When you revisit, find the director's cut if you can, or the latest director's cut or whatever. IIRC, they did tighten it up and redid some special effects, and it did make it better than the original theatrical release (not that that was horrible, but it did have problems). I'm not sure where you can find it, but my copy is a 2001 DVD "The Director's Edition". (2001, a space odyssey. Ha.) 8 TV commercials 5 additional scenes (from 1979) 11 deleted scenes from 1983 TV version More, 2 disc set Beautifully restored, enhanced visual effects, and a new sound mix supervised by Robert Wise.
I enjoy WOK and I think Search for Spock is just as enjoyable but Voyage Home is one I enjoy the most!!
Whew. I just looked on-line, and Amazon's price is exorbitant, like $35. No way did I pay anything like that back in . . . hmmm, come to think of it, I probably snagged that out of a $5 bin at Walmart once upon a time (after 2001, certainly, but I'm not sure how long after). It is worth $5, but I wouldn't pay more, even if it is better than the theatrical release.
WoK is the best Star Trek story of all time for me. If there is a real backlash against it sometime I need to find a new planet to live on where people appreciate great films.
I enjoy the film. Its pacing is much more appropriate, even like the best of TNG, than "The Undiscovered Country," another Nick Meyer film. The friendship between Kirk and Spock, showing these characters as instructors of the next generation, makes this a character piece. Montalban is wonderful, but this movie uses him as an idea--revenge--a simplistic antagonist that is simply an ancillary character. He contrasts Kirk, who is searching for fulfillment, after taking a desk job. .Genesis is "life from death." Khan escaping Ceti Alpha V. Kirk demanding his surrender before they arm Genesis. Spock's death by saving the Enterprise crew. And, the one ruined by III--Kirk losing Spock, gaining the love of a son, and declaring his spiritual awakening--"young! I feel young!" III is all but unwatchable. I watch the last scene, and that is it. In fact, I think they should do a movie without Spock. Put Kirk back in the saddle, and have Sarek come to him at the end of III, demanding Spock's katra and body be reunited. That would up the stakes and it is his internal peace, feeling "young," that he sacrifices to bring Spock back to life.
Trying to imagine Trek III had they not brought back Spock (with no 'remember' or end Genesis scene in II) and no Nimoy involved. Opening 5-10 minutes continuing to mourn Spock as in the actual film. but then no Bones with Spocks katra scene in his quarters, no Sarek, instead its all about the Klingons wanting Genesis. and Kirk & Co stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to attempt a rescue of David & Savvik (Kirstie Alley) who have been marooned on Genesis after Grissom was destroyed by Kruge (Edward James Olmos) as they were researching the new planet. Directed by Ron Howard. (then maybe Spock could've returned in IV via time travel/alteration in the timeline - something like the end of XMen DOFP)
then in IV they could still do the going back in time in the BOP due to earth under attack from the probe, but instead of Whales they find out theres only one that can answer the probe – Spock! (but why would the probe searching for spock? maybe the probe could be something to do with Vger and since spock melded with it hes the only one that can answer? Or something else entirety but something where Spock is needed to save the earth from the probe) So they fly around the sun/go back in time to 6months to just before TWOK or even during (like end of BTTF2/Generations, start of Terminator Genisys, or Trials and Tribulations and now EndGame) and after explaining everything etc TWOK era Spock tells them how to answer the probe (so they dont actually need to bring him back with them) but Kirk obviously wants to save spock from his impending death but spock is like no you cant interfere with the timeline I have to die for all this to unfold as it should etc so thered be the dilemma ensuring the timeline unfolds correctly vs saving spock. in the end Kirk or spock would come up with some ingenious way of doing both and itd end with spock alive and well in the present (like Doc at end of BTTF1) or maybe better have them go back 30+years (either intentional or accidentally overshooting) to before TOS as it requires something involving young Spock (younger actor) or Sarek of that time... but at the end Kirk somehow tells young Spock about his future despite all the protests of timeline stuff (like Marty with Doc) so when they get back and sort out the probe they find hes alive (Nimoy cameo) as he managed to save the Enterprise in TWOK without dying. or I dunno still do Whales in 1986 but kirk leaves something like a time capsule that future Spock could find so he saves himself in TWOK (end Nimoy cameo like Jean in DOFP)