Review of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) by Baurushan J — 07 May 2013

I think my respect for this movie has grown over the years. That or I've just gotten used to it. It's still a choice movie for a crappy day at the office. It really is pretty sappy if you think about it but it's just a great story. One that is true to Star Trek and it's space opera-ness, and it's a great way to bring a beloved character back from the grave. I mean sci-fi has one rule: you're only dead so long as it suits the plots and we don't desperately need you for something else. There are good and bad ways to pull that off and this is one of the best.

We pick up right where the Wrath of Khan left us. The Enterprise limps home with a grieving crew. Kirk is hurting while McCoy is just disturbed. Let's just take a moment to respect the awesome that is the late DeForest Kelley. I mean he does the man possessed thing very well, he still creeps me out in the scene where Kirk finds him in Spock's quarters. it is just so well done without being overdone (please see any time Kirk is not quite himself in the original series). William Shatner is as well - his standout moments being the scenes with the amazing (and sadly also late) Mark Lenard as Sarek at Kirk's home and his reaction to David's death. I mean I don't care about David, the character always sort of bugged me but I cared and still care each time I watch this movie because of the effect it has on Kirk. Where Kirk's grief for Spock in his final moments are less dramatic, and I argue that that was out of shock and the fact that he's trying to rein himself in for Spock's benefit, here he is allowed to just go. It's surprise, it's his son that's died, and a son that he has only just met. So much lost potential there. See! I care despite saying I don't care about David!

Spock's katra thing doesn't seem like a Deus Ex Machina either. They laid the foundation for it with the "Remember" scene in the previous film and everything is built nicely in. If you read the novel it's even better explained. Kirk doesn't really quite believe what he's hearing but all he knows is that he has to try. As he says to Sarek at the end; "if [he] hadn't tried the cost would have been my soul.".

When the two best friends meet again and Spock finally clues into his name it is great. I love how Leonard Nimoy's face goes from politely confused to "hang on one damn minute here." It's fantastic.

I also love that everything isn't magically solved here. You leave with the fact that Spock has a long way to go before he's himself, if that's even possible, you have the Enterprise crew as fugitives (with Sarek I'm sure keeping them on Vulcan under asylum. No one screws with Sarek). It's really almost as bad a cliffhanger as the last movie!

In sum it's a shmultzy, somewhat sappy film, but I wouldn't change a moment of it. It seems that Spock knows how to (even if by accident) turn a no win situation into a winnable one too.