Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
The third entry in the Star Trek film series was announced shortly before the release of the Wrath of Khan, mostly to stave off blowback the makers were receiving for killing off Spock. At that time, they referred to the next film coyly as Star Trek III: In Search of Spock, a tongue-in-cheek nod to Nimoy’s TV series, “In Search of…” When Star Trek II opened to the biggest opening weekend in box office history to that point, Paramount told producer Harve Bennett to immediately get to work on Star Trek III. Nicholas Meyer would not return, having felt his death for Spock was final and disappointed at the studio tampering with his ending to Wrath of Khan.
Of course, if they wanted to please fans beyond just looking for Spock’s essence, they’d need Nimoy to agree to return. When Paramount approached Nimoy, he stated he was interested in guiding the direction of Star Trek, not just be a player. He offered to do this by joining on as the director for Star Trek III, something both he and William Shatner had been asking for but denied since they were on the original TV show. Nimoy felt that the first film was more about the Enterprise as an entity, the second film more about Khan settling an old score with Kirk. For the third movie, it would be about the characters as friends, willing to make sacrifices to help one of their own who’d fallen. They would act as a team to make sure their lineup stays intact.
Paramount was positive but had preliminary doubts because Nimoy had yet to direct a film before, much less a big-budget epic. He did have some experience in directing theater productions and took a training program for directors at MGM in the 1960s. He directed an episode of the TV show, “Night Gallery”, an episode of “The Powers of Matthew Star” in 1982 (Harve Bennett executive produced the episode), and directed William Shatner in “T.J. Hooker” in 1983. From there, Nimoy used his experience in “Star Trek” to pitch ideas he had for some time to convince them of his vision and how it would be the right way to go with the franchise. He would put in the requisite visual effects and starship battles, but they would be the gravy. The characters and their loyalties provided the foundation to build upon going forward, and the actors would sell it. His pitch to Paramount was that he would not be a problem in making the film, he would be a solution to continuing the franchise on the right course. He would make a film he knew that die-hard fans would enjoy.
After a bit of back and forth, Paramount was interested enough in Nimoy’s vision to tell him to come up with a story to develop. After a series of meetings with Leonard Nimoy, producer Harve Bennett set about writing the screenplay based on ideas they brainstormed to deliver all of the things they wanted to see in Star Trek III. They knew that they had to settle some of the unresolved questions from the previous film: is Spock truly dead? why did he mind-meld with Bones? is the Enterprise repairable? will Kirk connect with his son?
The script outline carried the title of Return to Genesis. An early draft of the script by Bennett had Romulans as the enemy, and the title had changed to The Search for Spock; they planned to come up with a better name, but it seemed to stick. They plan to mine the Genesis planet for its abundance of dilithium crystals, discovering Spock’s empty coffin. As the Enterprise is heading back to Earth, Spock’s spirit appears on board, altering the ship’s course to Vulcan, where they learn from Spock’s father, Sarek, that Spock’s body must be returned to Vulcan so his essence may have final peace. After returning to Earth, where Kirk gets into trouble for disobeying orders from the prior film and talking about Spock’s ghost, the crew steals the Enterprise and head to Genesis to get Spock’s body. After a skirmish with a Romulan ship in orbit of the planet, the Enterprise is destroyed as the crew beams down to the surface of Genesis, where they are captured at the Romulan mining operation. They are saved by Spock, showing signs of madness, and Genesis’s planet is falling apart as well. Kirk plays a gambit to beam them aboard the orbiting Romulan ship where they take control and head back to the Federation as Genesis disintegrates.
Bennett liked the story ideas, but there were too many to include in a single movie. There were too many side stories, including Saavik falling for Kirk and David and Carol Marcus being showcased in their future careers. It would need to be streamlined. Nimoy gave Bennett some sage advice with his many years of experience. Nimoy suggested that Klingons were nastier and would make for a more formidable adversary. They wouldn’t want dilithium, they would want the Genesis formula for its destructive power. They liked the “Bird-of-prey” design of the ship, though, so they decided that the Klingons would steal the bird-like design from the Romulans. Nimoy also introduced into the story the Pon Farr ritual that Spock would have to undergo as he aged. It was at this time they got the idea that the planet was also rapidly evolving along with Spock, and they could eliminate Spock’s ghost by having Spock’s Katra (his essence) speak through McCoy as a result of their melding of minds.
