Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984)

Elevator Pitch: Spock has died saving the Enterprise and his body has been projected into space in a steel capsule. It lands on the newly formed but unstable Genesis planet. Meanwhile the Klingons led by Commander Kruge have obtained the secret of Genesis from a mercenary.  The Enterprise, back in Earth Station is to be decommissioned, but when Bones acts strangely and appears to be in some way in contact with Spock, Kirk and the crew steal their spacecraft and make for the Genesis planet. Meanwhile the Klingons orbit the planet in a War Bird and have captured a small Federation landing party, which includes Kirk’s son. When the Enterprise and the War Bird go head to head, how will it all pan out?

Content: There is no sex or nudity but maybe just a bit of drinking in the bar of the Earth Station. Time is spent on the bridges of a variety of space craft including the Grissom, the Enterprise and most strikingly the Bird Of Prey. There are a couple of space battles, the Klingons using their ship’s cloaking device to advantage. Down on the planet’s surface the Spock capsule is found and a Klingon landing party eventually captures the less warlike Grissom party. Kirk’s son, a Genesis scientist, is killed. Kirk tricks the Klingons and a fight on the destructing planet results.

A View: This outing was generally well thought of and was deemed a success. Klingons are always good value and here with Christopher Lloyd as Kluge, with his pet, a demon like creature, they are great. The space battles are not overdone and the War Bird is a superb creation. I even liked the planet sets, which looked just the same as the ones used in the TV shows, OK they’re  cardboard but so what! This film leads directly to Star Trek 4, also directed by Leonard Nimoy which, in my view, is the best of the franchise.

Additional Info: The Kruge mascot, known by the crew as “Fifi Rebozo” was a hand puppet, sprinkled with water by the crew during filming to make it more repulsive .