Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). All's Whale That Ends Whale.

[@GrinderCB]

The woman who told Chekov and Uhura to go to Alameda wasn't supposed to speak, but she just responded like someone trying to be helpful. Then Nimoy and Bennett liked the scene so much that they jumped through hoops to get her a SAG card so her dialogue could be kept.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Yeah they actually had to run after her when she walked out of the scene, getting her name and info so she knew what this all was about. They deliberately even had the camera hidden and used a long a focal length to shoot this scene.

[@matthewmarcinko9157]

My Mom, rest her soul, who never watched an episode of Star Trek in her life, saw this film and enjoyed it immensely. Well written stories with characters worth caring about cross all genre boundaries.

[@jasonblalock4429]

One writing detail I love: when time travel comes up, it's *McCoy* who explains, very offhandedly, that slingshotting around the sun makes it happen. Giving this dialogue to a non-techy character makes it feel like it's common knowledge (even though it isn't) and helps the audience swallow the idea without getting hung up on it. That's impressively economical writing. Also, more random trivia about the bus punk scene: Thatcher wrote and recorded the punk song ("I Hate You") himself with a couple friends. It's actually not bad, and the lyrics are pretty funny. The whole song eventually leaked and is on YT now.

[@RJSRdg]

The whole crew had slingshotted round the sun before in the TOS episode "Tomorrow is Yesterday" so they all knew it worked.

[@xx3868]

One of the great things about this film is so much location shooting with the Bus going over the bridge and cars and restaurants and parks and just has a very grounded realistic feel to it and its a smart film with no laser, deaths but plenty of action and suspense ticking up in the background. The co stars got $150K? i hear as their money in original series per week being pretty dismal and only Shatner and Spock (after a time) got thousands per show. This is very easy family viewing and it mixes sci fi with comedy and a environmental theme and message, so anyone will enjoy it with good pacing too. Nimoy unlike his cold logical Spock, really places feel and soul into films he directs and everyone seems to be having a great time and relaxed and Hicks is great and gritty as caring biologist .

[@jsentman]

My Father-In-Law, who was a Nephrologist, would yell out at hilariously inopportune moments “Doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!!!”

[@Cafeman_2D]

I remember I was a freshman in college, in fall of 1986, and watched this on opening weekend, the small cinema was 3/4 filled with a lot of fans trekkier than I was and LOL'd constantly, making the film even better. What a fantastically entertaining movie it was! Then the next day in university French class, the instructor couldn't stop talking about the film for half the class.

[@aaronleverton4221]

Sending the heavily-accented Russian to find out where the USN's most powerful warships are kept had so many levels to it.

[@ScottWozniak]

I love this movie. It's my most watched of the classic Trek films. Kirk and the mom from 7th Heaven have great chemistry, but let's face it, Kirk would probably have great chemistry with a dissected frog. "Double dumbass on you!" ❤

[@shaggycan]

As much as I dislike the overuse of time travel in scifi, this movie does very well considering it is not based on a Starship, no real antagonist, more of an obstacle and it still works. Also I'd like to point out this is the movie that sets in canon that people from the 23rd century don't swear anymore. F*&%#ing PIcard. Oh and the score is trash, sounds like a score from a Hallmark Christmas movie. I also just noticed the nun from the diving scene is very cute.

[@fobwatchful]

If I recall correctly, Walter Koenig was saying "Wessel" with the think accent in the first act, so it wouldn't be out of place when he said "nuclear wessels" later. This trope would later be referred to as *Chekov's Accent* . He also left his gun, oops, I mean his phaser, on board the 20th century war ship. This was never mentioned again.

[@a35362]

"We know it's [the '80s] because there's funky saxophone music." Yup, nailed it!

[@carlrood4457]

The Alameda thing didn't bother me because, there's no guarantee it's still called that in 300 years. There's also been at least one world war in the interim, so it might not exist.

[@RJSRdg]

Yes, if it was being used as the base for the US's most powerful warships, it was going to be a major target.

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

"Are we going swimming"? "Yes , Mr. Scot, off the deep end". Love this film.

