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30 out of 34 people found the following review useful: Hugely enjoyable!, 21 February 2005 Author: NiceGuyTommy from Bristol, England
First off, I'm not a big BIG 'Star Trek' fan. I've seen the first six films, and catch an episode of the TV series every now and then (I saw the whole first season recently, which made me re-visit the Shatner/Nimoy films). I did however, find this film extremely entertaining! In fact, it was about as much fun as I think you can have at home with a (tasteful) video! I found 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' a tad dull, although I still enjoyed it. And II and III work well together, and are both enjoyable sci-fi action flicks ('Wrath of Khan' is another classic, but I feel IV pips it to the post). However, when 'The Voyage Home' was over, I had no idea that a film with a plot which involved two humpback whales and mid-1980s San Fransico could be so damn fun.Shatner is on great form as the rogue Capt. Kirk, and Nimoy is brilliant in conveying Spocks absolute confusion at being stuck on a planet he partly understands, in a time he cannot comprehend. When Kirk explains Spocks oddness to the brilliant and frankly underused actress Catherine Hicks, Kirk says that Spock did a lot of "LDS" back in college.Kelley, Takei and company are all on fine form, and the score, direction and script all work brilliantly. The fact that the 1980s now seems so long ago (it after all, did not age as well as some decades) only adds to the films premise.I would thoroughly recommend this film to anyone - 'Star Trek' fan or not - as it is a wonderfully entertaining film for all ages. I'm sure wherever Gene Roddenberry is, he looks back on this film venture with a wry smile and a bag of popcorn.
28 out of 34 people found the following review useful: A Vivid, Upbeat, Frequently Intelligent and Delightful Sci-Fi Adventure, 15 June 2005 Author: silverscreen888
The fourth entry in the "Star Trek" movie series is the most popular and unarguably the best-liked of these entertaining movies. It has a fine variety of scenes, intelligent comedy to leaven the more serious adventures. it is fast paced, beautifully directed by Leonard Nimoy who also plays "Spock". What prevented it from being even better perhaps appreciated is a deliberate attempt by the writers to write short, choppy-sentence dialogue that in some scenes does not work as well as more formally-structured words might have worked. The film is bright, the art direction is very good, the music by Leonard Rosenmann is outstanding. And the story line is one of the best that sci-fi filmmakers have yet devised, in my judgment, because it has everything. As Captain James T. Kirk of the 23rd century starship Enterprise, William Shatner acts with unusual intelligence and even strength to get by. As his half-alien First Officer Spock, just recovering from a traumatic experience that caused him to have to be reeducated from ground zero, Leonard Nimoy is even better. Everyone of Jim Kirk's crewmen, including James Doohan as Engineer Montgomer Scott, De Forest Kelley as CMO Leonard McCoy, Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura of Communications, talented George Takei as Helmsman Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Navigator Pavel Chekhov, have good scenes to perform and do them seamlessly and with professional style. Others in the cast including Brock Peters, Jane Wyatt, Mark Lenard, Grace Lee Whitney, Alen Henteloff, Robert Ellenstein and a relative unknown as the earthwoman who becomes enmeshed in the Enterprise officers' mission,are given telling moments. There are many memorable visual moments, including the departure of a stolen Klingon warbird from the planet Vulcan, the near-wreckage of Starfleet Headquarters, the landing of an invisible vessel in Golden Gate Park, a slingshot run around the sun, a descent from the invisible craft to the ground, scenes around the Alameda Navy Yards, a chase in a hospital and scenes at the cetacean Institute all make themselves hard-to-forget. It is the sheer fun and adventure of the storyline--sending a starship back in time to rescue two hump-backed whales and save the earth from alien destruction--that sets this film apart. Ignored by critics who have nearly always ignored sci-fi achievements, this cinematic attainment set a standard for future sci-fi to which hardly any film's maker has yet approached. The revelation of character could have been deeper, but the relevance of every moment to the plot line could hardly have been bettered. Harve Bennett deserves some of the credit for this script's excellences; so do the special-effects creators, since for once in Hollywood, every such effects serve to further the progress the central character and his helpers are making. This is probably a film to be watched over and over; I wish there were more such adult sci-fi efforts that eschew pretension and present so much intelligent dialogue, acting and intriguing "differences".
29 out of 36 people found the following review useful: There be whales here., 25 July 2005 Author: bigwig_thalyi from United Kingdom
An alien probe is heading towards earth causing tidal waves and hurricane winds. The probe is trying to get in touch with humpback whales which no longer exist.In time honoured tradition it is up to James kirk and crew to go back to the 20th century, find some humpback whales,take them home with him and save the day again. This is by far the funniest of all the star trek films due to the fact that it is played totally tongue in cheek and the cast aren't afraid to poke fun at themselves.To the crew it is like visiting an "undiscovered country" and the customs of modern man confuse them totally. Catherine Hicks plays their 20th century contact,joins in the fun and adds to the confusion they are feeling by playing her role totally straight. Some classic scenes include Scotty trying to instruct a computer by talking into the mouse,Dr Mcoys horror when surgeons are about to drill into Chekovs skull and Spocks solution to dealing with an arrogant yob on a bus. However it also has a serious ecological message.If we don't stop destroying our planet then the day could well come when every kind of whale will cease to exit.Some video clips, shown in the scene in the museum,displaying images of men killing whales are disturbing because they are real. Watch this film ,enjoy it, but remember that sometimes fact is more disturbing than fiction. In memory of James Doohan 1920- 2005 RIP.
