STAR TREK IV European Prologue

[Shalashaska]

It is not at all common knowledge that of Star Trek IV there exist two versions - the original version and the European version.

Star Trek III was not as successful in every country as it was in America. In some countries the movie even was released on VHS only. So the producers feared that the sequel might confuse people. For Europe and South America, a prologue summarizing the two prequels has been produced. This prologue is not contained in the original version.

But that was not all, for in the aforementioned countries the subtitle "The Voyage Home" became the main title and the title sequence had been edited as well. The changes to title and title sequence were taken back for the DVD but the prologue remained.

It's been uploaded to YouTube for everyone, American and European, to see:

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I'm probably alone on this, but I think it would have been nice to have this in the American release too, especially on the Blu-ray. It's a great prologue. The "Captain's log" narration by William Shatner was done especially for this prologue, as well as the beautiful music by Leonard Rosenman that unfortunately has never been released to the public.

Star Trek III had a prologue retelling the events of the last film, so I think it's a shame the third part of this loose trilogy never got a prologue in all markets, especially when so many considered Star Trek III the weakest film of the three and may not have seen it. To someone who's never seen the previous two films, this is a perfect recap.

 

[Tomalak]

This has always been part of the film for me! I can't imagine having a cold opening.

I think it's a shame it wasn't on the blu-ray as an extra, as it was present and correct on all the Region 2 DVD releases.

 

[Khan 2.0]

especially when so many considered Star Trek III the weakest film of the three

At the time III was generally considered a good film. obviously not as good as II but light years ahead of TMP. It was only years later people started to diss III (maybe after V or VI when it could be conveniently unceremoniously lumped in with the Odd=bad/Even=good rule - a view which became strengthened with the TNG films. until Nemesis of course)

 

[somebuddyX]

Three in my opinion is half great and half garbage. I really like much of the stuff with Kirk and crew and just absolutely love the miniature of the spacedock, but the stuff with Kruge and on Genesis, especially how soundstagey the set looks, always bore me.
As to that intro, we had that here in Australia too.

 

[Michael]

This has always been part of the film for me! I can't imagine having a cold opening.

The same for me. I didn't even know there were versions of this movie without the opening recap. It's a shame to hear it isn't included on the blu-ray. Is that true for the European release as well?

At the time III was generally considered a good film.

To be fair, @Shalashaska didn't say it was or is considered a bad film, only that it is the weakest of the trilogy of movies from TWOK to TVH. I guess most would agree that this is the case.

 

[Jeyl]

I sum up III to be a great execution of a very weak script. The visuals are 95% new and they look wonderful. We're introduced to new ships that would become a staple in the franchise. The actors are all at the top of their game and we see them perform their roles in circumstances that we haven't seen in TOS.

Sadly, the story feels like Harve Bennett kind of winged it. David is accused of causing all this trouble when in reality he didn't (Not to mention his tampering brought Spock back to life), the reason to retrieve Spock's body back to Vulcan is very awkward when you consider that if putting his Katra back into his dead corpse was the whole plan, why did Spock give it to Bones in the first place? There is also a ton of redundancy going on with scenes from II played out not once, not twice, but three whole times. First literally in the film's opening, than figuratively in the mind meld and finally through surveillance video immediately after. This could have been a much broader mystery with a much more satisfying reveal if our crew figured it out themselves. We do start the film with a mystery regarding what's wrong with Bones and we're just handed the answer like it was nothing.

The "Captain's log" narration by William Shatner was done especially for this prologue, as well as the beautiful music by Leonard Rosenman that unfortunately has never been released to the public.

All that music was actually tracked using the existing score that Leonard Rosenman did for Star Trek VI. If you have the Intrada release, all the music used in this prologue are there.

 

[Indysolo]

All that music was actually tracked using the existing score that Leonard Rosenman did for Star Trek VI. If you have the Intrada release, all the music used in this prologue are there.

Indeed it is. The liner notes even detail what music was used in the European opening because I'm the one who did the breakdown watching this YouTube video!

The album is available here.

Neil

 

[STEPhon IT]

III was a terrible film, and not well thought out. It reminds me of what Quantum of Solace was for the great Casino Royale; an extension piece which revolves around a lot of redundancies through out the film. The film cheapens the death of Spock, it would've been better if Kirk and McCoy had an adventure which didn't have anything to do with Spock's death, or Genesis or Katra. Just something where Saavik takes on the mantel of Spock and what the new role would be. Kirstie Alley was so magnifying in II, I wanted to see more of her along with Shatner and Kelley.
Planting David on a Starship just smelled like he was going to be killed. Why not have him aboard the Enterprise, and how long has it been for David and IMPOSTER Saavik were assigned on the Grissom??? The math just seemed wrong to me.

Klingons on a ship which doesn't look anything like a Klingon ship, and the characters are the dumbest bunch of lugs who could've been ancestors of Worf. Their motivations just didn't make any sense. They destroy a Federation Starship and the plot never invites the notion several Constitution class vessels will be looking for them, and hunting them down.