Gene Roddenberry, working as Executive Consultant, suggested that Genesis was unstable due to a volatile type of protomatter injected as a shortcut to make it work. This solved two issues with Genesis as a plot device: a reason why it would not be used in the future, and connecting David into the storyline as the scientist who used the protomatter illegally. Cheating would be punished in its way, with David paying for it with his life. Kirk defied Federation orders and lost his son and the Enterprise. In addition to despising the end of the Enterprise (Gene Roddenberry says it was the film’s greatest mistake), some Trek fans did not care for David dying in this film. Even if fans felt chagrin, the actor who portrayed him, Merritt Butrick, expressed relief about his character’s demise, wanting to move on to other things before he would be typecast as Kirk’s son forevermore. However, he did have qualms about his role getting minimized from what was written in the script, as they left out Kirk’s final words to him. Butrick was used to such cuts, as the romantic chemistry between David and Saavik was removed from Star Trek II and Star Trek III as well.
Nimoy was satisfied that the script and ready to shoot. Paramount agreed, except for one thing: they didn’t think to end a film with the crew stuck on the planet Vulcan was the best choice. They felt that the film should resolve with an epilogue after the climactic battle with Spock coming to feel like his old self while in the sickbay of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey as they head home. Nimoy fought hard to resolve this as the right choice for the character and the series to that point. He knew it would be meaningful to the “Star Trek” audience to have Spock welcomed by among his people, and among his close friends, even if studio executives didn’t understand the appeal.
William Shatner voiced his qualms about the script. He had issues with Kirk being a passive player instead of the center of the action. He wanted more to do and listed changes he wanted to be made. Nimoy and Bennett wanted to make sure all sides were satisfied. They expanded his catalyst role, retaining individual moments for each other character to contribute.
Making a Star Trek film isn’t easy as it requires the principal cast willing to return. Each actor feels they should get an increasing amount of screen time and things to do. Bennett made sure to include individual moments for each actor to shine and remain integral to the overall plot. Nimoy, being a bit green, had been met with skepticism as a director. The studio kept him under tight supervision to make sure he stayed on track. The rest of the cast, who viewed Nimoy as one of their own, needed time to adjust to his new role. It was awkward at first, but Nimoy assured them that their acting was the glue that held the entire property together. They soon recognized they were in good hands with a director who understood the importance of “Star Trek” being the core team and their camaraderie, and he trusted them to know what worked best for their own characters in their scenes. He knew them all well, their strengths and weaknesses, and that they all had individual contributions. It wasn’t the Kirk and Spock show, with the rest only serving as the chorus.
Star Trek III replaces Kirstie Alley as Lt. Saavik with Robin Curtis on the recommendation from Paramount’s head of casting. Reportedly, Alley felt that she should get more money to do a larger role in the third film, but the producers felt her demands were too high. There was an initial thought to leave Saavik out of the film, but Nimoy felt there should be a female Vulcan presence to help Spock through Pon Farr, so they decided to go with another actor. Nimoy knew that the key to playing a Vulcan was not as one incapable of emotions but as one trying to stave out emotions that are naturally there. He liked Robin Curtis because she exhibited that same facet of emotional control but sense that underneath the calm exterior, the wheels were turning at all times. Curtis didn’t draw on Alley’s performance for inspiration; she hadn’t seen either of the Star Trek films prior to playing the role, relying solely on Nimoy’s direction to play the part.
Special effects once again were done by Industrial Light and Magic, who was brought in at the earliest stage possible to make sure the film stayed on budget and on time. Nimoy was least familiar with the technical side of filmmaking, but he was experienced enough in sci-fi to know how things should look on the screen. Nimoy worked closely with Ken Ralston and his ILM team to make sure they stayed on the same vision. There were new ships to construct, including Federation ships like the Excelsior and Grissom, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey, and the design of the space dock. Because they were involved early in the script development process, Bennett was able to incorporate many of the design ideas into creating drama within his script, including a scene in which the Enterprise must deal with the closed doors of the space dock and a subsequent chase by the USS Excelsior.
Where Nimoy had to sacrifice due to the budget was the new sets, especially on ground zero of the Genesis planet. He has planned for massive shifts in climate and seismic events – snowstorms, volcanic activity, fires, earthquakes. However, they were constricted to one soundstage allowed for Genesis, making it obvious it is set in a studio. The interior of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was also restrictive, which meant limited actors could fit and it would require lots of close-ups, which increase the artificiality. Nimoy tried to use this confinement to his advantage to make those close-ups seem intense and personal, something never usually afforded the Klingon characters in the past. The cataclysmic events would have to take place with much confinement and restriction to get cast and crew involved, so the scope had been much more limited than Nimoy had in mind. The close-up action might make some of what we see look obviously fake, but Nimoy was convinced that if they delivered a gripping story with great characterizations, audiences would overlook any flaws.
