First Time Watching ALL of Star Trek - Episode 105: Star Trek III: The Search For Spock

[@targetaudience]

NEW here? Check out ALL of our Star Trek REACTIONS - kzbin.info/aero/PL5Pso33oqJDh82uDmd6gNuzn3zg9-f0XG&si=UloHJT2WHBZnZcXm

[@tombo1984]

Following The Undiscovered Country please please please start watching Star Trek Enterprise. You would be the first KZbinrs to do that. Be patient with it. It's a slow burner but my goodness it gets good. It's only 4 seasons.

[@iKvetch558]

Did you guys spot John Larroquette as the last Klingon left...the one that Kirk said he would "kill later" and then did not? He also played Captain Stillman in Stripes, but is most famous for his role as Dan Fielding in Night Court. I first saw him in the WWII Marine Aviator show Baa Baa Black Sheep in the 1970s.

[@Spock4771]

They have to go to red alert to activate weapons doesn't matter who is on board

[@Daniel-Strain]

Wow, so many great moments in this reaction guys! I think part 3 is highly underrated. Some people like 4 better than 2 even, and we'll see next if you guys are in that camp. Either way, you've got some good stuff coming next :)

[@Gungazoid]

If they want to watch in release order, they will have to wait to watch Enterprise. I want to see how they will handle Deep Space Nine and Voyager which ran concurrently for fiver years. In any case, I'm glad you liked this one, as it often gets derided. I liked it too, and love the continuity from II to III. No spoilers, so we'll have to wait to see what happens in IV! Guys, enjoy the show as much as we enjoy your reactions! :)

[@themadness1925]

Ya'll skipped over Bones's best line in the movie. "That green-blooded son of a bitch. It's his revenge for all those arguments he lost." Love that line!

[@glenaleksis4589]

Hahaha absolutely!!

[@eichelbergergary]

one better IMHO: "how can you be deaf with ears like those?"@@glenaleksis4589

[@stevegephart1547]

@@glenaleksis4589 Don't forget when Kirk asked Bones how many fingers he has up using the Vulcan salute.

[@LeutnantJoker]

Hehe, they gave that one a good laugh in the uncut reaction. One good reason to become a patreon of theirs ;)

[@fakecubed]

It's a good line, but the best is "I choose the danger." Because whatever else Bones might say to or about Spock, he is a friend, and would do anything to bring Spock back.

[@TuomasLeone]

ST:III is criminally underrated. While Khan was awesome in that it focused on TOS enemy and how Kirk overcame him without landing a punch. This movie was just so great in how it dug deep into the relationship the crew had with each other, and the Enterprise herself. This feels like the whole Star Trek experience in one film, something missing from the first two, in my opinion.

[@Templar-w9j]

Also the musical score for wrath of khan and search for spock are both amazing

[@ShawnML2]

Agreed on all counts, including the music!

[@kd84afc]

It's slapped in the odd number of movies where people claim they're bad. But the this film is the second act of a 3 part story and it was a very good film and finished of with a excellent 4th film.

[@WEB_78O]

Well said!

[@shadowhenge7118]

2, 3, and 4 are really one long film.

[@s.henrlllpoklookout5069]

I love how Rand's reaction at seeing the Enterprise is basically the same as a mom seeing her kid come home covered in mud

[@artboymoy]

I think it's more of a Jim Kirk's done it again kinda look, but she was a welcome sight to see.

[@ryancox4498]

"FFS, Kirk. You went on a TRAINING cruise!"

[@andreabindolini7452]

So true.

[@tinkinc85]

Grace was coming out of a long rehab and the ST production "family " wanted to give her something positive. Her story is pretty heartbreaking but ultimately she did get sober.

[@harryzimmerman7991]

Rand's like "Things sure went downhill after i left!"🙄

[@Fygee]

I've always thought it was criminal that Search for Spock was lumped into the "the odd numbered ones are bad" stereotype. Its a great movie from beginning to end.

[@Swiftbow]

It has a few issues that got overblown... David was always a little flat, and it didn't help that Robin Curtis was not as good as Kirstie Alley. (It may have been a deliberate character change... Saavik was meant to be half-Romulan in Wrath of Khan, and that's how she played the part. They dropped that angle in this movie and she just went full-Vulcan.) Plus, the proto matter thing came out of nowhere. Like... if it was so unstable, how was the Genesis Cave okay? But those were ultimately minor issues. It's a really fun movie.

