Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Leonard Nimoy

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek)
Leonard Nimoy (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Beaming down to Earth December 12 1986

Plot:

To save Earth from an alien probe, Kirk and his crew go back in time to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it, humpback whales.

Plot Keywords:

Probe | Whale | Time Travel | Space | Punk

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

William Shatner	...	Admiral / Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Captain Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
James Doohan	...	Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
George Takei	...	Commander Hikaru Sulu
Walter Koenig	...	Commander Pavel Chekov
Nichelle Nichols	...	Cmdr. Uhura
Jane Wyatt	...	Amanda
Catherine Hicks	...	Dr. Gillian Taylor
Mark Lenard	...	Ambassador Sarek
Robin Curtis	...	Lieutenant Saavik
Robert Ellenstein	...	Federation Council President
John Schuck	...	Klingon Ambassador
Brock Peters	...	Admiral Cartwright
Michael Snyder	...	Starfleet communications officer
Michael Berryman	...	Starfleet display officer
Mike Brislane	...	Saratoga science officer
Grace Lee Whitney	...	Commander Janice Rand
Jane Wiedlin	...	Alien Communications Officer Trillya
Vijay Amritraj	...	Starship captain
Majel Barrett	...	Dr. Christine Chapel
Nick Ramus	...	Saratoga helmsman
Thaddeus Golas	...	Controller #1
Marty Pistone	...	Controller #2
Scott DeVenney	...	Bob Briggs
Viola Kates Stimpson	...	Lady in tour (as Viola Stimpson)
Phil Rubenstein	...	Garbageman #1
John Miranda	...	Garbageman #2
Joe Knowland	...	Antique-store owner
Bob Sarlatte	...	Waiter
Everett Lee	...	Cafe owner
Richard Harder	...	Joe
Alex Henteloff	...	Dr. Nichols
Tony Edwards	...	Pilot
Eve Smith	...	Elderly patient
Tom Mustin	...	Intern #1
Greg Karas	...	Intern #2
Raymond Singer	...	Young doctor
David Ellenstein	...	Doctor #1
Judy Levitt	...	Doctor #2
Teresa E. Victor	...	Usher
James Menges	...	Jogger
Kirk R. Thatcher	...	Punk on bus / Vulcan computer voice (as Kirk Thatcher)
Jeff Lester	...	FBI agent interrogating Chekov
Joe Lando	...	Shore Patrolman
Newell Tarrant	...	Commander Rogerson
Mike Timoney	...	Electronics technician
Jeffrey Martin	...	Electronics technician
Sgt. Joseph Naradzay	...	Marine sergeant (as 1stSgt. Joseph Narazday, USMC)
1st Lt. Donald W. Zautcke	...	Marine lieutenant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Adamson	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Monique DeSart	...	Madeleine (uncredited)
Stephen Liska	...	Torg (archive footage) (uncredited)
Madge Sinclair	...	Saratoga captain (uncredited)

Directed by
Leonard Nimoy

Writing credits
Gene Roddenberry		(television series Star Trek)
Leonard Nimoy		(story) &
Harve Bennett		(story)
Steve Meerson		(screenplay) &
Peter Krikes		(screenplay) and
Harve Bennett		(screenplay) &
Nicholas Meyer		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harve Bennett	....	producer
Brooke Breton	....	associate producer
Kirk R. Thatcher	....	associate producer (as Kirk Thatcher)
Ralph Winter	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Leonard Rosenman

Cinematography by
Donald Peterman		(as Don Peterman)

