Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Writers: Gene Roddenberry, Leonard Nimoy, Harve Bennett
Director: Leonard Nimoy
Release: November 26, 1986
Tagline(s): How on Earth can they save the future?
The crew of the starship Enterprise is coming home.
The key to saving the future, can be found only in the past.
Only the technology of the future, can save what’s endangering the past.
Star Date: 1986.
They travelled back where 23rd century man had never gone before. To a mad, crazy, outrageous time: 1986.
Producer: Harve Bennett
Associate Producer(s): Brooke Breton, Kirk Thatcher
Executive Producer: Ralph Winter
Stars/Actors: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Robin Curtis
Music by: Leonard Rosenman
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Adventure, Thriller
ID: tt0092007
Rating: PG
Runtime: 119 minutes
Based On: Based Star Trek: The Original Series.
Synopsis: To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.
Declassified by Agent Palmer: Palmer’s Trek: Fourth Major Star Trek Movie Really Does Feel Like a Voyage Home
Quotes and Lines
The cast and crew of Star Trek wish to dedicate this film to the men and women of the spaceship Challenger whose courageous spirit shall live to the 23rd century and beyond…
KLINGON AMBASSADOR: Hold the image. Hold! …Behold! The quintessential devil in these matters! James T. Kirk, renegade and terrorist! Not only is he responsible for the murder of a Klingon crew, the theft of a Klingon vessel. See now the real plot and intentions, Even as this Federation was negotiating a peace treaty with us, Kirk was secretly developing the Genesis torpedo, conceived by Kirk’s son and test detonated by the Admiral himself! The result of this awesome energy was euphemistically called ‘The Genesis Planet’ …A secret base from which to launch the annihilation of the Klingon people! We demand the extradition of Kirk! We demand justice!
KLINGON AMBASSADOR: Starfleet regulations? That’s outrageous! Remember this well. There shall be no peace as long as Kirk lives!
SCOTT: Give me one more day, sir. Damage control is easy. Reading Klingon, That’s hard.
CHEKOV: We are in an enemy wessel, sir. I didn’t wish to be shot down on the way to our own funeral.
McCOY: Him? I mean him, back at his post, like nothing happened. I don’t know if you’ve got the whole picture but he isn’t exactly working on all thrusters.
McCOY: Umm. Well, I just wanted to say it sure is nice to have your katra back in your head, not mine. What I mean is I may have carried your soul, but I sure couldn’t fill your shoes.
SPOCK: My shoes.
McCOY: Forget it! …Perhaps we could cover a little philosophical ground? Life, Death, Life. Things of that nature?
SPOCK: I did not have time on Vulcan to review the philosophical disciplines.
McCOY: Come on Spock, it’s me, McCoy! You really have gone where no man has gone before. Can’t you tell me what it felt like?
SPOCK: It would be impossible to discuss the subject without a common frame of reference.
McCOY: You’re joking!
SPOCK: A joke is a story with a humorous climax.
McCOY: You mean I have to die to discuss your insights on death?
SPOCK: Forgive me, Doctor, I am receiving a number of distress calls.
McCOY: I don’t doubt it!
SAREK: It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question. …Mister President, perhaps you should transmit a planet distress signal, …while we still have time.
FEDERATION PRESIDENT: This is the President of the United Federation of Planets. Do not approach Earth! The transmissions of an orbiting Probe are causing critical damage to this planet. It has almost totally ionised our atmosphere. All power sources have failed. All orbiting starships are powerless. The Probe is vaporising our oceans. We cannot survive unless a way can be found to respond to the Probe. Further communications may not be possible. Save your energy, Save yourselves. Avoid the Planet Earth at all costs. …Farewell.
SPOCK: Most unusual. An unknown form of energy of great power and intelligence. Evidently unaware that its transmissions are disruptive. I find it illogical that its intentions could be hostile.
McCOY: Well, dammit? You think this is its way of saying ‘Hi there’ to the people of the Earth?
SPOCK: There are other forms of intelligence on Earth, Doctor. Only human arrogance would assume the message must be meant for man.
KIRK: You’re suggesting the transmission is meant for lifeform other than man?
SPOCK: It is a possibility, Admiral. The President did say that it was directed at Earth’s oceans
KIRK: Uhura, …can you modify the Probe’s signals accounting for density and temperature and salinity factors?
UHURA: I’ll try, sir. …I think I have it.
KIRK: And this is what it would sound like underwater?
UHURA: Yes sir.
SPOCK: Fascinating. If my suspicion is correct, there can be no response to this message.
KIRK: Where are you going?
SPOCK: To test my theory.
KIRK: Bones, you stay here.
McCOY: No way, …somebody’s gotta keep an eye on him!
SPOCK: Judging by the pollution content of the atmosphere, I believe we have arrived at the latter half of the twentieth century.
KIRK: I want you all to be very careful. This is terra incognita. Many of their customs will doubtless take us by surprise. It’s a forgone conclusion that none of these people have ever seen an extra-terrestrial before.
KIRK: This is an extremely primitive and paranoid culture. Mister Chekov will issue a phaser and communicator to each team. We’ll maintain radio silence except in emergencies. Those of you in uniform, remove your rank insignia. Any questions? All right, let’s do our job and get out of here. Our own world is waiting for us to save it …if we can. Commence landing procedure.