[@JoeFF85]

There has been redemption for ST:III since the good/bad divide was established. I've seen box sets sold that are just the second, third and fourth films at large retailers before.

[@SciTrekMan]

I never understood that either. I saw it in the theatre four times and the audience reactions each time were all positive, often with uproarious applause at the end.

[@WillLauzon]

I know I'm the odd duck out here but I LIKED TMP. It was an episode of the original series hit with budget. It was also early 80s science fiction in pace and detail. We get to see the refit interior, rotating Klingon gun emplacements (and the new klingon design) and vger was also cool. Yes it had its problems but it wasn't a BAD movie, just not S tier.

[@jaygee6738]

" Kirk, you do this you'll never sit in a captain's chair again.... Warp speed!" absolute badass

[@minispy9770]

The Enterprise destruction hit me right in the feels 😢. It really felt like the death of a character for me

[@torresilk4277]

Enterprise absolutely was the 8th character in the ensemble.

[@RaynorBear]

Yep... I remember I lost it in the movie theater when the Enterprise was blown up. After all, the whole series was about "these are the voyages of the starship ENTERPRISE." The Enterprise has always been the star of "Star Trek."

[@mikebell2112]

It might hit these guys harder on rewatch.

[@andreabindolini7452]

It is.

[@reesebn38]

It was a huge deal in the theatre back in the summer of 84

[@Jacob_D4433]

McCoy attempting the Vulcan nerve pinch...GOLD! 😂😂

[@AlanCanon2222]

I quote this movie all the time, and there's several McCoy quotes in there, including "That's not very damned funny."

[@MrTbk1701]

@@AlanCanon2222How can you deaf with ears like that? One of my favorites. 🖖

[@AlanCanon2222]

@@MrTbk1701 Yeah, and he's from Georgia, and his name is McCoy...he shouldered that role a very long time ago.

[@martinbraun1211]

“Back to the Future” was released in cinemas almost a year after “Star Trek 3”. So no one thought of Doc Brown when they saw Christopher Lloyd back then.

[@targetaudience]

Yeah we were joking that this movie got him the role of Doc Brown

[@artboymoy]

I knew him as Jim on TAXI at the time.

[@russellharrell2747]

He was in Buckaroo Banzai around this time as well. I just knew him as the crazy guy on Taxi too.

[@johnstalica8657]

@@artboymoyI really want to see more TAXI episodes after watching the masterpiece that was Reverend Jim's driving test. That alone was comedy gold.

[@chrisadams8182]

He almost didn’t take the part believing no one would buy him in such a villainous role. Nimoy convinced him and he dove head first. Even perfecting the Klingon language. (Which Scotty helped create)

[@j.jennings1722]

When this movie was first released and the scene transpired where the Enterprise blows up and comes hurtling in flames through the atmosphere, the audience began to weep. The ship had become a character that we all cared for and it was hard to watch her die. But, the scene itself was magnificent!! ❤✌

[@Dragon_Werks]

Oh yes... There was as much weeping as there was when Spock died. It was like a punch to the heart.

[@j.jennings1722]

It was almost like watching an actual death on scene, because we know actors will go on to make more movies even when their character dies, but the OG Enterprise was gone for good and it hurt.

[@AlanCanon2222]

I learned a song by filk songstress and novelist Julia Ecklar about Kirk's thoughts watching the Enterprise burn up in the Genesis planet's atmosphere.

[@cleekmaker00]

Only thing was... Paramount unintentionally spilled the beans in the Trailer when they proclaimed "The FINAL Voyage of The Starship Enterprise" and showed the Saucer blowing up...

[@nathanfitzgearl650]

I loved Sarek’s line: Forgive me, but my logic is uncertain where my son is concerned.

[@mkruger3557]

I brought some college friends home and we watched this movie on VHS. My dad walked in the room and also started watching the movie. When Kruge was kicked off the cliff by Kirk my dad stated matter of factly, “Well I guess he couldn’t cling-on”. My friends and I looked at each other and just burst out laughing!! Sooo funny!! My dad was awesome with puns, corny jokes, one liners and play on words! Miss ya dad! I’m sure you are joking in Heaven and keeping everyone smiling too!

