This film is a fan-favorite for many fellow trekkies, which sends Kirk and the crew to 1987 to retrieve a pair of presumably extinct whales for an alien probe threatening 23rd-century Earth. Strange as that may sound, the story stays true to the "what-if" that is so characteristic of Star Trek by posing serious questions about the human condition, while retaining a witty, light-hearted tone throughout. Perhaps even more importantly, it does this without turning the characters into farcical parodies of what they had been previously established as.
The only qualms I have about this film are the less-than-stellar cinematography, cheap-sounding music, and cheesy dialogue (though I can forgive this since the film was meant to be more tongue-in-cheek than the predecessors). The effects (as limited as they were in this installment) and overall direction, however, represent some of the best work that 1980's Star Trek has to offer.
Conclusion: give it a watch.
The only qualms I have about this film are the less-than-stellar cinematography, cheap-sounding music, and cheesy dialogue (though I can forgive this since the film was meant to be more tongue-in-cheek than the predecessors). The effects (as limited as they were in this installment) and overall direction, however, represent some of the best work that 1980's Star Trek has to offer.
Conclusion: give it a watch.