I've really grown to genuinely love "The Search for Spock."

[Amasov]

No, it's never been one of my favorite movies in the franchise, but, I've been watching it on and off over the past few weeks and I think it truly captures the essence of what made the original series so enjoyable for me. This is a movie strictly about a family; how far that family is willing to go and what they'll sacrifice in order to save one of their own.

The Search for Spock is also extremely emotionally-charged. There is so much personal pain inflicted onto these characters, between them still reeling from the death of Spock, practically throwing away their careers to save him, Kirk literally brought to his knees from the loss of his son, and capped off by the destruction of the Enterprise; it's really quick remarkable everything they go through in such a short period. And all of this is a major contributing factor into why I love The Voyage Home so much; it was the recovery phase both for the characters and us, the audience.

Maybe this is a little controversial, but, I've only now started to take notice of what a great actor William Shatner is. There are just these small touches, especially in this film, that he does that really sells his performance as Kirk; particularly in the moments where he turns to Bones saying, "What have I done?" or when he sees Spock again at the film's conclusion.

And just as a side, I'd also argue that Christopher Lloyd plays not only one of the best Klingons in the franchise, but a really fantastic villain, overall.

As I said, it's not a favorite of mine, but it's absolutely gone up a few notches on my list. It's really a great Star Trek movie with so much heart.

 

[StarCruiser]

I've always thought it was a better film than some people think - and pretty much blew up the "odd-numbered" Trek films are bad crap...

 

[DonIago]

Well...at the time it was only the second odd-numbered Trek film...

Generally I feel it's a movie with some of the best/most memorable sequences in the series, but unfortunately interspersed with stuff that drags the film down.

 

[Admiral Kirk]

This movie sparks many controversies on Trek canon and Lore. Here is an example - People seem to think the Excelsior Class was to replace the Constitution Class. This notion is completely unfounded by any dialogue in the movie.

Also the discussions that occasionally arise of the wisdom of self destruction the Enterprise - Ok so they decide to fight the small band of Klingon invaders instead.

1 - The Bird of Prey shoots at the enterprise again and blows it up

2 - They fight off the Klingons but they are still aboard a disabled ship in orbit of a decaying star system/planet.

Just a lot of loose ends. For example did they head to Genesis knowing that Spock was alive?

 

[F. King Daniel]

This one has always been a favourite. It expanded the Trek universe loads by showing us new ships and places (that were endlessly recycled for 3 decades) and was a hugely fun adventure too.

Vulcan katras don't make a lot of sense but... hey.

 

[BillJ]

1 - The Bird of Prey shoots at the enterprise again and blows it up

It disabled the automation system set up by Scott, allowing a ship that normally needed hundreds to run it to be done by four.

2 - They fight off the Klingons but they are still aboard a disabled ship in orbit of a decaying star system/planet.

They blew up the Enterprise, leaving for Genesis prior to the Klingons beaming aboard.

Just a lot of loose ends. For example did they head to Genesis knowing that Spock was alive?

They are still working under the assumption Spock is dead. Just that McCoy has his living soul.

You probably should watch the movie again.

 

[Amasov]

Good points, but, I'll try to address some of them.

Also the discussions that occasionally arise of the wisdom of self destruction the Enterprise - Ok so they decide to fight the small band of Klingon invaders instead.

IMO, this is where the lore of the world comes into conflict with dramatic hook. Yes, could Kirk and crew have stayed aboard and picked the Klingons off one-by-one? Sort of like the way Picard did in Starship Mine? Perhaps. After all, the Enterprise is a much larger vessel, so, they are many places they could hide. To Kruge's point. "How can that be? They're hiding."

But that doesn't lend itself to drama. Also, don't forget that Kruge was timing Kirk.

The point of the Enterprise's destruction was to show you that Kirk wasn't messing around and that he truly was backed into a corner.

1 - The Bird of Prey shoots at the enterprise again and blows it up

It only shot at the Enterprise once, so, I'm not totally certain what you are referring to here.

2 - They fight off the Klingons but they are still aboard a disabled ship in orbit of a decaying star system/planet.

