Review of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) by Shawn M — 04 Aug 2009

A rather radical depature in tone finds our intrepid crew warping back in time (in a junky Klingon ship, no less) to the heart of the 80s on a mission to...save the whales?! Yes indeed, the franchise veers off into comedy in this installment, but unlike such horrific examples as 'Superman III', it actually works wonderfully because all involved (espeically director Nimoy and returning writer Nicholas Meyer) play fair by the rules of the mythos.

The result is truly fun for everyone...it allows all the veteran actors some really funny material that doesn't betray their iconic characters, it delights both the hardcore and the casual audience, it sports a nice ecological message in a gentle and unobtrusive way, and it even neatly closes character arcs and wraps up the dramatic themes of the previous two films.

While the title of best movie of the franchise will always be up for debate, this one definitely had the biggest impact on the zeitgeist of its era, and remains a great, feel-good finale to an unofficial trilogy of strong, fun 'Trek' tales.