From 1986 to 1991, there were three movies produced based upon the Star Trek series. This article will deal with the following films: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
The fourth film in the Star Trek series is called Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which was released in 1986. The movie is known as the last installment in a trilogy comprised of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. When describing the movie, the whales within the film are almost always mentioned as a reference point. As with the previous films, cast members included: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk; Leonard Nimoy as Commander Spock; DeForest Kelley as Dr. Leonard McCoy; James Doohan as Commander Montgomery Scott; George Takei as Lt. Commander Hikaru Sulu; Walter Koenig as Lt. Pavel Chekov; and Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Commander Uhura.
The plot of this movie deals with a space probe that has been causing major destruction in the form of storms over the Earth. Captain Kirk and his crew are asked to save the day once more. The mysterious call that they have been pondering over is that of a humpback whale. To make everything all right on Earth, the crew must travel back to the 20th century and find a whale, which they will need to bring back to the 23rd century.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
The fifth feature film is called Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which was released in 1989. For this movie, not only did William Shatner play the main character, but he also directed the film. The next two films would take direction from his co-star, Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock. The storyline for this movie was also most of Shatner’s imagination. In this film, (with the same cast of characters and actors as the previous installments), the U.S.S. Enterprise crew is asked to investigate a kidnapping case that has taken place on Nimbus III, which is known as the Planet of Intergalactic Peace. As they reach the kidnapper, they find that it is actually a relative of Mr. Spock. The man is obsessed with locating a mysterious plant called Shaka-Ri, which is believed to hold the source of all life. The movie continues with the crew and Spock’s relative searching for this planet together.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, we once again join William Shatner and his U.S.S. Enterprise crew in this 1991 film, which marks the sixth film based on the Star Trek television series. This will be the last film made with the cast from the original series. The movie focuses on what will be their final mission together. The movie showcases the talents of Christopher Plummer as General Chang. The plot of the film deals with the goal of establishing peace. The Enterprise must engage in battle to obtain it and will go up against the Klingons, as they try to settle their differences and hold a peace summit. But when a Klingon ship is attacked and the Enterprise is blamed, war appears inevitable.