[@mirella7792]

That’s a Good One!!👍🏼 lol!! 😄😂😆

[@antoniogonzales1976]

Originally Saavik was supposed to be a Vulcan/Romulan hybrid, so Kirstie played it more emotional, but when Nimoy signed on to direct Search for Spock, he vetoed that, not liking it as it didn't really push the plot forward, so Robin played it straight Vulcan.

[@cyrilmauras4247]

It is known that Kristie Ally demanded more money for this film, so they replaced her with this actress. Budgets for subsequent Star Trek films got tighter as they went along.

[@zoppie]

@@cyrilmauras4247There's some debate about that. One source claims that she blamed her agent for trying to squeeze more money for a reprise, and the studio balked.

[@MissMarchHare]

In the novelization and several books she's still hybrid.

[@startrekiborg]

They never said she wasn’t half Romulan. They simply never discussed it in the movie. But yes, in the books she’s more emotional. In the movies, starting with the third on, they decided to go in a different direction.

[@antoniogonzales1976]

I DID NOT invite a debate on all topics parallel to mine. @@startrekiborg

[@One_Odd_Ood]

“But why?” “Because you wish it!” He may be the Christopher Lloydiest Klingon ever, but he still chews that scenery with gusto.

[@shallowgal462]

The whole crew of the Grissom died because the captain ordered, "Stand by for evasive!" instead of "Shields! Evasive action!"

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

He was going by the book. He probably would have liked to consult Starfleet before doing anything.

[@stonebaxter]

The score behind Stealing the Enterprise is eternally etched in my brain. I love that entire sequence (HORNS! "Space doors are closed....Danger...Space doors are closed" HORNS!!)

[@artboymoy]

James Horners score for the sequence is on point here.

[@ShawnML2]

My absolute favorite scene…… I watch it on my projector frequently and it’s still exciting 40 years later.

[@wyrmshadow4374]

How to make backing out of the garage look epic.

[@Sarbury12]

You can really hear bits of titanic there. The way the horns sound like ships setting sail.

[@bjgandalf69]

I always want to conduct the music when I hear it. I think it transcends the entire excellent score of WOK. I get goosebumps when they get thru the space doors!

[@stephengardiner5410]

"The ship - out of danger?" - I love that whole sequence at the end with Spock, still chokes me up after all this time...

[@stephengardiner5410]

@@gregsaum1701 Exactly, that's why he didn't reply to that question, he was obviously thinking - WTF are you talking about?!

[@BiggestDawgEver]

Glad you guys liked this one. It's really interesting that you guys seem to embrace the traditionally less popular films in the series, but to each their own. The way you have experienced the franchise is so different from most that your perspectives are unique and fascinating to observe.

[@andreabindolini7452]

Always thought the third as the weaker of the "trilogy" formed along with II and IV. Still of this opinion but, as the years goes by, I could appreciate better some nuances of it. Surely the production values, with all that work in miniatures and sets, are impressive, superior to the second one albeit not at the level of TMP. The direction is solid, somewhat some cheesy scene but overall well done. The entire senior crew shine, not only the Trio. But, even after all those years, I cannot forgive the destruction of the Big E.

[@urbangrouse]

I always loved this one. The way it brought the main members of the crew together was just so good. Everybody gets some great lines. Personal fave: Kirk:"You're suffering from a Vulcan mind meld" McCoy:"That green-blooded son-of-a-bitch..." LOL!

[@BurritoVampire]

IV is so much fun I would be shocked if they didn't enjoy that too!

[@fakecubed]

Star Trek III is a fine movie. Not as polished as Star Trek II or as fun as Star Trek IV, but a solid film in the franchise. There's certainly films that are worse.

[@johnb2422]

The way these movies are connected feels like a modern TV series. Continuing story arc, character development etc.

[@maestro80smusic93]

The Klingon captured near the end was played by John Larroquette, best known for the sitcom "Night Court"

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

2. A very few months before my mother died of cancer, the two of us watched Search for Spock on DVD. To the best of my recollection, Mom had only seen the movie once before, on a small black-and-white television with poor reception, so this was the first time she had really seen it, and she loved it. She was even more pleased when I told her that "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" was a direct sequel to Search for Spock and that this film’s ending flowed directly into that film. Unlike Search for Spock, Mom had seen Voyage Home many times over the years, and it was always her favorite Star Trek movie. (She did not rate Wrath of Khan highly, finding Khan an unappealing villain.) Mom’s appreciation for Search for Spock was somewhat surprising for one reason: ever since I could remember, her least favorite fictional plot device had been characters returning from the dead. Mom balanced a profound belief in Heaven with an equally profound belief in the finality of death in this world. She was always concerned that stories in which dead characters come back would make children think their lost loved ones might also return. This especially annoyed her in soap operas. While she was glad to have Sherlock Holmes and Gandalf back once they returned, she did not dignify their authors’ decision to have them die and return with appreciation or praise. I have no idea whether her enjoyment of Search for Spock had anything to do with the fact that she was terminally ill at the time.

