star trek voyage home blu ray review

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Storyline: our reviewer's take.

"A double dumb ass on you!" 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' is often described as the 'Star Trek' movie for people who don't like 'Star Trek'. Well, I do happen to like 'Star Trek', and I think that part 'IV' is one of the worst of the entire series. Coming as the conclusion to the "Genesis Trilogy" of films, 'Voyage Home' is to 'Trek' what 'Return of the Jedi' was to 'Star Wars'. It has a decidedly lighter tone than its predecessors, and is filled with goofy kid-friendly humor in an attempt to take the edge off the depressing events that transpired in the middle portion of the three-film story arc. The ploy apparently worked. The movie was a big hit in its theatrical release (as was 'Return of the Jedi') and is usually remembered fondly, but has really not held up well to the passage of time.

As most viewers will recall, this is "the one with the whales." Picking up soon after 'Star Trek III', we find the former crew of the starship Enterprise wrapping up their stay on planet Vulcan, where they've been visiting to restore the "katra" (soul) of their recently-deceased friend Spock into his freshly-regenerated body. By this point, he's mostly back to his old self. Their beloved ship having been destroyed last entry, Kirk, McCoy et al. have been slumming it in the captured Klingon rust bucket they've coyly christened the HMS Bounty. Ordered back to Earth to face court martial for their insubordination, our heroes arrive just in time to witness the planet under threat from a massive alien probe of unknown origin (a plot device blatantly recycled from 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture').

Spock quickly ascertains that the probe has been trying to contact the planet's native population of Humpback Whales, which have sadly gone extinct by the 23rd Century. Naturally, the most logical course of action is to slingshot around the sun, time travel back to 1986 (hey, that's the same year that this movie was released!), and pick up some whales for the return trip back to the future. With their ship's cloaking device engaged, the crew lands in San Francisco. Cue some wacky fish-out-of-water hijinks as the characters bumble around town trying to look inconspicuous while searching for an aquarium and "nuclear wessels." Kirk, being Kirk, somehow manages to find a love interest (Catherine Hicks, future '7th Heaven' mom), whose feathered hair and sweater/skirt combo are just the epitome of mid-'80s loveliness. Wouldn't you know it, she also happens to be a marine biologist who might be able to hook him up with a pair of Humpbacks.

Although 'Star Trek III' had been a financial success, it wasn't nearly as well-liked by most viewers as the earlier 'Star Trek II'. Paramount executives wanted another sequel, under condition that it be broader in appeal to non-Trekkies. The time travel gimmick allowed the producers to set the story primarily in the (then) present day, so as to lure in audiences perhaps familiar with the Kirk and Spock characters, but not so interested in all that "science fiction" stuff. Coincidentally, it also happened to save them a lot of money on special effects. A decision was made early on to pitch this adventure to kids by avoiding the use of a villain or any notable violence.

Despite a screenplay co-written by 'Wrath of Khan' director Nicholas Meyer, 'Voyage Home' is a sloppy affair. The script is filled with dopey humor and glaring plot holes. That alien probe disables the power to any electronic device in its vicinity, except of course the power for important things like Life Support, artificial gravity, or communication, which are conveniently unaffected. Attempting to stay hidden and out of the way, Sulu parks the invisible spaceship right in the middle of Golden Gate Park. It's not like anybody goes there in the summer, right? When Scotty needs to illustrate the impossibly-complex formula for a substance called "Transparent Aluminum," about 10 seconds of mashing away at an Apple IIe keyboard gives him a beautifully-animated 3D rendering. Ha ha, that's so cute. It's also kind of like calculating pi to the 100th decimal in the same amount of time, using only an abacus.

Leonard Nimoy returns to the director's chair, and once again lazily stages an important scene of characters watching clips from the last movie as if it were video footage. The contrivance is handled even worse this time, because said footage shows the Enterprise being destroyed from a variety of angles outside the ship . Never you mind where all those magical cameras filming the event were supposed to be. It's best not to think about such things. The director surely didn't.

To be fair, 'The Voyage Home' has breezy pacing that must have seemed to audiences of the time like a welcome respite after the nail-biting tension of 'Wrath of Khan' and the operatic dirge of 'Search for Spock'. The cast is also very relaxed and seems to be having a good time. The preachy "Save the Whales" theme was the trendy political cause du jour, and who wants to admit that they don't love whales?

'Star Trek IV' was and continues to be one of the more popular films in the franchise. But it does nothing for me. Every time I watch it, I like it a little less. Its weaknesses only become more apparent with repeated viewings, and its few redeeming qualities are less and less able to hold the picture together.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' has been released on the Blu-ray format as part of two separate box sets from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film is included in both the 7-disc ' Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection ' (which includes the first six films in the series), and the 3-disc ' Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy ' (which includes only the second through fourth films, comprising the "Genesis Arc"). In either case, the 'Voyage Home' disc itself is identical.

