Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Plot: Kirk and crew are returning home to face court martial in the Klingon Bird of Prey they stole in Star Trek III. On the way they encounter V’Ger’s cousin–a deep space probe approaching Earth with a message no one can decipher, that will destroy the planet if it does not receive the proper response. Spock, ever the most knowledgeable about Earth (“I recognize this manuscript as being written in Brahms’ own hand!”), figures out that the probe’s signals are humpback whale songs. Unfortunately, the whales have gone extinct. Soon Kirk and his companions are steering the ship into timewarp in slingshot trajectory around the sun to travel back to San Francisco in 1986. The objective: to capture a pair of breeding whales needed to communicate with the probe and save future Earth.
Thoughts: Ah, so good. This is the Star Trek film with no villain, almost no violence, and in which nobody dies. The same could almost have been said about Star Trek: The Motion Picture and, if memory serves, Star Trek V. But this is also the funniest Star Trek, with an elegant, perfectly balanced plot.
Going back in time to save the whales is a simple, surprising idea, which provides a great hook for a adventure. reminiscent of one of my favorite TOS episodes, 1.19 “Tomorrow is Yesterday,” from which it borrowed the slingshot timewarp effect. The considerable logistics involved in stealing whales provide a perfect excuse for the crew to split up, giving generous portions of delightful business to the normally underutilized supporting cast. Meanwhile, ST4 is one of the first issue films, credited by members of Greenpeace as hugely influential in raising consciousness about and changing international norms concerning whaling practices. An earnest young person interviewed on my Bu-ray disc intones how important it is that we keep working, so we can ensure the species’ survival into the 23rd century. For all that the film is graceful, never preachy.
It seems obvious in retrospect, but who would have thought that Kirk and Spock make such a great comedy team? Spock has played straight man before–”A Piece of the Action” comes to mind–but never to this extent. They really are brilliant together, exuding the comfort that comes from years of working together at the top of their game. My favorite scene is when Gillian asks if Kirk and Spock like Italian food, and they launch into a “Who’s on First?” routine. The humor works because it is always based on situation and character.
All of the Star Trek films up to this point have been tonally different from each other, and from the vibe of the original series. ST4 was a breakout success, earning 33% more than the most successful Trek film up to that point, Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The light touch and ensemble sensibility of the picture was copied with less success in Star Trek V and in subsequent television series.
ST4 goes down so easy and smooth, in fact, that I struggle to find much to say about it, although not, I’m convinced, because it lacks depth. This has really been a remarkable series of films. Nimoy, who directed and co-wrote the story, observes on the commentary track that none of the movies would likely have been made without George Lucas and the success of Star Wars. The success of ST4, in turn, paved the way for Star Trek: The Next Generation, which premiered next year in 1987. That is where we will turn our attention next. Goodbye for now, original crew–see you in 1989.
What did you think?
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