The plot should've been about the destruction of the Grissom, and Kirk is aware his son is on that ship, and Star Fleet want some Klingon asses to kick! Now we have story!

 

[Paradise City]

Star Trek III is an excellent film, one of the best of them and it's better than the campy albeit fun 4th one. We have Kirk's resolve to defy orders to do his bit for friend, the camaraderie of the entire crew as they go that extra mile for Spock, I liked the Kruge battle scenes, Kruge's own antics via Christopher Lloyd and Kirk's absolute devastation at his son's death and McCoy and Kirk as they reflect as the wreckage of the Enterprise streaks through the sky are very poignant scenes. There's some plot holes I would tidy up and the manner in which they capture the Bop is a bit too easy. But that's no real objection given the flaws in the fourth one. Star Trek III is a strong Trek film.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Yeah, III, was better than TWOK, TUC, TVH, and JJ Abrams Star Trek's combined. Correction, it was the greatest STAR TREK film ever made. You know, better yet, it was better conceived than the birth of Jesus Christ.

 

[Paradise City]

Yeah, III, was better than TWOK, TUC, TVH, and JJ Abrams Star Trek's combined. Correction, it was the greatest STAR TREK film ever made. You know, better yet, it was better conceived than the birth of Jesus Christ.

Calm down, there.

 

[STEPhon IT]

LOL. Speak for yourself.

 

[Paradise City]

LOL. Speak for yourself.

You definitely sound mad.

 

[FormerLurker]

I sum up III to be a great execution of a very weak script. The visuals are 95% new and they look wonderful. We're introduced to new ships that would become a staple in the franchise. The actors are all at the top of their game and we see them perform their roles in circumstances that we haven't seen in TOS.

Sadly, the story feels like Harve Bennett kind of winged it. David is accused of causing all this trouble when in reality he didn't (Not to mention his tampering brought Spock back to life), the reason to retrieve Spock's body back to Vulcan is very awkward when you consider that if putting his Katra back into his dead corpse was the whole plan, why did Spock give it to Bones in the first place? There is also a ton of redundancy going on with scenes from II played out not once, not twice, but three whole times. First literally in the film's opening, than figuratively in the mind meld and finally through surveillance video immediately after. This could have been a much broader mystery with a much more satisfying reveal if our crew figured it out themselves. We do start the film with a mystery regarding what's wrong with Bones and we're just handed the answer like it was nothing.



All that music was actually tracked using the existing score that Leonard Rosenman did for Star Trek VI. If you have the Intrada release, all the music used in this prologue are there.

If I remember the novelization correctly, there was supposed to be some connection between the body and katra that only a Fal Tor (whichever, but not Pan) ceremony can sever, so that the katra can be placed in the Well of Souls---- excuse me, the Mountain of Memories, or whatever it was called.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Hall of Ancient Thought.

 

[Therin of Andor]

As to that intro, we had that here in Australia too.

But on the Aussie home video, not in cinemas. The Kirk-narrated prologue was included for European screenings because many European countries had not had a cinema release of ST III (and some had ST II as a very short run).

Klingons on a ship which doesn't look anything like a Klingon ship

That's because "Star Trek III: Return to Genesis", Bennett's original synopsis, has Romulans as the antagonists, and early "Search for Spock" scripts describe Klingon pirates on a stolen Romulan bird of prey that could cloak. It was realised that new audiences would be totally confused as to the backstory of TOS Romulans in a film with pointy-eared Sarek and Saavik searching for Spock.

 

[Green]

The narative of III was bad to begin with and worse after editing. The original Captain's Log and placement of scenes were re-arranged and what was lost was that they were planning to bring his (presumed) dead body to be interred and his Katra was to be placed in the "Hall of Ancient Thought"---but when they realize his body is alive the plan changes to putting his Katra in his live body instead.

In the script Grissom finds the tube in the first scene of the movie and Kirk's first log entry has him upset that it has been found like that.
I don't blame them for moving all the Esteban, David, "Saavik" scenes till later and trimming them way down in editing, as they are awful scenes ---bad acting, writing and direction.

 

[spinagogue]

LOL. Speak for yourself.

 

[inflatabledalek]

As far as the Prequel goes, it's very much the version I knew as a kid, but it is completely redundant because the film has an inbuilt recap near the start. The whole buissness with the Klingon's is equally split between bringing everyone in the cinema up to speed on the salient events of the last two films (which for Khan is just that Spock was saved by Kirk) and establishing some of the new characters and their positions for this film. It's a neatly done scene as it's got enough passion in its writing and performances to not just be dry exposition and makes the alternate opening pointless.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

I have to say, that's simply amateurish and awful. I'm glad it never saw the light of day in North America. Horrible, horrible. Just start the movie with the probe.