Annoyingly, every single disc in the 'Original Motion Picture Collection' set automatically starts with a very loud trailer for the 2009 'Star Trek' feature film and an ad for the Blu-ray release of ' Star Trek: The Original Series – Season 1 ' before the main menu.

Video Review

The quality of video transfers among the movies in the 'Original Motion Picture Collection' is quite a mixed bag. Unfortunately, 'The Voyage Home' is the worst-looking of the lot.

As with all the other 'Trek' films, the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer here is presented in the movie's 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio. Things start out fairly well. About the first 20 minutes or so have a clean and reasonably sharp image. The contrast range is perhaps a little dim, even in bright scenes, but nothing too objectionable. Some Digital Noise Reduction artifacts such as frozen grain patterns and slightly rubbery facial features are noticeable, though (at this stage) not as severe as the ' Star Trek III ' Blu-ray.

The exact point where things turn south is difficult to pinpoint. There's a gradual degradation of picture quality as the movie goes along. By the middle section of the film, the image becomes quite soft. It doesn't look like soft-focus photography (which is an issue in the first two movies). Nor is it terribly smeary, as will typically result with heavy DNR. The picture just loses a considerable amount of detail and texture. Honestly, as I watched it, there were long stretches of movie where I was ready to proclaim that the disc wasn't a high-def transfer at all. It looks, in many scenes, little better than upconverted standard definition.

Comparing the Blu-ray against the DVD edition of the movie afterwards disabused me of that notion pretty quickly, however. As poor as the Blu-ray is, the DVD is just an outright blurry mess. As the alien probe approaches Earth, the Blu-ray resolves individual windows and lights on Spacedock, whereas they all blur together on the DVD. The DVD is also coated in dirt and debris in all of the movie's special effects sequences (a common problem associated with optically-composited effects of the era), most of which have been cleaned up or digitally painted out on the Blu-ray.

Still, the disc looks very poor. In addition to all of the above, some light edge enhancement has been applied, likely in an ill-advised attempt to sharpen the picture back up. It doesn't improve detail any, and just makes grain look noisy. Severe color banding artifacts are evident in the bright light emanating from the alien probe and the underwater scenes.

Almost hilariously, the picture pops back into life right near the end, as if the transfer operator had been napping and suddenly woke up in time to fix things before the credits rolled.

I'll give the Blu-ray credit for being a big improvement over the DVD (which was no great shakes by SD standards), but 'Star Trek IV' is in desperate need of a fresh film-to-video transfer.

Audio Review

At least the disc sounds better than it looks. The lossless Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack has a full-bodied sound, with a broad and expansive soundstage for Leonard Rosenman's score. The mix has good directionality, and fairly active use of the surround channels for a movie from 1986. The alien probe delivers some thumping bass. The high-pitched whale song effects are sharp and clear.

With that said, the movie's sound design does become sonically duller during most of the scenes set in the 1980s, which are more dialogue-focused and forward-centered. The space scenes are a lot more active, but of course are a much smaller part of the movie. Even so, the soundtrack is very satisfying.

Viewers with 2.35:1 Constant Image Height projection screens may take note that, unlike the other films in the series, 'The Voyage Home' has no subtitled alien dialogue.

Special Features

The Blu-ray is also loaded up with bonus features. Just about everything from the 2-disc Special Collector's Edition DVD has been carried over.

• Audio Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy – Despite their cantankerous reputations, the two stars are old friends and in a good mood for the recording of this commentary. They deliver quite a lot of entertaining banter as they reminisce about the production of the movie. Shatner admits up front that he doesn't like time travel stories.
• Future's Past: A Look Back (SD, 28 min.) – This rather self-congratulatory making-of featurette is all about how much fun, fun, fun everybody had making the movie. The desire for a lighter tone and no violence or villains in this outing is stressed repeatedly.
• On Location (SD, 8 min.) – A discussion about how the movie was shot in San Francisco, some of which by hidden cameras on the street.
• Dailies Deconstruction (SD, 4 min.) – Side-by-side comparisons of different camera takes.
• Below-the-Line: Sound Design (SD, 12 min.) – The movie's sound designer shares a funny anecdote about the creation of the alien probe sounds.
• Time Travel: The Art of the Possible (SD, 11 min.) – Physicists debate the likelihood (or not) of ever attaining time travel or faster-than-light velocity.
• The Language of Whales (SD, 6 min.) – A marine biologist talks about… well, about whales.
• A Vulcan Primer (SD, 8 min.) – An author of 'Star Trek' tie-in novels explains some of the traits of the race. Not only is the piece lame, but if the Vulcans weren't fictional, they'd no doubt complain about racial profiling.
• Kirk's Women (SD, 8 min.) – Catherine Hicks and several other love interests from 'Star Trek' past discuss the inherent sex appeal of both Captain Kirk and William Shatner himself.
• From Outer Space to the Ocean (SD, 15 min.) – An ancient promotional piece from the movie's Electronic Press Kit.
• The Bird of Prey (SD, 3 min.) – Leonard Nimoy explains the design of the ship.
• Original Interviews (SD, 44 min.) – Vintage on-set interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. Shat apparently wasn't in a very good mood that day.
• Roddenberry Scrapbook (SD, 8 min.) – Gene Roddenberry's son Eugene provides a biography of the 'Star Trek' creator.
• Featured Artist: Mark Lenard (SD, 13 min.) – A tribute to the late actor from his widow and daughters.
• Production Gallery (SD, 4 min.) – A photo montage.
• Storyboards – Artwork for 8 scenes.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3 min.)

