the side of the ship, and suffers a nearly fatal fall. Fortunately, Doctor McCoy, Kirk, and Dr. Taylor get to the hospital and help Chekov. They beam out, and try to find the whales, which were shipped to Alaska the night before. Fortunately, the whales were tagged with transmitters, and are tracked. They beam the whales out before they were killed by poachers, and the crew safely returns to their time, along with Dr. Taylor, and save Earth. All charges are dropped, except for one, which is against Admiral Kirk, for disobeying orders from the Commander in Chief of Starfleet. He is demoted to Captain, and given a beautiful ship, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A, and the only thing he ever wanted, the command of a starship. The movie ends with the Enterprise leaving dock, and going warp speed. As for Dr. Taylor, she is stationed on a Science vessel, claiming to have, "300 years of catch up learning to do". A truly great addition to the Star Trek legacy, and definitely a turn from the Star Trek norm, and in a good way.
Star Trek At It's Most Accessible
posted on 26 Apr 2009A mysterious probe has come to Earth from some unknown galaxy and it is broadcasting a strange message aimed at Earth's Oceans. Although not overtly hostile the probe drains the energy of any ship that it approaches and begins to vaporize the world's oceans and disrupt the atmosphere with catastrophic effect. Enter the heroic crew of the Enterprise now aboard a commandeered Klingon Ship following the destruction of their ship in Star Trek III. Though they are facing a number of charges for their actions in the previous film and despite the fact Spock my or may not have recovered fully after being restored to life they are the only one in a position to save Earth from catastrophe. They are the ones that discover the only way to save Earth is to go back in time to the 1980's to find whales.While retaining a number of the traditional Star Trek elements and having a serious theme, much of the movie could best be described as light comedy, and in that genre it works. Despite the genre, and the light hearted tone though, the film also has a message that is surprisingly resonant. Another interesting aspect of the film is that included no real violence or hostility, which was a very big shift from previous two films in the series. Much of the humor is based on a fish-out-of-water scenario (no pun intended) wherein our protagonists from the future must deal with Earth in the 1980's. There is also some not so subtle commentary on the problems of late 20th century earth including the cold war and pollution.
ST FILM FOUR: Save the Whales, Save the World
posted on 23 Apr 2009The concluding ark to Trek's trilogy of films two, three and four, and Nimoy's follow-up directing job after "The Search For Spock," this one has the surface appearance of being rather simplistic and lightweight. But, against the odds, it succeeds beautifully, probably because all of the scenes in the film are pitch perfect - a perfect balance of humor, action and science fiction fancy; Nimoy learned his lessons well in the 3rd Trek film. Again, on the surface, the story seems to be a simple union of the overused time travel angle coupled with an environmental message. But, because the messengers are the seven well-known characters of the Trek canon, all here given a chance to shine as never before, there's much more enjoyment to be found throughout than we could have ever expected. All the actors had been in these roles for many years by this point and they each knew how to make the most of it, including the ones playing Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura, usually relegated to one-note scenes regarding ship's functions. Here, they get to fully participate in a grand Trek adventure, full partners with the main trio of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Oh, and, besides returning Spock's father, Sarek, they even let Spock's mother return briefly - talk about grand reunions (see "Journey to Babel").The only thing missing, of course, is the Enterprise - our Trekking castaways get around in a commandeered Klingon 'Bird of Prey' ship here. Things begin with a huge mysterious probe, approaching Earth and knocking out all power as it sends a signal into the oceans, requiring an answer. I had some misgivings when I first saw this in the theaters back in '86 - it seemed too similar to the first Trek film (shades of V'Ger!) and did not bode well. But, luckily, the story veers to a different tack after this first act: our heroes are on their way back to Earth as well, ready to answer charges for breaking several Starfleet rules and regs in the previous film. Suddenly, this turns out to be the least of their problems as they're placed in the position of saving their planet once again. Instead of attacking the probe head-on, which would probably be a useless attempt, they deduce that their best option is to travel back to Earth's 20th century. And the audience is along for the ride, watching these greats work their magic, watching them solve all manner of dilemmas and accompanying these legends on their tour of present-day San Francisco. It's wish fulfillment, it's a crowd-pleaser, it's high concept done with a wink and a cheer.Some might argue that this retreads familiar ground, the original time travel episodes "Tomorrow is Yesterday" and "Assignment:Earth," but all the scenes in our present time work great. My personal favorite is Scotty & McCoy meeting with a Plexiglas manufacturer and their