Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Great Voyage on Yet Another Awesome DVD.
Review: First off, I must say that "The Voyage Home" is a bit overrated. I've heard some call it "Unquestionably the best of the Star Trek features...", and that is NOT TRUE. That award would go to "The Search For Spock", with "The Wrath of Khan" a close second. In fact, I look on "The Voyage Home" as a comedy, not a real Star Trek adventure (at least in the traditional sense). But do not think that I don't like the movie; far from it! It's just not my personal favorite, that's all. Like I said, you should view it as a comedy, and in that sense it is one of the funniest films you'll ever see. True, one must be a Star Trek fan to really get quite a few of the jokes. But even if you're not, the whole fish-out-of-water scenario is done extremely well, and handled with comic genius. (On a little side note, it seems that this was one of the most popular film subjects of the 1980s. To name a few: "Crocodile Dundee", "Back to the Future", and "Time After Time", the latter of which obviously holding a lot of inspiration for "Star Trek IV".) After "The Search For Spock", Spock's on-screen return alone makes the film worth watching. One complaint I do have is about the music: while the opening credits are great, the music throughout the rest of the film is pretty bad. Since this was the end of the "initial trilogy", they really should've brought back composer James Horner to make the trilogy seem more complete. That would've been awesome! Overall, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is spectacular entertainment, and makes for a rollicking good time

The new Special Collector's Edition is similar to that of "The Search for Spock", in the sense that it's the exact same digital transfer from the single disc edition. Though it doesn't take a great deal out of the fun, both films' picture and sound are nowhere near as impressive as those of "The Motion Picture" and "The Wrath of Khan" (which both received a remastering job). Special Feature-wise, this two-disc set is probably the best Star Trek SCE DVD yet. While the new documentary is no longer entitled "Captain's Log", it's still structured just the same way, and is just as fun as the previous Star Trek DVDs. The "Star Trek Universe" documentaries are very interesting, as always, with "Kirk's Women" being the most fun. I have not yet had a chance to listen to the commentary by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner (I hear it's great!), but you can bet your butts that I will soon!

Conclusion: Paramount is finally giving its most precious franchise the DVD treatment it deserves, and no Star Trek film collection is complete without the fourth enstallment, "The Voyage Home".

P.S. After the success with the first four films on DVD, I really hope they live up to the proper expectations when they eventually release the Special Collector's Edition of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier". It's by far the most underrated big-screen voyage of the Enterprise to date. I really hope it's a Director's Edition!

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Trek Films
Review: I think by now, most people have a pretty good idea what The Voyage Home is about. (Kirk and Crew travel back in time to find some Whales to save the future.)

So lets get down to the details. This is a great movie. It's one of Star Trek's finest outings on the big screen. It's considered by many to be one of the best Trek movies. I'd give the movie itself 5 stars, but the transfer isn't all it's cracked up to be. The transfer of STIII:TSFS seems, to me, to be far greater than this one. If you view it on a small set, you might not notice it, but pop this baby in a state of the art 52" HDTV plasma screen, and you start to notice tons of annoying little [things] that could have easily been taken care of if they had paid a bit more attention, money, and detail to restoring this great movie by giving it the treatment it deserves. Paramount obviously feels they can just cut corners though, and the target audience will eat it up anyway. (Which, I guess, was likely spot on...) But it's a shame that they didn't. The Voyage Home deserved better. The Commentary by Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner is a great addition however, and does give you a nice reason to view it a second time, and the other extras on the second disc are all pretty decent and standard stuff for the Special Edition ST DVD's.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: There are a lot of reasons why "Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home" should not work. In this movie, the sci-fi franchise makes a big shift towards comedy, which in and of itself could alienate a large fanbase (see: Superman III). On top of that, the movie features a fairly substantial environmental/conservation plot, which could come across as preachy. Yet, surprisingly, the movie is light, nimble, and funny - and it's these characteristics that make the film one of the highlights of the series.

In "Star Trek IV", a destructive alien presence threatens Earth as it tries to communicate with humpback whales, which are extinct in the 23rd century. Kirk and co. must venture back to 1986 San Francisco, in order to bring back a couple of whales to the 23rd century so that Earth can be saved. Trust me, that makes a lot more sense on film than it does written out.

