-Written by Kyle Bain.
What the fuck do humpback whales have to do with Star Trek? Well, after an alien probe, they might just be the only thing able to save Earth. With that tidbit of knowledge, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner), and his crew of fugitives go back in time to San Francisco (1986 specifically) to procure two whales, George and Gracie. What sort of hijinx will Kirk and his comrades find themselves a part of? You have to see it to believe it.
HOT TAKE: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home might just be the best installment of the franchise. You might not believe it, but, hell, I said it. It’s important to note that the average cinephile can’t simply jump into this film and appreciate all that it offers. No, you have to have invested hours of your time to appreciate the series’ fourth installment. It’s funny, lighthearted, and wildly different than anything else present in the Star Trek canon (at least that I’ve seen), but it offers something inherently human–an aspect of the franchise that is never lost, but never developed quite like this.
I most definitely haven’t grown out of science fiction films in [what feels like] my old age, but I have felt myself wanting something more human in recent years. If you know me or have followed my reviews of the various Star Trek projects that I’ve watched, you know that it’s intelligence that appeals to me, that keeps me engaged and wanting more from the franchise. I don’t know if I consider Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home to be the most intellectual property in the canon, but it is the most human, the most able to connect with emotion. It has comedy, more so that I’ve seen in the past from this franchise, but it also possesses something so brilliantly dramatic. I attest that to the inclusion of the whales. I’ve found in my cinematic travels that humans connect better with animals rather than other humans–and that’s the feeling I had throughout the course of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Much of that has to do with the introduction and development of Dr. Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks). She’s from the twentieth century, a time that I’m [obviously] more familiar with than the twenty-third. She’s simple, intelligent, attractive, and a bridge between the science-fiction aspect of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and genuine human emotion. Her presence in this film is essential to its success–and I honestly could have used even more time between her and Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
Additionally, what feels different about this film is how Kirk interacts with Gillian Taylor. His connection with her feels more genuine, far more in depth and developed than relationships that we’ve seen before. From episode to episode of the original series, and film to film (not that this is necessarily any different), Kirk has found himself another “love” interest, another beautiful woman to gaze at throughout the course of whichever property she happens to exist. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is, again, different. There’s more to this, more to the development of their relationship. It’s not purely sexual (which we certainly get an inkling of here and there), but there’s a level of intellect that, once again, seeps into every fiber of this Star Trek property. They develop this relationship so well, and while it doesn’t extend beyond Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, it’s a welcome (and much needed) addition to the franchise.
The majority of this film (I didn’t do the math, but it certainly feels this way) takes place in 1986 San Francisco, rather than outer space. The interaction between Kirk’s crew and the “modern day” San Franciscans are to die for. I laughed harder at this film than I have at most comedies in recent memory. Dr. Bones McCoy (DeForest Kelley) plays the usual role of comic relief, but an extended version of what you might typically see from the character. He gets to be the smart guy in the room far more often than I can remember seeing in the past, and his presence, as always, is my favorite of the film.
Though, he’s just one of many that have the opportunity to shine in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Maybe for the first time, each and every character has something to do. From Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) to Chekov (Walter Koenig), everyone plays a significant role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Chekov manages to be one of my favorites in this film–though it’s more about the implications of his presence in 1980’s America that really entertained me. A Russian man with an accent during the heart of the Cold War–anyone could have spotten the insanity that he would likely face going forward, and it all comes to be. His role is certainly bigger than I’ve seen in the past, but the level of comedy that Koenig is able to deliver is brilliant, making him one of the most interesting and entertaining characters in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.
Alright, I’ve told you all about the good–and there is a ton, but the reality is that no film is perfect, and there are some glaring issues with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as well. Kirk is intelligent (maybe even more so than the average human). How does he manage to forget something that a beautiful woman (Gillian Taylor) told him just twenty minutes prior? Chekov and Uhura are civilians (for all intents and purposes in the twentieth century). How did they manage to sneak onto a Navy vessel that contains nuclear weapons? These are questions that are never answered, and they cause a bit of a riff in the narrative. They certainly don’t tear Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home apart, as is apparent from my praise above, but these issues exist, and they are frustrating.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is barely Star Trek; it’s nothing like its predecessors, and nothing that came after (remembering that I’ve seen very little in the grand scheme of the canon) is anything like this. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is the most human, the most relatable of the franchise, all while being wonderfully Star Trek in the process. It’s still intelligent, it’s still steeped in science fiction, and it still remains true to the incredible characters and their storylines. Again, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home might just be the best film of the franchise, and it’s most definitely my favorite.
Directed by Leonard Nimoy.
Written by Gene Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, Harve Bennett, Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, & Nicholas Meyer.
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Jane Wyatt, Catherine Hicks, Mark Lenard, etc.
9.5/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
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