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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) More at IMDbPro »

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143 comments in total

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26 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
better than you've heard, 19 March 2004

Author: dr_foreman

I almost never agree with Trekkies! They usually pan "Star Trek III" and label it a disappointing follow-up to the classic "Wrath of Khan." But I just don't see anything wrong here. The Klingons are delightfully over-the-top villains, the effects and spaceship models are great (arguably the best in the series), and the theft of the Enterprise is a wonderful sequence loaded with humor and tension. DeForest Kelley gets some great material as the "possessed" McCoy, and Shatner's performance - slightly more understated than in the last film - is again rock solid.

So what's the problem? I suppose this movie has difficulties standing on its own; it relies heavily on knowledge of "Khan." But, such issues inevitably crop up when you're dealing with a long-running series of interconnected movies, and they don't matter much in terms of raw entertainment value. Some fans complain that nothing really happens in this film - it's just about getting Spock back and nothing else - but the death of David and the destruction of the Enterprise load it up with more than enough dramatic punch for me.

And, can you possibly imagine Picard stealing the Enterprise to go on a rescue mission? I can't. This movie's storyline captures exactly what makes the original crew so warm, funny, and rebellious...and so it's a good Trek movie, despite what the fans will tell you.

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
William Shatner VS Christopher Lloyd, 15 April 2004
Author: DarthBill from United States

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".

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15 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Competent, but not great..., 5 October 2004

Author: mentalcritic from Southern Hemisphere

Perhaps it is the inevitable comparison to the previous episode, but Star Trek III very much has a feel of being low-rent or second-rate. An excellent example of this can be seen whenever Saavik is on the screen. Kirstie Alley may not be the greatest actor in the world, but Robin Curtis succeeds in making her look like Anna Paquin or Sigourney Weaver by comparison. The strange thing is that Merritt Butrick seems to suffer a decline in performance whenever he is in the same frame with her.

Let's face it, any dialogue heavy film was going to be a letdown after the epic battles in Star Trek II. A very personal battle between two enemies that have been festering in one another's minds for years is always going to make a brief fight with a crew of Klingons seem pretty restrained by comparison. A lot of the film's plot elements also come second-hand from the previous film, so it isn't as if much is done to separate it.

The spaceship sequences also look far less realistic in this film than is the case in the past two films. It seems that Paramount hired another effects house to simulate these moments, and the result is that the ships look as if they are under a constant invisible spotlight, rather than the realistic tones that were evident in the previous two films. The combat doesn't seem nearly as realistic, either. After the massive tradings of torpedoes and phaser energy in the previous film, expecting us to believe the Enterprise can be disabled by a single torpedo is a bit much.

The dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy was always a big part of what made the original series work, so it's not surprising that an entire film be dedicated to restoring this dynamic. To the credit of the screenwriters, it works. The fights on the surface of Genesis, and some of the dialogues, give the whole film a connection with the audience that later films in the franchise particularly lack. Everyone certainly has a friend that they'd do things like this for if they had to, so it's hard not to get behind the Enterprise crew as they battle for one of their most prominent members.

I would have appreciated more footage to show how Uhura arrives on Vulcan, and what the Federation does when they learn that the crew is on Vulcan. Still, the film is much more tightly paced than some give it credit for, so we can let that one slide. It is, however, interesting to note how little internal security the Starfleet orbital station has. I would have thought that the Starfleet version of the drunk tank would have more than just two security guards, given the wide variation in alien races that make up the organisation.

In all, I gave Star Trek III a six out of ten. Most sequels try to be bigger and bolder than the previous episode. Star Trek III is an exception, but it certainly is a worthwhile viewing if you like a bit of science fiction.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
You'll never watch "Taxi" reruns the same way again!, 4 August 2006

Author: ray-280 from Philadelphia

Christopher Lloyd has to be one of the most brilliant actors in history. When I first saw him, as Reverend Jim Ignatowski, I was very young, and his presence was very "memorable." As with Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times At Ridgemont High, it takes several different performances to truly grasp his range.

The rest of the cast? If you have to ask....