HD Bonus Content: Any Exclusive Goodies in There?

The Blu-ray also includes several new features.

Will Work in Any Blu-ray Player

• Audio Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman – Perhaps I set my expectations too high, but I was looking forward to hearing what the screenwriters of the 2009 'Star Trek' reboot would have to say about the original film series, and about how much continuity they felt was important to carry over to their work. Instead, the track is a lot of, "Oh, I like this scene," and, "Yeah, me too."
• Library Computer – A very cool interactive graphic trivia interface loaded with screen-specific information about just about every aspect of the 'Star Trek' universe. The track is overflowing with data that pours out at a steady clip.
• Pavel Chekov's Screen Moments (HD, 6 min.) – Walter Keonig is quite proud of his expanded role in this entry, and seems to lament the fact that he usually has so little to do in the series.
• Star Trek: Three Picture Saga (HD, 10 min.) – Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer point out the connections and structure of the "accidental trilogy."
• Star Trek for a Cause (HD, 6 min.) – Greenpeace reps plug their cause. Snore.
• Starfleet Academy SciSec Brief 004: The Whale Probe (HD, 4 min.) – The fourth in a series of ultra-cheesy plot recaps hosted as though they were Starfleet instructional videos.

BD-Live: Requires Profile 2.0

• Star Trek I.Q. – Connect online to participate in 'Star Trek' trivia quizzes. Several pre-made tests are available, or you may create and share your own.

The Cutting Room Floor: What Didn't Make the Blu-ray?

The only item missing from the 2-disc Special Collector's Edition DVD released in 2003 is the text trivia commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda. The information in that track was mostly consolidated into the new Library Computer feature.

Final Thoughts

The 'Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection' contains six feature films and an almost overwhelming volume of supplemental content, both old and new. Although the video quality of some of the later movies in the set is a bit uneven, all are significant improvements over their old DVD editions. Even with its high list price, the set is an easy recommendation for fans. Those who only care for the "Genesis Arc" will find the 3-disc 'Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy' a more affordable alternative.

Though I bet that it's one of Hayden Panettiere's favorite movies of all time, 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' has never been one of mine. I've always found it overrated, and time hasn't been all that kind to it. The Blu-ray video transfer here is the weakest of the set, but still an improvement over DVD. The audio is good, and bonus features are plentiful.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Blu-ray Review

The most accessible and perhaps most popular star trek feature film is brought into the 4k timeline in a wonderful remaster..

The Bottom Line

Emboldened by the strong response to The Search for Spock which turned the clock back and reunited Spock with the crew of the Enterprise crew, Paramount almost immediately turned their attention to the next installment in the series. But in lightening the tone quite significantly from its two predecessors, the studio even managed to produce a film that was more accessible to casual filmgoers, which expanded the fanbase considerably.

Following immediately from the events of The Search for Spock , Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise crew are summoned to Federation Headquarters to account for the consequences of their actions in returning to the restricted Genesis planet and the destruction of their flagship vessel.

En route, however, Earth becomes attacked by a powerful and mysterious entity that has paralyzed global power grids and generated crippling superstorms across the globe. The only hope for Earth is the plucky crew of the Enterprise and ancient Kington technology, which sees the crew return to Earth - circa 1986!

Universally referred to as "the one with the whales," The Voyage Home is often singled out as the standout entry in the original six feature films, earned by a refreshingly lighter change of pace, a somewhat relatable time frame, and which breaks free from the sci-fi gobbled-gook and reliance on prior Star Trek lore.

Video transfer

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with H.265 compression and graded for HDR-10 and Dolby Vision.

As with its three predecessors, Paramount has returned to the original conformed camera negative in producing this brand new 4K transfer. In doing so, it wipes memories clean of the Blu-ray transfer, which exceeds two decades of age.

The image is stable, clear and detailed, and almost entirely cleaned of film artifacts and noise, which, owing to the analog nature of post-production, have been part of the image since conception. The 1980's settings offer a bit more visual panache and more natural lighting than the overly dark and dank sets that most of the Trek films to date had been filmed on, and this is reflected in a brighter and crisper image for the most part. Color balance is excellent, with rich and saturated tones where appropriate.

Overall, this is perhaps the best looking of the first four Trek features now released on the 4K format. We can only hope that the other entries are given the same care and consideration. Owing to their more recent vintage, I'd be very surprised if they don't easily surpass what's offered here.

