...but I was really upset with this movie for a long time.

Star Trek lore has it that Leonard Nimoy himself wanted Spock killed off in The Wrath of Khan and the writers followed through on it - sort of. Supposedly, at the last minute they got cold feet and changed the ending, leaving it open for a return.

So why didn't Mr. Nimoy just say "No" when approached about Star Trek III: The Search for Spock? I don't know. I watched it again recently to write this review, and I have to admit that it's not as bad as I remembered. So, if they had to choose this path and resurrect Spock, I think this movie does a wonderful job.

The Search for Spock picks up literally at the end of The Wrath of Khan. In fact, scenes from the end of that movie are shown in the beginning of this one. The Enterprise is on its way back to spacedock after having taken a beating at the hands of Khan. Kirk is in deep mourning over the loss of his friend, and all is not right with Dr. McCoy, although this is attributed to stress.

Saavik (Robin Curtis recasted in the role that Kirstie Alley portrayed in The Wrath of Khan) and David have taken off to perform a scientific study of the planet that was created when Khan detonated the Genesis device at the end of the previous movie. It is also the planet upon which Spock's body landed after being jettisoned.

A visit from Sarek, Spock's father, prompts Kirk to break McCoy out of the "Starfleet Funny Farm" and steal the Enterprise to bring Spock's body to Vulcan. There, his consciousness - or spirit - can be transferred out of McCoy.

But here come the Klingons! And while I think Christopher Lloyd did an absolutely wonderful job at Kruge, I can't help but feel that bringing back John Colicos as Kor instead would've given the movie and even sharper edge. Granted, we wouldn't have been able to see him in Deep Space Nine later on, but this was a part that was made for him.

Bit I digress... The Klingons believe Genesis to be a weapon. Genesis has turned out to be an unmitigated failure, with David showing some of his father's traits and having broken the rules to make the experiment work. David and Saavik have found a young Vulcan boy - Spock's body regenerating itself. His mind is a blank because it is in McCoy.

The most disappointing part of the film for me was the execution of David. If they were going to add a long-lost son to Kirk's history, I think they should've kept him around for more than two movies. (A side note: The actor who portrayed David died just a few years after this, however.) David dies a hero's death, and we see Kirk display uncharacteristic emotion at the news. Not even Spock's death at the end of The Wrath of Khan elicited an emotional response from him.

To save Saavik and Spock, Kirk sacrifices the Enterprise. This is not so bad since it was established in the beginning of the film that it was to be decommissioned anyway. And since we already know they killed Spock at the end of the last film and brought him back, chances were that this wasn't the end of the Enterprise either.

And everything wraps up nice & pretty. The Klingons die (all except one), Spock gets his mind back in a body that has (amazingly!) stopped aging at just the same age it was before he was killed. And everyone is happy on Vulcan at the end of the film.

The special effects are very well-done as usual. Watching the planet pull itself apart with earthquakes, volcanic activity and storms it doesn't seem artificial. The same is true of the crew members watching the Enterprise after it's self-destruct is executed descend in the sky. Bringing back a familiar villain in the Klingons was an excellent addition to the story, instead of coming up with a different species to be at war with. I wish Kirstie Alley had come back, since I preferred her portrayal of Saavik to Robin Curtis', but the recast was not a terrible one.



To see where this movie ranks in my assessment of the Star Trek films, go to: Star Trek's Top 10

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12