[@thathoopyford]

The music for Stealing the Enterprise is perfect. Just perfect.

[@rogers.5153]

What's funny is that Back to the Future wasn't released until the following year, 1985, so to many of us, we only knew Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim from the Taxi tv series. Seeing him chew the scenery as Kruge was amazing. Fun fact: the Klingon left alive on the ship was played by John Larroquette of the Night Court tv series, both the original and the current version.

[@johnstalica8657]

"I do not deserve to live" sounds even stranger coming from Dan Fielding.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

17. The final moments of this movie prior to the closing credits are among the rare post-TMP occasions when we hear the main melody (as well as the opening fanfare) of Alexander Courage’s TOS theme, emphasizing the reunion of the Big Seven. The opening four chimes of the theme come in at the very moment Spock says, “Jim… Your name is Jim.” James Horner, Wrath of Khan’s composer, returned for Search for Spock to fulfill a promise to Harve Bennett, allowing him to make continued use of Wrath of Khan’s leitmotifs for Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise. (Notice, for example, how the use of Spock’s theme when Kirk is in the turbolift near the beginning of the movie tells us what Kirk is thinking about without any words being spoken.) The music for The Search for Spock was Horner’s final contribution to Star Trek; Nicholas Meyer wanted to hire him for Star Trek VI, but by then Horner was too expensive, just as Jerry Goldsmith had been for Wrath of Khan. Horner went on to score many other highly successful films, including "Aliens" and "Titanic," as well as writing my favorite film score of all time for my single favorite movie of all time, "Apollo 13." Horner died in the crash of his own private plane, of which he was the pilot and sole occupant, on June 22, 2015, at the age of 61, an irreparable loss to the arts of music and cinema.

[@riccardogemme]

No death in the franchise has ever topped that of the Enterprise itself in my eyes.

[@VolkswagenNut1969]

While the Spock death scene was heartbreaking, I remember walking out of the theater speechless over the Enterprise destruction scene. I had grown up with ST as an adolescent, so the Enterprise had been like our second home for 15 years at this point. Longer for older kids who had watched it from the beginning in 1966.

[@Vulcanerd]

Immediately, the reactions to Mark Lenard, Curtis taking over for Alley, Nimoy directing was awesome.

[@WEB_78O]

One of the best reactions from TA yet! Christopher Lloyd's Kruge is perhaps my absolute favorite part of this movie. Every scene he's in, every line, is just iconic. He'll perhaps have some competition later but Kruge is the definitive enemy Klingon to me. ...AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES...

[@CaminoAir]

Kruge is a very shrewd adversary. But then he sort of reverts to a stock villain right after he denies Kirk's request to beam up Spock to the bird of prey ("Because you want it."). It's a shame that the writers couldn't have kept him consistent right up until his death. Kruge is reveling in destruction, when he would earlier have recognised he needed to get out of that situation a.s.a.p.

[@AdhamOhm]

​@CaminoAir The way I interpret Kruge's "because you wish it!" is that Kruge was willing to be a little generous to Kirk in their previous encounter ("Give me a minute to inform my crew." "I give two minutes to you and your gallant crew.") and Kirk took advantage of that generosity by leading Kruge's men into a trap. I don't think Kruge was willing to take Kirk at his word anymore. Or perhaps I'm reading too much of it and "because you wish it!" is just a generically lazy, and a little out of character, line for Kruge.😂

[@WEB_78O]

@Felamine I love the "because you wish it" line! It's just, the truth. He doesn't have to dress it up. The time for granting civilities is through. "I don't understand why you want this but knowing that you do is all I need".. Just as good as stabbing with a blade

[@WEB_78O]

@CaminoAir Klingons love that dying in battle stuff! I don't think the writers slipped at all. When Kirk points out that they're both about to die Kruge responds with "Perfect!".. He may be shrewd but he's quintessentially Klingon. Old-school Klingon

[@kuribayashi84]

I actually like Kruge as well. He's just a different kind of villain, when compared to Khan: No theatrics, no nonsense, gets shit done and stays focused. Except when he freaks out. And since he's portrayed by Lloyd, when he loses it he LOSES it.

