Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Leonard Nimoy

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek)
Harve Bennett (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Join the search

Plot:

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis planet to recover Spock's body.

Plot Keywords:

Admiral | Commander | Ceremony | Star Trek | Space

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

William Shatner	...	Admiral James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Capt. Spock / Elevator Voice (also as Frank Force)
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
James Doohan	...	Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
George Takei	...	Hikaru Sulu
Walter Koenig	...	Pavel Chekov
Nichelle Nichols	...	Cmdr. Uhura
Merritt Butrick	...	Dr. David Marcus
Phil Morris	...	Trainee Foster
Scott McGinnis	...	Mr. Adventure
Robin Curtis	...	Lt. Saavik
Robert Hooks	...	Adm. Morrow
Carl Steven	...	Spock...Age 9
Vadia Potenza	...	Spock...Age 13
Stephen Manley	...	Spock...Age 17

Also Known As:

Star Trek III: Return to Genesis (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Klingon | Russian

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Italy:T | Iceland:10 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | New Zealand:G | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | France:U | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 (re-rerating) | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cinema Group Ventures

Trivia:

Christopher Lloyd, who played the Klingon Captain Kruge, also played Jim Ignatalski on the classic television show "Taxi" (1978). In one particular episode, a television executive is in his cab and Jim says he loved the show Star Trek. Jim added that he didn't like the leader of the Klingons because the writers had him say things a "real Klingon just wouldn't say."

Goofs:

Continuity: In the self-destruction-scene it is said and shown on a screen, that the time until the destruction of "Enterprise" is one minute - but it passes several minutes, before the first explosion.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Spock's dying words, repeated from the previous film]
Captain Spock: Don't grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh...
Kirk: ...the needs of the few.
Captain Spock: Or the one. I have been and always shall be your friend. Live long and prosper.

Movie Connections:

References "Star Trek: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield (#3.15)" (1969)

William Shatner VS Christopher Lloyd

Picking up where "The Wrath of Khan" left off, McCoy seems to be going mad, the Enterprise is being retired, Kirk mourns the loss of Spock and his son Dr. David Marcus is off exploring his newly created Genesis planet with the lovely Vulcan vixen Saavik (exit Kirstie Alley, enter Robin Curtis). Kirk then finds out from Sarek (Mark Lenard, who had a brief, unrecognizable role in the opening of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" as an ill fated Klingon Commander and played a Romulan before playing Spock's dad) catches up with Kirk and tells him that there's a chance at resurrecting Spock, who's mind and spirit are housed in McCoy's brain while his body is on Genesis. Feeling obligated to return the favor for saving them all at the end of #2, Kirk and the gang hijack the Enterprise and rush towards the Genesis planet to rescue Spock "in whatever form he may still be alive." Meanwhile, a bodily resurrected and rapidly re-aging Spock has been found by Saavik and David and they are stranded on Genesis after their ship is destroyed by Klingon Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) and he comes looking for them in hopes of unlocking the secrets of the Genesis project, which he thinks could be used as a weapon against his people. Who will survive?

Considered by some to be trash and by others to be the only good odd numbered Star Trek film, this is a sufficiently entertaining bit of science fiction yarn that continues following the theme of what happens when you mess with mother nature. Good performances as usual, with Lloyd giving one of his best as the Klingon Commander Kruge, who becomes oddly sympathetic in light of his blood thirsty actions when you consider that he was just looking out for his own brood and was willing to spare the crew of the USS Grissom. Shatner's brawl with Lloyd is also fun to watch, and the film still has that great James Horner music. Don't miss Shatner kicking Lloyd in the face shouting "I... have HAD... enough of... YOU!"

Robin Curtis is a capable Saavik. As a bit of trivia, Saavik apparently engaged in sexual intercourse with Spock while he was going through his aging phases and, as part of an idea never utilized in the films or even in the spin off series, Saavik became pregnant with Spock's child, which was originally why she was supposed to stay on Vulcan in "Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home".