Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takai, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Christopher Lloyd, Merritt Butrick
Directed by: Leonard Nimoy
Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction
1984

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: James T. Kirk (William Shatner)and the crew of the Enterprise disobey orders, steal the Enterprise, and return to the planet Genesis, in an effort to deliver Spock's consciousness back to his homeworld. However, they soon discover that Spock may not be dead after all.

Review:

Tim: This film is a bit disappointment after the terrific first sequel. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn was such a great movie, that there was probably some inevitable decline with this film. However, what really surprised me was how small and insignificant this movie felt. The Wrath of Kahn felt like a big, sweeping space epic. The Search for Spock feels like a small, intimate movie, but it doesn't work nearly as well. When I finished watching, I thought- That's it? It's over already? Almost nothing happens in this movie. Now, obviously, the point of this movie is to tie up the loose ends of the previous film. In many ways, this is a transitional movie. Yes, Spock's death had to be explained, but it feels like this whole movie's sole purpose is to get our characters back in position for future movies. It is a disappointment.

The plot was weak, in my opinion. There are almost no terrific moments. We get some more information about the Genesis planet, find out how Spock lives, see a minor battle with the Klingons, and a Vulcan ceremony. None of these are spectacular or particularly exciting or memorable. Kirk's climactic battle with Klingon Kruge felt very small. I was actually amazed it was their final battle- when it was resolved, I couldn't believe I just witnessed the big finale of the film. There was no build-up, and it was over far too quickly. I really believe some of the film's fault has to rest with first-time (at least first feature film) director, Leonard Nimoy. I believe he has some skill behind the camera, but this was a rookie effort, and it showed.

The movie features good performances by the cast. I won't mention every one of them by name (I don't want to keep repeating myself for every sequel). They are all good. I did like that the film focused on the character of Spock. I feel like this movie made him increasingly important for the franchise. I liked seeing the Vulcan home world, Spock's family, and that whole subplot. I wasn't really entertained, but it was interesting nonetheless.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock might have been the movie that first got people thinking about The Star Trek Curse (if you're unfamiliar, it is that all the even movies are good, and all the odd movies are significantly less so). This movie is a disappointment when compared to its predecessor, but it did achieve something important- it prepared us and the characters for the rest of the Star Trek movies. It is too bad that entertainment and quality were sacrificed for this transition movie, but it probably had to be done.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest