Star Trek: The Voyage Home

So a probe is floating through space and is broadcasting calls of humpback whales.
No, hear me out.
This isn't a joke. This is the fourth film of the Star Trek film series, and potentially one of the more head-scratchy installments since Mr Spock floated through space on a chair in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Yes, that happens as well. No I don't know why.
We continue where Star Trek: The Search for Spock left off, on the Vulcan homeworld with a resurrected Spock (Leonard Limoy) after overcoming the peril thrown his way in the second and third film. His memory is patchy, which leaves for some chuckle-worthy scenes with James T Kirk (William Shatner) and Leonard McCoy (DeForrest Kelley). The former crew of the USS Enterprise has been forced to live in exile due to the events in Search for Spock, and are intent on returning to Earth to face trial for said events.

They receive a distress signal from Earth on their trip back to our lovely green and blue planet, warning of a probe that is causing a series of catastrophes on the Earth's surface.
The very same probe broadcasting calls of humpback whales.
You see, the film is built upon an environmental message - the classic "Save the Whales" and anti-whaling movements that are still occurring today.
It is a bizarre ride through space and time, and regardless of how strange and comical it seems at times, it is well worth remembering that it is science fiction. And I'll admit it is pretty fun.
Well worth a look.

Star Trek: The Voyage Home: 114 minutes (1986).

Star Trek: The Search for Spock

So the title gives away most of the plot for this entry to the series, but it doesn't mean you should avoid watching. In Leonard Nimoy's first stint at the helm of a Star Trek film (he would also direct the next film, Star Trek: The Voyage Home), the character of Mr Spock is explored and we learn more of the Vulcan race, and their beliefs.
How does it get to this point?
Well, assuming you've watched Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan you will know, and if you haven't, prepare to be spoiled.
Spock meets an unfortunate end at climax of the previous installment. His sacrifice saves the lives of everybody aboard the USS Enterprise, but arguably the best character in the series is lost. He is given a futuristic military farewell in space, and his body is left behind (in a coffin) on a planet crerated by the genesis Device.
When James T Kirk returns to Earth and discovers that Spock may not be completely dead (what a twist!) and his mind (or katra) is being held in the mind of Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), he makes the decision to find Spock's body and deliver him to his home planet. They explain it a bit clearer in the film don't you worry.

We meet the Klingons again (led by a costumed Christopher Lloyd), and those (like myself) who haven't watched any of the television series' will appreciate getting to know this alien race just a tad more. They take on the role as the chief bad guys in this film, and are on a mission themselves to claim the Genesis Device for themselves no matter the cost.
This film isn't too bad.
While I still prefer The Wrath of Khan, the third film in the Star Trek film family more than holds it own. Knowing it is the second of a three film story arc does help in that respect, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone thanks to a few flashbacks early in the piece, and a few memory joggers planted in the screenplay.
The doomed planet idea takes quite a few special effects to bring the life, and while not as seamless as today's films, works quite well. 

Star Trek: The Search for Spock: 101 minutes (1984).

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan

If this isn't the best installment of the Star Trek series, then I (and other viewers) are in for a real treat down the line.
For everything that was bad/wrong with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan was oh so right.
The costuming was a bit more real, the effects, while still heavy in number, were much more seamless and believable, and the plot was a winner.
As the title of the second installment of the Star Trek film series indicates, the film centres around a bad guy named Khan (played by Ricardo Montalban) and his wrath - his revenge. But Khan is no ordinary bad guy. No no no no. Don't be fooled by his normal human appearance, his outrageous "Bon Jovi"-inspired hairdo or his abnormally large (and scarred) pectorals, Khan is a genetically engineered bloke/specimen who was exiled 15 years ago by none other than William Shatner's James T. Kirk (what a twist!).
The film follows our friend Khan and his attempts at exacting revenge upon Kirk, the USS Enterprise crew, then I'm sure Earth and the rest of the United Federation of Planets.

This is a genuinely good film, in the spirit of Star Wars: The Empire Strike Back, which is arguably one of the best of that series' films.
It revolves around the bad guys who seem to have the upper hand for most of the film, and even at the end when the bad guy loses (or does he?), he still wins (or does he?). It will make sense when you see it.
There really isn't much else I can say about The Wrath of Khan.
It really is a great film, and is probably made a million times better after watching Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Also, fans of Star Trek: Into Darkness will recognise several elements from this film that appear in the latest effort from J.J. Abrams.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan: 108 minutes (1982).