introduction to him of transparent aluminum. It's directed perfectly, with Scotty at first appearing out of place but soon showing he was in control of the situation the whole time - it may be Doohan's finest moment in the Trek film series. Running a close second is Chekov's interrogation scene; it should have been stupid but, somehow, Nimoy and Koenig made it hysterical. There are numerous others - Kirk's bit with his eyeglasses, Spock's conversation with the whales, his struggle with present-day profanity in speech - it's all smoothly integrated into the overall playful adventure. We even encounter some genuine suspense in the race against time near the climax. Yes, maybe it is a bit all lightweight in the end but as the concluding chapter of a trilogy, it gave us the satisfaction of tying things up neatly - with Spock and his father, with the fate of our beloved crew and the promise of yet another new beginning. But, uh-oh, next was "The Final Frontier."
Time for some colorful metaphors...
posted on 11 Apr 2009This one is great-I remember laughing my butt off the first time I saw it, and it still works now. Very well done, the time travel angle was better handled here then it has been in other Trek films, shows, etc.-and one thing that makes this work is that they didn't take themselves too seriously. What a romp! The crew come back to save the whales so they can save themselves in the future-and make some commentary on 1986, too. Personally I donno if this is the best of the run-Undiscovered Country and Khan are its main competition-but I applaud them for doing this; and hope they can lighten up the newer generation too now. It is needed.*** outta ****, good stuff.
The Lighter Side of TREK is GREAT Fun...
posted on 08 Apr 2009Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek 'family' fully expected that Paramount would 'pull the plug' and end their series of films after STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK. After all, Spock had died and been reborn, Kirk and the crew were fugitives from the Federation, and the Enterprise itself had been destroyed, with the cast, now the proud owners of a Klingon 'Bird of Prey', staying with Spock's parents, Sarek and Amanda, on Vulcan. Pretty heady stuff for a franchise considered past it's prime, and as the studio seemed to be focusing it's attention on the upcoming 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' television series, which would introduce a younger cast, there was a general feeling that the aging veterans of the first series, now all in their fifties and sixties (with the exception of George Takei, a 'kid' of 46) were overdue to be 'put out to pasture'.But producer Harve Bennett and Leonard Nimoy had an idea for a 'Trek' film that would be 'hip', lighter-hearted, could 'tie up' the loose ends of the series, and, as the film would be set largely in the 20th century, be both inexpensive to make, and 'audience friendly'. "Inexpensive" was always the key word for Paramount's 'brass', particularly concerning 'Star Trek', and after Bennett and Nimoy made the rounds pitching their script outline, and Nimoy agreed to direct, the project was green-lighted. The story is simple and straightforward; returning to Earth in the 'Bird of Prey' to face charges for hijacking the Enterprise, and destroying it, Kirk and crew discover that the planet is 'under attack' from a gigantic tube-like object, emitting weird sounds and laser-like beams that are playing havoc on the weather, world-wide. Spock determines that the sounds are the language of humpback whales, a species extinct in the 23rd century, so our heroes slingshot the spaceship back in time to the 20th century, in an attempt to capture a pair of the whales, and bring them 'back to the future'.As the Klingon ship has a cloaking device that can render it invisible (a wonderful invention that helped keep the FX budget down!), it is easy to 'hide' the spacecraft in a park in mid-eighties San Francisco, and the crew, after a funny sequence strolling the streets of the city, are divided into teams, with Kirk and Spock to procure the whales, McCoy and Scotty to build a tank to house them, Sulu to find a means of getting the tank to the ship, and Uhura and Chekov to siphon off some nuclear fuel (from the U.S.S. Enterprise, no less!) to help power the ship back to the 23rd century. Each team has their own mini-adventure (Kirk and Spock meet whale expert Dr. Gillian Taylor, played by perky Catherine Hicks, who, eventually, insists on accompanying the whales to the future, while sweetly shrugging off Kirk's passes; Scotty has to 'invent' the glass for the tank, potentially rewriting the future; Sulu is like a kid, flying an antique helicopter; and Chekov gets captured, then injured...Chekov is ALWAYS getting injured in the 'Trek' films!...providing McCoy a chance to perform some 'miracles' and criticize 20th century medicine). These vignettes are wonderful, and remind one of what terrific actors the original crew of the Enterprise were.The Earth is, of course, saved, Kirk is busted from Admiral back to Captain (the rank he was best suited for), Dr. Taylor informs him she's too busy to date (Kirk strikes out???), and the crew is assigned to a new starship...named Enterprise, naturally!STAR TREK IV, the most popular and successful 'Trek' movie yet made, would have been a fitting conclusion to the adventures of the original cast, but William Shatner, as part of his contract, was promised a writing credit and the director's chair for the next 'Trek' film...
Fun; Great Send-Up! and a Message or 2 (or 5...6; ect)
posted on 03 Dec 2008No Way!! Send Enterprise back to present day Earth to retrieve some whales?? As plot, this ain't gonna work! But history shows that "The Voyage Home" deserves its status as one of the best entries in the 'Trek' canon.Star Trek 4 is a rare sequel that actually improves the previous entry ('Search for Spock') and is an excellent mid section to the satisfying conclusion in 'The Undiscovered Country'. It's also the TREK movie that combined elements that appealed to 'Trekers' and 'Non-Trekers' alike.And...it represents an essential chapter. With Star Trek 2, 3, 4 and 6; a complete story is told. What makes the viewing a lot more rewarding is knowing some of the original episodes that inspired them; the obvious 'Space Seed'; 'Amok Time'; 'Journey To Babel'; 'Trouble with Tribbles'; 'City on the Edge of Forever'; ect. (You could almost discount Star Trek 1 and 5). And so many new supporting characters that carried over to # 6.A Sci-Fi premise with on-target humor that's laugh-out loud. This will always be a great audience movie. The Series' supporting players shine a little more in their importance to the success of the mission that combines laughs, nostalgia and urgency.(Subtle Spoiler) And one of the best 'throw-a way' line in movie history that sums up so much. While analyzing the probe's transmission, Spock reasons that it's unlikely the probe is unaware of it's destructive effects taking place. 'Bones' asks Spock if this is the probe's way of saying 'Hi There' to the people of earth. Spock's response: "There are other forms of intelligent life on earth, Doctor (McCoy). Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man."Bullseye!!! Is this Spock's perception of the human race; doomed by arrogance in thinking that man has everything all figured out?? Religion! Origin of! Superiority over others with different opinions! Or probably, Spock's awareness of another form of intelligent life not deemed worthy for human understanding. Marine Biologist, Gillian Taylor, displays the necessary compassion that represents most of us in the 20th century; compassion and understanding that most everyone wants to strive for.Nimoy's direction is more assured, especially when he doubled-dutied with a co-starring assignment. Nobody ever said that great sci-fi is action-packed. Nimoy's approach (and co-writer Nicholas Meyer) excells in character interaction, non-violent solutions and culture clash that is downright insightful and Funny!! And all the actors display the fun-loving warmth they must have felt for their character's attributes. And some nice comedic timing too.Leonard Rosenman's score ('East of Eden'; 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes') does not have the operatic quality of James Horner, but is perfect when the crew is dumped into the mid 80's, especially in the center of the bustling streets of San Fran (hysterical).A family movie! Inside jokes; and a touch of vulgarity.Special effects so good, that members of the academy didn't realize they were watching 'special effects'.A labor of love for many who understand 'Star Trek'.
