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Star Trek III: The Search For Spock gets a 40th Anniversary outing on the big screen, and it was my first experience of the film, not just in the cinema, but ever!
Of course, I could’ve seen it at any time, as well as after watching Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan – easily the best of them all – in 2022 in the cinema, but I figured it’d come round again. Still, given the fact that I’ve seen all the others, since then, I figured Spock would be fine in the end, anyway.
Watching this, I can now see why the lacklustre Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home went all-out with its heavy-handed environmental message, because Part III opens with Spock’s coffin littering another planet, namely Part II’s Genesis planet.
This time round, and Bones has gone a bit mad, appearing to be channelling Spock’s thoughts, occasionally acting like a Vulcan, too. Plus, when Spock’s coffin is discovered, he’s not there! Where can he be? He can’t have got far away, on the account of being dead, but then what’s all the talk of Vulcan mysticism and how Spock might have an eternal soul?
Meanwhile, the crew of the Enterprise are being told to keep schtum about the Genesis device, as Kirk’s son, David (Merritt Butrick), confirms it’s causing a few issues. As such, Kirk wants to use the Enterprise to look into all this, but it’s on the verge of being decommissioned, after being in operation for 20 years and not about to get refurbishment any time soon.
I did like the biplane dogfight arcade table game in a bar, although for all its dark tones, which I found very welcome, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock does degenerate into a ridculous punch-up between Kirk and Doc Brown, sorry, Kruge (Christopher Lloyd).
However, it’s also a film where one punch can knock out a baddie, and it does have some cheesy deaths, where a well-placed one-attempt stab can kill someone with a knife. That scene did irritate me, because it was one baddie against three people, yet the others just stand there and watch. Bellends!
Also, towards the end, when Kirk’s having a fight with Kruge, he kicks him to a lower piece of group with a very small surface area, then proceeds to jump down and nearly loses his life. Why? It would’ve been easier to stay put, and when Kruge would inevitable have tried to climb back up, Kirk could just continually kick him back down again. Of course, it wouldn’t have made for a great conclusion to their fight, but it would’ve made more sense.
Additionally, when it comes to the cast, while Leonard Nimoy was on directing duties, his appearance as Spock was actually uncredited in the opening credits (although he was listed in the main ones). Plus, writer/producer Harve Bennett has a role as the voice of the Flight Recorder, and while the late Miguel Ferrer had his big break in 1987’s Robocop as Bob Morton, here, he pops up as the First Officer of the US Excelsior.
Oh, and Nimoy also appears as the voice of the Elevator, albeit listed as Frank Force. Could you feel that?
Finally, while it would be interesting to revisit Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, I expect they won’t be showing that until its own 40th Anniversary rolls round in 1986.
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is in selected cinemas now, and is available to buy on 4K Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray Movie 1-6 Boxset, Blu-ray, and DVD.
There’s also a new Limited Edition 4K Amazon Exclusive Steelbook Boxset, including Poster and Booklet.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 105 minutes
Release date: June 14th 2024
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Format: 2.39:1 (Dolby Vision, VistaVision (visual effects), Anamorphic Panavision)
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 7/10
Director: Leonard Nimoy
Producer: Harve Bennett
Creator: Gene Roddenberry
Screenplay: Harve Bennett
Music: James Horner
Cast:
Kirk: William Shatner
Spock: Leonard Nimoy
McCoy: DeForest Kelley
Scotty: James Doohan
Chekov: Walter Koenig
Sulu: George Takei
Uhura: Nichelle Nichols
Saavik: Robin Curtis
David: Merritt Butrick
Kruge: Christopher Lloyd
Trainee Foster: Phil Morris
‘Mr. Adventure’: Scott McGinnis
Admiral Morrow: Robert Hooks
Spock Age 9: Carl Steven
Spock Age 13: Vadia Potenza
Spock Age 17: Stephen Manley
Spock Age 25: Joe W Davis
Captain: Paul Sorensen
Valkris: Cathie Shirriff
Torg: Stephen Liska
Maltz: John Larroquette
Klingon Sargeant: Dave Cadiente
Klingon Gunner #1: Bob Cummings
Klingon Gunner #2: Branscombe Richmond
Captain Esteban: Phillip Richard Allen
Helm: Jeanne Mori
Communications: Mario Marcelino
Alien: Allan Miller
Waitress: Sharon Thomas
Civilian Agent: Conroy Gedeon
Captain Styles: James B. Sikking
First Officer: Miguel Ferrer
Sarek: Mark Lenard
Vulcan Child: Katherine Blum
Vulcan High Priestess: Dame Judith Anderson
Elevator Voice: Leonard Nimoy (as Frank Force)
Flight Recorder (voice): Harve Bennett
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.