I wouldn't say that I am the biggest Star Trek fan in the world. In fact this is probably the third Star Trek film I have seen at the cinema with 1991's An Undiscovered Country and 2009's Star Trek (a.k.a Lens Flare the Movie). However with this film being the 40th anniversary I thought this would be a good time to see it at the biggest screen in my local cinema. Apart from the first couple of minutes, you don't really need to have seen the other three films to follow what is going on. Kirk and little gang are heading back to Earth to face the music when they discover that Earth has been visited by a strange alien being that is they surmise is contacting the Whales because they aren't communicating. So Kirk's plan is to go back in time, take two Humpback Whales to communicate with the aliens and hopefully put off the end of the world. They use their Klingon ship to go back to 1986 and come across two Whales that are about the be released into the wild into almost certain death.
The fact that there is no clearcut villain is a bold move but one that works. The story is good enough that even though it has an environmental message at its core, it doesn't come across as patronising. It comes close a couple of times but only briefly. William Shatner is good as he gets to do what he seems to enjoy doing the most, bossing people around and wooing the ladies. Leonard Nimoy is better as the director but he is still good as Spock. DeForest Kelley starts off as the grumpy old man but his best moment comes when he is in the operating room and trying to bring Chekov back to consciousness. George Takei is given the bare minimum to do when he asks some questions about a helicopter and then is transporting a container to the ship. James Doohan seems to be having the time of his life in every scene he is in and Walter Koening suffers from little to do apart from being captured and people thinking he is up to something because he is Russian. Nichelle Nichols is doing her thing and is doing it well but again suffers from having the bare minimum to do. Catherine Hicks is quite good as Gillian who has developed a bond with the Whales and ends up as part of the Federation using her expertise in the future.
This is the most fun I have had watching this film. I found it more humorous than I on previous watches and thought that despite the slightly ludicrous concept, the film makes it work and Star Trek 4 is one of the more enjoyable films in the series. Leonard Nimoy does a good job of directing and the cast are all on good form and at just under two hours, the film doesn't outstay its welcome. Would definitely watch more old Star Trek films at the cinema especially the one where Kirk fights God.
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