The first reviews of the new two-disc special edition DVD of 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' have praised Paramount for putting together an impressive package, surpassing the recent releases of 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' and 'Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.'

• Steve Krutzler at TrekWeb was most effusive, calling the set the "the finest Star Trek DVD release since 2001’s 'The Motion Picture'– Director’s Edition." He especially enjoyed the commentary track provided by director Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and star William Shatner (James T. Kirk):

  The key benefit here is that the two project a bit of camaraderie, making the track much more interesting. You’ll also notice a far more serious Shatner, a welcome respite from his hammy remarks in the previous packages and which are kept to a minimum this time in the production featurette.

  Of the extra features, Krutzler seemed to particularly enjoy the two visual effects documentaries, which he described as "wonderful," as well as the tribute to Sarek actor Mark Lenard. Overall the set came out with a perfect score of five stars and a strong recommendation as "a fine addition to anyone’s collection and an excellent model for both future DVD releases and future Star Trek movies." Read the full review at this page.

• The audio and video quality of the 'Voyage Home' DVD came under the microscope in Peter M. Bracke's review at DVD File. Bracke described the transfer as "finely detailed and film-like," although he did cite the "lack of sharpness" in some shots as a drawback. As for sound, Bracke said he was "pleasantly surprised by the new mix for The Voyage Home, but again, I don't think you'll ever confuse it with one of the newer Trek soundtracks."

  Overall, the full package was awarded a score of 4 out of 5 for value, with the extras and audio quality also notching up 4s and the video receiving a 3.5. Here's an excerpt from Bracke's final thoughts:

  A noticeable improvement over the shoddily-produced Trek II and Trek III sets, I quite enjoyed the commentary and most of the making-of material. While those only interested in the transfer and audio quality may not feel the need to upgrade, if you missed it the first time around or are a big Trek fan, don't hesitate to pick this one up.

  The complete analysis can be found here at DVD File.

• "I'm gonna say it right now: this is the first one of these Trek film special editions that I've really, thoroughly enjoyed since The Motion Picture," wrote Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits. "Paramount has a formula for these things, which is to do lots of featurettes. And that's fine... provided you do them right. Finally, they've done them right!"

  Hunt gave the extras an A minus grade, describing the Nimoy/Shatner commentary track as a "fun listen" with "plenty of funny moments," and the production featurettes as "light-years better than what we've seen before." The video and audio quality scored B plus and B grades respectively, with the film itself awarded a B. "Running through this special edition of The Voyage Home, you're reminded of just how much fun at its best can be," Hunt said. The full review is available at The Digital Bits.

The two-disc special edition DVD of 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home' will be released in North America on March 4. To order your copy of the DVD and support TrekToday, please use the following links: Amazon.com - Amazon.ca - Amazon.de.

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