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When I first began my trek through old-school Star Trek movies, I was warned by a die-hard Trekkie, “Some of the old ones are really cheesy.” And when I reached Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, I discovered just how cheesy it could get.
Following Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) and Company’s renegade mission in Star Trek III, various members of the Federation (particularly the Klingons) are just a bit peeved. The crew members have been charged with nine violations of Starfleet regulations—so, after three months on Vulcan, they decide to return to Earth to face the consequences.
On their way back, however, they’re warned that that a strange alien probe has been shutting down the power in and around Earth, wreaking havoc on ships and vaporizing the oceans. After a bit of research, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) concludes that the probe is sending out messages in the language of humpback whales—a species that, unfortunately, has been extinct since the 21st century. So they decide to time warp back to 1980s San Francisco to try to transport a humpback whale to the 23rd century, where it can communicate with the probe and—they hope—save Earth.
Of the handful of Star Trek movies I’ve seen, The Voyage Home is by far the most amusing. As you can probably imagine, the seven Starfleet members have some pretty madcap adventures as they wander the streets of 1980s California. They look silly, they act silly, and they appear to enjoy themselves thoroughly in the process. Whether the humor is always intentional or not, it’s often laugh-out-loud funny—and it’s a simply whole lot of fun.
At the same time, though, in the midst of the save-the-whales plot and the ‘80s silliness, there’s still a surprising amount of character development. The crew members often split up for their missions, giving fans an opportunity to see these beloved characters in action, doing what they do best. Once again, Spock (Leonard Nimoy, who also directed the film) struggles with his half-humanity, and Bones (DeForest Kelley) is outraged by just about everything. Meanwhile, ladies’ man Kirk hits on pretty damsel in distress Gillian (Catherine Hicks) over pizza. And, in an amusing Cold War twist, Chekov (Walter Koenig) finds himself stuck on a “nuclear wessel” with a ship full of less-than-accommodating seamen. Each character has an important role in the mission—and you’ll understand each one just a little bit better by the time they head back to the 23rd century.
The Voyage Home isn’t the typical Star Trek movie. There aren’t a whole lot of fight scenes or other-worldly villains. But it’s a quirky—and wildly-entertaining—sci-fi adventure that’s guaranteed to keep you laughing from beginning to [wonderfully cheesy] end.
