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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home retrospective review

Adam takes a look back at the one Star Trek film that his wife will watch...

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , or ‘the one with the whales’ as it’s sometimes, called was Leonard Nimoy’s second stint behind the camera on a Trek film and became the most popular with non-fans. So much so that it’s the only one my wife has seen. But where does it stand with the rest of the franchise?

Following on from the Search For Spock , The Voyage Home begins with a mysterious alien probe on its way to Earth, sending out a mysterious signal that no one can understand, disabling starships as it goes. Meanwhile, back at the Starfleet HQ in San Francisco, an impassioned speech from the Klingon ambassador shows the destruction of the Enterprise (again, like in The Motion Picture , I’m not sure who was there to film it) and we learn that Kirk has a hefty court martial awaiting him.

With the exile on Vulcan drawing to a close, Spock’s re-education is near complete when he decides he must return with his comrades to give testimony at their trial. The probe continues toward Earth, causing mass disruption as it goes, disabling the ships and then Space Dock, before entering Earth’s orbit, and vaporising all the water from the planet’s surface. With the Earth yet again in mortal danger, a planet wide distress call is issued, and thanks to Spock, our crew figure that the probe is looking for humpback whales, which in Trek ‘s alternate history, have been extinct since the 21st Century.

Spock decides the only logical solution is to travel back in time, rescue a pair of whales and return, so that, in the words of Dr McCo: “Find humpback whales, then bring them forward in time. Drop them off and hope to hell they tell this probe what to go do with itself?!'”

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Thanks to the slingshot effect (established in The Original Series episode) the crew arrive back in late 20th Century Earth, to San Francisco. Landing in Golden Gate Park they are soon ready to find their whales and get home, provided that, as Kirk implores, “Everyone remember where we parked.” Kirk and Spock are charged with that task, McCoy, Sulu and Scotty have to get the Bird of Prey watertight, while Chekov and Uhura need a nuclear reactor to re-energise the ship’s depleted Dilithium crystals.

After an encounter with a punk on a bus, Kirk and Spock find Dr. Gillian Taylor, and the humpback whales, George and Gracie. Spock mind-melds with Gracie, and learns she is pregnant, and that they are willing to help the crew. Uhura and Chekov find the real Enterprise, just the nuclear wessel they need.

Unable to say ‘no’ to the good Admiral, Gillian is keen to learn more about Kirk and Spock, and after Spock’s revelation that Gracie is pregnant, she agrees to have dinner with the pair. Scotty and McCoy, meanwhile, need materials for their whale tank, and have bluffed their way into the Plexiglas factory. Giving away the secrets of Transparent Aluminium (I’m not American), they’ve got their whale tank and Sulu’s managed to blag himself a Huey chopper to move it.

Over dinner, Kirk confesses to Gillian the truth, while Uhura and Chekov beam aboard the Enterprise to collect the photons needed to juice up the Bird of Prey. Uhura escapes, but Chekov is not so lucky and is caught; there ain’t nothing worse than a Russkie on board a US ship! Chekov’s escape attempt, involving a novel ‘falling from high place’ technique, fails and he is critically injured.

Gillian is then shocked to discover that George and Gracie have already been moved and rushes to find Admiral Kirk. She spots Sulu’s chopper loading the tank sections into the cloaked Bird of Prey and is beamed aboard, begging for help. Uhura manages to track down the injured Chekov, who is near death. Beaming to the hospital, Kirk, Bones and Gillian quickly located our favourite Russian (with the good doctor even finding time to give a patient a new kidney) and thanks to some decidedly 24th Century tech, Pavel’s life is saved.

Things are not going quite so well for George and Gracie whoever, and as the Bird Of Prey finds them, they are under attack from a whaling ship. Luckily, the whaler is no match for the Klingon ship and Scotty is soon able to beam the whales aboard.