Correct, but, they were not aware of that until they beamed down to Genesis, that the planet was breaking up.

Just a lot of loose ends. For example did they head to Genesis knowing that Spock was alive?

Well, very early in the movie when Kirk hears Spock talking through McCoy, "Spock" states that he was left behind on Genesis and is asking for help. This is the crux as to why Kirk returns to Genesis in the first place.

 

[Athena28]

It's one of my favorites.

 

[Smellmet]

No, it's never been one of my favorite movies in the franchise, but, I've been watching it on and off over the past few weeks and I think it truly captures the essence of what made the original series so enjoyable for me. This is a movie strictly about a family; how far that family is willing to go and what they'll sacrifice in order to save one of their own.

The Search for Spock is also extremely emotionally-charged. There is so much personal pain inflicted onto these characters, between them still reeling from the death of Spock, practically throwing away their careers to save him, Kirk literally brought to his knees from the loss of his son, and capped off by the destruction of the Enterprise; it's really quick remarkable everything they go through in such a short period. And all of this is a major contributing factor into why I love The Voyage Home so much; it was the recovery phase both for the characters and us, the audience.

Maybe this is a little controversial, but, I've only now started to take notice of what a great actor William Shatner is. There are just these small touches, especially in this film, that he does that really sells his performance as Kirk; particularly in the moments where he turns to Bones saying, "What have I done?" or when he sees Spock again at the film's conclusion.

And just as a side, I'd also argue that Christopher Lloyd plays not only one of the best Klingons in the franchise, but a really fantastic villain, overall.

As I said, it's not a favorite of mine, but it's absolutely gone up a few notches on my list. It's really a great Star Trek movie with so much heart.

Pretty much agree with every word of this post. It's a flawed movie - the entire premise is frankly preposterous, the ending drags the film down a bit pacing wise, some parts of it look cheap and 'TV' like but the parts that work are truly excellent - some great visual effects, humour that actually lands and doesn't make our heroes look like buffoons, different ships, space Dock, and an outstanding score I'd add too the points you make.

 

[Qonundrum]

No, it's never been one of my favorite movies in the franchise, but, I've been watching it on and off over the past few weeks and I think it truly captures the essence of what made the original series so enjoyable for me. This is a movie strictly about a family; how far that family is willing to go and what they'll sacrifice in order to save one of their own.

The Search for Spock is also extremely emotionally-charged. There is so much personal pain inflicted onto these characters, between them still reeling from the death of Spock, practically throwing away their careers to save him, Kirk literally brought to his knees from the loss of his son, and capped off by the destruction of the Enterprise; it's really quick remarkable everything they go through in such a short period. And all of this is a major contributing factor into why I love The Voyage Home so much; it was the recovery phase both for the characters and us, the audience.

Maybe this is a little controversial, but, I've only now started to take notice of what a great actor William Shatner is. There are just these small touches, especially in this film, that he does that really sells his performance as Kirk; particularly in the moments where he turns to Bones saying, "What have I done?" or when he sees Spock again at the film's conclusion.

And just as a side, I'd also argue that Christopher Lloyd plays not only one of the best Klingons in the franchise, but a really fantastic villain, overall.

As I said, it's not a favorite of mine, but it's absolutely gone up a few notches on my list. It's really a great Star Trek movie with so much heart.

The storyline has more plot holes and contrivances that you can drive The Doomsday Machine through but overlooking those reveal a few stunning set pieces that set the bar high, as well as being steeped in the human condition. ST III is how one should take real risks with the franchise and set the story forward. No retreads, no hollow or empty words, no pointless reunions with nary a reason for everyone being back (as ST III shows how the crew moves on but return seamlessly rather than stilted)...

Even its use of humor is constrained and flows with the story instead of being "in yer face" the way ST IV - Present more or less forcibly shove it in with.

John Larroquette (Night Court, The John Larroquette Show, others) is a Klingon as well (and positively low-key, he's so much better when allowed to go over the top because he sells the truly absurd incredibly well! And proof that sitcom funny actors can do serious stuff too. )

The worst thing about III by far is Chekov's salmon pilgrim outfit, which thankfully got changed between scenes. Still the same horrid hue, but the oversized belt buckle that dwarfs Texas and collars got removed (thankfully).

