Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is the inevitable continuation of the events that ended in the previous movie. But whereas The Wrath of Khan was movie that was nearly flawless, that was accessible to just about any moviegoer, The Search For Spock not only relies heavily on the previous movie, but also on the assumption that viewers are heavily invested in the characters. More critically, the movie is uneven and unfocused, suffering from some typical Hollywood sequel cliché. That isn’t to say that this is a terrible movie. There are in fact a number of iconic moments. But for the most part, it’s a significant step down from its predecessor.

The movie opens strongly with a scene on the Enterprise that effectively conveys just one thing: emptiness. The Enterprise is limping home. Spock is gone. Much of the training crew is gone. McCoy is deeply troubled. And the feelings of renewal that Kirk experienced back at the Genesis Planet have long since evaporated. The dialogue and acting aren’t quite as crisp as the previous film, but the sequence is nonetheless effective, ending with the battle-scarred Enterprise arriving in spacedock.

Back on Earth, while McCoy is being treated for mental illness, and as Kirk and the Enterprise crew are trying to come to terms with the idea that the Enterprise is to be decommissioned, Kirk receives a surprise visit from Sarek – Spock’s father. Through Sarek, we learn that there is a way for Spock to be resurrected (thanks to a plot contrivance, utilizing the mysterious Vulcan culture). From here, the movie launches into a full-out rescue effort.

This leads to what is one of the film’s finest moments: the sequence in which Kirk and his crew literally commandeer the Enterprise right out from under Starfleet’s nose. It’s a thrilling series of events made all the more enjoyable by Scotty’s sabotage of the Excelsior – the new state-of-the-art starship which was set to surpass the Enterprise as the flagship of the fleet. The sequence isn’t exactly plausible, but it makes up for its shortcomings through sheer bravado.

Concurrently, Kirk’s son, David, and Lt. Saavik are on board the Grissom – a science ship charged with studying the newborn Genesis planet. Unfortunately, while the two are on the planet, investigating a mysterious life sign (Spock), their ship is destroyed by Klingons whose commander is played by Christopher Lloyd. This sets up a fateful confrontation between the Klingons and the Enterprise, with the fate of Spock, Saavik, and David hanging in the balance.

After crippling the Enterprise and killing David, the Klingons would seem to have the advantage, but Kirk manages to accomplish what he does best, “turn death into a fighting chance to survive” (as McCoy would say) by doing the unthinkable: setting the Enterprise to auto-destruct … and letting the time run out, taking a hapless band of Klingon boarders with it.

The destruction of the Enterprise is heartbreaking in its significance. It’s a ship that was with the consciousness of viewers for almost twenty years. But the destruction wasn’t simply a contrivance to get a cheap rise out of the audience (see: Star Trek Generations), but instead it was not merely an important plot point, but it fit thematically into the film. Between this scene and the theft sequence, the film has its two most iconic moments.

And of course, Kirk eventually gets the best of the Klingon commander, and manages to commandeer the Klingon Bird of Prey (a fantastically menacing ship design). As Genesis tears itself apart, Kirk and his crew, with a resurrected (but mentally and spiritually hollow) Spock on board, head off to Vulcan.

But how did Spock come back to life? The explanation is part of the Genesis experiment in which David “cheated” (much like his father) to get the results he wanted. As the movie unfolds, we see Spock as a child, as a pre-teen, and as an adolescent. Unfortunately, the sequences are exceptionally cringeworthy and are a liability for the film.

As for Spock’s final resurrection on Vulcan, the sequences are just too plodding and predictable to generate any real drama and suspense. We know, of course, that Spock will return – how could he not? We just spent an entire film retrieving him. The only uncertainty is how much Spock actually remembers from his former life. And to that end, when he finally turns to Kirk and says, “Jim. You’re name is Jim,” it’s a compelling a fulfilling moment – even if it is the stuff of Hollywood contrivance.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is an average film. It features a couple of iconic sequences and a whole lot of filler material. Its emotional conclusion is fulfilling, but lacking in tension or suspense. Put simply, it does a good job of moving the story of Star Trek forward, but it doesn’t elevate the series like its predecessor.

Filed under: Feature Films, Original Series