[@ronaldjeffrey8712]

I remember hearing an interview with Nimoy when this film was released. He commented that after Wrath of Kahn he had no intention of returning to the roll again, but as he put it, " When Paramount pulled up in my driveway with a dump truck load I money I decided I was going to live to be a little old Vulcan".

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

12. The “Mr. Adventure” scene is my favorite moment with Nichelle Nichols in all her appearances as Uhura. Radiant as a precious jewel, she is the true embodiment of “Star Freedom” in this scene. With the line, “This isn’t reality. This is fantasy,” she even seems to attain some level of awareness that she is a fictional character - and, somehow, it feels right that Uhura is the TOS character who realizes this. Although the “monster maroon” uniforms included trousers for women, Nichols insisted on wearing a miniskirt for the “Mr. Adventure” scene. Despite how they may be perceived nowadays, in the 1960s, when TOS was in production, miniskirts were considered a symbol of sexual liberation for women. Actor Miguel Ferrer, who appears in the minuscule role of Excelsior’s first officer, would become much better-known beginning with 1987’s "RoboCop." He was the son of actor José Ferrer and singer Rosemary Clooney, and thus the cousin of George Clooney.

[@BillKrayer12thMan]

Also Miguel Ferrer was Agent Albert Rosenfeld on Twin Peaks!! And Jose Ferrer was in the original 1984 Dune(which, David Lynch being David Lynch, also has other actors from Twin Peaks, including a small cameo by Lynch)

[@johnmackendrick5173]

She saw the script and was disappointed her role was so small. But then she read her lines and knew she could really do something with them.

[@JnEricsonx]

Ive only met two of the TOS cast, and Nichelle was one of them back in 2019. So glad I can do the Vulcan salute left handed.

[@bradbarter8314]

As you both stated we were introduced to the Self-Destruct sequence in TOS episode Let That Be Your Last Battlefield which had Kirk, Spock and Scotty do it. Here the computer due to be decommissioned knew the roles of Scotty as Commander and Chief of Engineering, as well as Chekov as Acting Science Officer since coming from Reliant we saw him man the weapons console, be the navigator and sit at Spock's Science Station. So the computer didn't know Scotty was now ranked Captain and the Chief Engineer of USS Excelsior, good continuity for sure.

[@urbangrouse]

Small point that I'd never noticed before... Thanks!

[@SamuelGrahamDoesTCGs]

This one has always been one of my favorites of the Saga. Stealing the Enterprise is a great piece of music and the sequence is spectacular. The Destruct sequence. Sulu: The word, sir? Kirk: The word is "no." I am therefore going anyway. Sulu: You can count on our help! Sulu: Dont call me tiny. Kirk: How many fingers am I holding up? *Vulcan Salute* McCoy: That's not very damn funny. SO. MUCH. GOOD.

[@1978rharris]

Love it when the one guy went full Pakled and said “it’s another Enterprise!” 😂😂 And yeah, this is the second movie in what is now known as The Genesis Trilogy, a group of films consisting of II, III and IV, that deal with the consequences of the creation and use of the Genesis device. I’m happy to see your enjoyment of this one, cos it gets unfairly maligned for absolutely NO reason whatsoever!

[@starmanjay3047]

There's a point to make about the scene where Kirk & Kruge first communicate, that I feel a lot of people miss. The Klingons don't know that the Enterprise is mostly deserted. Kirk looking like he's sobbing into a handkerchief is intentional, to make the Klingons believe they have a full crew but have suffered losses. It's a strategy to imply greater numbers. And while Kruge didn't exactly see through it, he did have an effective counter-strategy.

[@_WillCAD_]

That last Klingon standing, who was the prisoner at the end ("I do not deserve to live.") was John Larroquette - Dan Fielding from Night Court.

[@danzthename]

When Alex cheered for David's death I almost spit out my drink. 🤣🤣 I'm with ya, Josh. I think this is the perfect ST movie. Everyone gets time to shine and I love seeing them work together to save their friend.

[@Billis75]

He was better as Johnny Slash anyway!

