Customer Reviews

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home [1987] [DVD]

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This film is a great Star Trek movie. It really makes up for the disappointment of the previous movie (The Search for Spock)
The great thing about this film that sets it apart from all the other Star Trek films is that it takes all our favourite Trek characters out of their normal setting and puts them into one that is alien to them but familiar to us (present day America). In doing this we get the chance to laugh at the flawed attempts of these incredible people from the future to cope with the world that we live in. Spock is especially amusing in this scenario. This film helps fans and none fans of Star Trek connect with the characters in a way like they have never done before.

This is the most successful Star Trek film ever and it is easy to understand why. I recommend this film to everybody alike. It is great.

Don't listen to those who refer to The Voyage Home as a comedy, it is not. Star Trek is always better when it's not taking itself too seriously, and this fourth instalment is the only time the film series captured the perfect light hearted drama of the original TV show in my opinion. It is proper, family entertainment, far removed from the pompous space opera wannabe the first film tried so hard to be. And who could tire of Checkov saying "nuclear wessels"? I know I won't.

I'm not sure if the budget was bigger than the earlier Star Trek films, but IV certainly has a classier look; the sets and costumes seem much higher quality, and production standards appear good too (lighting is particularly noteworthy, such as the moody ship interiors). The cast all put in some very natural performances here (helped by a great script), and are obviously enjoying themselves. Only a rather naive time travelling "dream" sequence jars; and Leonard Nimoy (who directed), gamely puts his hands up in the commentary to admit his dissatisfaction with it. Oh, and we have to see Sulu in that awful cape again.

Picture quality is excellent; truly as good as it gets on BRD. I was struck immediately by the fabulous detail of the improved costumes in the opening scene, and the bubbling water at the end of the time-travelling sequence is strikingly realistic. It's the vivid colour though that steals the show; from the well defined neon rainbows of the 23rd century displays, to the subtle hues of the costumes, The Voyage Home is a Technicolor delight from start to finish. Sound quality too is admirable, although not quite as noteworthy as the image. There's a good music score incidentally by Leonard Rosenman, which is uplifting and optimistic, in keeping with the general feel of the film (Oscar nominated too, and rightly so).

All these new Star Trek disks have a ton of extras, and a lot of it in HD. I thoroughly recommend listening to Nimoy and Shatner's commentary though, the guys are open and candid (although a little gushing at times), revealing a lot of interesting tidbits about the film and themselves. Who'd have thought that there was an unexplored storyline concerning Lt. Saavik carrying Spock's baby? I also love Shatner's informal musings, such as how Moore's law affects film making.

A truly great sci-fi adventure, and the outstanding release it's received to Blu-Ray is well deserved.

This is probably my favourite Star Trek movie. It's hysterically funny: Shatner, Doohan, Nimoy and Koenig all have excellent comic timing as they try to blend in with 20th Century San Francisco culture with hilarious results. I only left out Nichols because she didn't really get any of these classic lines to work with.

The story is excellent, funny and great for all the family.

The main thing about this movie - which somehow got lost when the Next Generation hit our screens - was that it didn't take itself seriously. It was made to be enjoyed. It didn't patronise, brow-beat or pompously preach. It took an important issue and made it both thought provoking and fun.

A fine movie indeed.

This marks the fourh installment in the Star Trek series. After disobeying starfleet orders the crew of the late starship Enterprise must return home to earth to face the consequences of there actions. Travelling home in a captured Klingon ship they discover that Earth is being held at the mercy of a probe. Kirk must travel back in time to find the answer to the probes message or let the world be destroyed.

This film is one of the best because it is lighter than all the others. It is also funny in places. Also complete with a wonderful light and happy score to make this film one of the best remebered in the Star Trek series. Also see Star trek three and two for more classic adventures.

This is a film not to be missed.

What more can be said about Star Trek 4 than that which has already been mentioned by countless beaming (no pun intended) reviews over the past 15 years. It is a classic melding of Science Fiction and comedy, amusing without resorting to insulting spoofs and remaining respectful towards the spirit of the original series.

Perhaps usually remembered simply as "The one with the whales" it details the fugitive crew of the USS Enterprises voyage back through time to rescue two humpback whales (long extinct in the 23rd century) which may hold the key to mankinds salvation. Replete with good-hearted ecology messages and bursting with 80's period flavour it tells its story without drifting into preachy morals or sickly sweet nostalgia.

The presentation here is almost uniformly superb, the range of extras available (from full length commentary by Shatner and Nimoy to over 6 hours of behind the scenes retrospectives) is in keeping with earlier releases in Paramounts revisitations of the Trek movies and as such proves utterly fascinating and informative, menus are fully animated, sound quality is strong throughout and the selection of subtitles available is astounding.

Only one aspect brings a slight quibble, picture quality is acceptable, the movie certainly looks as good as any home cinema release so far, but it lacks the remasterinbg afforded to the Wrath of Khan release. A few scenes feel slightly grainy and there is a loss of colour depth on occasion. Minor problems however in such a commendable and well-priced package.

Not only one of the best trek-discs out there, but one of the best DVD's in general. Bravo Paramount!

The only real negative is that its Star Trek 5 next...God help us all!

Star Trek 4 - The Voyage Home Dvd [1987]
I have watched the film for the umpteenth time and its great and this copy of it is perfect I would recommend it to anyone who likes Star Trek the first series was always my favorite and this film of all their films was also my favorite. So if you like it just buy it. Its great and it came very fast tool.

The DVD arrived promptly. It had been ages since I last watched it. Even though I am not a massive Star Trek fan, I have to say that this is a most excellent tongue in cheek film. A 'must watch' for everyone.There are many quailty moments.

`The Voyage Home' was the first of the Star Trek films that I ever saw and although I do still really enjoy the film I do not consider it to be as good as I once did. This film is the conclusion of the storyline started in `Wrath of Khan' and continued in `Search for Spock'. In this film the crew are returning to Earth to answer for their actions when an alien probe of unknown origin shuts down all technology on and around Earth. Studying the probes signals the crew discover it is searching for whales and they must travel back in time to acquire some humpbacks whales.

This is the most light-hearted and funniest of all the Star Trek films and although I once thought this was the best of the films my estimations of it have dropped somewhat recently. While it is still very funny and somewhat entertaining throughout, the film does seem to be lacking something and I feel it doesn't live up to many of its fell films. Having said this, the film does produce some of the best and most memorable lines of any of the films or series and is generally a joy to watch, even if certain parts are extremely cringe worthy. While this is definitely not the best of the Star Trek films it is nowhere the worst of the bunch either and I do enjoy it whenever I watch it.

The Voyage Home is a very good film which gets the right balance between humour and action. It is well-acted, interesting and has a good if a little trite storyline about conservation. All in all a very good film.

This is quite possibly the best of all the Star Trek movies; if not then it is certainly the funniest.

The star ship Enterprise hardly features, because our heroes are in a stolen Klingon bird of war. In it they attempt time travel (twice and succeed) rescue a whale from 20th Century, all carried along by the wittiest dialogue. Enjoy.

The only thing I would say, since this movie is not yet on moviemoms, is that there is quite a lot of swearing to contend with, so younger viewers should wait a few years until they gain some discernmnent before being allowed to watch this one. But there is nothing that would shock or corrupt the normally adjusted 11 year old skool boy.