Audio transfer

The default audio track is a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, at 24 bits.

Released theatrically in six-track Dolby audio, The Voyage Home debuted in a remixed 7.1 track for the 2009 Blu-ray release, which has been repurposed for this 4K release.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, and owing to its age, the mix remains quite a front-heavy mix, despite some reasonably impressive attempts to engage the rear channels with discreet effects to match the infrequent battle sequences, but less so during more reflective ones. I noticed no problems with audio sync, and the dialogue was fine for the most part. Surround usage is a little inconsistent; the general ambiance is a tad lacking, but the surrounds spring into life during some of the numerous action sequences. The subwoofer receives sufficient attention when called upon.

Again, Paramount has provided a good, albeit conservative remix for the film, bringing it into line with modern expectations, which remains true to the original intentions.

Bonus materials

Unfortunately, at odds with the U.S. release, Paramount has not included a copy of the standard Blu-ray in the Australian release, which means all the video-based features are completely, and disappointingly absent.

However, the 4K disc does include two previously released audio commentaries , the first provided by Director/ actor Leonard Nimoy and actor William Shatner which is a lot of fun, and the duo play off each other well. While their relationship soured in the latter few years of Nimoy's life, this is a nice time capsule (circa 2003) that preserves the height of their friendship forever.

The second commentary features Star Trek: Into Darkness writing duo Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman who speak fondly of the film and what it ultimately meant for the career, noting that the latter has now received the keys to the Star Trek kingdom - for better or worse.

The lightest and most accessible of the original Trek features, The Voyage Home's 4K debut leaves the previous Blu-ray in the cold of space.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Ben Gourlay

Ben joined the TweakTown team in 2008 and has since reviewed 100s of movies. Ben is based in Australia and has covered entertainment news and reviews since 2002. A student of film, Ben brings a wide understanding of the medium to the latest happenings in entertainment circles and the latest blockbuster theatrical reviews.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K UHD Review

• September 8, 2021

There Be Whales

After three serious, potentially galaxy-altering events, Star Trek IV lets the Enterprise crew settle down. Star Trek IV doesn’t work unless the characters do, or have the necessary build-up. It’s an odd, at times goofy sci-fi comedy – and the best of Star Trek .

Although Earth’s destruction is near, the script toys with fish-out-of-water comedy (almost literally). If there’s an equivalent, it’s Escape from Planet of the Apes , which after vaporizing Earth, the script implausibly sent the apes back into (then) current America. Cue antics after two devastatingly potent, cruel social parables.

Undeniably bonded after their near death experiences and loss, Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) view our modern living as a nightmarish hellscape. Forever positive about mankind’s future endeavors, Star Trek IV chastises the era of pollution, crude healthcare, and animal cruelty. The franchise indirectly dealt with racial inequality, but uses this fourth film’s script for a machine gun-like assault on society’s obvious errors.

Star Trek IV isn’t smug or preaching – it’s merely observant about the obvious. Being so playfully chipper, the entertainment value in the Russian Chekov (Walter Koenig) asking for nuclear devices, at the Cold War’s height, carefully navigates international paranoia through laughs. Arguably, as mass entertainment, Star Trek IV better delivers its wide-reaching thematic goals better than the other three film’s drama-laden action.

It’s weird, yes, imagining a solution that involves stealing whales through time so the mammals can communicate with aliens. Yet, to Star Trek IV , the logic fits. In their future, Kirk and Spock no longer have whales on Earth. Not protecting them led to near cataclysm. Using whales to symbolize climate-based extinction provides a wacky answer to a complicated scenario, and still connected to the grander story arc.

Seeing Spock work through a culture he doesn’t comprehend proves a delight, a generous, comic success, which brings light to a steadfast and certain personality. Spock adjusts, partly because of his book smarts, but also for his well-honed improvisation, a sort of Beverly Hills Cop in Star Trek where Shatner takes over for Eddie Murphy.

Always considered the headier series compared to a Star Wars , there’s a definite offensiveness to treating these iconic characters as out-of-place oddballs. Or rather, there could be, had Star Trek IV not cautiously maintained gargantuan stakes for the crew. That they play up their roles only hides their uncertainty as they pretend to be in control.

Of the four Star Trek films in this UHD collection , Star Trek IV looks the most accurate to the 35mm stock. While encoding struggles against the hazier, smokier cinematograohy in spots, the clarity excels considering the thicker grain structure. Better, the filtering apparent within the previous transfers is gone, leaving no smearing or unnatural glossiness. Oddly though, it’s the least detailed of the four, but blame the source material. Texture isn’t lacking by any means, rather not as precise.

Command screens on board the ships produce superlative color saturation. Primaries bloom. A few shots of Earth from space present ocean blues at their most gorgeous. Flesh tones pose no issues, and density in other colors (like red Federation uniforms) show dazzling, natural purity.