Upon their return to the future, the ship suffers a similar fate to its counterparts, losing all power and crash landing in San Francisco Bay. With the whales in danger of drowning, Kirk is able to open the bay doors (not even HAL in 2001 could do that) and thankfully they do indeed tell the probe ‘what the hell to go do with itself’.

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Their heroic mission complete, Kirk and his cohorts still have the small matter of a court martial. Kirk is demoted to Captain, but in the light of the recent actions all but one charge is dropped and Kirk is again given command of a Starship. Dr Taylor meanwhile, has a few years of catching up to do. With Kirk and co. aboard an all new Enterprise, the film ends with them ‘boldly going where no man has gone before’.

The Voyage Home is, to my mind, a great Trek film; it opened up the franchise to its widest audience yet, and (probably til Friday) stands as the biggest grossing film in the series. It succeeds by bringing the characters to the fore.

With little or no special effects, and no battles, we really get to focus on what a talented bunch of actors Gene Roddenberry assembled back in 1966 and it’s refreshing to see them in an ensemble piece, rather than the story being squarely aimed at Kirk and Spock.

It also succeeds by being genuinely funny; too often Trek ‘s attempts at humour are cringeworthy, but Nimoy’s script and direction has a warmth and deft comic touch to it that is enjoyable by all.

Catherine Hicks is a great foil for Kirk as Dr Taylor (the role was originally written for Eddie Murphy) and the two have a great on screen chemistry.

There’s really very little to pick at in the film. You could argue it’s not Trek enough, but it’s still a great story, it’s an enormous amount of fun, and it nicely ties up all the loose ends from the previous two films.

The only thing that does bug me, putting my Trekkie hat on, is the fact that bridge on the Bird of Prey is totally different to the one seen in Search For Spock . It’s meant to be the same ship, so who changed everything? Thankfully, the new sets look much better, so it’s a minor complaint at best. So ignore the naysayers, The Voyage Home is a great film, with a message behind it, without ramming it down your throat.

Adam Sloman

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

• To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.
• The most acclaimed Star Trek adventure of all time with an important message. It is the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien probe is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In their frantic attempt to save mankind, Admiral Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien to them as anything they have ever encountered in the far-off reaches of the galaxy. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy return as Kirk and Spock, along with the entire Star Trek crew. — Robert Lynch <[email protected]>
• It is the 23rd century, and a space probe appears over Earth, emanating strange sounds towards the planet, and apparently waiting for something. As time goes on, the probe starts to cause major storms on Earth and threaten its destruction. Admiral James T. Kirk and crew are called upon once again to save mankind. They discover the strange sounds are actually the songs of the humpback whale - which has been hunted to extinction. They have only one choice - to attempt to time travel back into the 20th century, locate two whales, and bring them back to 23rd century Earth to respond to the probe. — Colin Tinto <[email protected]>
• In 2286, an enormous cylindrical probe moves through space, sending out an indecipherable signal and disabling the power of ships it passes. As it takes up orbit around Earth, its signal disables the global power grid and generates planetary storms, creating catastrophic, sun-blocking cloud cover. Starfleet Command sends out a planetary distress call and warns star ships not to approach Earth. On the planet Vulcan, the former officers of the USS Enterprise are living in exile, after the events of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Accompanied by the Vulcan Spock, still recovering from his resurrection, the crew - except for Saavik, who remains on Vulcan - take their captured Klingon Bird of Prey vessel (renamed the Bounty, after the Royal Navy ship) and return to Earth to face trial for their actions. Hearing Starfleet's warning, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) determines that the probe's signal matches the song of extinct humpback whales, and that the object will continue to wreak havoc until its call is answered by the whales. The crew uses their ship to travel back in time via a slingshot maneuver around the Sun, planning to return with a whale to answer the alien signal. Other officers include Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Medical officer, Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) engineer, helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) Arriving in 1986, the crew finds their ship's power drained. Hiding their ship in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park using its cloaking device, the crew split up to accomplish several tasks: Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock attempt to locate humpback whales, while Montgomery Scott, Leonard McCoy, and Hikaru Sulu construct a tank to hold the whales they need for a return to the 23rd century. Uhura and Pavel Chekov are tasked to find a nuclear reactor, whose energy output will enable their ship's power to be restored. Kirk and Spock discover a pair of whales in the care of Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks) at a Sausalito Museum and learn they will soon be released into the wild. Spock does a mind meld with a whale and figures out that it is preggers. Gillian is suspicious of Kirk and Spock, but Kirk manages to charm her and take her out to dinner. Kirk tells her of his mission and asks for the tracking frequency for the whales, but she refuses to cooperate. Meanwhile, Scott, McCoy, and Sulu trade the formula of transparent aluminum for the materials needed for the whale tank. Uhura and Chekov locate a nuclear-powered ship, the aircraft carrier Enterprise. They collect the power they need but are discovered on board. Uhura is beamed back but Chekov is captured and severely injured in an escape attempt. Taylor learns the whales have been released early and goes to Kirk for assistance. Taylor, Kirk, and McCoy rescue Chekov and return to the now recharged Bird of Prey. After transporting the whales aboard the ship, the crew returns with Taylor to their own time. On approaching Earth, the ship loses power and comes down in San Francisco Bay. Once released, the whales respond to the probe's signal, causing the object to reverse its effects on Earth and return to the depths of space. All charges against the Enterprise crew are dropped, save one for insubordination: for disobeying a superior officer, Kirk is demoted from Admiral and back the rank of Captain where he is returned to command of a star ship. The crew departs on their ship, the newly christened USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A), and leaves on a new mission.