[@james5460]

At the time, I thought it kind of lazy to just do a contemporary visit - now, oddly enough, it's actually charming and works because... it's no longer 1986. The film has aged like fine wine in that way. That now looks so familiar... but so remote. Kind of nostalgic now. A decision that took 40 years to work for me.

[@TheLAGopher]

Essentially it was Back to the Future with the mid 1980s being the destination of time travelers from the future vs being the point of origin.

[@mammothchimp1774]

My first trek movie my cousin dragged me to in the 80s. Immediately fell in love!

[@monotonehell]

So when Stam Fine reviewed Battlestar Galactica, why did he not cover The Sound of Cylons by Simon & Garfunkel?

[@dvd11811]

Catherine Hicks said in an interview that she had never watched Star Trek before filming, which makes her acting in this movie that much more endearing. Of course Catherine would give up her job as a Cetacean Biologist, travel back to the past and marry a former Star Fleet Captain who becomes a Protestant Minister ...

[@RJSRdg]

Before doing the "beaming up" scene, she asked Nimoy and Shatner what it felt like to be beamed up (not realising it was a special effect). They replied "It tingles!"

[@tycannah4271]

Another great recap of the very best Star Trek fun where all of the crew get their moment to shine.

[@TheBeird]

I'm no Star Trek guy, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed this film. It were a nice time

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

yeah it's generally the most accessible Trek movie for non Star Trek fans. It even works as a standalone movie for most people without even having to watch the other movies. It also really is a great introduction :)

[@cologne2792]

An absolutely outstanding review of my favourite Trek film and one of my very favourite films of any genre! How about a review of, "Support Your Local Sheriff "?

[@billmurray7473]

Leonard Nimoy (Rest In Power 🙏) designed the film to be ' user - friendly ' , for Non- Trek fans. Which it was.

[@neiltaylor6645]

Has a tribute to the challenger shuttle disaster at the start of the film

[@nealwhaley63]

One of the best moments I ever had in a theatre was watching the Bird of Prey de-cloak in front of the whalers. The whole audience broke out in joyous laughter. You don’t forget moments like that.

[@georgehenderson7783]

Agreed! I'm hoping you also watched Moonraker in the theater in 1979. If you did let me know, I have a question for you!

[@nealwhaley63]

@@georgehenderson7783 If I did, I don’t remember it.

[@carlrood4457]

The novelization gets around the whole formula for transparent aluminum thing by having Scotty recognize the guy's name as the person who invented it.

[@KyleRDent]

"-free Chekov before Russian to save-" I see what you did there.

[@jacobktan]

I still think that 'LDS' is not Kirk misremembering 'LSD' but a shot at Mormons.

[@pablosonic892]

I thought he was promoting them.

[@StoneyBrownTV]

Okay so what if the probe showed up and the whales told the probe... "They've been holding us in containment for years and looking at us day in and out. They feed us but we can't leave. Let's take this planet over. Send backup!"

[@lucasoheyze4597]

Then Star Trek V would have been a better film

[@daiichidoku]

most men wouldnt even dare to try to attempt to repopulate the species with even one whale, but kirk is such a god damn sexual tyrannosaurus he is going to do the job with two whales at once. he'd would have done three or four if they could have found the extra ones.

[@SimonLeicester]

Picked up the blu ray set of these movies when it was on offer earlier this week. It’s remarkable how most of them warrant repeat viewing and still hold up to this day. This one is great fun and the humour really lifts it. Scotty attempting to do an early ‘Alexa’ makes me smile every time.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

the current 4K remaster is absolutely remarkable. The movie never looked better. It just sucks that Paramount / Universal decided to not include the prolog. And as a european viewer.... this movie feels absolutely incomplete without that "Last time on Star Trek...." prolog. This is why i keep my old DVD version since it still has that prolog.