Generous without being overbearing, Dolby Vision highlights control panels, stars when against space’s strict black, and other such sources. It’s dynamic, but doesn’t draw attention to itself. Shadows push full black, albeit with careful nuance. Crush doesn’t cause problems.

Well formed ambiance aboard ships keeps a sense of space moving. Engines hum as characters speak, and computer panels bounce between the stereos where needed. Stormy weather on Earth sends rain and thunder into the surrounds. It’s consistently active and spacious, easily the best of these four.

LFE drops from the thunderstorms and the whale sound-producing ship. Weight is satisfying, still vintage, but enough to bring Star Trek IV into the modern audio era. When Kirk’s crew time travels, the air pressure builds a sustained power in the subwoofer, this as the ship erupts, spreading metal and glass into the rears.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy join up for one of two commentaries on the UHD. The other puts Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman in the booth.

The Blu-ray has them too, but also everything else. The Library Computer pop-up feature returns, running alongside the movie. Five production featurettes detail various elements in the production, even one on Chekov himself. Seven more featurettes explore various Star Trek lore. Two more detail the visual effects. Interviews, two tributes, galleries, and trailer complete the set.

Full disclosure : This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

A playful delight with genuine global stakes, Star Trek IV is the easiest watch of the series and arguably the best for it

User Review

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 47 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD:

Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com . You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki .

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Review by: Fusion3600

Plot: What’s it about?

It seems like the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise can never catch a break. James T. Kirk (William “Willie” Shatner) and his crew were forced to commandeer a ship without permission to rescue their friend Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and now they’re facing criminal charges for their actions. No sooner do they start to put the pieces back together than they find themselves involved in yet another important mission, with the fate of the entire planet in jeopardy this time. A strange alien probe begins to emit audio patterns no one can decipher and soon begins to cause atmospheric problems such as storms and the like. After some time it is learned the sound is that of the humpback whale and perhaps if they are able to decode that language they can learn the message inside the probe’s patterns. But this might be a little difficult since the humpback whales have been driven into extinction, which leaves one option…time travel. Kirk and his crew travel back in time to 1986 where the attempt to rescue some whales and study them to unlock the patterns. This crew has seen many strange beings and sights in their day, but 1986s population might be a little too much for them…

This is an unbeatable concept if you ask me. I mean you’ve got two of the finest actors ever to grace the screen in the form of William “Big Will” Shatner and George Takei mixed in with a storyline that deals with communicating with a group of humpback whales. I’m sold right there, no more enticement needed for me to check this movie out. Of course I’ve seen this movie several times before I wrote this review, so I have a history with this movie…a dark past if you will. You see this movie was issued on laserdisc back in the day and it looked like someone defecated in a napkin, placed it on a shiny disc, and sold it. So I am stuck without a decent looking version of this movie…until now. Paramount has stepped up to the plate with this release and knocked one out of the park in terms of visual transfer quality. So I am pleased as punch as it is, since you must realize that I love this movie to pieces. If you’re a fan of the Star Trek films then this will be a must have in your collection, but even non Trek die-hards will find plenty to like with this installment. I recommend this release as a rental or purchase to all those reading this review and whichever option you choose, your money is well spent here.

This film was directed by Leonard Nimoy, who we all know affectionately as Mr. Spock or that “wacky” Vulcan. As if his terrific work in front of the camera wasn’t enough, Leo had to show off behind it as well and his efforts stand as solid entries in the series. I like the visual style used in this movie and I think it sets an appropriate tone for both this installment and the series as a whole. This is perhaps my favorite film in the series and that fact is due in part to how Nimoy uses his camera to capture the images. Nimoy also directed Star Trek III: The Search For Spock as well as other films such as Three Men And A Baby, Holy Matrimony, and Funny About Love. Of course Nimoy also reprises his role of Mr. Spock and he does a fine, stoic turn as usual. The man behind the magic of Star Trek, William “Bill” Shatner (Free Enterprise) takes the lead once again and gives an award worthy performance, as always. When it comes to playing a noble and fearless leader, no one does it better than Dickie Shatner baby! The supporting cast also includes DeForest Kelley (Trekkies), master thespian George Takei (Mulan), James Doohan (National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon One), Walter Koenig (Blonde Justice), and Nichelle Nichols (Porgy & Bess).

Video: How does it look?

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. If you’ve suffered through the miserable laserdisc transfer of this movie, prepare to rejoice as this release shows none of the problems that plagued that previous version. A brand new anamorphic transfer has been struck for this release and the framing reflects the correct intentions, which allows me to breathe a sigh of relief. The source print looks clean and free from debris and I could find no compression errors at all on this sucker. The colors appear bold and vivid with no visible problems and flesh tones retain natural hues as well. The contrast is stark and accurate, I noticed no problems with detail level or shadow layering in this transfer.

Audio: How does it sound?