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Published Apr 22, 2020

The One About the Whales

For Earth Day 2020, a look back at one of our favorite movies.

StarTrek.com

“Everybody remember where we parked,” is not exactly the kind of line you think you’re going to get in a Star Trek movie. You might also not expect to see Spock swimming underwater with a humpback whale or Kirk inventively cursing out a cab driver in 1980s San Francisco. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a wild ride, but really, it’s all about those whales.

Lately, I’ve found the movie to be very comforting, a sunny kind of balm in this new time of social distancing and uncertainty. With the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day this month, The Voyage Home ’s environmental philosophy is also particularly poignant. The message is a simple one of interconnectedness, that the extinction of one species affects every other species. There’s also a hospital chase scene and a legendary Punk on a Bus. In its humor and lightheartedness, sincerity and simplicity, Star Trek IV is the funny one, the quirky one, but also a reminder of what can be lost and the unexpected consequences along the way.

Released in 1986, The Voyage Home builds directly on the events of the previous two films in its opening, with Spock readjusting to life after being reborn on Genesis and the Enterprise crew preparing for an inglorious return to Starfleet after breaking all the rules to rescue him. Near Earth, the arrival of a mysterious probe of unknown origin wreaks havoc on Starfleet Command and the operations of the planet. On their way home in a jalopy of a Bird of Prey from Star Trek III , Kirk and company quickly piece together that the probe is trying to make contact with life forms on Earth—just not the life forms you’d expect.

The probe is trying to get in touch with humpback whales, except there are no more humpback whales on Earth in 2286. Recognizing that the giant space log isn’t going to stop until it hears some whale song, Kirk realizes that, naturally, time travel must be attempted. They will journey back to Earth of the past, before whales went extinct, and bring some back to their present time to communicate with and appease the massive space log. It’s a bonkers premise, but sublimely so in execution.

Environmentally themed movies today are still a bit of a niche category. But when Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and the Enterprise crew were suiting up for their fourth big-screen adventure, it had been little more than a decade since the passage of some of America’s most significant environmental legislation; things like the Clean Water Act the Endangered Species Act, and the 1970 formation of the EPA. Nimoy, pulling double duty as both director and co-star, had a strong vision for the film early on in the production process. Both he and producer Harve Bennett wanted to make what they termed a “nice” Star Trek movie, one free of villains and phaser fights. Paramount was on board, bringing Nimoy back to the directing chair for a second go-round after Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and fully investing in his environment-focused concepts for the movie.

