'Star Trek IV' can be described as the only true mainstream Star Trek film. There are many reasons for this; first of all, it's set for the most part in the 20th Century, secondly, it deals with an environmental issue pertaining to the killing of humpback whales, and thirdly, it doesn't get bogged down by the lore surrounding Star Trek (ie you don't need to have watched any Star Trek to 100% understand/appreciate what's going on in this film - in fact, it might spark your interest to see more!). The film also changes tone from its predecessors by removing the central villain character and replacing it with a sense of lightness and the idea that they're fighting the situation rather than a person. A lot of the best Star Trek episodes followed this formula which is why this film works so well. At the end of the day, 'Star Trek IV' is an enjoyable romp with a strong message for our culture and the way it treats the environment.
After going through life and death and life in Star Trek II and III, the crew of the Enterprise choose to return home to face the consequences of their insubordination from the previous film. On the way back, they intercept a message from the Federation Council warning all ships to stay away from Earth because of an alien probe which is causing untold damage to the planet and any ships that come close to it. Disturbed by this turn of events, Kirk and his crew decide to get to the bottom of the mystery and find out what's going on. They discover that the probe is emitting the sounds of songs sung by humpback whales which are extinct in the 23rd century. In a daring move, Kirk decides to take them all back to the 20th century where they can rescue two whales and bring them back to the 23rd century in the hope that they can communicate with the alien probe.
A strong message is at the heart of any good Star Trek story and in the case of this film, the message is green. We as a species have abused nature and its resources, and the indiscriminate killing of whales has to be one of our low points. This film postulates that due to our perverse actions in this area, we will face a threat in the future that could lead to our own destruction. Perhaps the reality wouldn't be so dramatic but it makes the point nonetheless that we can't go around treating nature with impunity without one day suffering the consequences.
'Star Trek IV' is the lightest in tone of the series and this largely stems from the 'fish out of water' concept that our beloved characters find themselves in. This film has a lot of running gags as the crew of the mighty starship Enterprise find themselves lost and helpless in a world that looks familiar but might as well be completely alien. The stand out scene is where Kirk and Spock encounter a punk rocker on a bus. Spock gives him a neck pinch to shut him and his boom box up and makes for one of the film's funniest scenes. But there is also a lot of dialogue by-play, take for example: "Are you sure you won't change your mind?" - "Is there something wrong with the one I have?". Taking this film in this direction really freshens up the franchise and delivers something new. Not bad being the fourth film in the series! Or perhaps an even better sequence is Chekov asking about the 'nuclear wessels' to an unimpressed cop.
The main guest stars in previous films have been villains but this time around we get a cute chick played by Catherine Hicks who understands her whales and is a smart scientist. She becomes the pseudo love interest for Kirk and the two of them have excellent chemistry. Their scenes also create some cringeworthy moments when Kirk tries to use his bravado to try and win her over but his out-of-step and out-of-time words bemuse her rather than get to her, making for some funny scenes.
Unlike previous entries which were locked in to soundstages, this film benefits from being, for almost the entire film, outdoors and on location. It adds an extra dimension and scope to the film, not to mention a more accessible vantage point for non-fans to get in to the film as they recognise familiar locations. This of course isn't the only thing; the film has a universal message and is not so steeped in Star Trek lore to make the non-Star Trek fan get lost when watching the story. No other Star Trek film before or since has truly been able to capture the mainstream market quite like this film did for these reasons.
'Star Trek IV' is a delightful film and a wonderful change of pace for the series.
For the complete, original DVD review, click this link: http://www.allaboutmovies.net/dvdreviewstartrek4thevoyagehome.htm
Alex DeMattia is the lead DVD reviewer at the film/DVD review web site All About Movies.net. He also contributes reviews and articles for the Digicosm Film Blog: http://www.filmannex.com/Digicosm
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