Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Special Edition)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Special Edition) is a two-disc widescreen Special Edition DVD of.

The Region 2 rating is somewhat unusual - the higher rating is due to the content on disc two, rather than the feature itself (which received a PG rating).

Summary

 * Taken from the back cover of the Region 1 release:


 * It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure.

Chapters
Like most or all DVDs, the film has been sectioned into chapters, similar to tracks on a CD. The titles of these chapters are listed below.

Disc One

 * Audio commentary - A newly recorded commentary track with Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner.


 * Text commentary - Michael and Denise Okuda, co-authors of The Star Trek Encyclopedia, reveal Star Trek trivia and production notes specific to the events in the movie as the film plays.

Documentaries

 * The Star Trek Universe - A collection of documentaries that explore various facets of the movie. Descriptions of these featurettes are listed below.


 * Time Travel: The Art of the Possible - Three quantum physicists discuss the possibilities of time travel and the effects that it could have on our world.


 * The Language of Whales - An interview with marine biologist Ree Brennin, who discusses theories about the meaning of whale song.


 * A Vulcan Primer - Author Margaret Wander Bonanno discusses some of the evolution and history of the Vulcan species.


 * Kirk's Women - A featurette in which some of the female guest stars from The Original Series talk about how they enjoyed working with William Shatner.


 * Production - A collection of featurettes that give an insight into the creation of the movie. These documentaries are described below.


 * Future's Past: A Look Back - A featurette which offers an overview of the movie's production. This documentary includes interviews with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and producer Harve Bennett. They discuss the changes that were made for the fourth Star Trek movie, highlight some of the obstacles that came up during the film's production and recall how the story came together.


 * On Location - A documentary that features comments from executive producer Ralph Winter, Leonard Nimoy and other members of the crew. They discuss filming in the San Francisco locations that they decided to use. The featurette also includes an insight into the creation of some of the sets.


 * Dailies Deconstruction - Footage from multiple-camera dailies for some of the scenes set in San Francisco.


 * Below-the-Line: Sound Design - An interview with sound effects editor Mark Mangini. He discusses the conversations that took place between himself and director Leonard Nimoy on some of the most crucial audio decisions in the production of the movie, as well as the creation of some of the sounds.


 * Visual Effects - A collection of documentaries that give an insight into the visual effects that were used in the movie. The documentaries are described below.


 * From Outer Space to the Ocean - The film's effects artists discuss their contributions to the picture, most notably the film's animatronic whales. This documentary includes information about the film's early computer graphics effects. There's some test footage of the "time travel" sequence here, as well as some good looks at the construction of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey.


 * Bird of Prey - Director Leonard Nimoy discusses how he oversaw the creation of the Bird of Prey that was initially featured in "" and further developed for "". Also included is a brief look at some of the blueprints for the ship.


 * Original Interviews - A collection of three featurettes that contain original interview footage with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and DeForest Kelley.


 * Tributes - A section of the DVD which offers two featurettes, which are described below.


 * Roddenberry Scrapbook - The son of Gene Roddenberry, Eugene Roddenberry presents interesting facts about his father's life and career.


 * Featured Artist: Mark Lenard - A tribute to actor Mark Lenard (who played Sarek in The Voyage Home), by his wife Ann and his two daughters.

Other

 * Archives - A section of the DVD which offers a moving production photo gallery and a collection of 8 storyboards. The titles of these early concept sketches are listed below.


 * Encounter with the USS Saratoga (NCC-1887)
 * The Probe Approaches Earth
 * Time Warp
 * Mind Meld
 * The Whaling Ship
 * Return to the 23rd Century
 * Communication
 * NCC 1701-A


 * Theatrical trailer - an advertisement for the film's original release.


 * Interactive animated menus