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More than another Odd Trek Movie Out, Star Trek III is Still Way Down on my List

The Search for Spock Fell Very Flat

By Rich MonettiPublished 4 years ago 5 min read
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Paramount Studios. Poster

Star Trek III is in a pretty tough spot. The Wrath of Khan just saved the franchise, and now this production is in the unenviable position of one upping the 1982 standard-bearer. Talk about a no win scenario, but coming in dead last on the long list of Trek movies - who knew? So let’s start from the beginning - the title.

The Search for Spock made a degree of sense when we were first teased with the trailers. I mean, we were ready to soar at the prospect of Spock’s return, so why not let the obvious slide. In other words, what search, we know exactly where Spock. He’s right down there on the planet below, and why is the Enterprise leaving standard orbit. Cowboy diplomacy be damned, the jumping off point is askew, and the entire movie descends in kind.

Of course, the film also suffers an inherent hangover from the loss of Star Trek II. The ole NCC and its remaining mates can’t come out roaring as they did just prior. Spock is dead, a long shadow is cast, and the chance for any command proactiveness goes right out the door. “Uhura, any response from Starfleet on our Project Genesis inquiries,” Kirk resigns himself.

Not the Jim Kirk we knew, but these guys had just given us Star Trek II. And sitting there in 1984, who were we to question our makers.

So I guess we’re coming home, and the unyielding archenemy that is going to keep us from our Spock - Starfleet Bureaucracy. “Red Taaaaaape. Red Taaaaaape.” If I’m not mistaken, this Kirk wail never made it to screen.

In accordance, the crew dithers about to disobey a direct order and steal their own ship. Oh my! So obviously Sulu taking on an oversized grunt, and Uhura closeting some green recruit isn’t quite Khan sticking a Ceti Alpha snail into Chekov ear.

Ouch.

Although, dusting off Sarek from the rerun heap really took us back and importantly resolved what,”remember,” actually meant. The same appeal goes for Scotty’s little dance with the prissy captain of the Excelsior. “The more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.”

Oh we liked that - Star Trek humor at its best. On the other hand, what was it with leaving Nichelle Nichols behind. Did she have some prior engagement?

She might have had much better use elsewhere in this movie. Say for instance, how about foraging around with David on the Genesis Planet. Ok, the communications officer on a science mission doesn’t make much sense. But if Kristy Alley wasn’t coming back, you really can’t translate her great performance in Star Trek II onto another actress. So better to do without the character

Of course, we soon make our introductions to Jim Ignatowski in a pretty big way. Actually, that’s not fair. Christopher Lloyd did a great job of making us forget the lovable character he played on Taxi. All wound up, he’s after Genesis at all costs, and his beloved has unfortunately bogged herself down with too much information.

Pretty dramatic sacrifice for Kruge, but blowing her from the heavens, signals all the irrational excess to come. Nonetheless, the supposed search is on, and what do you know, there’s an animal life form of the breathing planet.

Everyone acting all surprised, superior intellect isn’t exactly needed to arrive at that possibility. Furthermore, you’d think outside the constraints of space dock, the bureaucratic mentality would get a rest. Yes, I’m talking to you Captain Esteban. “Regulations specifically state…

Yeah, you won’t beam Spock aboard - what a wimp. But finally arriving at the so called search, all the buildup - or lack there of one - should have got us out of the gate at this point. Add on that David used an unstable compound in his research, and there could be more to the dilemma than Spock simply aging with the planet.

His DNA could be reorganized, the force might be with him or something, and the dark side possibly sets the new life form at odds with his old crew and the federation. Now, you got a villain to be reckoned with, and maybe the Klingon Empire is a pretty good group to get with as the the Bird of Prey arrives on the scene.

Instead, the reckless Klingon commander shows up and takes over the role of antagonist from the indecisive Federation Council. It is pretty intense, though, as Kruge sentences one of our three beloveds to death. The horror as we trembled in wait of the choice. But this is Star Trek not Battlestar Galactica. The moment is way over the top, and David wasn’t even wearing a red shirt.

We also didn’t need to see Kirk collapse to his knees and start balling. After all, Star Trek is hero worship escape. So we needed that orchestration about as much as we needed to see Uhura dancing about in Star Trek V.

No matter, the impetuousness of Kruge mostly dooms his own mission. He kills the scientist who could give him Genesis. So he’s forced to storm the Enterprise, and assume Kirk will exchange two lives for a weapon that could destroy a planet.

That plan going obviously awry, Kruge is gullible enough to believe that Kirk has the secret of genesis in his pocket, and beams down for a Mano-a-mano that could have only one ending. Too many plot holes for me, but safe and sound, the largest flaw goes back to what originally got Star Trek off the ground.

There really are no, “Have you ever read Milton,” moments that sends you away thinking about the state of humanity or the world we live in. Sorry, a scientist who fudges the data to get his project off the ground doesn’t quite do it, but to be fair, we definitely end on an upswing.

At the heights of Mount Seleya, Spock gets off the table, and there is hope. Unfortunately, the science officer blindly walks right passed us. Absolutely devastating - is the human adventure over? We wait and then it comes. “You’re name is Jim.”

Oh yeah, and the raised eye brow is as big a cherry that Star Trek ever gave. It can’t save the movie or even move the needle above Nemesis or Insurrection, but at least the crescendo gave firm footing to voyage home in Star Trek IV.

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About the Creator

Rich Monetti

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