25 out of 31 people found the following review useful: The most popular Star Trek movie, 4 February 2003 Author: perfectbond
The Voyage Home is the Star Trek film that had the highest box office gross. It captured the imagination of the public who were eager to see Kirk and the crew in present day (1986) San Francisco. Luckily, the film was solid in all aspects and was enjoyed by long-time fans of the series as well. Although the outcome of the film is never in doubt, it never loses the attention of the viewer and entertains throughout. It actually felt fresh and original despite the fact that time travel had been done before (in the TV series) and it was the fourth film in the franchise. Recommended, 8/10.
18 out of 20 people found the following review useful: Time for some colorful metaphors..., 20 October 1999 Author: gazzo-2 from United States
This 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.
19 out of 22 people found the following review useful: Silly but Trek at it's best!, 16 April 2006 Author: Mel J from Dundee, Scotland
'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' is the most popular of the Trek films and quite right too. Not only does it appeal to both fans and non-fans of the show but it revels in the spirit of what Trek has always been about: how perfect and Utopian the citizens of the twenty-third century are compared to their Neanderthal ancestors of the late twentieth century!The film sees Kirk and his crew, in disgrace after disobeying Starfleet orders to save Spock following the events of 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock', travel to 1986 San Francisco to retrieve a pair of hump-back whales, a species extinct by Kirk's era. The whales are the key to communicating with an alien probe that is in the process of destroying Earth. As well as the non-too-subtle eco-message ('don't allow any animal be hunted to extinction as they may save us all in the future!'), there is much fun to be had as Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty and the ever-logical Spock struggle to integrate themselves into most alien situation they have ever been in. They are clueless about exact-change buses, pizzas and why 1986 doctors think it's a good idea to drill into someone's head.It is very light-hearted at times but I imagine this is the film Gene Roddenberry is most proud of given the way it portrays the best of all our favourite characters and reaches the heart of the ethos of 'Star Trek'. When I first watched this as a child, I wished Kirk would come and let me join him in the twenty-third century. In fact, the only thing that could improve this film would be if the probe had aimed its venegeance entirely at Japan and Norway in retaliation for the sins of these countries' backward twenty-first century 'ancestors'. After all, it's these two countries who will surely bring about the extinction of whales. While this doesn't delve too much into the mythology and background of Trek, it is a great film and deserves to be counted as the best of the ten films. It is also an excellent option for Trek fans trying to convert friends and family to 'seeing the light' and loving Trek!
15 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Anti-Trek Film, 8 August 2002 Author: Alasdair_Wilkins from United States
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is my favorite Trek movie but one that I say is off-limits when my friends and I discuss which Trek is the best. Quite simply, this movie is not really a Star Trek movie; Star Trek II and III are far better examples of the genre. Of course, that is what makes Star Trek IV such a fantastic movie; it's crazy and hilarious. This movie is also probably the best one for a family to see other than Insurrection, which is a weaker film anyway. The movie does have more profanity than usual, but it is dealt in such a comedic fashion that it is excusable (the whole colorful metaphors thing always makes me laugh). This is a movie that you could put a very mixed crowd in front of and enjoy; you don't have to love Star Trek to love this movie. This movie is also great because the acting has improved immeasurably since the hammy days of Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek - The Motion Picture but everyone has not gone decidedly gray yet. This movie might be looked upon best as a spoof of the genre, but it is not Spaceballs. What this is is a wonderful movie with some great comedy but still some great science fiction ideas (particularly the probe, which is one of the more chilling things I have ever seen in a movie). This was the first Star Trek movie I saw as a child, and it was only until years later that I watched the others. If you have children and want them to introduce them to Star Trek, this is the perfect way. It was for me.3.5/4 stars
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: The Lighter Side of TREK is GREAT Fun..., 26 November 2003 Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Gene 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...
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Star Trek with a sense of humor!, 15 July 2006 Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
My wife loved this movie and I did enjoy it more than most Star Trek films. This surprised me a little bit because the ads for the film made it look like a film made by Green Peace or PETA--with its emphasis in going back in time to rescue some whales. However, while this was part of the plot, the journey there was so much fun that it didn't seem preachy.The important crew members (you know, the ones you knew couldn't die when they went on landing parties in the old show) take a stolen cloaked (i.e., invisible) ship back in time to the 1980s to bring back some whales to save the Earth of the future. Some odd probe arrived over the planet and began sending messages to the Humpback whales but since they'd all been wiped out, the probe began destroying everything). Once they arrive, they try with little success to blend it. Spock tries cursing a lot because he'd read that the 80s were a rather coarse time, McCoy starts effecting miracle cures in the hospital he visits, and Chekov, with his Russian accent, gets busted when he begins asking where he can find the "Nuclead Wessels (vessels)". It's all great trivial fun. Not the deepest movie, but the trip was so much fun who cares?
10 out of 15 people found the following review useful: great!, 14 March 2001 Author: mattkratz (themattk@hotmail.com) from Richardson, TX
I liked this movie. It is my favorite Star Trek film. The blend of scifi and comedy works.Ever been shocked if you visit another country and have to adapt to its culture? Try visiting another time period! That's what Kirk and company do, as they visit 20th century America to retrieve a pair of humpback whales to ward off an alien probe, and you will love their (mis)adventures as they adapt.*** out of ****
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