Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Directed by Leonard Nimoy

Film Review

One of Leonard Nimoy's chief regrets when he was working on the original television series of Star Trek was that he was never given the opportunity to direct an episode.  With Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, the third film in the increasingly successful Star Trek film franchise, Nimoy finally got to realise his ambition.  Judging by the generally positive fan reaction to the film, Nimoy understood Gene Roddenberry's concept better than most and was not afraid to remain faithful to it.  He delivers a visually arresting, well-paced sci-fi adventure movie which is marred only by some mediocre effects work and plot that appears to have been conceived for the small screen rather than a full-length cinematic feature.  

Less ambitious in scope than the previous film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, this third Star Trek extravaganza shows a marginal improvement on the special effects front, although it is clear that more time and money should have been spent to achieve a more convincing result.  The destruction of the Genesis planet has something of the Styrofoam feel of those old sixties episodes, with some dodging acting to match.  Other effects - particularly some of the model shots - are simply stunning and rival anything that can be produced today using computer generated imaging.  Nimoy's direction is competent rather than inspired - he would do a far more impressive job on his next Star Trek assignment, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.  The plot is, however, the film's one Achilles heel.  With the resolution pretty obvious from the outset (indeed it was pretty well given away at the end of the previous film), there are few surprises other than - shock, horror! - the destruction of the Starship Enterprise.  (Yes, we all knew it would come back in a later film - no one can destroy an icon.)  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock may be true to the original television series but it hardly pushes the envelope and feels pretty anodyne for a mid-80s sci-fi movie.  Fortunately, the success of this film (it grossed almost 90 million dollars at the box office) assured Paramount that the Star Trek franchise was a long-term winner and could afford to take much bigger risks in future.  The best was yet to come...

Film Synopsis

After a dramatic showdown with Khan Noonien Singh, the crew of the Starship Enterprise are still mourning the death of their comrade Spock as the ship returns Earth.  Admiral James T. Kirk is reprimanded by Spock's father for leaving his friend for dead on the planet created by the Genesis Device.  It appears that before he died trying to save the ship, Spock passed his spirit into the mind of Dr McCoy.  Kirk is honour-bound to return to the Genesis Planet, recover Spock's body and take it to his home planet of Vulcan where it can be reunited with his spirit.  Having failed to gain official approval for the mission from his superiors, Kirk has no choice but to go his own way and steal the Enterprise.  Even if he succeeds, he knows that his career, and the careers of his loyal crewmembers, will be over.  But, on this occasion, the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.  Unfortunately, before Kirk can get to Spock he must deal with a party of Klingons, who are determined to learn the secrets of the Genesis Device...