Spock's Katra gimmick was iffy, we all knew he'd pop up at the end, but the journey to that point was rip-roaring fun. Plot holes aside, and that's saying something.

And the less said about Kirk's not-quite-perfect imitation of Kruge to get beamed up (seriously, the writers actually tried it and brazenly po-faced too!) the better... but the pros outweigh the cons enough and then some. Mr Adventure, Stealing the Enterprise, McCoy's failed neck pinch trick, Sulu gets the last word (as well as having the best outfit next to Scotty)...

 

[Winterwind]

I've always liked "The Search for Spock". As already outlined in the thread there's a lot to like on a variety of levels.

And @Amasov, yes, Shatner is a highly skilled actor. Sure, he can ham it up (and some seem to only see that side) but he also has a lot of subtlety and nuance in some of his performances and he's very good at acting with facial expressions, gestures and body language.

 

[Vger23]

I've always considered this an absolute favorite.

Frankly, I've never for a second understood the criticism.

 

[Khan 2.0]

Imo Trek III feels like the quintessential 80s space action Trek movie (even more so than TWOK and the 80s set TVH) and maybe that's why I rank it so highly (after II of course).. youve got ILM at its peak of model making/matte paintings with Return of the Jedi quality FX/masses of new ships, lots of Lucasfilm/SW trilogy stuff (ST09 is hailed as the Star Warsing of Trek but III was already there - cantina scene, alien puppetry, malfunctioning light speeds, force like vulcan mysticism) and an Indiana Jones/Temple of Doom lava based action finale/Vulcan temple (plus biblical connotations of Raiders). Also theres almost an 80s sword&sorcery fantasy movie feel to the Genesis planet/Klingons/Vulcan end and some of the imagery was like from the cover of one of those 80s Fantasy novels (gargantuan blu lit space stations, a ship burning in the heavens like a falling star watched from below by those stranded, a fight to the death amongst the biblical end of days level planet destruction, a huge ship landing on an endless rock based alien planet ). plus Doc Brown as the bad guy and Admiral TJ Hooker (TJ being firmly established by 84), and Horners 'Aliens-esque' score ..even the ERTL action figures were a pleasing alternative to the plethora of SW figures at the time. damnit I miss the 80s!

Now theres all these other movies trying to be recreating the 80s I hope/wish ST4 will go back to that 80s Trek movie feel/aesthetic.. (at least do the damn uniforms!)

 

[Winterwind]

And next up... The Search for Spock.

My wife and I decided to spend the solstice watching the trilogy. Just finished TWOK, time for TSFS and then dinner and TVH.

Not a bad way to spend a Saturday as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Falconer]

You know what would have made this movie really shine is if the previous two movies had not had Scotty or Sulu or Chekov in them at all, other than Chekov’s role in TWoK, and maybe it could have been established that Scotty and Sulu were off in prestigious postings unrelated to the Enterprise. Then this movie could have been an opportunity to bring them back in a really impactful way.

Even though they didn’t do it that way, just thinking about it in those terms makes this movie seem so cool.

 

[Mysterion]

This film, and to lesser extent STIV, are a dis-service to the character and story advancement in ST2.
The Wrath of Khan finally showed us a Trek universe with consequence and character growth. Kirk facing his own aging and mortality in a philosophical way, Spock facing his mortality in a more tangible way. Kirk confronting consequences of past actions by having to face both Khan and his own son. These things helped the Trek universe seem a bit more credible. Stuff happens and it needs to be dealt with. You don't always just sail off into the end credits and the next episode unscathed.

The along comes ST3 and ST4 which both work to undo most of what happens in the previous films. Kirk's a father? No, he's gotta be an action figure, so David is done away with. Spock, a main character has died sacrificing himself for his friends in a very meaningful way - nope, just kidding here he is again! And what little consequence does happen in 3 is un-done by 4: Kirk and Crew are renegades from Starfleet, nope all is forgiven. Enterprise blowed-up? No worries, here's an exact duplicated. And Kirk, we're busting you back to Captain, too. Oh, and that surplus (now that Spock's alive again) Vulcan chick from two is still handing around - just leave her on Vulcan, no one will notice.