This release contains a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 track which provides an above average audio experience, though it lacks the depth and punch of an original 5.1 track. This one opens up the gates on the surrounds more than a few times and when that happens the audio is excellent. But when the surrounds are called on for more subtle use, the mix seems to falter somewhat leaving the background noise flat and inactive for the most part. The music sounds very good though which is always a good sign. The dialogue sounds terrific and has no problems whatever, every word is crisp and easily audible.

Supplements: What are the extras?

This release contains the film’s theatrical trailer and a brief featurette with Leonard Nimoy, in which he discusses the production of the movie. I’m pleased to see these value elements added, but I would love a full blown special edition of this and the other Star Trek films in the future.

Disc Scores

• STANDARD DVD
• Video Codec: MPEG-2
• Audio: Dolby Digital
• Theatrical Trailer
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scene(s)
• Documentary
• Digital Copy

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Star Trek: The Voyage Home BLU-RAY REVIEW

Posted by Shawn S. Lealos | Jun 14, 2010 | Shawn Reviews | 0

The Lowdown

While this is the most successful  Star Trek  movie, the most profitable of the original series, I never liked it when I saw it as a kid. Hell, this movie is what made me not return for future installments of the franchise. I thought it was stupid at that time and the entire “saving the whale” subplot was ridiculous to me. This was  Star Trek  and I thought it had officially jumped the shark, causing me to shut it out for a long time.

The crew is travelling back home after rescuing Spock and are facing criminal charges for their actions in the last movie. When they reach Earth, they find that a probe has shut down everything and has blocked out the sun. Earth will perish if they don’t figure out a way to eliminate this danger. The probe is sending an audio signal to Earth and they realize it is waiting for a response, but no one knows what it wants. It is very similar to the plotline from the first movie in that aspect until Spock realizes the sound similar to the humpback whales songs, a species that had been extinct on Earth for years.

The plot makes no sense, the crew deciding to go back in to the past to capture two humpback whales to bring back to the present day so they can respond to the probe. The movie becomes a fish out of water film with McCoy horrified at the “barbaric” medical practices, Spock unsure about the 20th Century dialect, Scotty teaching an engineer how to develop the technology they need to fix their ship and Chekov getting his chance to shine as he is captured by the U.S. Military while trying to gain some nuclear power for their ship. The entire movie is hilarious, their time spent in our time keeping it light and fun.

The Package

There are two commentary tracks on this Blu-Ray and both are really good. The first is with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. The bad news is Shatner is on his best behavior in the commentary and doesn’t make fun of Nimoy at all. That was a huge disappointment for me. However, the two carry on a great discussion about the movie, from the behind the scenes information to the plotline. They delivered a comfortable commentary that was easy to listen to and flowed throughout the movie. The second track is a “fan” track with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, the writers of JJ Abram’s  Star Trek  reboot. They talk about the movie as fans, mentioning their reactions from the first time they saw the movie and pondering questions raised through re-watching the film. It is a fun track, not giving any real information about the movie, but allowing us to listen to two guys like us watching the movie. The same Library Computer feature that was on the other movies is also available here.

On Location  is a fun look at the location shooting of the movie. What makes this unique is that most Star Trek movies are shot on sound stages. This is one of the first times they actually shot outdoors.  Dailies Deconstruction  is a short feature where you see the separate shots in a scene and the differences between camera angles, dialogue and more. It is decent but nothing important to watch.  Below the Line Sound Design  is exactly what it sounds like, a discussion with the man who created the sounds for the movie, from the phasers to the transporter. The sound editor says that Nimoy was a huge stickler for all the sound effects in this movie, preferring them to an actual score in some cases.

Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments  (HD) is an awesome interview with Walter Koenig about his big moments in this movie. He is so appreciative about the big moments he got in this movie. Koenig mentions that prior to this, he only got sound clips on the ship and when he got the big chase scene, with a Russian score, he was happier than he ever was making a  Star Trek  movie.  Time Travel: The Art of the Possible  has three physicists talk about time travel and its real-world possibilities.  The Language of Whales  is about various types of whales and their dialects.

A Vulcan Primer  is narrated by a  Star Trek  novelist and discusses the Vulcan race, touching on their controlled emotions as well as the rules and lives of these beings.  Kirk’s Women  looks at the women that Kirk has courted in the movies. It has the women who starred as his love interests talking about both Kirk and William Shatner and is pretty much just a love fest for The Shat.  Star Trek: Three Picture Saga  (HD) looks at the “trilogy” that occurred from the second through the fourth movies. The fact that it was not meant to be a “trilogy” is explored as writers and crewmembers discuss the storyline, the inconsistencies and more.  Star Trek: For a Cause  (HD) is a Greenpeace special talking about how the movie helped their cause. They also mention that if you join Greenpeace today, you will get a personal call from William Shatner thanking you.  Starfleet Academy Scisec Brief 004: The Whale Probe  is more of the same old crap.