The plot? If you have to ask...okay, this time the crew goes on a mission to find Spock, whose mind has been placed in Dr. McCoy for safekeeping while his body chilled out at the Genesis spa. Only a vulcan ritual can make everything right, but first the crew has to retrieve Spock's body from Genesis, and in doing so they encounter the evil Klingon commander Kruge (Lloyd).

The special effects on this film were subpar, particularly the fight scenes on the exploding Genesis planet; I've seen better special effects with fire on a soap opera. That's acceptable, however, since when the film came out, we needed Spock to return to the living, though today's audiences wouldn't understand the significance of having killed him off at the end of II.

To those who don't know, when Kruge says "I come all this way for Genesis, and this is what I find," Lloyd is in the character of Reverend Jim from Taxi, and the theater I was in exploded in laughter at the time; this joke would be lost on anyone who hasn't seen that series. All that was missing was Danny DeVito as a space dispatcher or Andy Kaufman as an alien.

Whereas Star Trek I tilted a little too much towards the hardcore fan base, and Star Trek II was perfect for everyone (by far the best of the series), Star Trek III was a decent film that satisfied the intense cravings of Trekkies (not Trekkers, as there was no shame in being a Trekkie back then) for more footage of the famous crew of space pioneers. This was before the internet, before cable and even video stores (almost), and when all we had were the 78/79 episodes that were in reruns and which we had memorized every line to. I left the theater pleased with the film, knowing it could have been better, but it also could have been far worse.

Perhaps the film's greatest achievement is that it was obviously made to cash in on the growing rerun audience from the series, yet it still managed to be superior to most episodes, while stacking up decently against every other Trek film ever made, except for Star Trek II and First Contact.

If you're a hardcore fan, buy the DVD; if not, catch it on cable. Either way, you'll be pleased.

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Best odd numbered "Trek", 17 August 2000

Author: jhaggardjr from Chicago, Illinois

The even numbered "Star Trek" movies (parts 2, 4, 6, 8) have turned out to be the best in the series while the odd numbered ones (parts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) are the weaker films even though some of the odd numbered ones are pretty good. "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" is, in my opinion, the best odd numbered movie in the series to date. If you recall at the end of "Star Trek II", Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) gave his life to save his friends. His coffin was shipped off to the Genesis Planet, an experiment co-created by Kirk's son David. "Star Trek III" opens with some of this footage from the previous film. As the new scenes begin, the Enterprise crew is on their way home. But weird things start happening. Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) begins to act strange, and a lifeform has been discovered on the Genesis Planet. Is Spock really dead? Is Dr. McCoy going insane? Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) discovers that before his demise Mr. Spock implanted some of his mind into Dr. McCoy, which explains why he's been acting unusual. Spock's father Sarek tells Kirk that he must find Spock's body in whatever condition it's in if there's any chance for Spock and McCoy to have peace. And what follows is a very exciting adventure. In addition to finding Spock, the Enterprise crew must do battle with their most lethal enemy, the Klingons, who's leader (Christopher Lloyd) wants the secrets to the Genesis Project. As far as how good this film is, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" is just a few notches below "Star Trek II". The story could have used a little tightening and it's a little slow in the first half. But then the film picks up the pace with a thrilling second half. Will Spock be rescued? By now I think everybody knows the answer to this question. Leonard Nimoy made his directorial debut with "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and did a very good job (he did an even better job on the next film "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home"). "Star Trek III" has all the other elements as well: action, special effects, and performances, all above average. The cast does a good job as usual. Shatner, Kelley, and the rest of the Enterprise crew are back in good form. Lloyd is an exceptional villain here. Look for a pre-"Night Court" John Larroquette as a Klingon. "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" is a fun movie, which was a perfect set-up for the next "Star Trek" adventure.