Sandwiched in between the two standout entries in the Star Trek series, Star Trek III has often been deemed a weaker entry, which would formulate the opinion that even-numbered Star Trek films were the only good ones. In fact, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock is a respectable entry. It may not have the action of Star Trek II or the comedy of Star Trek IV, but it does stand up on its own for being a thought-provoking and emotion-driven episode in the saga.
While the rest of the Star Trek series of movies can be enjoyed as singular stories, Star Trek III should not be viewed without seeing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It is a direct sequel, picking up where the previous film left off, with the heroic death of Spock to save his comrades. The title offers hope that Spock may actually still be alive, and the entire movie concerns itself exploring possibilities as to how this might have happened. Unless you’re completely oblivious to all things Star Trek, you already know the answer to the mystery, although, prior to release, it was not known. The only mention of Leonard Nimoy in the opening credits comes from his debut directorial effort. Every effort had been made in keeping the ultimate fate of Spock under wraps to the movie-going public. All in all, it was quite brilliantly executed at the time.
The film starts with the weary Enterprise crew returning home after their near-death battle with Khan, and the actual death of Spock, whose body had been torpedoed to the Genesis world, which was a newly developing planet. While all involved are a bit worse for wear, the biggest effect on a crew member seems to be with Dr. McCoy, who is exhibiting strange behavior that suggests he may be cracking from the experience, babbling something about returning to Spock’s homeworld of Vulcan. Spock’s father, Sarek, is convinced that Spock’s “essence” has somehow been transferred to another before his death through a mind-meld, which would explain McCoy’s behavior. With an unknown lifeform is detected on Genesis, Kirk wants to visit and find out if Spock’s body is also reincarnated, but the instability of the area makes it off-limits to anyone but science officers. Kirk and company hijack their old ship, against orders, but finds that murderous Klingons discovered news of the Genesis Project, willing to kill anyone in order to gain information on the process.
Although Star Trek III never reaches the fever pitch of its predecessor, it does have the most character touches of any Star Trek outing to date, including the television show. For fans who enjoy the characters and their importance to one another, it’s a very worthwhile drama, featuring good heartfelt dialogue, and finely drawn characterizations from the script by Harve Bennett. The score by James Horner, who also scored The Wrath of Khan, is outstanding, adding a perfect sense of mystique integral to the story. As you’d expect, the special effects are also well handled, and the backdrops and sets are gorgeous.
Nitpicks abound. Footage from the Enterprise’s security cameras to determine where Spock’s Katra went are shot-for-shot sequences from Star Trek II. The Klingons often switch back and forth between speaking Klingon and English in ways that aren’t consistent. The crew of the Enterprise takes over a Klingon Bird-of-Prey without much muss or fuss on how to navigate it. Kirk offers a hand to save the Klingon responsible for the needless murder of his son. David Marcus, a relatively young and inexperienced scientist, somehow singlehandedly introduced something into the Genesis bomb that made it unstable, though it would have taken a collaborative effort among a myriad of scientists to come up with such a device, along with extensive research for longer than he was probably alive to achieve – not to mention, Star Trek II established Carol Marcus, David’s exceedingly brilliant mother, was the leader of the project.
Test audiences responded positively, and Paramount brass also enjoyed what Nimoy delivered. Before the movie opened, they asked him to direct the next film, feeling that he had a unique vision that worked well not only for management but the actors and crew seemed quite content. Disruptions had been mostly eliminated all around, unlike the prior two films which had their sources for contention from the creative crew.
Star Trek III would take in about $76 million at the box office off of a budget of about $16 million, making it a bonafide hit. Strong exhibitor interest increased the rollout to 1,966 screens, a record at the time for the widest release, and its $16.7 million opening weekend take was the best non-holiday weekend debut for any film up to that point. However, in the end, Star Trek II had taken in more with less of a budget, likely due to being a film that fostered more repeat viewings.
Star Trek III doesn’t have the broad appeal of other Star Trek films, so it is mainly recommended for those who are sufficiently familiar with the series, both on television and in the motion pictures. Don’t expect a continuation of the adrenaline-charged Star Trek II or the space odyssey that was Star Trek: The Motion Picture — this is a film about the characters and how much they mean to each other. Star Trek III is handcuffed by trying to restore the series back to status quo after being irreparably changed by the loss of one of its most popular members. It may not enjoy the creative freedom allowed the other entries, but for what it is, it is remarkably insightful and gets the job done with surprising intelligence, without silly gimmicks or hackneyed twist developments.
Qwipster’s rating: A-
MPAA Rated: PG for violence and mild language
Running Time: 105 min.
Cast: William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Christopher Lloyd, Merritt Butrick, Robin Curtis, Mark Lenard, James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Dame Judith Anderson, James Sikking, John Larroquette, Miguel Ferrer
Director: Leonard Nimoy
Screenplay: Harve Bennett