The movie naturally gets a lot of laughs out of its "fish out of water" premise. Spock in particular is hilarious to watch as he attempts to blend into his 20th century surroundings. In fact, the whole crew displays a light touch with comedy and they all seem to really enjoy themselves. This movie, more than any other in the series, gives them all a pretty good chance to shine. "Star Trek IV" also handles the environmental aspects of the story well, without getting heavyhanded or preachy - the story presents the problem of illegal whaling as something that can be solved, rather than being fatalistic about it.

Definitely the most fun movie in the series, "Star Trek IV" might offend the purists but should entertain everyone else. A film highlight for Kirk, Spock and the gang.

Rating:
Summary: BEST "STAR TREK" DVD YET!
Review: Great digital remastering of the best of the first five "Trek" films and, finally, a 2nd Disc of "Awesome" special features, not just boring interviews. A great buy! Movie/DVD Grade: A+

Rating:
Summary: This movie isn't logical.....
Review: I am a big Trek fan, and I loved the other movies (especially "Star Trek: The Movie", with V'ger), but the story of "Star Trek IV" is just plain stupid.
I mean, ut was pretty entertaining to see our beloved Admiral James T. Kirk shout "Double Dumbass on you!" at a car driver, but again, the story...
"We have just come back from a tiring journy to Genesis and then to Vulcan, and we are flying our way back to earth, but oh wait! We have to make a quick stop at the 20th century to bring back a couple of Humpback Whales to save the planet from an alien whale race..."
I'm sorry, this is not the Star Trek style I love so much, so does splashing in the waters of San-Francisco after returning home...
If you are new to this whole Star Trek thing, don;t let this movie fool you. Star Trek is a wonderful series of movies (and a TV serise) full of intersting storylines and characters, but this one is just plain silly..

Rating:
Summary: The most fun and entertaining Trek film
Review: Considered by many to be the best in the series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home finds Kirk, Spock, and crew traveling back in time to the twentieth century in hopes of finding humpback whales whose unique sounds are similar to those of a mysterious probe which is ravaging Earth. The storyline may sound flat on paper, but thanks to a smart and humerous script, capable directing from Leonard Nimoy, and the great chemistry between the Trek crew (and the interaction between them and the San Francisco of 1986), this installment is undoubtadly the most fun and entertaining in the series. The film was a phenominal hit when released, and paved the way for more sequels to come. The Special Edition DVD is worth noting as well; the commentary from Nimoy and William Shatner is a must hear for any Trekkie, and the production featurettes on the making of the film are actually very interesting. Next to The Wrath of Khan Director's Edition DVD, this is Paramount's best DVD edition of a Star Trek film.

Rating:
Summary: The 4th movie gets 4 stars
Review: Ok so this is the fourth Star Trek movie, but it is in effects the final part in a trilogy which was started in "Star Trek II The Wrath Of Khan" and continued with "Star Trek III The Search For Spock". It seems that the Enterprise crew have dealt with the difficult stuff. They lost their comrade Spock, but they stole (I mean, borrowed) the starship Enterprise (which they would eventually blow up) from Starfleet to go on a mission that would lead to Spock being brought back to life. As the fourth movie begins, all they have to do is go back to Earth and face a court martial for their actions, simple huh? Alas no!- see there's this giant probe that is transmitting signals that are destroying Earth's eco-system. The signals are intended for some whales but by this, the 23rd Century, whales are extinct. Therefore, the Enterprise crew travel back in time to the late 1980s so that they can bring the whales back to the future (excuse the pun), and save Earth. Phew! Sounds like a very exciting and fun journey. Believe me, it is.

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is a lighter movie in comparison to all the others. There isn't a single space battle. However it is all the better for it. When it comes to laughs, Star Trek movies, like Muppet movies, seem to stretch some of the jokes, but for this movie the humor is just about right. The special effects are superior to the previous three and this reviewer thinks this movie has stood the test of time.

So here we have "Star Trek IV The Voyage Home" in widescreen on a 2 Disc Collectors Edition DVD with some interesting special features. By the way, note that when this movie was originally released it started off with a prologue of Admiral Kirk narrating what had happened throughout "Star Trek III The Search For Spock". This prologue is not on this DVD version. It is something I was very disappointed by since the prologue greatly added to the movie build up, but it's something I'll have to live with. The prologue is still available on past VHS versions however.

