Trek at 60: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home


This year Star Trek turns 60. For decades, it has enthralled and entertained audiences. Part of that legacy is 13 feature films. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking back on each of the feature films in the franchise, including where I place them in my personal rankings!

Spock: Admiral, if we were to assume these whales were ours to do with as we pleased, we would be as guilty as those who caused their extinction.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Franchise Ranking: 3
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, Mark Lenard, Robin Curtis, and Catherine Hicks
Director: Leonard Nimoy
About: After getting Spock back, the franchise got back on track. Nimoy helmed his second straight installment and delivers one of the best. This one finds the Enterprise crew headed back to Earth to face the consequences of stealing and destroying the Enterprise. Along the way, a probe is attacking Earth, looking for humpback whales. With none to be found in the modern era the Enterprise crew, in a stolen Klingon Bird of Prey, goes back in time to Earth of the 1980s to find whales to bring back. It sets up a great culture clash and is perhaps the most fun that Star Trek has in any of the films. There is some great comedy, much of it coming from Shatner and Nimoy, who have some fun back-and-forths. This is a great adventure and as really fun ride. It is one of the best of the franchise and a great way to reset things.

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