Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is dead; he’s sacrificed himself for the greater good–and now his team is left in shambles. With crew members reassigned, the heart of the team ripped from their chest, and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) at a loss, things for the former Enterprise crew are looking dismal. Kirk, however, has a plan: return to the planet Genesis and retrieve Spock’s body–even if it means risking his career and his life. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock sees Kirk and his team on a different mission, one very near and dear to their hearts.
In one of my recent ventures into the final frontier, my second time on the Star Trek: The Undiscovered Podcast, I expressed my struggle with the character Saavik who in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is played by Robin Curtis (but had been played by Kirstie Alley–and that’s the problem). This time around, which was actually her first time around, Saavik is entertaining, accessible (even emotionally interesting enough), and one of the more entertaining characters in the film. She’s far different from her future variation, and she’s incredibly easy to like. She’s ultimately the bridge between the Enterprise crew and Spock, and Curtis does a brilliant job of bringing her to life and allowing her to be entertaining throughout the course of the film.
Another character that I appreciated much more in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is David (Merritt Butrick). His other appearance saw him whiney, irritating, and entitled–all things that lent themselves to him being unlikable. It seems that the general consensus was that he was a frustrating character and that his only purpose was to further develop Kirk. While he’s certainly meant to help develop Kirk throughout the course of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, he exists on his own now as an interesting character that’s integral to the story.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock begins with a clip from the previous film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It recaps one of the most important scenes of the film, and it effectively leads viewers into this installment of the Star Trek franchise. It’s quick, it’s artistically impressive in the way that the screen is slowly enlarges, and it’s necessary–as a callback to that specific moment will come about toward the end of this film (and I honestly wouldn’t have remembered the exact quote from the previous film had I not been able to see it again). It’s a really quick and effective way to kick things off, and I appreciate the way in which Director Nimoy and Writer Harve Bennett begin this film.
I’m not sure if it’s the fact that I made a conscious decision to look at this or not, but Star Trek III: The Search for Spock takes a step backward in regard to the effects. The worlds that exist in this film lack the same luster that existed in other films, and it takes away from the ability to suspend disbelief throughout. Maybe it’s a little unfair of me to have high expectations for a sci-fi film in the nineteen-eighties in this regard, but it seems to me that other films from the same franchise (even the ones that came before) did a better job in this department. Again, it could have been that I made a more conscious effort to notice these things, but I believe that this aspect of the film failed regardless.
Another interesting difference between the other films that I’ve seen and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is that women are sexualized in a unique way. Other installments certainly weren’t void of sexualized characters by any means, often casting attractive women to play prominent roles in the films–but this was far different. Bartenders and Kilngons alike were seen wearing provocative clothing, but I can’t understand why. Maybe the bartender makes sense, maybe I can understand why Nimoy and Bennett would have wanted to showcase that character in this fashion, but the Klingon crewmember–why was that necessary? In reality this addition to the film makes no sense, it adds nothing to the narrative or the viewing experience, and it ultimately seems out of place. It’s a small part of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, but even these small decisions can play a massive role in how viewers receive the entirety of the film.
I’m conflicted when it comes to the story, as there are parts that really appealed to me, and others that left me somewhat puzzled. The film is called Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, yet Spock is found pretty early in the film, stealing from the mystery of whether or not the search would be successful. This aspect of the story is a tad frustrating, because it steals from the very essence of the film. Beyond that, however, I think the stakes seem higher than before–much higher than what that fraud Khan could have induced. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock sees characters in danger, even if it isn’t their lives–and it constantly reminds viewers that the potential for death is lingering not far from these beloved characters. In this regard Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is the best film of the series (at least out of the ones that I’ve seen–which, admittedly, isn’t many).
When Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ended I was torn. I wasn’t sure exactly how I felt. Was it my favorite Star Trek film? My least favorite? Smack dab in the middle? It took me until I finished writing this review (and then sitting down and chatting with others) to determine that it does exist in the middle between Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. There are pros and cons. There are moments when the cons outweigh the pros, and there are moments when the opposite happens. Ultimately, this is a compelling film that has what it takes to reach an audience emotionally and cinematically–even through those flaws.
Directed by Leonard Nimoy.
Written by Gene Roddenberry & Harve Bennett.
Starring William Shatner, Frank Force, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Robin Curtis, Merritt Butrick, Christopher Lloyd, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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