Marking its 40th anniversary rerelease, here arrives the fourth and most absurd installment of the Star Trek cinematic series. Helmed by Leonard Nimoy, this production embraces pure shark-jumping—or more accurately, whale-jumping—ridiculousness. Exuding absolute self-assurance regarding its cultural standing in the realm of space exploration, the film’s opening credits dedicate the feature to the astronauts of the space shuttle Challenger, which tragically detonated in mid-flight earlier that year, claiming the lives of all seven crew members.
Following the strange soul-transference narrative gymnastics of the prior installment, Spock has now been successfully resurrected. However, the final and irreversible demise of Kirk’s son appears to be brushed aside with surprising nonchalance. Shatner’s portrayal of Kirk retains an uncanny youthful charm and a radiant grin that nearly obscures the reality that he recently endured a devastating loss. Did he not?
The USS Enterprise crew, facing formal dishonor following the unauthorized hijacking of their vessel while searching for Spock, are journeying back home aboard a temperamental Klingon craft patched together by Mr. Scott (James Doohan) amidst his typical self-pitying bluster. Yet as they approach Earth, they discover the planet under siege by an enormous, enigmatic vessel broadcasting a bizarre transmission—one that sounds less like an ordinary hail and more like a wailing, or rather whaling, frequency. The protagonists quickly deduce that the sounds are whale vocalizations, which could appease the hostile intruder if answered, yet humpback whales have vanished into extinction. The self-evident solution, therefore, is to execute a warp-speed time-travel “slingshot” around the sun, zip back to 1986 San Francisco, beam a pair of whales into a custom-built holding tank, transport them forward to the 23rd century, and allow the mournful cries of the creatures to pacify the threatening probe and drive it away.
Huh? What…? Pardon me? What on earth? The outright silliness of this premise, blending simplistic ecological themes with quasi-deliberate humor, remains entertaining, and watching the Enterprise crew wander like fish out of water across the streets of San Francisco delivers genuinely comical absurdity. Nimoy’s deep-toned Spock remains consistently engaging, featuring a hilarious sequence where Kirk and Spock analyze the profanity-laced vernacular of 20th-century America, crediting the trend to the literary influence of Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins. (Referencing authors at all highlights the enduring intellectual elevation of Kirk and Spock.) The moment where Spock enters the water to commune rapturously with the whales validates the entire endeavor.
Originally published at https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/03/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-review-kirk-spock-and-co-on-semi-intentionally-hilarious-save-the-whale-mission.