[@telephotousa]

@@Billis75 Wow, I thought I was the only one who remembered he was in Square Pegs! That show was also the TV debut of Sarah Jessica Parker as I recall.

[@m.e.3862]

I immediately thought of him as Johnny slash when he begged the captain to go to the planet. RIP Merritt Buttrick.

[@MikeKat11]

The scene where the steal the Enterprise is one of my favorites in all of Trek

[@jzero4813]

The recap was because there was nearly a two year gap between this and Wrath of Khan. It also came out the year before Blockbuster video was founded, and only seven years after the introduction of VHS to the general public. Only 10% of households had a VCR in 1984.

[@willlockler9433]

Im 71, and have on this ride since the beginning. You guys, you're part of the crew now. I have no doubt you'd steal a starship, for your brother.

[@ericscheffel4269]

When we first saw this in movie theaters, we weren't saying, "Hey, that's Doc Brown" at the sight of Christopher Lloyd. We were saying, "Hey, that's Reverend Jim" (from the show Taxi), as Back to the Future had yet to be made.

[@christopherdeguilio6375]

I can't deny my disappointment at the reaction to wrath of Khan... But so glad you enjoyed this one so much! Star Trek films were an event in my family, so of course I saw this in the theater as a kid and absolutely loved it. I've always considered search for Spock underrated.

[@LeutnantJoker]

They still really enjoyed Wrath of khan though. And their criticisms, Kirk and Khan never been on screen and David not really adding anything to the plot, are pretty valid.

[@maarkaus48]

As hard as it was to see the Enterprise get destroyed, and David get killed, it was an excellent move from a story perspective. To bring back Spock, after such a magnificent death, for 'free' would have been cheap, so his return needed to come at a cost. It added much needed weight to the life of Spock. Often, now, in movies and shows characters are removed and then brought back cheaply. But if bringing back a character would cost the plot or show/movie in some way and change things permanently in a way that ups the stakes, then that would be compelling for a show/movie. Still, I do wonder what would have happened to Star Trek had Leonard Nemoy chosen to not return to Trek at all. That would have made TWOK so much more heavy.

[@LeutnantJoker]

I still cant get over Alex cheering when David gets killed lol

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

He had me lied laughing 😂

[@Serai3]

That shot of the Enterprise dying was the first time I cried during any one of these films.

[@scarlettmi]

Star Trek III is definitely where the films start to really understand the strength of the larger ensemble. I really appreciated that.

[@anthonybernacchi2732]

15. It is an indication of how brilliant DeForest Kelley is as McCoy that his speech to Spock’s unconscious body is only Kelley’s third-greatest-ever moment in the role. The second-greatest is his reaction to T’Lar telling him of the danger to him from the refusion ritual, while the greatest is in the final scene of this film, when he wordlessly taps his head to remind Spock of where his katra had been. Nimoy was nervous directing the scene with the unconscious Spock because he had his eyes closed and could not see what Kelley was doing. Kelley said afterwards that Nimoy seemed to be attempting to direct him by fluttering his eyelids.

[@Dcs.234]

The actor that played David sadly died at age 29.. in Startrek V1 they paid tribute to him by having Kirk having a photo of him on his desk

[@shawnkildal3151]

I think you will love the Voyage Home as well. It's one of the few theater experiences I had where the entire audience stood and applauded at the end.

[@johnm.2633]

SPOILERS FOR THIS MOVIE: The trailer for this actually says, "Join the crew on the last voyage of the starship Enterprise!" and shows it blowing up. I was 10 so I missed the trailer, but I would have been steamed.

[@LeutnantJoker]

Jeez how stupid is that. Some Marketing people are really stupid

[@GregPrice-ep2dk]

Gene Roddenberrym who HATED Paramount by that point (long story) deliberately spoiled the destruction of the Enterprise on the convention circuit the same way he spoiled Spock's death in WoK.

[@Fast_Eddy_Magic]

Points gun. "Say the wrong thing!" One of my favorite lines.

[@LukeWarm05]

Mark Lenard actually was in the Motion Picture playing the Klingon captain that initially confronts VGER.

[@exile220ify]

The character of Maltz, the Klingon who said "I do not deserve to live!", was played by John Larroquette, best known as the star of The John Larroquette Show and as Dan fielding on Night Court.

