Jornada nas Estrelas IV: A Volta para Casa

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.

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

This is without question the best STAR TREK movie in the series. It is full of great special effects, clever dialogue, sharp humor, and absolutely dazzling action sequences. It is the most fun to watch out of all the STAR TREK movies and is the most creative of them too. This is was easily one of the best movies of 1986.

I 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

'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!