From Outer Space to the Ocean  is a look at the visual effects in the movie. They talk about how the more difficult effects were caused by the present day sequences. They look at the ocean, planetary and futuristic Earth effects and discuss how they made it work with present day San Francisco was thrown in as well.  The Bird of Prey  is another look at the spacecraft, much of it shown on the last film’s features. There are three original interviews with William Shatner, Deforest Kelly and Leonard Nimoy included as extras as well. Shatner is very difficult to interview in his segment, making the interviewer work hard for his answers.  Roddenberry’s Scrapbook  talks to the creator’s son about his father’s life and work.  Featured Artist: Mark Lenard  talks to the family of the man who portrayed Spock’s father about his life and career. There is also a production gallery, storyboards and trailers.

About The Author

Shawn S. Lealos

Shawn is a film critic with 30 years of experience in print and online media. He is a former member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle and loves everything from critically acclaimed movies to B-level action flicks and everything in between.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray (Original 4-Movie Collection)

Arguably one of the lesser installments, Leonard Nimoy's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is nonetheless a dearly beloved, nostalgia-riddled entry for this fan. The concluding chapter in the "Genesis Trilogy" comes with a heavy-handed environmental message full of silly humor but gifts the crew of Enterprise a memorable redemption story. The adventure comes home on 4K Ultra HD sporting a strong Dolby Vision video, an identical Dolby TrueHD track, and pretty much the same set of supplements. As part of the  Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray  Set , the overall UHD package is Recommended .

Read our reviews for:

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture  - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan  - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
• Star Trek III: The Search For Spock  - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Ultra HD

• Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy
• Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Blu-ray

• Library Computer (HD)
• Future’s Past: A Look Back
• On Location
• Dailies Deconstruction
• Below-the-Line: Sound Design
• Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments (HD)
• Time Travel: The Art of the Possible
• The Language of Whales
• A Vulcan Primer
• Kirk’s Women
• The Three-Picture Saga (HD)
• Star Trek for a Cause (HD)
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 004: The Whale Probe (HD)
• From Outer Space to the Ocean
• The Bird of Prey
• Leonard Nimoy
• William Shatner
• DeForest Kelley
• Roddenberry Scrapbook
• Featured Artist: Mark Lenard
• Production Gallery
• Storyboards
• Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Although I can admit that Leonard Nimoy's second tour of directorial duty is one of the lesser entries of the series, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home has nonetheless earned a special place in my heart. I openly profess to enjoy the concluding chapter of the "Genesis Trilogy" while wearing massive rose-colored glasses. It is purely a nostalgia piece for me, and I love it, warts and all. The movie does stand out from the rest, especially after the somber tone of the previous two, for its family-friendly, oft-wacky comedic aspects and overall lighthearted air. Chekov being detained and injured while trying to heist a nuclear reactor is more shenanigans than seriously dangerous, and Spock trying to master profanity is just downright goofy. All the while, it lacks the creative subtlety of its predecessors with a heavy-handed environmental message about saving the whales, which ultimately comes off as the filmmakers tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of the period. 

My love for this fourth installment, however, is due to deeply personal reasons, from a major part of my life that makes me forgive the film's shortcomings. When it was made available on home video the following year after its theatrical run, I had only been in the U.S. for maybe three or four years. And although I was already familiar with and a fan of the Star Trek series, Nimoy and Harve Bennett's fish-out-of-water story about time-traveling to present-day America oddly made a more lasting impression than the other movies or the show. I instantly related to Spock trying to make sense of the cultural norms and language, and I laughed at Chekov's pronunciation of vessel. Every time I sit down to watch the movie, I still find myself giggling at the silly humor while reminiscing on my childhood. For a young teen picked on for being an immigrant, movies and shows like Star Trek were my escapist solace, and the fourth entry, in particular, was one I could relate with the most at the time. The Voyage Home remains a fun and personally loved installment. 

For a more in-depth take on the film, check out Josh Zyber's review of the 2009 Blu-ray HERE .

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray

Paramount Home Entertainment brings the Star Trek film series to 4K Ultra HD as an eight-disc combo pack dubbed the "4-Movie Collection" that includes a flyer with Digital Copy codes for each movie. Said code unlocks 4K UHD digital copies on services like iTunes and Vudu with Dolby Vision HDR video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. The first four dual-layered UHD66 discs are housed inside a slightly thicker black, eco-elite case with two center spindles. Meanwhile, the remaining four Region Free Blu-ray copies are packaged inside a separate thicker-than-normal blue, eco-elite case with two center spindles. The two packages come with a glossy, side-sliding slipcover. At startup, viewers are greeted with a static screen, the usual options along the bottom, and music playing in the background.

