by Ryan Burton

Created on: November 01, 2009   Last Updated: March 16, 2011

The cast of the original Star Trek series return for a forth movie outing. An entry which is one of the best, if not the FUNNIEST in the long running sci-fi franchise. After seeing the film, you can walk away with not only a smile on your face, but with gratitude regarding the film's important message: to save an endangered species.

After rescuing their alien friend Spock (Leonard Nimoy), the crew of the late starship Enterprise (which was destroyed in "Star Trek III") return to Earth for court martial regarding their actions in the previous film. As they travel home in their captured Klingon vessel, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) learns that Earth has fallen under attack by a mysterious alien probe. It's purpose is make contact with an extinct species: the humpback whale. Though the probe's "trasmissions" are meant only for humpbacks, they cause destruction to Earth's atmosphere and oceans. At the same time, it render's all other starships useless. The only solution is to travel back 300 years in time to the late 20th century, and find an existing group of humpbacks. The cranky Dr. McCoy (DeForrest Kelley) sums it up pretty simply: "You're proposing we go backwards in time to find humpback whales. Then bring them forward in time, drop them off, and hope they tell this probe what to go do with itself."

"That's the general idea," Kirk replies.

"Well that's crazy!"

After traveling back to the year 1986, they encounter a culture that is as bizarre as any alien world they have been to. Whether its exact-change bus fair, rude "punk-rock" citizens, or miscommunication with Russian navigator Chekov (Walter Koenig) in searching  for "nuclear wessels" to power up their ship, you cannot help laughing through these "mis-adventures".

Though its dissapointing that Shatner doesn't have much to do as Kirk. Other than saving whales, and "attempting" a romance with Gillian, a lovely marine biologist (Catherine Hicks who's known for "7th Heaven"), it's just "another day at the office". It is understandable that Shatner only agreed to be in this film if he could later direct "Star Trek V". The light-hearted moments he shares as Kirk work well. Still you feel he could have had more "command" moments as the legendary captain because that's what you EXPECT of him.

 Unfortuanately, for Kirk, the romance doesn't go far with his love interest paying for the dinner. It's

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