Movie · 1986 · Science Fiction, Adventure · 1h 58m · PG · English
Curator score: 6.7/10 (158.5K ratings)
Star date: 1986. How on Earth can they save the future?
Overview
When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize Earth's oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.7/10
IMDb: 7.3/10
Letterboxd: 3.74/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Metacritic: 71
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Leonard Nimoy
Production
Paramount Pictures
Cast
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt, Majel Barrett, Robert Ellenstein, John Schuck, Brock Peters, Robin Curtis, Catherine Hicks, Michael Snyder, Michael Berryman, Mike Brislane, Grace Lee Whitney, Jane Wiedlin
Where to watch
fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential
Curator Review
Verdict
A buoyant, unusually humane sci-fi adventure that turns a high-stakes save-the-world premise into a funny, character-driven time-travel romp. Its environmental message is clear but never smothering, and the cast chemistry carries the movie through its most absurd ideas.
Best for
Viewers who like sci-fi with warmth and humor
Fans of fish-out-of-water comedies
People who enjoy ensemble chemistry over heavy spectacle
Anyone looking for an upbeat 80s adventure with a conscience
Skip if
You want hard sci-fi or serious space opera
You dislike broad comedy in franchise films
You need constant action or villain-driven plotting
You prefer modern pacing and polished effects
Overview
This is the rare franchise sequel that gets stranger and lighter without losing its sense of purpose. What begins as an extinction-level crisis becomes a genial, often very funny trip through 1980s San Francisco, where the joke is not just that the crew is out of place, but that their personalities are so well-defined they can survive almost any premise.
Worth noting
The movie’s biggest strength is how confidently it trades scale for charm. Instead of leaning on spectacle, it leans on rapport, timing, and a surprisingly affectionate view of human behavior. The environmental angle is earnest, but the film never feels like a lecture; it feels like a lark with a conscience.
Bottom line
Even when the plotting gets shaggy, the movie keeps finding new ways to be delightful. It’s the kind of studio sci-fi comedy that feels handmade, with enough wit and warmth to make the absurdity part of the pleasure.
Top Letterboxd reviews
SilentDawn (4.5★) · 656 likes
89/100
Beginning with "save the world" importance and ending with life-affirming joy, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a film which shreds its urgency as it goes along, supplanting stakes for a sweet dose of environmentalism and shaggy comedy. Our characters are already so iconic in their traits that creating a humble hangout film feels like a natural progression in the Star Trek series. The heroes are obviously involved in the imminent threat, but the audience is carried away… more
Branson Reese · 513 likes
Insane that this works. On paper it's a mess. A bunch of visibly aging people from the future travel back in time to save two whales and the whole thing has a lightly comedic fish-out-of-water tone. What if this was the first Star Trek anything? I'll tell you what if: it would work. I know because this is the first Star Trek thing I saw as a kid. That's not totally true. I saw Worf at Paramount King's Dominion when… more Insane that this works. On paper it's a mess. A bunch of visibly aging people from the future travel back in time to save two whales and the whole thing has a lightly comedic fish-out-of-water tone. What if this was the first Star Trek anything? I'll tell you what if: it would work. I know because this is the first Star Trek thing I saw as a kid. That's not totally true. I saw Worf at Paramount King's Dominion when… more
matt lynch (3.5★) · 474 likes
can you imagine a fourth entry in a lucrative franchise taking a hard swerve into comedy like this these days? although it's certainly choppy since it's still got a goofy, expository and "relevant" sci-fi adventure to deal with, you put a few beers in me and i'll start arguing for it as a Hawksian hangout movie born inadvertently out of nostalgic familiarity and outright fan service.
Ian West (5★) · 334 likes
"Doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!!”
Mr. DuLac (4★) · 319 likes
You're proposing that we go backwards in time, find humpback whales, then bring them forward in time, drop 'em off, and hope to Hell they tell this probe what to do with itself?!-McCoy
With 24 seasons over 5 television series and 12 feature films, The Voyage Home has to have the most ridiculous plot in Star Trek's over 45 year history and yet it ends up being one of it's greatest films. Not only does the film feature no… more