Smell the Movies
Smell the TV
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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| Year: | 1986 |
| Country of origin: | USA |
| Director: | Leonard Nimoy |
| Genre: | Comedy Trek |
| Starring: | William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Co.& Catherine Hicks |
| Rating: | 4/5 |
| IMDB link: | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092007/ |
| Tagline: | The key to saving the future, can be found only in the past. |
| Favourite line: | "Admiral, there be whales here!" |
Star Trek played for laughs as the original crew return home, but not in their own time
The plot:
A mysterious probe appears and starts transmitting a signal that causes catastrophe on Earth, disrupting electrical signals, communications etc, as well as plunging the worlds weather patterns into chaos, with hurricanes and tidal waves prevalent.
After a quick bit of analysis, it is determined that the signal is in fact a call to the Humpback Whale, and the probe is awaiting a response. Trouble is, Humpbacks are now extinct, so no response will be forthcoming.
Cue Kirk ordering the Klingon vessel the Enterprise crew are currently commandeering head back through time to present day Earth to get their hands on a humpback or two to bring back to the future.
It's a silly plot, no doubt about that, but this is nevertheless one of the most successful of all the Trek movies.
Eschewing hard sci-fi for knockabout comedy, and with some success it must be stressed, this is a classic 'fish out of water' caper. Spock in particular gets most of the laughs - man-handling an annoying punk, swearing etc - but all of the regulars are given a chance to shine.
It's lightweight and very, very commercial, but this is still a good Trek movie, and one of my favourites.
Ok, the eco-message is a little strained, and seems a bit quaint given the current political climate, but it is a message worth relating all the same.
A good film.
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