*** (out of four)

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12 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Underappreciated Star Trek film, 4 February 2003

Author: perfectbond

I believe Star Trek III is an underappreciated film in part because it is not accessible to a general audience. It is a pure science fiction film. In my opinion it is the one odd numbered film in the series that isn't victimized by 'the curse' of uneven numeration. I enjoyed the film because of the exciting action and fight sequences, the nostalgia, and the developed characterization of characters I am already so familiar with. I also found the film to be surprisingly spiritual and revelatory, a rarity for a sequel in a commercial film franchise. Anyone with close friends will be touched by Kirk's loyalty and sacrifice for Spock. Highly recommended, 8/10.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
The Needs of One..., 27 November 2003
Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK was yet another 'Star Trek' film Paramount had not originally intended to make (considering the profits the studio has reaped from the franchise, their continuing narrow vision is astonishing!), but Spock's death in STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN had created such controversy, and the first two Trek films had been so successful, that it required little arm-twisting to convince studio bosses to 'green light' a third installment (with a very modest budget).

Producer/Writer Harve Bennett knew how he wanted to resurrect Spock, but with Nicholas Meyer unavailable to direct, he needed someone familiar with the 'Star Trek Universe' to helm the project. So when 'Spock', himself, Leonard Nimoy, expressed a desire to direct it, Bennett was more than pleased. Nimoy was not a complete novice, having directed for television (including an episode of William Shatner's 'T.J. Hooker'), his understanding of his fellow crewmates and Vulcan ritual was unimpeachable, and he had little 'ego', making the working experience with him a joy for everyone involved.

As was the case with ST:TWOK, THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK was filmed primarily on sound stages, due to budget restraints, utilizing existing sets, when possible (which was why the Genesis Planet sequences appeared so claustrophobic). The film begins with a flashback from the previous film, concluding with Spock's coffin on the Genesis Planet. As the Enterprise returns to Earth to be decommissioned, strange things are happening to Dr. McCoy (the always reliable DeForest Kelley). He is hanging out in Spock's darkened quarters, and Spock's voice can be heard, coming from him. Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) chalks it up to depression, something the entire crew is experiencing, and sympathizes with him. Meanwhile, Kirk's son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), and Lt. Saavik (Robin Curtis, replacing Kirstie Alley, who had joined the cast of 'Cheers'), are on a science ship investigating the Genesis Planet (why David's mother, Carol Marcus, isn't involved, or even mentioned, is left unexplained), and they are detecting a lifeform reading that shouldn't be there. Faster than you can say "Spock!", the pair beam down to investigate. Also investigating the planet is a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, helmed by the ruthless Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd), who hopes that any technology powerful enough to 'remake' a planet might provide a weapon against the Federation. Destroying the science ship, he and a party beam down to the surface to capture it's 'creator', Marcus.

Back on Earth, Kirk is visited by Spock's father, Sarek (Mark Lenard), who is stunned to discover that Kirk had 'dumped' his son's body on the planet, and didn't possess the Vulcan's 'soul'. Unknown to Kirk, Vulcan ritual required a melding of both body and mind, with resurrection as the end result. Kirk quickly deduces that McCoy possesses the 'soul', (explaining his 'lapses' into Spock's personality) and finds him in a padded cell, after the good doctor, trying to hire a ship to go to the Genesis Planet, attempted to fight off Federation security using a Vulcan nerve pinch. Despite the warnings of the Federation, Kirk, after 'springing' McCoy, and the original crew hijack the Enterprise, and are soon on their way to recover Spock's body, and return it to Vulcan.

Saavik and Marcus find a rejuvenated and rapidly maturing Spock, and the female Vulcan introduces him to sex, when the youth experiences Pon Farr for the first time (one wishes Alley had been playing Saavik during THIS scene!) Soon after, the Klingons capture the trio, and threaten torture to learn Genesis' secret. Learning that the Enterprise is en route, young Marcus sacrifices himself to save the others (Kirk's stunned reaction to the death of his son would color his opinion of Klingons, ever afterward). With the planet self-destructing, Kirk would have to defeat his son's killer, and rescue Spock and Saavik, returning them immediately to Vulcan, or risk losing his friend, forever. The climax, featuring the destruction of the Enterprise, and re-emergence of Leonard Nimoy, as Spock, make ST:TSFS a memorable experience.

While the film lacked the electricity of ST:TWOK, it is a moving, powerful film in it's own right, with a haunting variation of the earlier film's music, by James Horner, and a cameo by legendary Dame Judith Anderson. Nimoy's direction was strong and cinematic, assuring him the directorial duties for the next Trek, THE VOYAGE HOME.