All the promise a complex and evolving narrative from TWoK is blown out of the water by the festival of reset buttons that is TSFS and TVH.

 

[DonIago]

It seems to me that you're blaming TSFS for decisions that hadn't even been made at the time the film was released. Yes, at the end of TSFS Our Heroes have Spock back, but neither the destruction of the E nor David's death are trivialized within the context of this film, and David will be a plot element in TUC as well, so it's not entirely fair to say he's "done away with" as though he's never referenced again.
I would say that TVH is a much greater reset button film, while TSFS is an effective mirror of TWOK. While TWOK teaches that the good of the many outweigh the good of the few, TSFS teaches that sometimes the good of the few outweigh the good of the many. Though really, I'd argue that while TVH does somewhat reset things, the three films form a crucible around these ideas.

 

[Amasov]

This film, and to lesser extent STIV, are a dis-service to the character and story advancement in ST2.
The Wrath of Khan finally showed us a Trek universe with consequence and character growth. Kirk facing his own aging and mortality in a philosophical way, Spock facing his mortality in a more tangible way. Kirk confronting consequences of past actions by having to face both Khan and his own son. These things helped the Trek universe seem a bit more credible. Stuff happens and it needs to be dealt with. You don't always just sail off into the end credits and the next episode unscathed.

The along comes ST3 and ST4 which both work to undo most of what happens in the previous films. Kirk's a father? No, he's gotta be an action figure, so David is done away with. Spock, a main character has died sacrificing himself for his friends in a very meaningful way - nope, just kidding here he is again! And what little consequence does happen in 3 is un-done by 4: Kirk and Crew are renegades from Starfleet, nope all is forgiven. Enterprise blowed-up? No worries, here's an exact duplicated. And Kirk, we're busting you back to Captain, too. Oh, and that surplus (now that Spock's alive again) Vulcan chick from two is still handing around - just leave her on Vulcan, no one will notice.

All the promise a complex and evolving narrative from TWoK is blown out of the water by the festival of reset buttons that is TSFS and TVH.

I think those are absolutely excellent points and I've said a slight version of it before by pointing out exactly what what you did by saying TSFS and TVH undo everything that was done before.

Had Nicholas Meyer continued with ST3, I'd imagine we would have gotten a film that continued to explore those themes and really deal with the fallout of what happened in ST2. In various interviews Meyer has stated that he absolutely did not want there to be any sign of hope for Spock at the end of the film. Also keep in mind that Nimoy had a change of heart as they were making ST2 as well (though, I never seemed to be clear on whether Nimoy wanted to kill Spock off or not and be done, entirely).

 

[Falconer]

This film, and to lesser extent STIV, are a dis-service to the character and story advancement in ST2.
The Wrath of Khan finally showed us a Trek universe with consequence and character growth.

That’s a fair statement; however, what you’re kind of revealing is that TWoK is a departure from the established norm for the franchise, and the subsequent movies are a return to form. In other words, you seem to think TWoK was the right new direction for Trek, but not everyone must agree with that hypothesis.

 

[Mysterion]

That’s a fair statement; however, what you’re kind of revealing is that TWoK is a departure from the established norm for the franchise, and the subsequent movies are a return to form. In other words, you seem to think TWoK was the right new direction for Trek, but not everyone must agree with that hypothesis.

I do think TWoK was an interesting new direction for Trek, and ultimately as I've pointed out a lost opportunity. Not saying everyone (or anyone has to agree). But I am saying that I think the course taken was just bad story telling in the long-run. It was less a "return to form" than it was the safe "don't screw with the status quo" marketing decision. Story after story where everyone ruins around in circles just to end up right back where they started. Get's old after a bit. Kudos to Meyer for having broken the pattern for however briefly it ended up lasting. Trek fans would be well served if they were taken out of their comfort zones a little more often.