[@bensneb360]

This movie is so funny, it always has me… Whaling with laughter lol

[@jacobktan]

*cringes*

[@kellyweingart3692]

😂😂😂😂

[@inkermoy]

I watched Star Trek 4: TVH seven times in the theater when it came out. I loved how the movie expands on the Federation and Starfleet Command. I love how we get to see starships being rendered useless and the sights of other captains dealing with it. And when the crew make it back to the future with the reveal of the Enterprise-A... Chef's Kiss! I also love the stuff in 1980's San Francisco and even the message about whaling. Is it really preachy? Maybe. But Meyer and Burnett were able to weave a great and entertaining story out of it, not letting the message overshadow the characters and the rest of the story. Gillian has a personal investment in the 2 whales and is not just some activist roaming around like a nut. So the movie has a strong ecological message and a diverse cast of characters with even a black woman (before Martin-Green as Burnham) being captain, but no one made hay of it back in the day. Maybe that's because the creators were talented enough to weave it into story and make it entertaining at the same time. As for the diversity of the Starfleet officers, you're not supposed to see skin color, you see competent people doing their jobs. That will ultimately earn one more respect than any other physical characteristic. All in all, a great film for anyone. Thanks for the review.

[@allenelliott5647]

Computations for time warp should always start with a jump to the left...

[@trampdaddy9307]

"the whales' last text message was "Harpoon? Where?"" - best gag yet! Excellent evaluation a great Trek movie.

[@ianhill8345]

Such a great star trek movie very enjoyable enjoy your vids keep it up Stam

[@richhopkins6968]

I actually love the time travel sequence- it’s like a dream and I love the 3 second end with the reeds on a lake! I reckon that’s Don Peterman’s (the DoP) idea!

[@N0die]

Somehow I forgot that awful part w/ the etherial head busts but this video popped a Spock on it for me I’ll never be the same

[@misterhoeflak]

Great vid! Love this film. According to one of the commentaries on the blu-ray, the scene of Sulu meeting his grandfather was cut because the boy they cast apparently did a great audition but sadly just didn't perform on the day.

[@Grumpy-Fallboy]

it's also referred to as "The One That's Funny" 35 years after its debut.

[@ShamrockParticle]

Dated, it is! 😅

[@jacobktan]

I think I have the world record for watching Star Trek IV. I watched it on my TV/VCR every night before bed for 2 or 3 years.😊

[@idiedforthisproductions]

Fantastic retrospective one of my all-time favorites

[@All2Meme]

No, Stan, the one where they go back in time for giant spiders was the never-made Star Trek Voyager movie (Janeway needed some new ones for her giant spider terrarium on Deck 12).

[@adamholiday3450]

Not my favourite but still probably my most watched ST film. Oscar worthy special effects. Took me 3 decades to realise the whales were fake 😂. The scene of with rhe bird of prey going under the bridge still blows me away.

[@francisfischer7620]

Love! Love! Love! This!!!! Thanks!!!

[@user-bu7ig1dr9e]

I Loved the one with the Whales the Best Star Trek ever! Two Thumbs Up 👍🏽👍🏽

[@ourladyofguadalupebotanica6732]

It was never about the crew traveling from the 23rd century to the 20th century. It was the crew traveling from the 1960's to the 1980's. Awesome movie and so easy to watch.

[@loftus4453]

Your reference to a one winged butterfly in relation to you time traveling was genius! ❤

[@Otokichi786]

I look on "Star Trek IV" as a "Save the Whales" tale and could have been a Greenpeace recruitment film. It also helped that Comedy ran throughout the movie. Then there's Kirk Thatcher's Faux Punk song, "I Hate You.";) This movie was as great as a Romulan Ale-based cocktail, the Colorful Metaphor.

[@andrewblanchard2398]

FUN FACT the original preview for STAR TREK: TNG nearly killed that series it was a video of the USS EXCELSIOR leaving spacedock with the narrator saying : " JOIN THE CREW OF THE ALL NEW STARSHIP USS ENTERPRISE AS THEY BOLDLY GO WHERE NO ONE HAS GONE BEFORE " then the USS EXCELSIOR went to warp millions of STAR TREK FANS wrote in to complain that a NEW series with the USS EXCELSIOR as the new USS ENTERPRISE would be unwatchable so the series got delayed so the redesigns could be made

[@philoshaughnessy906]

To have Eddie Murphy in a movie with a Vulcan, is not logical.

