--- title: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous in their approval: every critic who has written on Star Trek IV counts it a success, and several call it the most enjoyable entry in the series. The praise gathers around the comedy. Critics single out the fish-out-of-water scenes in 1980s San Francisco, the interplay between Shatner and Nimoy, and the decision to build the film around the crew’s relationships rather than action. Nimoy’s direction is credited with a lighter, more irreverent tone that critics say brings the films closer to the original television series. Reservations are mild and scattered. The AV Club finds the film lacks the edge of earlier entries, and The New York Times notes technical shortcomings beneath the sincerity. The Guardian calls the environmentalism half-baked, though it enjoys the film regardless. The spread is narrow, from good to excellent, and nobody dissents from the view that this is the warmest and most accessible of the series. ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Wilmington Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 1986. The film is a simple, humanistic allegory with humor and heart that lightens the series with fish-out-of-water comedy and crew camaraderie. The collision of 23rd-century values with 20th-century culture and the intimate focus on the characters are praised. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-star-trek-voyage-home-review-19861126-snap-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 1986. The film is the best, funniest and most enjoyable Star Trek movie so far, despite its absurd plot about time-traveling to save humpback whales. The crew's familiar interactions and human-focused story in 1980s San Francisco are singled out for praise over action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-1986) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 2009. The piece calls the film the best in the series for its goofily endearing comedy and willingness to embrace silliness, contrasting it with more self-serious entries. It singles out the crew's interactions with 1980s culture and the environmental message as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-conversations-star-trek/) ## The AV Club — Zack Handlen Rating B+. 20 August 2009. The critic finds the film a polished, well-balanced audience-pleaser and deeply ingratiating gateway entry that blends fish-out-of-water comedy with the franchise's characters. It praises the ensemble's enthusiasm and genial tone while noting its lack of edge compared to prior entries. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/star-trek-star-trek-iii-the-search-for-spock-star-t-1798206840) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2026. The critic finds the film preposterously good fun as a silly, whale-jumping time-travel comedy with half-baked environmentalism. The fish-out-of-water scenes of the Enterprise crew in 1980s San Francisco and Spock's communion with the whales are singled out as highlights. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/03/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-review-kirk-spock-and-co-on-semi-intentionally-hilarious-save-the-whale-mission) ## Time Out — SGo Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Kirk and the crew travel back to 1980s San Francisco to save the whales in what the critic calls the most enjoyable film of the series so far. Nimoy's irreverent directorial tone and the crew's comic misadventures in contemporary California are singled out for making the time-travel morality tale especially digestible and fun. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-voyage-home-star-trek-iv) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 November 1986. The movie is a large, lavish and sincere mass-market entertainment about saving the whales that injects extra levity to assure the series' longevity. Nimoy's direction is noted for sincerity despite some technical shortcomings, with the crew's camaraderie highlighted. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/26/movies/film-star-trek-iv-voyage-home.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1985. The latest excursion is warmer, wittier, more socially relevant and truer to its TV origins than prior films. The use of time travel, the Hope-and-Crosby-style interplay between Spock and Kirk, and the save-the-whales biologist character are highlighted. [Read the review](http://variety.com/1985/film/reviews/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-1200426793/) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 May 2009. The critic enjoys the film's light tone and the cast's chemistry, especially Nimoy and Shatner's comedy, calling it the light movie that plays brilliantly. [Read the review](https://collider.com/star-trek-original-motion-picture-collection-blu-ray-review/) ## Den of Geek — Adam Sloman Rating 4/5. 7 May 2009. The critic calls it a great Trek film that broadened the franchise's appeal through strong ensemble character focus and genuine humor from Nimoy's direction and script. It ties up prior plot threads with an environmental message while remaining fun and accessible, with only minor nitpicks about production details. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home-retrospective-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/star-trek-iv-the-voyage-home.md