Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Dir. Leonard Nimoy
Star Trek II, III and IV are a trilogy telling one story. The middle section explores the benefits of friendship and the burden of responsibility.
In order to write what I want to write about the film, I'll need to refer to events from the previous one. Therefore, there will be SPOILERS for ST II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) hereafter.
Having left the Mutara Nebula behind (see events in TWoK), the USS Enterprise crew are set to return home to Earth for repairs, but their hearts are heavy and the bridge has a missing member.
It's fascinating (no pun intended) that the absence of the characteristically emotionless Spock causes such strong emotions in his human colleagues.
The ship feels half-empty to Admiral Kirk (William Shatner), and in a strange way having Leonard Nimoy ever-present in his role as director yet largely absent onscreen as Spock that same sense of loss affects the viewer. He's there, but he isn't. He's in our hearts and minds, but not visible.
In order to write what I want to write about the film, I'll need to refer to events from the previous one. Therefore, there will be SPOILERS for ST II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) hereafter.
Having left the Mutara Nebula behind (see events in TWoK), the USS Enterprise crew are set to return home to Earth for repairs, but their hearts are heavy and the bridge has a missing member.
It's fascinating (no pun intended) that the absence of the characteristically emotionless Spock causes such strong emotions in his human colleagues.
The ship feels half-empty to Admiral Kirk (William Shatner), and in a strange way having Leonard Nimoy ever-present in his role as director yet largely absent onscreen as Spock that same sense of loss affects the viewer. He's there, but he isn't. He's in our hearts and minds, but not visible.
New to the Trek world is Christopher Lloyd, perhaps best known as the enigmatic Doc Emmett Brown from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-90); he plays Kruge, the main Klingon villain.
- "The pinkish light in here... I like it. It brings out the fire in my eyes." -
If I'm not mistaken (fingers crossed), it's not the first time we see Klingons depicted with such pronounced ridges on their foreheads, but I'm certain that a few of the things in the script of ST III were a direct influence upon the rich Klingon lore that developed in later incarnations of Trek.
Much of the film works well, but the consequences aren't as weighty as they ought to have been. Couple that with the continuing biblical references, with parallels so overt that they're like a slap in the face, and you have a middle film that could've been much more if it had dared to try.
Lieutenant Saavik got recast, with actress Robin Curtis taking on the role. I don't think I've seen Curtis in anything outside of Trek, but, for me, she's much better at it than her predecessor.
As before, the established relationships between the USS Enterprise command staff is the glue that really holds everything together. The camaraderie and overriding concern that they share for each other makes even the most superfluous scenes feel more like the TV series than either of the two preceding films did. In a familiar but comforting way, I liked that feeling.
And the obligatory 'big ship in space dock' scene serves an actual purpose this time, hooray!
- "My God, Jim. Spock's behind the camera! Does he get two salaries?" -
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