My favorite Star Trek movie.
posted on 16 Sep 2008It is difficult to say because this one is not typical Star Trek, but this film could be my favorite of all the Star Trek films. I probably have seen it more times than the others. Kirk and his crew travel back to late-1980's San Francisco. The humor in this movie is terrific. The crew seems to stand out like sore thumbs - particularly Mr Spock. Vulnerability to the era causes problems, while adding laughs at the same time. What probably makes me enjoy this one the best, in addition to the humor, is the time travel. I seem to have a particular liking for films that have time travel, or the altering of time ( the Back to the Future movies, Frequency, etc.) No doubt about it, Star Trek IV is always exciting and fun to watch.
Are you sure it isn't time for a colorful metaphor?
posted on 20 Aug 2008I saw the Special Collector's Edition of this(which I understand doesn't have any additional scenes that weren't in the original). Ah, 'the funny one'. There is a theory that after a few heavy or dark episodes in a row, they'd have a fun one. This is the movie version of said lighter one. And yet, it's smart, dramatic and, well, a blast. Again directed by Nimoy, and this also partially penned by him, this is superior to the one before it. This could be absolutely lousy, given the concept, but it's... not. It's marvelous. The humor is genuinely well-done, timing, material, it all works. Most of it is verbal, with a little bit of silly, with none of it being childish or worse. The prerequisites to "getting" it, apart from knowing the series, are simply understanding American culture and slang, specifically that of the period. The plot is good. The situations are resolved in a satisfying manner, albeit certain aspects might benefit from more seriousness. The dialog is excellent, possibly the best of any of these I've seen thus far. The language is pervasive, to a greater extent than earlier(and harsher, as well), though some of it is there for a purpose(namely, hilarity). There is another minor offensive thing in this. If viewers can tolerate or look past them, they're likely to thoroughly enjoy this. This has a moral, but it isn't preachy. I recommend this to fans of Star Trek and/or sci-fi, and will suggest that the second film be watched first(the third is perhaps optional). 8/10
StarTrec the Voyage Home
posted on 27 Jul 2008I saw the Movie years ago - until today I never knew the Carrier in the movie was the USS Ranger (CV61). I served 2 years on-board the Ranger between 1974 to Jan 1977. It would have been really nice to be there when they filmed that scene. StarTrek has come a long way - seems Captain Kirk never ages. Time travel has my vote. Lets bring back some of the Extinct things of the past. Beam me up Scotty. (Did that sound logical?) **********smiling******************** Kevin K. Chedville (YNSN - XO's Office). I'll have to watch it again now, just to bring back memories. PS - anyone seeing this post who might have a Ranger 1976 WesPac Cruize book. I'll give a few bucks for it if they would like to give it up. I lost mine to Hurricane Katrina --- below New Orleans. My email is kchedville@yahoo.com
a funny flight for the ST crew
posted on 25 May 2008'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' is the Star Trek film for anyone who doesn't like Star Trek. That probably explains why it was the most profitable of all Trek movies, in both generations. With its largely comedic take on the ST universe, it allows skeptical audience members to identify with the 20th-century characters who variously consider Kirk, Spock, and company to be ditzy, freakish, anachronistic, or, in Chekov's case, even "retarded." At the same time, the film slyly draws those disinclined to enjoy Star Trek INTO its universe by showing the crew to be humorously self-deprecating and of course in the end, heroic. And there is still enough serious business, mostly in the bookends of the story, to satisfy most hardcore Trekkers. All of which, it must be admitted, is pretty neat. The episode of the original series that many people feel was the best, 'The City On The Edge Of Forever,' was a time-travel story as well and can be seen as a source of inspiration for 'The Voyage Home,' if not plot-wise then in approach. One can hear echoes of Edith Keeler's line to Kirk, "Why does Spock call you Captain?" in various bits of dialogue spoken by the film's Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks). There, as here, Kirk and Spock are considered anomalies, Spock in particular. A running gag is Spock's naive misuse of common profanities and it provides some of the funniest moments in the film. Not all of the comedy works but fortunately 'Voyage Home' stays just this side of outright buffoonery. The lapses most apparent are the rather strained instances meant to portray the Enterprise crew as knowing next to nothing about twentieth-century Earth, its social customs or even language. (Kirk almost immediately contradicts this approach by telling the crew as they walk away from their ship to "remember where we parked.") They know what they need to know when it's useful and are playfully ignorant when it's time for another joke. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The 'save the whales' plot is another feel-good aspect of the movie, one that is either heartwarming or groan-inducing, depending on one's sensibilities. Catherine Hicks is quite good as the whale expert and her scenes with William Shatner are both amusing and touching at times. There is an oddly melancholy moment at the end where Gillian and Kirk go their separate ways; for what seems the first time in a long career of charming the pants off women with his charisma, Kirk is essentially 'blown off' by Gillian (in a nice way). Shatner's expression is perfect; it seems to say, "Wait a minute, that wasn't supposed to happen." There are other things one could quibble about; the stock footage of whales splashing around in the ocean is cheesy even by Trek standards. But 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' is so good-natured and likable, by the end it tends to break down all resistance, satisfying fans and disbelievers alike.
