Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

MPA Rating: PG-Rating (MPA)

Reviewed by: Ian Hosier
CONTRIBUTOR

Moral Rating:	Average
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:	Teens Adults
Genre:	Sci-Fi
Length:	1 hr. 52 min.
Year of Release:	1986
USA Release:

Featuring	William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForrest Kelley, George Takai, James Doohan, Walter Koenig
Director	Leonard Nimoy
Producer	Ralph Winter
Distributor	Paramount Pictures Corporation, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS

It’s the 23rd century and a mysterious Alien probe is threatening Earth. In a frantic attempt to save the planet, Kirk and crew must time travel back to 1986 in an attempt to retrieve a pair of hump back whales; to a world of punks. pizza and exact change buses as alien as anything they have encountered in space before!

This film is a generally good humoured (the only Star Trek movie that made me laugh—a lot!). It will be enjoyable for many teens and adults. Occasional bad language and a complex storyline would make this movie unsuitable for children.

BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE: This film indirectly preaches false evolutionary ideas including the memorable comment “whales have taken 10 million years to evolve” and also that man (Kirk and his crew) are capable of saving the planet—a task which only God is qualified to do. However, the film also conveys a very positive message concerning the need for conservation of God’s creation (and the possible consequences of not doing so), although of course God is the judge and not some alien race.

ILLEGAL BEHAVIOUR: This film is generally very moral and decent, however there are a few profanities including two instances of taking the Lord’s name in vain. There are no scenes of sex or violence in this movie.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Watch and enjoy, but make sure your Christian worldview is intact before you do!

Positive

Positive—This is probably the most accessible of the Star Trek movies (save, maybe, First Contact). It’s much more funny than the others, and has the ability to laugh at the Star Trek universe. The Trekkers go back to 20th century California to gets a few whales to save their world. Here, it does take something of an environmentalist turn, and we DO have to sit through a bit of near-preaching by a tour guide (played by the same woman who now played Annie Camden on 7th Heaven). She falls for Kirk, but wants to see that the dolphins are safe.

Much of the movie is about these characters in the 20th century… Bones lamenting the primitive medical conditions, Scotty talking to a man’s Macintosh, expecting it to reply, and everyone getting used to the rudeness this is 20th Century California. Some of the more memorable, yet possibly offensive, running gags in this movie is Spock’s attempt to fit in to the culture by mildly swearing in every other line. The main reason I find this funny is that it shows to us the stupidity and the needlessness of profanity.
My Ratings: [Better than Average / 4]

David Poe, age 24

Neutral

Neutral—Good message about treating the environment and God’s creatures correctly as to avoid disaster. The familiar “Star Trek” characters looked a little too comfortable moving around in the 20th century, however. I understood that they would have knowledge of history, but the time travel plot didn’t go over well. Mainly for fans of the series.
My Ratings: [Better than Average / 2½]

Hillari Hunter, age 40