The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 05, 1986, Image 17

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    ■ - ^
Movie Review
"Star Trek IV:
The Voyage Home"
Directed by
Leonard Nimoy
Starring William Shatner,
Leonard Nimoy and
DeForest Kelley
★★★★
For the past 20 years,
the crew of the Starship
Enterprise has been going
where no man has gone
before on television, in
cartoons, in books, in
movies and in the imagi
nations of millions of de
voted Trekkies. The new
est entry in the legend,
“Star Trek IV: The Voy
age Home,” is good, solid
entertainment that lives
up to the spirit of the origi
nal series.
When we left the crew
of the Enterprise at the
end of “Star Trek III: The
Search for Spock,” Admi
ral James T. Kirk (William
Shatner) was in deep
trouble. In saving Spock
(Leonard Nimoy), Kirk
had violated seven Star
Fleet regulations and de
stroyed the Enterprise.
Kirk and his crew, Dr. Mc
Coy (DeForest Kelley),
Scotty (James Doohan),
Uhura (Nichelle Nichols),
Chekov (Walter Koenig)
and Sulu (George Takei),
are ordered to return to
Earth and face trial.
As our heroes head
back to Earth in the
Klingon vessel they stole
in the last movie, they
learn that the planet is be
ing bothered by a probe
from outer space.
Spock discovers the
probe is sending signals
similar to the songs that
humpback whales sing.
Unfortunately, all whales
became extinct during the
21st century. Earth’s only
hope is for Kirk and com
pany to go back in time to
the 20th century and
bring some whales to talk
to the probe.
They arrive in San
Francisco in the year
1986 and begin to search
for what they need Kirk
and Spock go looking for
whales at a marine bi
ology institute. Scotty,
Sulu and McCoy go
looking for a tank to put
the whales in so that they
can carry them back to
the future. Chekov and
Uhura g© looking for
some nuclear fuel aboard
the aircraft carrier U.S.S.
Enterprise.
During their search,
Kirk meets and falls in
love with Dr. Gillian Tay
lor (Catherine Hicks), a
marine biologist who spe
cializes in whales, Scotty
invents transparent alumi
num, Chekov is accused
of being a Soviet spy, Mc
Coy cures the sick and
Spock learns to curse.
The magic of the “Star
Trek” television series was
the combination of action,
special effects, humor and
philosophy. “Star Trek
IV ” recreates that magic
beautifully. There is
plenty of action when
Chekov is rescued from
the Navy and when the
whales are rescued from a
whaling ship. The special
effects are marvelous, es
pecially the psychedelic
trip through time. There is
humor when Spock tries
to use profanity and al
most everytime McCoy
opens his mouth. There is
a nice philosophical touch
when we see that Earth is
threatened because hu
mans were stupid enough
to kill off all the whales.
Trekkies will probably
enjoy seeing Spock’s par
ents Sarek (Mark Lenard)
and Amanda (Jane
Wyatt) again. Saavik (Ro
bin Curtis), Christine Cha
pel (Majel Barret) and
Janice Rand (Grace Lee
Auto Service
“Auto Repair At Its Best”
General Repairs
on Most Cars & Light Trucks
Domestic & Foreign
OPEN MON-ERl 7:30-5:30
ONE DA Y SERVICE IN MOST CASES
846-5344
Just one- mile north of A&M
On the Shuttle Bus Route
111 Royal, Bryan
Across S College ['torn Tom s B B-Q
Whitney) also make a few
quick appearances.
“Star Trek IV” is by far
the best movie yet made
in the series. There is a
good balance of special
effects, adventure and
characterization. “Star
Trek: The Motion Picture”
had great special effects,
but the characters weren’t
allowed to do anything
but marvel at those ef
fects. The first movie
failed mainly because it
tried to be philosophical
but ended up sounding
silly. “Star Trek II: The
Wrath of Khan” was a
great adventure film but^
only Kirk and Spock were
allowed to develop as
characters. “Star Trek III:
The Search for Spock”
was useless and destroyed
the impact of the second
film.
The only problem with
“Star Trek IV” is that it
doesn’t really cover any
new ground. The crew of
the Enterprise went back
in time to Earth three
times in the original series
and ran out of dylithium
crystals a least a dozen
times. The movie is good
fun and nice entertain
ment but it, like the three
previous movies, doesn’t
go anywhere that man
hasn’t gone before.
Review by Karl Pallmeyer
’WoTycnftern’f
live music & more!
i Johnny Reno &
the Sax Maniacs
Marie & Bruce
a play by
Wallace Shawn
Mon Nite
Football
Rit Show
Rusty Rood
Battle
°f the
Bands Part II
I Jus'Wanna Dance!
4410 College Main
Bryan,Tx. 77801
846-1812