Earth Day | Star Trek Cares for the Environment

An early story idea had not whales as the target of the probe, but the tiny snail darter — a fish roughly the length of two paper clips. It’d recently been discovered, and Bennett liked the very Star Trek -esque idea of something so small having such a big impact (as well as its potential for cost-savings in production). Humpback whales, though, were ultimately chosen. They’re grander and a better cinematic choice because of their size and elegance and distinctiveness from so many other sea creatures. They also play a critical role in the overall health of the marine ecosystem in their spot at the top of the oceanic food chain.

The vision of Nimoy and his co-creators was notable, especially compared to other studio films of the 1980s. What resulted was the both the least “Star Trek” Star Trek movie but also the most “Star Trek” Star Trek movie in terms of values and ethos. And it paid off, in Hollywood terms and for fans. The Voyage Home was the fifth-highest grossing movie of 1986 and remained the highest-grossing Star Trek film until 2009’s J.J. Abrams reboot. It earned four Academy Award nominations, including for its cinematography and score, and it remains a fan favorite, known more for its nickname than its official title.

Like Nimoy wanted, there are no phaser fights and no Klingons dropping out of cloak. The cast, free from bridge duty, shine in San Francisco subplots, providing forward action for the humpback search and also some of the best comedic moments in Star Trek (“Dialysis? My god, what is this, the Dark Ages?”). Uhura and Chekhov must find nuclear “wessels” to help repair the Bird of Prey but can’t find Alameda, while Dr. McCoy and Scotty go in search of whale tank materials and navigate a less-than-chatty desktop computer. Sulu seeks out a helicopter, leaving Kirk and Spock to play tourist at the Cetacean Institute, where they find humpback expert and Kirk-skeptic Dr. Gillian Taylor and two happy humpbacks, George and Gracie. Each sequence in IV contains the essence of Star Trek — teamwork, pursuit of the greater good, forward progress.

More than 30 years after Star Trek IV, and fifty years since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, forward progress is still the hope of so many. Around 20 million Americans took part in the inaugural Earth Day celebration, and the landmark legislation of the mid-1970s has proven vital. For instance, ninety-nine percent of the species protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 have been saved from extinction in the years since the law’s passage. Still, there is much progress yet to be made, even in the area of species conservation. Despite an international ban (instituted, ironically, in 1986), pockets of commercial whaling in places like Japan and Iceland persist. There are bright spots, though, and proof of the success of long-term conservation efforts: One distinct population of humpbacks (all originally classified as endangered under the ESA) has recently been starting to thrive once again.

Star Trek IV is a delightful exploration of that kind of forward-thinking hopefulness. It revels in both its un- Star Trek -ness and its own canon, with a message that is universal and still relevant today. Like a Star Trek movie with a Klingon ship crash-landing beneath the Golden Gate Bridge and a trippy 3D exploration of time travel, this year’s Earth Day won’t look like what anybody would’ve expected. Instead of community events and large-scale gatherings, it’s going online, reimagining itself with 24 hours of digital activities. Star Trek is like that too, imagining how things might be —how they could be — and then reimagining itself again and again. Maybe humans can find a way. Maybe they have to slingshot around the sun. Maybe Kirk has to have dinner with Dr. Gillian for purely mission-related reasons.

It’s wacky and touching and funny and thematically important. The One About the Whales doesn’t fit any one mold, but it does boldy go in the hopeful direction that humans can find a way to save what we have in common above all else—life on Earth.

Catherine L. Hensley (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor. She’s the author of New York Dolls (goo.gl/WPQvMW) and thinks “double dumbass on you” is a pretty great turn of a phrase, in 1986 and today. Follow her on Twitter, @NYDollsTheNovel.

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The fearsome probe in The Voyage Home isn't your typical alien invader. This isn't Independence Day , or even Close Encounters of the Third Kind . What we get here is a different kind of beast altogether.