[@ShamrockParticle]

Back in the day when crossovers were less-often considered. I'm just waiting for the day when Wonder Woman tells Superman how he's faster than a speeding bullet ans how Batman's gadgets didn't help save the day

[@Barrlounge]

I've no idea if Roddenberry had a World History almanac to refer to, but in the Voyager episode where they travelled back to California, Janeway references that the entire coastal area is underwater and now a coral reef. So I imagine that Chekov and Uhura not finding their way to Almaeda might make sense. Plus, Imagine how different San Fran was 100 years ago. Imagine 200+ years later, after a catastrophic World War and resource drainage.

[@thomasmcginnis3783]

Frigging witty. Very well done. *"Nice job!!"*

[@reneperez3043]

I love this movie.2,3, 4 and 6 and absolutely amazing movies.

[@TheToonMonkey]

My God (the one who needs a starship) I love this film.

[@richardgadberry8398]

What does God need with a starship?

[@TheToonMonkey]

Who is this creature @@richardgadberry8398 ?

[@ShamrockParticle]

​@@richardgadberry8398 to get through the McDonalds drive-thru faster? 🍔 🍟 🥛 😋

[@raybearoz]

Okay, I do need to watch this again... Great work

[@cgcolin]

9:10 It's Alameda, CA where they keep the "wessels," where I live! My friends and I joke about this often.

[@casbot71]

What haunts me is the Christmas Elf hats the Vulcan ground crew were wearing as they got the Klingon ship ready.

[@jonathanfeldheim6554]

Haha this was my first exposure to Star Trek, I was 7 in theaters figuring it out like the 20th century lady

[@richardmattocks]

So popping a spock on it can also be a spock block. Sheesh. Spock can’t catch a break (even if he can guess a timewarp to the nearest minute) poor bloke.

[@josemariamesa5460]

Luv the end credit music here,1 of the most wonderfully-crafted musical pieces i've ever heard,has that soaring,glorious feel 2 it!! 👍👍👍👍

[@jrmcdonald7510]

Ah, a fish out of water story! 😂 Also nice allusion to Bradbury's The Sound of Thunder. . . kind of.

[@kosh6612]

lol. I was at my grandparents place who were watching Entertainment Tonight and I remember a clip of him boasting about being in a Trek movie and played the cafe clip shortly before the films release. I thought it was a tidbit that NOBODY but that guy would remember. Props!

[@davidsmith5523]

Jane Wyatt. Otherwise, it's a terrific video as always.

[@gakabler]

This movie is great. The novelization fills in a few loose ends and details that there wouldn't have been time for in a movie, including the Sulu ancestor pass-by and the removed Spock/Saavik pregnancy, just to name a few.

[@Whiskey_Games_Caffine]

Great reviews Have you thought about looking at another Irving classic Time Tunnel

[@jeffstrawn3073]

The scene was about the dream they all had passed out at time warp

[@Steve-gc5nt]

What's not to love about this movie 😊

[@fatcat8033]

“Hello computer…” 👌

[@LordTalax]

One can only wonder where Chekov got that sweet leather outfit

[@biotrekker]

Spock-blocking! LOL

[@allimone5400]

This movie was liked by both Star Trek fans and non-Star Trek fans

[@carlrood4457]

This is one of the few times time travel works, mainly because it's primarily used as a way to get the characters to where they need to be and isn't the focus of the plot. Sure, there are things like the transparent aluminum and the glasses, but for the most part they left it simple. Also, my personal head canon is that the pill that regrew the old woman's kidney was created from the spores in the episode "This Side of Paradise".

[@inkermoy]

I think the scene where McCoy voices his concern about given the guy the formula to transparent aluminum is cut short, because in a deleted scene or the novel Scotty states the guy's name as the inventor of transparent aluminum. Just reading the wiki now, apparently they made some form of transparent aluminum even before the movie came out and patented it in 1980. Science!

[@Scimarad]

Look, I'm sure I'm supposed to say something else but really this is my favourite one:)

[@nunyabizness6595]

Stam you're hilarious! Never change.😂

[@GrinderCB]

Not sure if they actually filmed the scene where Sulu meets an ancestor but they did film the scene where he steals the Huey but it got cut for time. In the finished film, he went from talking to an Air National Guardsman about it, to flying it with the plexiglass sheet.