Lighter and Happier Than its Predecessors
posted on 25 Apr 2008Star Trek II and Star Trek III both dealt with serious themes, and had an unusual focus on death and the macabre. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, by comparison, is a much lighter and happier affair, and is thankfully pulled off rather well. Comedy is by far the most difficult and dangerous genre of film, so it is no small miracle that Star Trek IV maintains its integrity as an entry in the franchise while shooting for laughs throughout. The plot itself is preposterous, but has a sense of fun and urgency that resonates beyond the Star Trek universe, dealing with many issues of the time of its release.
Such things as the Cold War, Endangered Species, and Nuclear Energy are all dealt with in a delicate but amusing fashion. This, balanced with the extensive and effective use of familiar characters, make for some truly memorable and enjoyable moments. The juxtaposition of the Enterprise crew of the twenty-third century reacting to the customs of the 1980's remarkably never wears thin throughout the movie, and makes Star Trek IV a true gem.It is interesting how stylistically different Star Trek IV is from the previous films, yet comfortably holds its own with the other nine entries in the series. Standing so far outside the formula manages to heighten this episode within the ranks of the best. Of the original crew films, Star Trek IV is second only to The Wrath of Khan.
Worth its weight in cinematic gold.
posted on 08 Mar 2008This is one of the funniest, feel-good movies that I've ever seen in my life. Even if you weren't a fan of the 60's "Star Trek" series while growingup, there's a sense of wonder and excitement as Admiral James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov travel to 1986 San Francisco to rescue a pair of humpback whales, in order to save the future of Earth from planetary annihilation.Whether or not you are a Star Trek fan makes no difference. This is a fun entry in a long running series, that has delighted its audience, and captivated their imaginations for the past 36-years. It's a good place to start, if you have yet to see a Star Trek film. But, you and I already know that. ;)
Trek's Answer to the 'Star Wars Holiday Special'...
