Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was noticeably different from the three previous films, and that’s what made it such a memorable cinematic experience. The short-lived ’60s sci-fi series, Star Trek, found new life in syndication throughout the 1970s, and that spurred fan interest in the Enterprise crew returning for more adventures. Star Trek: The Motion Picture arrived in 1979 and was met with middling reviews but was a mᴀssive box office smash. It was followed up by Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, a film that recontextualized the franchise, and offered a compelling tale of revenge.

Following the death of the Enterprise‘s beloved first officer, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock largely undid many of the big changes from The Wrath of Khan. Having wrapped that story up neatly by the end of the third film, a fourth Star Trek movie was stuck in narrative limbo. Fortunately, director Leonard Nimoy knew just how to keep the sci-fi franchise fresh, while also delivering a fun adventure that returned Star Trek to its roots. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was totally unlike the first three films in the series, and that’s why it works so well.

The Voyage Home’s “Star Trek Time Travel Comedy” Concept Is Brilliant

Star Trek Got To Show Its Funny Side After Two Dour Movies

The tone of Star Trek: The Original Series was known to shift wildly from very dramatic to outright goofy depending on the episode. However, the first three Star Trek films were all quite somber and relied heavily on the dramatic elements of their stories. The Wrath of Khan and The Search for Spock may have had some light-hearted quips, but they are both quite dour, especially the former. That all changed when Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home arrived, and was pure comedy from start to finish.

The Enterprise crew is dispatched to travel in time to the 1980s in order to find whales to bring back to the future. Naturally, once the crew from the 23rd century arrive in the 20th, they instantly become fish-out-of-water as they try to accomplish their mission while attempting to blend in with a society from their distant past. This opens the door for endless jokes at the expense of the Enterprise crew, as almost none of them really understand how to act “normal” in a 20th century context.

Whether they’re grappling with ancient technology or trying to figure out how public transportation works, it’s hilarious to see the usually stoic Starfleet officers out of their element. The humor adds a new wrinkle to Spock and Kirk’s newfound relationship, as the old friends are essentially learning each other’s mannerisms again. The fourth movie doesn’t ignore the character development in the previous two films, but instead allows those characters to grow and change past their harrowing losses. By putting the crew in the 20th century, the comedy feels earned in a way that wouldn’t have worked in the 23rd.

The Star Trek Genesis trilogy includes:

The Voyage Home Has One Of Star Trek’s Most Ridiculous Plots Ever, But It Works

Star Trek IV Doesn’t Rely On Grounded Science & That’s Okay

Unlike the first three Star Trek movies, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home eschews the grounded science usually found in the franchise in favor of an outlandish plot that serves the narrative and nothing more. It’s true that the time travel plot in The Voyage Home is absolutely ridiculous, but the science is really just a means to an end, and the movie has an important message. Director Leonard Nimoy (who also plays Spock) instinctively knew that the movie’s political messaging could be softened through the use of humor.

At its heart, The Voyage Home is an environmentalist story that was meant to warn the audience of the dangers of declining whale populations and the destruction of the environment. There’s a reason that the Enterprise crew travels to what was the modern day when the film premiered in 1986, and it helps to impart the seriousness of the situation onto the viewer. While trying to fit in with late 20th century society, the crew from the future also make plenty of jokes about the state of the world, especially in contrast to the way they live in the 23rd century.

It was risky to turn Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home into a comedy, but it was ultimately the right move. It was also smart to lean on a ridiculous concept, so that viewers were able to focus more on the characters and their motivations instead of the nuts-and-bolts science. A movie with the tone of The Wrath of Khan would have come off as preachy, but the fourth film deftly balances a genuinely fun and lighthearted adventure with an extremely urgent message about protecting the Earth.