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

You know when a commercial broadcaster, say channel nine, gets their hands on a new piece of technology, say skycam from a few years back or more recently the spidercam, and tries to use it in every situation it can possibly think of?
Or say a new app comes out, and millions of loyal Apple or Android fans go out of their way to purchase said app and, even if it is of poor quality? But even after realising it doesn't add too much to their telephonic or smartphone experience, they flog it off to their friends and family as if it's the best thing since sliced bread?
In a really roundabout way, that's exactly what I think of the original Star Trek film.

Now I know that is a really quick and easy way to get a lot of hate from loyal Trekkies, but Star Trek: The Motion Picture is ordinary.

It is as if the whole production crew - the directors, producers, editors - just found out about a new program, specifically how it can "add things to films that we couldn't do before, like laser beams", then insert or use this program as much as possible for the full 126 minutes of the 1979 film.
Sure, special effects were newish to the scene and science fiction cinema was riding a tsunami of success courtesy of George Lucas' effort with Star Wars (A New Hope - the original episode one) two years earlier, so Paramount Pictures were keen on capitalising on said success with their own space venture. But I don't think anybody appreciated the amount of special effects that was forcibly shoved down the viewers' throats.
Despite this, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a roaring box-office success, and (along with the original tv series) helped spawn another nine films (plus two recent reboots), about 34 television series (Original TV Series, Voyager, Next Gen...) and countless other forms of media (books, games, etc) that helped populate the universe.

 

So what happens in Star Trek: The Motion Picture?
Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner) leads his crew aboard the USS Enterprise on a galaxy-hopping adventure to investigate an energy cloud of which an alien presence has been detected. The problem is this energy cloud is en route to Earth (with the alien ship, lucky us), and has already taken out three Klingon ships and a human monitoring station.
We get to meet the famous half-Vulcan, half-human Spock in our travels, and come up against our first bad-guy alien the V'Ger, who turns out to be a sentinent being evolving from a space probe sent by Earth in the 20th century that was lost in a black hole.
While it is a recommended stop for every Star Trek or science fiction fan, don't be disheartened if you don't enjoy it - the series gets better.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture: 126 mins (1979).

A match made in the Stars of film

From what I have learned over my years, science fiction fans are alligned with Star Wars or Star Trek.
Star Wars with the hooded Jawas, the asthmatic but dangerously scary Darth Vader, and the ancient power of the Force that flows through life and can be manipulated by Jedi - and the evil Sith.
Star Trek has the famous Captain Kirk that springboarded William Shatner to fame, an array of interesting and variously powerful villains ranging in age and alien race, and the power of warp speed exploited by the USS Enterprise to discover new worlds.
Admittedly, I've never been much of a Trekkie - I've been a Star Wars fan since I was a child.
The magical universe that pits good against evil and fought with laser swords (lightsabres of course) capable of cutting through anything - except other laser swords (lightsabres). A universe that pits the Galactic Empire ruled by a ruthless Emperor against the Rebel movement (or scum, depending who you ask). And the very same universe that allows prehistoric teddy bears to overcome an enemy armed with laser guns/pistols, the benefits of technology and two giant balls of weaponised fury capable of wiping out an entire planet.
Up until this moment, I have avoided immersing myself in the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Stardate Collection. My journey into the Star Trek universe will be complete when I get through the 10 films. You can get the Stardate Collection at Big W or JB HiFi for about $65.

I have dipped my toes in the J.J Abrams-directed reboot in 2009 more than once, beginning a small symphony of interest that would remain unexplored for some time yet. But after watching his 2013 follow-up "Into Darkness", well I could not ignore the symphony that become a fully-fledged orchestral piece about to launch into its crescendo.
The first thing I did after watching the newest addition to the Star Trek family was go out and purchase the Stardate Collection - all 10 Star Trek films in one lovely box set.
Curiosity seems to get the better of me, and this time is no different. I'll write a little bit more about my love of Star Wars in future, but for now I'm diving head-first into the Star Trek universe.