Film Editing by
Peter E. Berger

Casting by
Amanda Mackey Johnson

Production Design by
Jack T. Collis
Peter Landsdown Smith

Art Direction by
Joe Aubel
Nilo Rodis-Jamero
Peter Landsdown Smith

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer

Costume Design by
Robert Fletcher

Makeup Department
Silvia Abascal	....	hair stylist
Jeff Dawn	....	makeup artist
Wes Dawn	....	makeup artist
Monique DeSart	....	hair stylist
Deborah Holmes Dobson	....	hair stylist
Rolf John Keppler	....	special makeup effects artist
James Lee McCoy	....	key makeup artist
Carol A. O'Connell	....	hair stylist
Brian Wade	....	Klingon and Vulcan prosthetics designer
Rick Stratton	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Mel Efros	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph Adamson	....	dga trainee (as Joe Adamson)
Frank Capra III	....	second assistant director
Pat Kehoe	....	first assistant director
Michael Owens	....	second unit director
Randy Suhr	....	assistant director
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Richard J. Bayard	....	construction coordinator
James R. Bayliss	....	set designer
Richard Berger	....	set designer
Lloyd A. Buswell	....	construction foreman
Ed Charnock	....	paint foreperson
William K. Dolan	....	property person
Huey Duval	....	property person
Douglas Freeman	....	construction coordinator
John Gadette	....	stand-by painter
Daniel Gluck	....	set designer
Ron Greenwood	....	property master
Joseph E. Hubbard	....	assistant art director (as Joe Hubbard)
John Matheson	....	construction foreperson
Ralph McQuarrie	....	visual consultant
Charles Sertin	....	property person
Barton M. Susman	....	leadperson
Kaye Trapp	....	assistant property master
Robert Van Dyke	....	propmaker gangboss

Sound Department
Michael J. Benavente	....	sound effects editor
Destiny Borden	....	assistant adr editor
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator
George Budd	....	special sound effects
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	sound mixer
Steve Cantamessa	....	boom operator
Christopher Flick	....	assistant adr editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound effects editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Doug Hemphill	....	sound effects recordist
Ellen Heuer	....	foley artist
Alan Howarth	....	special sound effects
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Jennings	....	utility sound
Nicholas Vincent Korda	....	adr editor
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound supervisor
Tim Mangini	....	foley editor
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Pospisil	....	special sound effects
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	foley editor
David E. Stone	....	sound editor
Clive Taylor	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Donald Elliott	....	special effects
Pieter Folkens	....	designer
Pieter Folkens	....	sculptor
Michael Lantieri	....	special effects supervisor
Tim Moran	....	special effects
Clay Pinney	....	special effects
Robert Spurlock	....	special effects
Brian Tipton	....	special effects: first unit

