Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Rating

Director

Leonard Nimoy

Screenplay

Harve Bennett

Length

1h 45m

Starring

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Robin Curtis, Merritt Butrick, Phil Morris, Scott McGinnis, Robert Hooks, Christopher Lloyd

MPAA Rating

PG

Review

While it is incredibly difficult to follow the success of a perfect film with a follow-up that is on even footing, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock tries mightily to avoid its expected fate.

Picking up exactly where Star Trek II left off, the Federation starship Enterprise and its crew are returning to port for essential repairs. When they arrive they are shocked to discover that Enterprise is going to be decommissioned perhaps as a result of the fallout resulting from the political mess the Genesis device has created. Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) is acting strangely and is arrested. The late Spock’s father (Mark Lenard) reveals that he is suffering from a fractured personality because Spock (Leonard Nimoy) transferred his memory and consciousness into McCoy’s. Adm. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) rescues McCoy and steals his Enterprise to go in search of Spock’s body in an effort to save McCoy by retransferring Spock’s psyche back into his body.

The central villain of the film is under baked though delightfully portrayed by Christopher Lloyd. Kruge is an typical Klingon who hopes to thwart efforts to use the Genesis device as a weapon against the Klingon empire. Woven poorly into the script, this is perhaps the weakest element of the film. Separately, it further establishes certain Vulcan ideologies and rituals, which will please the many fans of Spock and his half-Vulcan heritage. Shatner has toned things down a bit and the rest of the cast performs adequately but the weaknesses of Bennett’s screenplay are only rescued by Nimoy’s deft directorial hand.

In the Star Trek universe, the best episodes are largely those that pose philosophical questions or reflect modern humanity with a futuristic lens. While some of that is present in this film, it ultimately is more of a meandering space adventure than a serious exploration of heady themes. That doesn’t stop the film from feeling fresh and engaging with action and fight sequences that entertain the audience. It is the lone odd-numbered film in the first six that wasn’t a severe disappointment compared to the even-numbered ones.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock does a fine job entertaining its core audience but its accessibility to non-fans is minimal. The film plays like an extended version of a small screen story and that leads it to feel meager in terms of its thematic offerings. Still, with a well acted villain like Kruge, the film manages to survive on merit alone.

Review Written

June 20, 2024