posted on 28 Feb 2008This movie was TERRIBLE! No action, no intergalactic menace for Kirk and company to thwart, no ENTERPRISE, for crying out loud...nothing...just a moronic space probe providing what may well be the most contrived excuse for a voyage in sci-fi history! Even if a Star Wars fan intent on sabotage had slipped into the scriptwriting conference, I can't imagine how he could have done a better (by which I mean worse) job. For the blissfully uninitiated, a space probe appears over 23rd-century earth and starts causing storms. Why is the probe causing this havoc? Is it a plot for revenge by the not-quite-dead-after-all Khan? Have the Klingons declared war? No! The probe is destroying the earth because...wait for it!...it wants to 'talk' to a couple of humpback whales! This is utterly beyond belief. It reminded me of the South Park episode where the campers summon the spirit of Moses, and ask him what he wants, and he answers that he wants popcorn necklaces, macaroni drawings, and bean/paper plate tambourines with glitter on the sides. And South Park wasn't being serious! Why didn't the writers resurrect some space villain from the original series, and have him hold the planet hostage until they produced two humpback whales? They could posit that this villain intended to don a pair of water skis and do jumps over the whales, once the earthlings had handed them over. I can honestly tell you that such a change could not possibly have made the movie any more ridiculous than it already is.Now, I probably wouldn't last a week at Starfleet Academy, but I just don't buy the story (which is wisely left unelaborated) that it's impossible to blow this space probe up. Of course, the real reason they can't blow it up is that this would end the movie, before Kirk and the gang got a chance to swim with the whales. So, they go back in time to pick up these whales, and oh brother, it's about the most heavy-handed thing ever to disgrace the screen. Not only do we get a love interest for Kirk who REALLY has whales on the brain, we are treated to a TOUR of the whale's aquarium (lovingly laid out in real time!), replete with films of poachers carving the whales up (!), long-winded speeches about whales (mostly from the aforementioned Whale Woman), and a final confrontation between the Klingon ship the crew is using (no Enterprise, remember?) and a whaling ship. I must admit that I was very surprised that Kirk didn't dispatch the poachers with photon torpedoes. I have a hard time imagining that this idea never occurred to the writers, but I have an even HARDER time imagining the people who wrote this dreck thinking of this idea and then dismissing it as hitting the audience over the head too hard. At least it would have provided a single explosion for the producers to put in the trailer. In fact, I don't remember one fight or confrontation in the entire movie. It's as if the people who wrote the film (one of whom was Leonard Nimoy himself) were venting some kind of hidden hostility or frustration with the series. It's as if they set out to destroy everything that made the original show so enjoyable. Shoot, they even have Spock sporting a big toothy grin as he and the others take a dip with the whales! The only thing worse about the movie than the fact that it was ever made is that it has become regarded as one of the best of the Star Trek movies (!!!). Let's just say that this opinion tells us a lot more about the quality of the Star Trek movies as a whole than it does about this one in particular. Okay, there was one good part in Star Trek IV. It's the part where Scotty talks to the computer of the 1980s.Rating 1.5/10
Awesome even for Trekkies(ers)
posted on 19 Feb 2008I live for Star Trek. I pretty much love all Trek with the exception of Voyager, which I can tolerate. Star Trek IV is a comic relief within the Star Trek movies series. It was a brilliant illustration of the fact that the franchise *could* do comedy and not come off stupid or campy. Maybe some think it was campy, but I love that movie, as I love all the movies with the exception of number 1 (which Nimoy and Shatner don't like all that much either: Mindmeld).
The masterpiece trilogy ends here...
posted on 06 Aug 2009Of all Star Trek movies, "The Wrath of Khan", must be the most successful of them all, forgetting perhaps that this movie has an open ending, leading to "The Search for Spock" and ending the epic tale with the third act, which is the present one, "The Voyage Home". You simply cannot extrapolate the one from the other, unless you want an incomplete story."The Voyage Home" is different from the two preceding ones, which were charged with drama and pathos. This is comedic in scope and shows the crew of the USS Enterprise (aboard a Klingon vessel), traveling back in time to San Francisco in 1986, in order to capture two humpback whales and therefore save the Federation from an imminent threat of annihilation by an alien probe.How would you feel as a far advanced human being, living in the 23rd Century, if you had to face the social chaos of the mid-1980s? This is how Cpt. Kirk, Spock, "Bones" and all the rest of the gang, landing on Earth, feel.Like the preceding versions, including "The Motion Picture - Director's Cut" DVD, this too is crammed with tons of extras.What I do not understand is, why these newer versions, which all come in a two-disc package cost less then the single disc versions.If you want a sound advice and if you love the movie series, wait until Paramount dishes them all up in a Special Edition or Director's Cut version. It's well worth it. You pay less. Receive more for the money, including a better picture and sound remix, and will always have your favorite characters at home with you, telling you why and how they decided to appear in the movie you are watching.Paramount certainly hit the target."The Voyage Home" is great fun for the entire family and is also the most "ecologically"-oriented one of them all. I can only recommend it, but don't forget the other two preceding ones, they are an integral complement to this one...