Visually, the probe is strikingly simple. The main craft consists of a large dark-gray cylinder. Below, suspended by a bright beam of energy, is a small orb, which seems to be the ship's source of energy. Beautifully minimalist? Sure. Intimidating? Not quite.

But maybe that's the point. In the same way that human arrogance leads us to assume that we're the smartest species on the planet, we see the simplicity of this craft as evidence of the simplicity of its creators. The Voyage Home subverts this idea.

In fact, the film suggests that simplicity is exactly what makes the probe—and the whales—so advanced. When we look at it this way, the probe's use of simple, fundamental shapes suggests that it has somehow transcended the complexity that makes human life so messy.

Or maybe we've just watched too many episodes of Star Trek . Wouldn't be the first time we've been accused of that.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Where to Watch & Stream Online

Sci-fi fans looking for where to watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home need look no further. When an alien probe poses a danger to Earth, Admiral James T. Kirk and his crew travel back in time to retrieve two humpback whales, as they are the only species that can communicate with the aliens.

Here’s where you can watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home online.

Where can you watch and stream Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home?

You can watch and stream Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on Paramount+.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is the fourth installment of the Star Trek franchise. It was directed by Leonard Nimoy and released in 1986 by Paramount Pictures. The iconic movie stars none other than Willian Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and Catherine Hicks.

How to watch Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and stream online

To enjoy this science fiction online, in the comfort of your home, you need to subscribe to Paramount Plus. Signing up on the streaming platform gives you access to the Star Trek franchise, as well as many more movies and series under Paramount’s productions.

You can choose from the two subscription plans offered by Paramount+ : 1. Paramount Plus Essential: An ad-supported plan for a monthly fee of $5.99 and an annual fee of $59.99. 2. Paramount Plus with Showtime: A bundle pack featuring Paramount & Showtime content.

The official synopsis for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home reads:

“It’s the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they’ve ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!”

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The post Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: Where to Watch & Stream Online appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More .

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

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• View history
• 1.1 By starship or station
• 1.2 Other events
• 3 External link

By starship or station [ ]

The Enterprise -A is launched this year

• Stardate 8442.5 : The USS Enterprise -A is launched under the command of Captain Kirk. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )
• While patrolling Sector 5 of the Neutral Zone , the Saratoga encountered a probe of unknown origin on a direct course to Earth. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )
• The Yorktown under the command of Captain Joel Randolph . While deployed near the Sol system, the Yorktown was one of the many vessels disabled by the Whale Probe near Earth. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Other events [ ]

• Stardate 8390: An alien probe , dubbed the " Whale Probe ", disables Starfleet and Klingon ships and causes serious damage to Earth 's atmosphere . It is discovered that the probe was sent to contact the species Megaptera novaeangliae or humpback whale , which had, however, been hunted to extinction in the 21st century . Admiral James T. Kirk is able to retrieve two members of the species from the year 1986 , and avert further catastrophe. The probe leaves Federation space , and the disabled ships are restored. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )
• After spending three months in exile on Vulcan , Kirk and his crew are put on trial for their actions during the Genesis incident. All charges but one are dismissed, and Kirk is demoted to the rank of captain in punishment for the remaining charge. ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )
• On Acamar III , the Tralesta clan is almost exterminated by their archenemies from the Lornak clan in the Tralesta Massacre. ( TNG : " The Vengeance Factor ")
• Stardate 8615.2: Six months after joining with the Dax symbiont , Joran dies. The symbiont is then joined with Curzon . ( DS9 : " Equilibrium ")
• Butler , Kirk's dog , dies . ( Star Trek Generations )
• Due to the Whale Probe threat, Earth enters a state of emergency , a state that is not utilized again until the Borg threat of 2366 . ( DS9 : " Homefront ")

Appendices [ ]

• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (in part)

External link [ ]

• 2286 at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 2 Star Trek: The Next Generation