No matter what 'tradition' says about 'odd' and 'even'-numbered 'Star Trek' films, ST:TSFS is not a 'loser', in any sense of the word. It provided Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu (James Doohan, Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, and George Takei) their best big-screen appearances, gave Kelley an opportunity to play 'dual' roles, and reaffirmed what ST:TWOK had demonstrated about William Shatner; that after his fiasco in STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, the Canadian actor had truly reclaimed the role of Kirk.

Definitely worth watching!

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8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
not bad, 2 September 2001
Author: mattkratz (themattk@hotmail.com) from Richardson, TX

A decent entry into the Star Trek motion picture saga. McCoy is going over the edge, and it seems that Spock melded his spirit into McCoy's body shortly before dying in the Wrath of Khan. Kirk must travel to an unstable planet to try and find Spock's body in an effort to rescue his old friend and end all three men's suffering. If you are a fan of the series, you might find some things to like about this movie. I recommend it.

*** out of ****

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
You Klingon bastards ! Kirk gets personal., 4 March 2008

Author: JohnRouseMerriottChard from United Kingdom

It is what it is folks, it's a good honest Star Trek story, it beats a real emotive heart and although some may decry the lack of blistering space battles, or end of the universe peril scenarios, it's an essential film for dealing with the protagonists we know and love.

Into the mix here we have our favourite alien enemies The Klingons {led by the oddly cast Christopher Lloyd}, Spocks father, Sarek, who adds grace to the story, and crucially Kirk gets an emotional kicker. While hardcore fans get a big surprise with the beloved Enterprise. It's merely a set up for the next {and delightfully great} instalment of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but on its own terms it stands up as one of the better character pieces in the series. Due in no small part to having Leonard Nimoy directing it because he shows care and thought about a subject he obviously knows quite a bit about. 7/10

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Star Trek power and style return, 25 October 2003

Author: Fiendish_Dramaturgy from .: Fiendish Writings in the Dark :.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Now more comfortable on the big screen, the tongue-in-cheek humor is back, the edge has returned, and the wardrobe has had a much-needed face-lift.

Spock's phantom voice coming from Bones's mouth...words Bones would never utter stream from his lips...Is our favorite doctor suffering some kind of breakdown? In the wake of the Genesis Project, the planet is now closed to all but the science teams which are studying the Genesis Effect on what is now termed the Genesis Planet.

They've decommissioned the Enterprise and Kirk can't get an answer as to whether the crew will get another ship, or be split up and reassigned. Meanwhile, Sarik, Spock's father, shows up for a personal visit with Kirk, concerning the condition of Spock's soul. He is certain that Spock would have housed his soul with Kirk, but upon a mind-meld, Sarik determines that Spock is not present within Kirk. And such is the loss to Sarik. He will be unable to resurrect his son, or to properly salvage his living soul since Spock was not in a position to touch Kirk at his time of death.

Back on the Genesis Planet, the science team has discovered Spock's burial tube which soft-landed on the planet's surface. And there is an unidentifiable animal life form present nearby. There should not be any life, animal or otherwise, since Genesis destroys all life forms wherever it is targeted, therefore this is of key concern to the science team, who sends down an investigative crew immediately.

Kirk and Sarik determine that Spock melded with McCoy before he died, and in order for McCoy to be well again, and Spock's soul to be saved from oblivion, Kirk has to break McCoy out of the psychiatric unit where he is recovering from "exhaustion," steal a star ship, get McCoy to Mt. Selia on Vulcan for a Vulcan religious magickal rite which will separate the two souls from one another, and thereby save them both; face a court martial for stealing a star ship, disobeying direct orders and possibly treason against Star Fleet.

Ah, but I haven't told half the story, nor spoiled anything but the first 10 or so minutes of the movie. This is a fantastic installment! and I won't spoil anymore of it for you.

The effects are even better than those in the Wrath of Khan, as there are some excellent elements here and the story picks up right where the Wrath of Khan left off. This is a brilliant continuation with some fantastic visuals worthy of the name "Star Trek." They just get better and better!

It rates a 9.3/10 from...

the Fiend :.

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