Anyway, onto the special features. Here we have a Commentary by Leonard Nimoy (Captain Spock, Director) and William Shatner (Admiral/Captain Kirk) which although slow at times is a welcome addition. There is only one Theatrical Trailer and that is for the movie in this DVD set (Note that the DVD for "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" has a Teaser Trailer for "Star Trek: Nemesis"). We also have a Text Commentary by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda (Co-Authors of The Star Trek Encyclopedia) and featurettes including the (as Spock would put it) "fascinating" Time Travel, along with Art of the Possible, The Language of Whales, A Vulcan Primer, Kirk's Women, From Outer Space to the Ocean and The Bird of Prey. Included as well are Tributes: Roddenberry Scrapbook (homage to the creator of "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation"), Featured Artist Mark Lenard (Ambassador Sarek- Spock's father) and Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the late DeForest Kelley (Dr McCoy). Not forgetting Storyboards and Production gallery.

In conclusion, this DVD is the best of the Special Edition DVDs since the special features have improved, and the movie is the best looking and sounding version you'll probably ever see.

Rating:
Summary: Star Trek IV
Review: In my opinion, this is the best of the Star Trek films, even better than 'The Wrath of Khan.' After watching 'The Search for Spock,' I think it's almost downright DEPRESSING. This motion picture is almost lighthearted, providing me and Lord knows how many others with some hearty laughs. The storyline was good, and perhaps the thing that makes it best is the TRUTH in it all! If we had to go back in time several centuries to the 16-1700's, what would we do? I can see it now: "Whuddup, Dawg?"

Rating:
Summary: Attack of the Whales?!! You're kidding me!!
Review: This Trek film could have been titled, "Star Trek IV: Attack of the Alien Whales".

Why are there so many films and episodes where an unstoppable force heads right for Earth and nothing seems to be able to stop it? Why? Because the writers have so very little creativity left in them after writing so many stories over the years.

This film was written specifically to bring the plight of the whales to mainstream audiences through a light-hearted Star Trek film. Yes, there are a few laughs, but this is just a sign that Star Trek has become nothing more than a joke. This concept may appeal to Trekkies (which is why ST: 5 was only appealing to Trekkies and universally hated by any other human trapped inside the theater) but it serves to damage the franchise further. The end result was that the last ST film basically bombed at the theater.

So, yes, you can trace the loss of Star Trek's appeal to films like this one.

As for the special effects, there are very few at all. There was one weird sequence when the crew was traveling back in time, which had to be the dumbest segment in sci-fi history.

If you really feel you need to see this film, watch it for the laughs, not for the sci-fi value, because there is little to none of that.

Rating:
Summary: The masterpiece trilogy ends here...
Review: Of all Star Trek movies, "The Wrath of Khan", must be the most successful of them all, forgetting perhaps that this movie has an open ending, leading to "The Search for Spock" and ending the epic tale with the third act, which is the present one, "The Voyage Home".
You simply cannot extrapolate the one from the other, unless you want an incomplete story.
"The Voyage Home" is different from the two preceding ones, which were charged with drama and pathos. This is almost comedic in scope and shows the crew of the USS Enterprise (aboard a Klingon vessel), traveling back in time to San Francisco in 1986, in order to capture two humpback whales and therefore save the Federation from an imminent threat of annihilation by an alien probe.
How would you feel as a far advanced human being, living in the 23rd Century, if you had to face the social chaos of the mid-1980s?
This is how Cpt. Kirk, Spock, "Bones" and all the rest of the gang, landing on Earth, feel.
Like the preceding versions, including "The Motion Picture - Director's Cut", this too is crammed with tons of extras.
What I do not understand is, why these newer versions, which all come in a two-disc package cost less then the single disc versions.
If you want a sound advice and if you love the movie series, wait until Paramount dishes them all up in a Special Edition or Director's Cut version.
It's well worth it. You pay less. Receive more for the money, including a better picture and sound remix, and will always have your favorite characters at home with you, telling you why and how they decided to appear in the movie you are watching.
Paramount certainly hit the target.
I am anxious for the next installments, including "The Final Frontier", which actually didn't do so great at the box office.
Who knows, this time Shatner and company, may be able to release an extended version, or better, like in TMP, recut version that moves in a swifter way.
One never knows what will come next. I certainly hope, there is a different version of "Final Frontier". At the time of its release, there were rumors of a different version which never made it to the theaters, because of various factors (the kind of cutting and editing was mentioned and was among them, but also the decision by the studio to keep it short).
I don't know if this is true, but should it be, why not try to bring it to the surface and allow us to decide, which version is better?
Anyway, "The Voyage Home" is great fun for the entire family and is also the most "ecologically"-oriented one of them all.
I can only recommend it, but don't forget the other two preceding ones, they are an integral complement to this one...