Video Review

The Genesis storyline comes to a close on Ultra HD with what appears to be the result of another true remaster of the original camera negatives although a few notable issues remain worth mentioning. For the most part, the HEVC H.265 encode shows a welcomed uptick in overall definition and clarity, from the discrete sharp details of the Klingon ship and the streets of San Francisco to the fine stitching in the costumes and the individual leaves of trees. In Dolby Vision HDR, the most striking gain comes from the improved contrast and brightness balance, bathing the 2.35:1 image with bright, vivid whites and true, inky blacks that allow for better visibility within the shadows and the darkest, poorly lit corners of the Klingon vessel. Specular highlights supply the visuals with a crisp, dynamic sparkle along metallic surfaces and a more brilliant but narrower glow in the hottest areas to reveal more of the finer details. 

However, the biggest complaint with the picture quality is the inconsistency, which was a salient problem with the Blu-ray but is now made more pronounced at this resolution. This would seem to suggest that either the issue is with the condition of the elements or inherent to the original photography. Whatever the case may be, the native 4K transfer often shifts from a vibrant, eye-catching image with plenty of richly saturated colors to suddenly a dull and lackluster palette where those same colors look faded and wanting, sometimes within the same scene. For example, the scene where Catherine Hicks's cetologist gives Kirk and Spock a ride, the two shot of the men shows lush green grass and a lovely blue sky, but the single of Hicks is noticeably washed out and flat, which does affect the contrast and brightness of the picture. There are also several soft moments sprinkled throughout, and facial complexions can be a bit of a mixed bag as well. 

All things considered, despite its less-than-satisfying distractions, the overall transfer is strong and marked upgrade over its HD SDR counterparts. Awash in a very fine layer of grain, the encode has a nice film-like quality fans will appreciate. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 74/100)

Audio Review

The time-traveling adventure arrives to home theaters with an identical Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack and is arguably the strongest of the lot. Almost immediately, the soundstage feels broad and welcoming as Leonard Rosenman's score fills the room with clean distinction and an extensive, room-penetrating mid-range. Background activity convincingly moves between the three front channels, generating a broad sense of space, and several atmospherics display excellent directionality, nicely extending the soundfield. When applying the receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, those same effects appreciably bleed into the top heights with satisfying effectiveness. Dialogue is precise and very well-prioritized over the loudest segments, and a surprisingly robust, weighty low-end provides a palpable presence to the on-screen visuals, making for an outstanding listen and a really great lossless mix. 

For a more in-depth take on the audio quality, you can read Josh Zyber's review of the Blu-ray HERE . (Audio Rating: 84/100)

Special Features

For this Ultra HD edition, Paramount beams up the same archival materials from past releases, but they are still well worth picking through if you haven't gone through them before.

Ultra HD Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy
• Audio Commentary featuring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Remastered Blu-ray Disc

• Library Computer Viewing Mode 
• Production (HD, SD)
• Future’s Past: A Look Back (28 min)
• On Location (7 min)
• Dailies Deconstruction (4 min)
• Below-the-Line: Sound Design (12 min)
• Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments (6 min)
• The Star Trek Universe  (HD, SD)
• Time Travel: The Art of the Possible (11 min)
• The Language of Whales (6 min)
• A Vulcan Primer (8 min)
• Kirk’s Women (8 min)
• Star Trek: The Three-Picture Saga (10 min)
• Star Trek for a Cause (6 min)
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 004: The Whale Probe (4 min)
• Visual Effects Featurettes (SD)
• From Outer Space to the Ocean (15 min)
• The Bird-of-Prey (3 min)
• Original Cast Interviews (SD)
• William Shatner (15 min)
• Leonard Nimoy (16)
• DeForest Kelley (13 min)
• Special Tributes (SD)
• Roddenberry Scrapbook (8 min)
• Featured Artist: Mark Lenard (13 min)
• Production Gallery (SD)
• Storyboards Galleries (HD)

Final Thoughts

Although considered one of the lesser installments, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is, for this fan, nonetheless a dearly beloved entry in the series, largely due to the nostalgia attached. As the concluding chapter in the "Genesis Trilogy," writer Harve Bennett and director Leonard Nimoy gift the crew of Enterprise a redemption story wrapped in a heavy-handed environmental message and a good amount of humor that personally, makes the movie all the more memorable. The adventure comes home on 4K Ultra HD sporting a strong if also somewhat problematic Dolby Vision HDR presentation that still offers a significant upgrade over its Blu-ray counterpart, but it features the same Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack and pretty much the same set of supplements. As part of the Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection set, the overall UHD package is recommended .

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Remastered) [Blu-ray]

• Prime Video $4.29 — $14.99
• Blu-ray $13.99
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• VHS Tape from $7.03

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Product Description

The crew of the Enterprise returns to 20th century Earth in order to save their own future.

Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 1.6 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ 5823073
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Blu-ray, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen, AC-3
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 2 hours and 2 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ April 19, 2016
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Nichelle Nichols, Kelley DeForest, James Doohan, William Shatner, George Takei
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French, Spanish
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ Portuguese, French, English, Spanish
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Paramount
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002I9Z8CG
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #873 in Science Fiction Blu-ray Discs

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