Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - Review

Since it's release in 1986, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home has been generally lumped into the "good" even-numbered Trek movies... ie, most people like it. The movie was praised by most critics, scored at the box office, was embraced by the general Trekkie community, and even found a following among non-Trekkie film goers. By all accounts, the movie was, and still is, a pretty big success. That said, every so often I come across someone (often a Trekkie) who swears that this movie is terrible and the worst in the series. The reasons as to why often vary, some criticizing the lighter tone, some the environmental themes, or some just called it plain cheesy. I personally loved this one as a kid, and was curious to see how it held up as an adult. How does Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home pan out 26 years later and from an adult perspective? Let's find out...

Star Trek IV picks up a few months after the events of it's Star Trek III. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) lives once again, and has since regained both his intelligence and motor skills, but lacks his understanding of basic human emotions and struggles to remember his past. Nonetheless, he agrees to once again rejoin his friends and crew in returning to Earth... where Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) awaits trial for his actions in the previous film, which led to the destruction of the USS Enterprise. Upon departing, Starfleet comes across an unknown alien probe floating through space and destroying everything in it's path. Nobody can stop or communicate with it because the probe is sending out an unintelligible message that can only be understood by a Humpback whale... only problem is that the Humpback whale has been extinct for centuries. When Kirk hears of this development, he commandeers the late Commander Kruge's Bird of Prey, assembles his usual crew, and travels back in time to 20th century San Francisco to find a humpback whale, bring it back to their time, and save the world from certain doom.

So when looking at that premise, it's fairly easy to see why there are some people that like to dismiss this movie. I'll even admit, there are times I wonder why it works as well as it does... and believe me, I do truly think this movie works. Still, it's kind of interesting why a film that broke so far from the styles of it's predecessors is so entertaining. Considering how the previous movies had such dark and dramatic themes, the shift to lighthearted comedy was pretty drastic. Also, for a series that was centered around space travel and discovering odd or unknown planets, setting the film in 1986 San Francisco was an odd choice. Plus, the "Save the Whales" inspired plot can, at times, come off as a bit preachy and cheesy. Still, there's just no denying that the film is straight-up entertaining. Sure, it wasn't as risky or daring as Wrath of Khan, but people often forget that the original series, more often than not, had a light-hearted sense of humor, with some episodes more comedy-orientated than others. Plus, the story itself has some interesting subtext that fits in nicely with the series' trademark creative writing. Ultimately, the main theme is of communication, how it can both separate and unite humanity. When the alien probe approaches Earth, everyone assumes that it's message was meant for them as a death threat... when in reality, it was the opposite. Any deaths or damages it caused wasn't a result of malice, but simply a misunderstanding. This plot hasn't exactly set the Sci-Fi world on fire, but there's definitely some profundity hiding within the script that often goes overlooked. Even if that's not your cup of tea, the film still falls back on some great character interactions and some really funny jokes. The interactions between the crew are as great as always, plus the jokes are never at the expense of the classic characters. In other words, you're never laughing at them, but rather with them. It's got it's cheesy moments, but it just plain works.

The cast once again pretty much hits it out of the park. While the previous two films showcased some of the actors ability to demonstrate their capacity for drama, this film gives them the opportunity to let loose and do some comedy. Most of the jokes come from the fish-out-of-water scenario with the Enterprise crew in the 20th century. William Shatner (whether intentionally or not), has generally shown that he has some great comedic ability, and this film puts them to good use. Leonard Nimoy also gets a couple good chuckles, since as a Vulcan, he's probably the most out of place in the crew. One of the show's main source of humor, DeForrest Kelley, gets some of the better jokes too, namely his rants on 20th century medicine (was there subtext in that... maybe, not sure). Walter Koenig as Chekov gets one of the more memorable lines in the film too as he walks around San Fran asking it's residents how to find the "Nuclear Wessels." Overall, the actors have probably never been better than in this film, as they all looked relaxed and like they were having a fun times making this movie. Once again, Leonard Nimoy scores as a director thanks to the solid performances.

As for what doesn't work... well, there are a couple of things. Since most of the film is set in the present day, it's not exactly a huge effects extravaganza, and that might turn some off. The scenes set in space look fine, but none of the visuals are amazing by any means. There aren't as many sets or alien worlds too, most of the filming took place on-location, which is a double edged sword for some. The visuals and production design aren't as creative or imaginative but if you're not a fan of obvious sets (which have sometimes plagued this series) you'll be happy... depends which one you prefer. While most of the humor works, there are one or two scenes where the jokes just fall flat, but that's pretty rare. How you'll respond to this film ultimately comes down to how you prefer your Star Trek. It's not as suspenseful, there's no major villain, and there's little actual "Star Trekking" but if you can accept that it tried something new and different... you'll be surprised how well it works.

There's not much more I have to say about Star Trek IV, other than it's kind of awesome. Yeah, it's not the most action packed, and some of the environmental themes can be a bit heavy-handed, but the natural performances, an interesting premise, and the humorous tone make it work. Sometimes, change can be good, as this is a perfect example. This is probably the most purely enjoyable of all the Trek films, so if you haven't seen it yet, I'd definitely say give it a watch.

My Score: 4 out 5!