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Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (Special...
Stars:
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, James Doohan, Walter Koenig,
Nichelle Nichols, Mark Lenard, Jane Wyatt, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, John
Schuck, Robin Curtis, George Takei, and Catherine Hicks
Writers:
Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, Harve Bennett, and Nicholas Meyer
Based
On “Star Trek” Created By: Gene Roddenberry
Director:
Leonard Nimoy
Feature
length: 118 minutes
Extras:
Feature Length Audio Commentary By Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, Text
Commentary By Michael & Denise Okuda, Star Trek Universe Featurettes,
Production Featurettes, Tributes, Archives, Original Interviews, and Theatrical
Trailer
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Surround Sound, and French
Language Stereo Sound
Subtitles:
English Captions and Closed Captions and French Language Subtitles For Extra
Features Disc Only
Packaging:
Two-Disc Alpha Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 18
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Surround Sound, and Stereo Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1986/DVD Release: 2003
Theatrical
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: PG
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Without
a doubt the most popular cross-over entry in the “Star Trek” feature film
series, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” has been re-released to DVD-Video as
a two-disc “Special Collector’s Edition” and is easily the best entry in
these double-disc “Star Trek” feature film sets since Paramount Home
Entertainment released “Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Director’s
Edition” back in 2001. What makes this DVD better than the two sets that were
released before is not that there was a lack of love and care put into “The
Wrath Of Kahn” and “The Search For Spock” because those sets are quite
good, but I just feel the quality of the extra features here match the quality
of the feature more. So if you’re a Trekker you do not need my endorsement for
this set because I am sure you have them all, but if there is any doubt by the
casual collector or viewer about these two-disc “Star Trek” sets, let me put
them to rest now by stating that all of these sets that I have seen so far are
what admirers of these features have been wishing for since they first made
their original home video debuts respectively and all are a lot more than simple
reissues with “Star trek IV: The Voyage Home: Special Collector’s Edition”
is a prime example of what makes revisiting these films again on DVD truly
sublime.
“The
Voyage Home” is presented with a beautiful and solid anamorphic widescreen
(2.35:1) aspect ratio with good color saturation and nice detail. The English
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack is well mixed considering the age of the
film and there is also an English Dolby Surround Soundtrack as well as a French
Language Stereo Soundtrack and English Captions and Closed Captions for the
hearing impaired are encoded on to both discs as options with disc two also
featuring French Language Subtitles too. Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner give
a screen specific and thoughtful feature length commentary that reveals in
discussion some the rumors I have heard, but was never sure about the fourth
film regarding scenes and sequences that were thought of for the film, but
ultimately not used such as the possibility of Robin Curtis’ character of
“Lieutenant Saavik” being pregnant with Spock’s child as a result of their
“Pon farr” in “The Search For Spock” or Sulu encountering one of his
great ancestors as a boy in 20th century San Francisco. Michael and
Denise Okuda, Co-authors of “The Star Trek Encyclopedia,” are back again
with another feature length text commentary going into just about every detail
and anecdote related to the film as well as some other revelations I remember
hearing about after the film was released, but never was entirely sure if it was
true or not, like Eddie Murphy’s possible involvement in both “Star trek IV:
The Voyage Home” and then “Star trek V: The Final Frontier.” While no
exact reasons for why this never happened, it is noted that Murphy ultimately
participated in “The Golden Child,” another film that I have heard
unsubstantiated stories about, instead of “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”
Shatner notes at the end of the commentary that he is looking forward to talking
to the DVD listeners on what will presumably be a two-disc DVD release of
“Star Trek V: The Final Frontier: Special Collector’s Edition” though no
street date or information regarding this title has been formally announced at
the time of my writing this review that I am aware of.
Disc
two contains the extra featurettes under several different headings beginning
with “The Star Trek Universe,”
which contains some fascinating interviews with physicists discussing in
laymen’s terms the possibilities of time travel in “Time Travel: The Art Of
The Possible” (11:14), a fascinating dissertation on whales in “The Language
Of Whales” (5:47), a Star Trek Author’s lecture on the nature of Vulcans in
“A Vulcan Primer” (7:50), and three actresses, two of whom appeared in the
original series and Catherine Hicks fondly discussing the amorous charisma of
William Shatner in “Kirk’s Women” (8:20).
Under
the heading “Production Featurettes” is “Future’s Past: A Look Back”
(27:30) featuring new videotaped interview clips with Leonard Nimoy, William
Shatner, Catherine Hicks, Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer among others, “On
Location” (7:26) discussing the challenges as well as methods in which the on
location shooting in San Francisco took place which is supported by a “Daily
Reconstruction” (4:14) for the first scene in 1986 San Francisco where Kirk
gets heckled by a cabbie. Discussion of the sound design for the film with some
interesting anecdotes like where the sound foe the probe came from (11:44)
concludes the production featurettes section.
Original
interviews from the production with Leonard Nimoy (15:39), William Shatner
(14:32), and DeForest Kelley (13:02) as well as a touching tribute to Actor Mark
Lenard (12:44) and Eugene Roddenberry discussing his memories of his father
(8:17) are included along with a short production gallery (3:55) and several
storyboard galleries that include the “Encounter With The Saratoga,” “The
Probe Approaches Earth,” “Time Warp,” “Mind Meld,” “ The Whaling
Ship,” “Return To The 23rd Century” and the “Enterprise NCC
1701-A.”
The
(2.35:1) theatrical trailer (2:23) with English Dolby Pro Logic Surround Sound
wraps up the extra features on disc two. The “Director’s Series”
featurette that was included on the previous DVD release is not included in this
one. The menus on both discs are beautifully rendered with three-dimensional
representations of Star Fleet Head Quarters, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the
Klingon Bird Of Prey partially submerged in the water beside it and there are
animated transitions to standard interactive still frame menus and all of the
interactive DVD menus are easy to navigate.
Overall
a fine release for anyone who likes this film, “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home:
Special Collector’s Edition” is available on DVD-Video now from Paramount
Home Entertainment and I recommend this DVD whole-heartedly without the
slightest reservation. Buy it now!
©
Copyright 2003 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
Buy This DVD Now By Clicking On
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Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home (Special...