[@Cmdr1962]

Sulu's "ancestor" was a child actor who just couldn't relax and do the work, so they abandoned the story line.

[@Steve-gc5nt]

Can you imagine how George stropped about that 🤣

[@dougoloughlin6237]

Thanks! Small nitpick, it's Jane Wyatt playing Amanda Grayson (Spock's mom). Not "Amanda Wyatt."

[@Felchenstien]

It had a bigger budget than Part 3 but not big enough to afford a closed set on location. Check out all the extras gawking at the camera -- it's worse than a Larry Cohen movie. But seriously I love this movie. Great video.

[@Cafeman_2D]

Another great program, thanks!

[@splendidcakes]

Spock Blocking 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@robertlight5227]

"This a violent and paranoid culture...: Best. Line. Ever!

[@readhistory2023]

Kuddos to the FX team. Animal rights protestors protested the use of real whales in the movie ony to be told they were animatronic.

[@gjpyoung]

Terrific review/over view on one of my absolute favourites mate! You were bang on with your commentary, and brought many a wry smile from me! Good on ya!

[@StamFine]

Thanks

[@valmarsiglia]

A quibble, but you can't really successfully repopulate an entire species from two individuals, so the 23rd century would wind up with some seriously inbred whales.

[@Steve-gc5nt]

I'd imagine they'd have DNA manipulation by then.

[@blockmasterscott]

I went to see this in the theater with low expectations, and actually enjoyed it. It’s awesome.

[@nobilismaximus]

Thanks!

[@StamFine]

Nice!

[@ricardocantoral7672]

This the one easily could have been a disaster but it worked out perfectly to the contrary. A delightfully off-beat scenario combined with a fish out of water story that not only generated a good amount of humor, it provided an excuse to give the characters beyond the main trio something to do besides sitting around at a console. The only flaw? The awful music. I am not saying Horner or Goldsmith had to return but they could have done MUCH better. I think Alan Silvestri would have been ideal. Outside of that flaw, this is the most entertaining of all the Star Trek films.

[@davidfausel9029]

1000 bonus points for the Shatner "sab-ah-taj" reference 😁👍

[@Pixelkip]

Don't you mean Star Trek 2? ;) only On cinema head will understand

[@biotrekker]

The less said about Star Trek V, the better. Thank God for Star Trek VI.

[@Vandervecken]

So how do whales send messages across interstellar distances again? Inquiring minds want to know.

[@marysheeran519]

Catherine HIcks was two years ahead of me in college. Nice person. Love this movie. Enjoyed your comments. I like to joke that none of these people in the 80s knew about Star Trek, but no one ever gets it. Okay, it was parallel time...

[@tonywilliams6428]

Unpopular opinion time. I do not like this film. At. All. Well made. Charming performances that give the entire cast something to do for once. But a killer probe coming to earth to see why there are no longer whales there, that then does a "Sorry, earth. My bad." after our intrepid heroes steal some from the 20th century has got to be the dumbest plot in movie history. And I've seen "The Rise of Skywalker"...

[@ShamrockParticle]

I can't disagree. The 23rd century material squeaks in more that's interesting, including a profanity-laced line. Once they get to 1986 the movie is so by-the-numbers with plot conveniences, not to mention the unintended allegory of equating 20th century people as being Klingons if you take Kirk's line about profanity into account and beyond reason.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Silly and I love every minute of it.

[@markeastwood74]

Yeah... let's not do the timewarp again. 2001 has a lot to answer for.

[@stevefaul1710]

Would this be a good time for a colorful metaphor?

[@joanejustjoane3331]

You probably meant to say Jane Wyatt playing Spock's mother Amanda, instead of Amanda Wyatt.

[@StamFine]

Oops!

[@RighteousBrother]

Bonus points for the "sabotaging" gag

[@kettle_of_chris]

*Harpoon?* *Where?* L A U G H I N G M Y F * * * I N G A S S O F F _FR_ Thank you Stan!

[@stinchjack]

2:44 a rare example of of American dry humour

[@feanol22]

That was really a $#@$# good review.

[@shaneh2357dw]

Spock blocker, brilliant😂.