Visual Effects by
Rick Anderson	....	whale designer
Craig Barron	....	matte photography supervisor
John Bell	....	storyboard artist: ILM
Dale Brady	....	creature crew: ILM
Jo Carson	....	assistant camera: ILM
Sean M. Casey	....	whale mold supervisor (as Sean Casey)
Craig Caton	....	creature crew: ILM
Eric Christensen	....	model maker
Donald Clark	....	camera operator: ILM (as Don Clark)
Walt Conti	....	supervisor: Whale: ILM
Peter Daulton	....	visual effects camera
Dick Dova	....	stage technician
Don Dow	....	effects cinematographer
Christopher Duddy	....	visual effects
Selwyn Eddy	....	visual effects camera
Christopher Evans	....	matte supervisor
John V. Fante	....	visual effects camera: ILM
Ellen Ferguson	....	rotoscope artist
Allen Feuerstein	....	creature crew: ILM
Robert Finley Jr.	....	pyrotechnician
Warren Franklin	....	general manager
Tim Geideman	....	lab technician
Jim Gerken	....	computer animation: ILM
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera: ILM
Michael Gleason	....	effects editor
Ralph Gordon	....	optical supervisor
Ned Gorman	....	visual effects production assistant: ILM
Caroleen Green	....	matte artist
James Hagedorn	....	camera operator
Toby Heindel	....	visual effects camera
Todd Heindel	....	lab technician: ILM
Edward Hirsh	....	visual effects production manager
Richard E. Hollander	....	animation
Sandy Houston	....	rotoscoper
Tony Hudson	....	puppeteer: ILM
Tony Hudson	....	whale designer: ILM
Peg Hunter	....	optical lineup
Erik Jensen	....	visual effects coordinator
Brad Jerrell	....	stage technician
Randy Jonsson	....	assistant camera: ILM (as Randy Johnson)
Sean Joyce	....	matte artist
Steven Kosakura	....	motion control camera operator
Pete Kozachik	....	assistant camera
Paul Kraus	....	model maker
Ellen E. Lichtwardt	....	animation supervisor (as Ellen Lichtwardt)
Jeff Mann	....	modelshop supervisor
David McCue	....	camera operator: ILM
Mark S. Miller	....	whale operator
Richard Miller	....	sculptor
George Muhs	....	visual effects
Lori J. Nelson	....	optical coordinator
Nancy Nimoy	....	creature crew: ILM
Michael Okuda	....	computer animation
Michael Olague	....	stage technician (as Mike Olague)
Frank Ordaz	....	matte artist
Terrence Peck	....	assistant effects editor: ILM (as Terry Peck)
Mark Peterson	....	computer animation
Ken Ralston	....	effects supervisor
Jay Riddle	....	computer graphics animator: ILM
Pete Romano	....	whale photography
Martin Rosenberg	....	assistant camera
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical lineup
Randall Rudd	....	creative director
Shannon Shea	....	creature crew: ILM
Pat Sweeney	....	effects camera
Larry Tan	....	chief model maker
Bruce Vecchitto	....	optical lineup
Brian Wade	....	creature crew: ILM
Bruce Walters	....	animation operator
John C. Wash	....	computer animation
Jenny Fulle	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Ian Hiebert	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunt double: Leonard Nimoy (as Gregory Barnett)
Steve M. Davison	....	stunts
Cliff Fleming	....	stunts (as Clifford T. Fleming)
Eddie Hice	....	stunts
John Meier	....	stunt double: William Shatner
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (as Bennie E. Moore Jr.)
Chuck Picerni Jr.	....	stunts (as Charles Picerni Jr.)
R.A. Rondell	....	stunt coordinator
Sharon Schaffer	....	stunts
Spike Silver	....	stunts
Jim O'Rear	....	stunts (uncredited)
R.A. Rondell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Patric J. Abaravich	....	electrician
Wayne Baker	....	assistant camera: underwater scenes
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Mike Brooker	....	second company grip
Jack Cooperman	....	underwater director of photography
Richard Dow	....	dolly grip
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera
Lloyd Gowdy	....	assistant lighting technician
Jon Kranhouse	....	aerial photographer
Hal Landaker	....	video supervisor
Norman Lang	....	electrician
Kal Manning	....	gaffer
Frank McKane	....	assistant lighting technician
Ken Nishino	....	camera operator (as Kenneth Kenny Nishino)
Jay Peterman	....	second assistant camera
Keith Peterman	....	camera operator
Pete Romano	....	underwater photographer: whale photography
Waverly Smothers	....	second grip
Calvin Sterry	....	first company grip

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Bill Shepard	....	casting administrator
Judith Bouley	....	location casting: Monterey (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Bronson	....	wardrobe: men
Eric Harrison	....	wardrobe: men
Wingate Jones	....	costumer
Mary Etta Lang	....	wardrobe: women
James Linn	....	wardrobe: men
Joseph Markham	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Thomas R. Bryant	....	assistant film editor
John Haggar	....	assistant editor
Robert Raring	....	color timer
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Else Blangsted	....	music editor
Alexander Courage	....	composer: theme "Star Trek"
Russell Ferrante	....	composer: jazz music
Ralph Ferraro	....	orchestrator
Jimmy Haslip	....	composer: jazz music
A. David Marshall	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
The Yellowjackets	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Raymond A. McLaughlin	....	transportation captain (as Ray McLaughlin)
Stewart Satterfield	....	transportation coordinator (as Stu Satterfield)

