Review of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) by Mike H — 23 Jul 2013

The Star Trek movies are notorious for having their odd numbered entries be significantly weaker than their even numbered counterparts. The Search for Spock is not one of those movies, it's a hugely entertaining sci-fi adventure. No, it isn't a great as the Wrath of Khan and is obviously inferior (what film wouldn't be?), but the visuals and style are great to look at, despite some effects that seem a little weak even by 1984 standards.

The acting is still as top notch as it is in Wrath of Khan. Shatner continues to chew up as much of the screen as he can, more so in this one since he doesn't have to worry about Ricardo Montalban's Khan stealing his thunder. The rest of the cast is just as great. DeForest Kelley is still perfect in the role of Dr. McCoy (a favorite character of mine) and Christopher Lloyd is great as the villain, Kruge. Once again, he's no Khan, but Kruge is still a solid antagonist to Kirk and Co.

One of the things that makes this movie so enjoyable is its subtle sense of campiness, using production and set designs as well as dialog so ridiculous it almost is poking fun at itself. You don't laugh at it, you laugh with it, having fun with Kirk and Bones tossing one-liners back and forth to keep things rolling.

While not the powerful, character-driven epic that the Wrath of Khan is, the Search for Spock manages to bring the fun and entertainment that makes Star Trek such a good time to watch. This third film in the long running franchise is one where you sit back and just enjoy all the adventure that's happening on screen.