Star Trek IV : Retour sur Terre

"The Voyage Home" (a.k.a Star Trek 4) ranks as my most loved "Original Series" based film. The other Kirk and Co adventures were good but just not as good as this. The comic value of this film is just great and I think that this was what made the film so loved by some and hated by others. For me however, the crazy adventures of the ever aging cast placed a smile on my face and a laugh in my mouth. This deserves at least 7 out of 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!

This following from 'The search for Spock'(by Leonard Nimoy), again reunites the cast of the popular television series. This time a weird probe is menacing Earth causing disasters, storms,destruction and broadcasting a sounds that anybody understands. Admiral Kirk, Spock who say goodbye to his Vulcanians parents(Mark Lenard as Sarek,and Jane Wyatt),and Bones(DeForest Kelley 1920-1999)along with the crew, Commander Scotty(James Doohan,1920-2005),Chekov(Walter Koenig),Uhura(Michelle Nichols), Zulu(George Takei), Commander Janice Rand(Grace Lee Whitney) and Dr. Christine Chapel(Majel Barret, married to Gene Roddenberry)must time travel to 1986 San Francisco where they know Dr. Chapel(Catherine Hicks) who help them.The entire crew of the Starship once more boldly go where no man has gone before in this Star Trek adventure.They must locate a humpbacks whales ,extinct in the 20th century, which can respond to strange alien and bring them back to 23rd century Earth. Besides Kirk to face legal charges after his unauthorized assignment. Admiral Kirk is judged by disobeying and degraded as Captain and given command USS Enterprise A , NCC1701.

This appealing, lighthearted entry is fun to watch, and Trekkies are sure to love it and non-fans will most likely find it top-notch. The charming movie is full of enjoyable characters, comedy, and overemphasis on excellent special effects. Entertaining story with intelligent ecological message about a humpbacks whales saving mankind.Evocative musical score with usual leitmotif by Leonard Rosenman. Colorful and glamorous cinematography by Don Petterman. The motion picture is well directed by Leonard Nimoy in his best film. Suitable for family viewing , it's a bemusing adventure which young and old men will enjoy. Fans of the series will find very amusing and fun, but followed by an inferior outing: Star Trek 5: The final frontier(1989) directed by William Shatner.

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.

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