Other crew
Kevin Barry	....	production assistant
Kevin Richard Buxbaum	....	assistant accountant
Craig Caton	....	creature crew
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
John Craig	....	assistant auditor
Dan Curry	....	title designer
Debbie Ferrari	....	whale footage
Mark Ferrari	....	whale footage
Cliff Fleming	....	helicopter pilot (as Clifford T. Fleming)
Don Hansard	....	process coordinator
Donald Hansard Sr.	....	process coordinator
Craig Hundley	....	genesis project
Tom Jones	....	craft service
Lily La Cava	....	script supervisor
Alan Landaker	....	chief engineer
Andrew Lipschultz	....	unit publicist
Michael Mann	....	location manager
Michael John Meehan	....	location manager
Harry Moreau	....	title designer
Gina Neilson	....	production coordinator
Gene Roddenberry	....	executive consultant
Brigette Roux-Lough	....	unspecified assistant
Sylvia Rubenstein	....	unspecified assistant
Susan Sackett	....	assistant: Mr. Roddenberry
Ori Seron	....	assistant: Mr. Nimoy
Susan Smith	....	production assistant
Robert Thorson	....	production auditor
Michael Besman	....	production executive (uncredited)
Philip Weyland	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
Roy Danchick	....	thanks
Capt. Walter Davis	....	thanks
Mark Ferrari	....	thanks
Debbie Glockner-Ferrari	....	thanks
John Horton	....	thanks
Roger Payne	....	thanks
Lt. Lee Saunders	....	thanks
Sandy Stairs	....	thanks
Howard Weinstein	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Home Video (1986) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• CIC Video (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1990) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1987) (Netherlands) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (visual effects)
• Westheimer Company (additional visual effects)

Other Companies

• Apple Computer  special thanks (as Apple Computer Company)
• ILM Computer Graphics  time travel effects
• Monterey Bay Aquarium  special thanks
• Nabisco  special thanks
• New York Zoological Society  special thanks
• Novocom Inc.  computer animation
• Post Logic Studios  digital film mastering
• Record Plant Scoring  scoring
• Reel People Inc.  title design
• Richard Snell Make-Up Designs  Klingon and Vulcan prosthetics created by
• Todd-AO/Glen Glenn Studios  sound
• Video Images  computer animation

Also Known As:

The Voyage Home: Star Trek IV

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Italy:T | Canada:G (DVD) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Sweden:11 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12/9 (original rating) | France:U | Norway:10 (1988) | Norway:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

500 Block of Pacific Avenue, Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Final cinema film of Robert Ellenstein.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Immediately after the whales' transponders are located in the Bering Sea, Gillian can be seen to mouth "How did you do that?" without sound, then she is immediately seen and heard giving the same line from another camera angle.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Saratoga captain: What do you make of it?
Saratoga science officer: It appears to be a probe, Captain. From an intelligence unknown to us.
Saratoga captain: Continue transmitting universal peace and hello in all known languages. Get me Starfleet Command.
Saratoga helmsman: Ready, Captain.
Saratoga captain: Starfleet Command, this is U.S.S. Saratoga patrolling sector five, neutral zone. We're tracking a probe of unknown origin on apparent trajectory to the Terran solar system. Attempts to communicate with the probe have been negative on all known frequencies.
Starfleet Command: Continue tracking, Saratoga. We will analyze transmissions and advise.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Misión: Salvar la Tierra (2008)

Soundtrack:

I Hate You

Silly but fun and even more enjoyable after the straight-laced part 3.

Still on the Vulcan planet awaiting repairs to their captured Klingon ship, Kirk and his crew are summoned to earth by the Federation to stand trial for making Star Trek 3 so very dull. However a deep space probe is approaching earth sending out a communication signal that is disrupting power and damaging the whole planet. When they find that the signal relates to the now extinct humpback whale, Kirk decides to travel back in time to the 1980's to recover and bring back a whale.

Part 2 of the series is easily my favourite to this day of the Star Trek movies, so part 3 was a major problem, being so very dull and heavy, but part 4 was an improvement simply because it was so much more light hearted and fun. The plot is potentially very silly and a barely hidden ecological subtext that threatens to sink the film, but it is delivered with tongue in cheek and it is that saves it. The mocking humour is gentle and really carries the film as fish-out-of-water gags abound and the contrast between the crew and their surroundings is used well.

While the plot is nonsense, the cast all enjoy themselves in whatever roles the script gives them. Shatner has the biggest role of course but has the least fun as he has to carry the unlikely love interest. Nimoy is good fun despite having a follow on from the last film that is a little heavy and he does a steady job as director. The rest of the crew have small roles but each is funny - whether it's Chekov appearing to be a communist spy, McCoy berating modern doctors as the Spanish inquisition and Sulu happily flying helicopters for some reason.

Overall this is not the best Star Trek film as it lacks any real action, excitement or tension, but what it lacks in this area it makes up for in terms of gentle laughs. Looking at it alone it is only reasonable but after watching the dull `Search for Spock' this is a fun relief.