Title :
The Search for Spock
Rating :
Number :
III
Stardate :
8210.3
First Aired :
1984
Year :
Director :
Writers :
Main Cast :
Guest Cast :
Stunts :
YATI :
Kruge is angry when he blows up the Grissom, declaring "I wanted prisoners!" He later captures the resurrected Spock, David Marcus, and Saavik on the planet. Yet at the end of the Saavik's Kobyashi Maru test, Kirk declared that "The Klingons don't take prisoners." Um, seems like they do.
At the beginning of the film Scotty is ordered to report to Excelsior as "Captain of Engineering", and he does wear the rank pin of a Captain. But for the self-destruct he identifies himself as Commander Montgomery Scott, not Captain.
On that same topic, doesn't it seem a little odd that a person with a Captain's rank would serve as an engineer? We've never seen a Captain in any other role than ship command that I know of, nor ever heard of the phrase "Captain of engineering" again. I'd rather expect Scotty to get a ship of his own if he became a Captain.
After being reunited with his katra Spock remembers things that happened on the Enterprise as he died, such as his asking him asking "The ship? Out of danger?" of Kirk. However, since these things happened after he had transferred his katra to McCoy, the resurrected Spock should have no memory of them. We can excuse the "I have been..." line, since he also said that earlier in the mission.
When David confesses to using protomatter in Genesis, Saavik asks him "How many have paid the price for your impatience? How many have died?" Um, well, isn't the answer to that "none"? I mean, using protomatter didn't cause anybody to die - Khan killed the people on Regula for revenge and as a power grab, which was nothing to do with David using protomatter. And the people killed in this film are killed by Kruge, again nothing to do with David using protomatter. In fact, since the Genesis effect did regenerate Captain Spock, then the answer to Saavik's question is "minus one", since there is now somebody alive who would otherwise be dead, because of David.
When Saavik is sleeping on Genesis, she is woken up by an explosion of steam from the ground which knocks a tree over. Only, if you look close there's a Klingon in the tree! No explanation is ever given for this, he appears to simply vanish a moment later. What's up with that?
Great Moment :
The theft of the Enterprise. I love this scene, and I love the music that goes with it.
The death of the USS Enterprise. I never cry, but I came extremely close when I saw this.
Body Count :
Most of the crew of a Klingon bird of prey, approximately a dozen officers. The crew of the USS Grissom, David Marcus, a Klingon Targ and the pride of the Captain of the USS Excelsior.
Factoid :
George Takei was adamant that the "Don't call me tiny" line was unfunny and should be removed. He only changed his mind when he saw the audience reactions.
Plotline
Shortly after the events of Star Trek II, the Enterprise is heading home. Most of her Cadets have been re-assigned; the ship has been largely automated to allow her to operate with a skeleton crew. Everybody is struggling to cope with their grief over the death of Spock. But the loss seems to affect Bones more than anybody - as they arrive at Spacedock the Doctor is found in Spocks quarters, asking to be taken 'home' to Mount Seleya - on Vulcan. McCoy is diagnosed as suffering from overwork and told to rest.
More shocks are in store - Admiral Morrow declares that the Enterprise will not be refitted and repaired, but instead will be scrapped. Scotty is assigned as captain of engineering on the new USS Excelsior, while Kirk and the others are left in limbo. During their trip back Genesis has become a galactic controversy, with the Klingons accusing the Federation of developing a super weapon and Kirk of being a murderer.
Back home, Kirk receives a visit from Ambassador Sarek. The Vulcan demands to know why Kirk abandoned Spock on Genesis when he must have been given Spocks "Katra" - essentially his soul. When it's obvious that Kirk doesn't understand, Sarek conducts a mind meld. Apparently Vulcans are able to transfer their consciousness into another via a meld, but it seems that Spock was prevented from doing so by the barrier which separated him from Kirk in his final moments. Kirk, thinking that Spock would have melded with somebody else, checks the visual logs of the Enterprise engine room and sees Spock mind meld with McCoy. McCoy, meanwhile, is gradually beginning to show signs of Spocks personality in his behaviour. He goes to a bar to attempt to hire a ship to take him to Genesis, but a Federation security agent overhears him and arrests the Doctor.
The Klingons are not just complaining about Genesis - one of their spies has procured Carol Marcus's original funding request outlining the devices capabilities, and passes it on to a Klingon Bird of Prey. The vessels Captain murders the witnesses and sets course for Genesis.
At Genesis, the USS Grissom is beginning a survey of the planet. The ship is a small science vessel, with David Marcus - Kirks son - and Lieutenant Saavik on board. David soon detects Spocks burial tube on the surface, and is amazed to detect life form readings down there. He and Saavik beam down to investigate.
Kirk asks Admiral Morrow to let him take the Enterprise back to Genesis to fulfil his promise to see if the effect which created the planet could somehow have revived Spock. Morrow steadfastly refuses, claiming that the Enterprise wouldn't survive another mission. Even when Kirk offers to hire another ship the Admiral remains unmoved. Afterward Kirk informs his friends "the word is no. I am therefore going anyway". They hatch and execute a daring plan to break McCoy out of prison and steal the Enterprise right out of Spacedock, running rings around Starfleet Security and the USS Excelsior in the process, and are soon on the way to Genesis.