KIRK: Everyone remember where we parked.
ANTIQUE STORE OWNER: Well, they’d be worth more if the lenses were intact. I’ll give you one hundred dollars.
KIRK: Is that a lot?
KIRK: You mean profanity. That’s simply the way they talk here. Nobody pays any attention to you if you don’t swear every other word. You’ll find it in all the literature of the period.
SPOCK: To hunt a species to extinction is not logical.
GILLIAN: Whoever said the human race was logical? …Now if you’ll follow me, please, I’ll introduce you to the Institute’s pride and joy.
KIRK: Very likely. …You’re not exactly catching us at our best.
SPOCK: That much is certain.
KIRK: I have got a hunch we’d all be a lot happier discussing this over dinner. What do you say?
GILLIAN: You guys like Italian?
SPOCK/KIRK: No. Yes. No. Yes.
KIRK: Yes, I love Italian and so do you.
SPOCK: Yes.
KIRK: If you have such a low opinion of my abilities, how come we’re having dinner?
GILLIAN: I’m a sucker for hard luck cases. …Cheers! …Besides, I want to know why you travel around with that ditzy guy who knows that Gracie is pregnant and calls you ‘Admiral’. …Where could you take them?
KIRK: That’s not good enough, Mister Scott. You’ve got to do better!
SCOTT: I’ll try, sir. Scott out. He’s in a wee bit of a snit, isn’t he?
SPOCK: He is a man of deep feelings.
SCOTT: Aye, what else is new?
McCOY: Dialysis? My god, what is this, the Dark Ages? Here, you swallow that. If you have a problem, just call me.
McCOY: It sounds like the goddam Spanish Inquisition.
McCOY: My God, man, drilling holes in his head’s not the answer. The artery must be repaired. Now put away your butcher knives and let me save this patient before it’s too late!
McCOY: We’re dealing with medievalism here! …Chemotherapy! …Fundoscopic examinations!
McCOY: You, ah… You present the appearance of a man with a problem.
SPOCK: Your perception is correct, Doctor. In order to return us to the exact moment at which we left the twenty-third century, I have used our journey back through time as a reference, calculating the coefficient of elapsed time in relation to the acceleration curve.
McCOY: Naturally. So what’s your problem?
SPOCK: Acceleration is no longer a constant.
McCOY: Well, then you’re gonna have to take your best shot.
SPOCK: Best shot?
McCOY: Guess, Spock. Your best guess.
SPOCK: Guessing is not in my nature, Doctor.
McCOY: Well, …nobody’s perfect.
SCOTT: Ten seconds, Admiral, five, four, three, two, one. …Admiral! There be whales here!
KIRK: If you will, Mister Sulu.
SULU: Aye sir, warp speed!
KIRK: Mister Sulu, you have the con. I’m gonna take our guest down and have a look at her whales. Oh, Mister Spock! Have you accounted for the variable mass of whales and water in your time re-entry programme?
SPOCK: Mister Scott cannot give me exact figures, Admiral. …So I will make a guess.
KIRK: A guess? You, Spock? That’s extraordinary!****
SPOCK: I don’t think he understands.
McCOY: No, Spock. He means that he feels safer about your ‘guesses’ than most other people’s facts.
SPOCK: Then you’re saying …it is a compliment.
McCOY: It is.
SPOCK: Ah, then I will try to make the best guess I can.
FEDERATION PRESIDENT: The Council is now in session. If you will all take your seats. Bring in the accused. …Captain Spock, you do not stand accused.
SPOCK: Mister President, I stand with my shipmates.
FEDERATION PRESIDENT: As you wish. …The charges and specifications are. Conspiracy. Assault on Federation Officers. Theft of Federation Property, namely the Starship Enterprise. Sabotage of the U.S.S. Excelsior, Wilful destruction of Federation Property, specifically the aforementioned U.S.S. Enterprise. And finally, disobeying direct orders of the Starfleet Commander. …Admiral Kirk, how do you plead?
KIRK: On behalf of all of us, Mister President, I am authorised to plead guilty.
FEDERATION PRESIDENT: So entered. Because of certain mitigating circumstances, all charges but one are summarily dismissed. …The remaining charge, disobeying orders of a superior officer is directed solely at Admiral Kirk. I’m sure the Admiral will recognise the necessity of keeping discipline in any chain of command.
KIRK: I do, sir.
FEDERATION PRESIDENT: James T. Kirk. …It is the judgment of this Council that you be reduced in rank to Captain, …and that as a consequence of your new rank, you be given the duties for which you have repeatedly demonstrated unswerving ability. The command of a starship. …Silence! Captain Kirk, You and your crew have saved this planet from its own short-sightedness …and we are forever in your debt.
GILLIAN: Don’t worry. …I’ll find you. See you around the galaxy.
SAREK: Yes, of course. …Do you have a message for your mother?
SPOCK: Yes. Tell her …I feel fine. Live long and prosper, father.
SAREK: Live long and prosper, my son.
McCOY: The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe. We’ll get a freighter.
SULU: With all respect, Doctor, I’m counting on Excelsior.
SCOTT: Excelsior? Why in God’s name would you want that bucket of bolts?
KIRK: A ship is a ship.
SCOTT: Whatever you say, sir. Thy will be done.
KIRK: My friends, …we’ve come home.