To celebrate the release of Star Trek Into Darkness, the Flickering Myth writing team look back at the classic sci-fi franchise. Next up for Star Trek Month is J-P Wooding reviewing Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home…
After the death of Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and his subsequent rebirth in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock the crew of the now destroyed U.S.S Enterprise must return to earth to face court martial for their actions. Using the stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey (renamed H.M.S Bounty) that they acquired in The Search for Spock they proceed on their journey, only to find that Earth is under a devastating attack from something that requires communication with a long extinct species. Realising that they are Earth’s only hope, Kirk and crew once again find themselves in what must surely be a no-win scenario. As we know though, Kirk doesn’t like to lose…..
In terms of public awareness, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is probably top of the chart. Referred to by many as “the one with the whales” it attracted great reviews from fans and non-fans of the series alike. For the first time in the film series it created an attractive balance of comedy and Star Trek’s usual sci-fi effects and character interplay. Personally I see The Voyage Home as the final part in the “Spock Trilogy”. We had his heroic death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and his apparent re-birth in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, at the end of which he is almost “firing on all thrusters” as McCoy states in The Voyage Home.
I first saw it when it came out in 1986 when I was 11. Although I enjoyed the comedic elements, it was still the technical side of it that I liked: The devastating power of the probe neutralising the U.S.S Saratoga (a ship I hadn’t seen before) and all ships including the mighty Excelsior in spacedock. The ludicrous warp speeds the stolen Klingon Bird-of-Prey achieves during its slingshot manoeuvre around the sun and the unveiling of the new Enterprise-NCC-1701-A, which of course was the first in the line of ships to carry the registration followed by a letter. The crew’s exploits in modern day earth were great but I didn’t realise how great until I was older.
The conversation between Kirk, Spock and Gillian Taylor in her pick up is brilliant; the timing between Kirk and Spock is fantastic and there are little quips between the two throughout the movie as Spock begins to regain his personality. I have an interest in time travel in movies and loved the paradoxical situations concerning Scotty introducing transparent aluminium and Kirk selling his glasses which “He’d soon get back!”
These comedy interactions between the crew and during the situations they find themselves in, added to the dilithium crystal regeneration and other Trek fandom instances, make it arguably the most attractive and best received Star Trek film to date. Perhaps hardcore fans of Star Trek would not share this idea but, as studios and our green blooded friend tells us, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one!
J-P Wooding
Originally published May 4, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