When Saavik and David find Spocks burial tube, they discover huge slug like animals all over it - it appears that bacteria on the tube have mutated and grown. When they open the tube a shock is in store - Spocks body is gone. They detect another lifesign nearby and head off in pursuit, soon finding a small Vulcan boy. The Genesis effect has regenerated Spock as a rapidly ageing child. As they report their finding to an incredulous Captain, the Grissom is engaged by the arriving Bird of Prey and destroyed. A Klingon landing party beams down to hunt for Saavik and David, who go on the run with Spock. They manage to elude capture for a day or so, but are eventually run down. While they are interrogated the Enterprise arrives in orbit, and the Klingon Captain beams up to deal with the new threat. He plans a surprise attack on the ship using the cloaking device, but Kirk is a step ahead - he spots a slight visual distortion of the stars and targets it with photon torpedoes, firing the instant the Klingon Captain decloaks.
But things don't go Kirks way. The automation system is not up to handling the ship in a battle, and when the Klingon ship gets a shot off the system shorts out completely. Kirk tries to bluff the Klingon Captain into surrender, but instead the man orders one of the hostages on the planet killed. After a brief struggle the Klingon guard murders David. Stunned by the loss of his son, Kirk invites the Klingons to beam aboard and take control of the Enterprise - and sets the autodestruct sequence before beaming down to the planet. The Enterprise explodes into flames with almost the entire Klingon crew still aboard before crashing into the Genesis planet.
On the planet, things are not going well. David used unstable protomatter in the Genesis Device, and like Spock the planet is ageing rapidly as a result. The only way for Kirk and co. to escape is via the Bird of Prey in orbit. Kirk kills the Klingon guard on the surface and taunts the Captain over a comm channel, hoping to overpower him after he beams down. The Klingon arrives with a weapon pointing at Kirk; he orders most of the others beamed up, leaving only Spock behind. As the planet begins to disintegrate the Captain loses his weapon, and he and Kirk fight hand to hand. Kirk is successful in killing the Klingon, and imitates his voice on the comm device to get the last remaining member of his crew to beam him and Spock aboard. Quickly gaining control of the ship, Kirk heads out of orbit just as the Genesis planet finally breaks apart. Once clear of the planet Spock stops ageing, and they head off to a rendezvous on Vulcan.
Once on Vulcan they take McCoy and Spocks body to Mount Seleya, where a Vulcan high priestess uses a mind meld to remove Spocks Katra from McCoys mind and place it into his body. At first, the new Spock seems not to have any memories of his old life or friends - but when Kirk prompts him, he begins to show signs of recognition and his friends gather around him joyously.
Analysis
Star Trek III is a reasonably solid film - nothing marvellous or groundbreaking, but generally good with a few excellent scenes. Leonard Nimoy takes the reins as director for the first time, and he does a pretty good job of it. One feature which will recur in Star Trek IV, also directed by Nimoy, is the way in which every member of the crew get to play a central role in an important scene. Most of these involve the the freeing of McCoy and theft of the Enterprise - Nimoys days on "Mission Impossible" clearly have an influence here, as each person completes his or her individual part of the mission. So we see Uhura outclassing "Mr Adventure" in the transporter room, Sulu teaching a lesson to the towering guard who dares call him Tiny, Scotty showing his luddite tendencies on the Excelsior, etc. It all adds up to a very impressive and exciting sequence.
But the crowning glory of the film has to be the sequence leading up to the death of the Enterprise. In the space of a few minutes we get Kirks initial victory over the Klingon, the reversal which leaves the Enterprise crippled, the death of David, and then Kirks ultimate sacrifice. This is some of the strongest stuff we have ever seen in a Trek film or episode - Kirk stands Godlike over Trek in the minds of the fans, and to see him crumple to the floor at Davids death is a moving moment which Shatner plays to perfection. As for the self-destruct sequence itself, the Enterprise has always been more than just a ship to Trek fans. She is a character in the minds of the fans, and seeing her torn apart is a sad and horrific spectacle.
The scenes on Vulcan are also powerful - I've always loved the sense of mystery and Alienness which surrounded our glimpses of Vulcan society in episodes like "Amok Time", and this film takes that feeling to another level.
There are relatively few negative points to the film as such. The special effects are sometimes a little less than effective, although the death of the Enterprise is gorgeous. The bar scene is a little unconvincing - the costumes look fairly cheap and tacky and this just doesn't look like the kind of place that would be a regular haunt for either Spock or McCoy. Admiral Morrows insistence that Kirk should not go to Genesis also doesn't quite ring true - Spocks family are very important in the Federation, so much so that it got Kirk out of a court martial in "Amok Time". Surely Sarek would have the influence to get a request like this granted? Yet Morrow dismisses the whole idea out of hand, openly sceptical of "Vulcan mysticism".
The films greatest flaw is that it is ultimately just an excuse to get Spock back alive again. You know this going into it, so much of the impact of the story is diluted. But within this framework the story is adequate, Nimoy does a good job directing and the cast all put in good performances.