[@auckalukaum]

This is the movie that made me a Trekkie. I saw it in the theater and was just totally absorbed. I'd seen the show from a very young age, and was grabbed by it, but this is the experience that really cemented it for me at the age of 9.

[@NYJetsforlife]

Star Trek 3 is my favorite Trek film. The story of Kirk and the crew sacrificing everything for their comrade is the most powerful and compelling storyline. The characters all have their moments to shine and William Shatner gives his best performance as Kirk that I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love this film.

[@dezzconnor8360]

23:33--one of my favorite behind the scenes stories from Star Trek: Mark Lenard was speaking at a Star Trek Convention and he mentioned that the script originally called for Sarek to say, "My logic falters where my son is concerned." Mark argued with Leonard Nimoy saying that a full blooded Vulcan would never admit that his logic "falters" especially in front of so many people. Nimoy said, "I've been a Vulcan for over 20 years, I know what a Vulcan would say." And Mark Lenard retorted, "I'm your dad, I taught you everything you know." And so they used Mark's version. I also remember DeForest Kelley at another convention saying, "One of the worst experiences of my life was having that green-blooded sonofab!tch direct me."

[@ajvargas8199]

Harve Bennett was the producer, guys. He solely wrote this one because Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II writer / director) passed on scripting.

[@DarinRWagner]

Search For Spock is definitely the best ODD NUMBERED Star Trek film. Great points about the Kruge villain, guys. Thanks for letting us watch you watch this.

[@patriottex4813]

Kirk calls red alert because the ship's defensive systems will operate fully at red alert. ST3 is an underrated film. I love it and think it is great.

[@Ladco77]

Nobody saw Christopher Lloyd in STIII and thought it was Doc Brown. Back to the Future came out 3 years after The Wrath of Kahn.

[@Freddles279]

The Klingon Maltz was played by John Larroquette, Dan Fielding from Night Court

[@ronhaller2143]

This has always been my favorite Star Trek movie with the original crew.

[@robertschmaltz351]

I love that you guys love this movie. It's also one of my favorite movies. It's often been said that only Star Trek can make backing the car out of the garage exciting. Stealing the Enterprise remains one of my most loved scenes in any movie ever. I also get pretty misty-eyed when they blow it up.

[@Stay_at_home_Astronaut81]

This is my favorite Star Trek movie. The musical score, the cinematography, the story.....its fantastic.

[@THICKETDWELLERR]

The Klingon Commander in TMP was Mark Lenard as well. I Believe he was one of the early multi alien actors Having played the romulan commander in season 1 and the Repeated scenes of the Captain of the K’tingaa class ship and of course Sarek. Essentially all the actors from the original series Got residuals for only the first 2 repeats so, everyone who could got signed in for the cat of long tails residuals of the movies 0:02

[@majkus]

"You Klingon sons! You killed my bastard!"

[@fakecubed]

Instead of John Wick, it's Commander Kruge avenging his Targ.

[@cucamongaphilips]

Now just imagine that you grew up watching TOS and seeing the Enterprise be almost blown up so many times; all those fake-outs. This hit so hard when I first saw it. I was honestly still stunned when I walked out of the theater.

[@michaelconnor1542]

Leonard Nimoy was very aware of the cast's issues with being "hangers on". Had been kind of the go-between with them and Shatner during the series. When the studio kept pestering him to return, he required he be the director and be part of the story team. This allowed him to make sure everyone has good scenes. This will carry through The Road Home. As he also directed the sequel.

[@dupersuper1938]

"Star Trek IV: The Road Home"...

[@Tuning_Spork]

@@dupersuper1938 ..with special guest stars Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

[@johnezell1628]

Nimoy said that he modeled the structure after Mission Impossible where everyone of the ensemble cast had a task to do. Nimoy played on Mission Impossible for several years after Star Trek.

[@jamespaton6047]

@@Tuning_Spork 😂🤣😂🤣

[@daveherres3374]

Spontaneous applause in the theatre when that eyebrow lifted at the end.

[@aaronhenley4741]

No matter how many times I see it, when the Enterprise self destructs, I tear up. Every single time.

[@haroldlipschitz9301]

Nimoy knew exactly how to direct Trek...a couple first time weird cuts and stuff but overall the shot selection and handling of the characters just feels totally right. And the ILM effects still look excellent even today. You guys are right about the arc - II thru IV are a definitive trilogy.

[@okccuster]

Technically, your hand gesture was the "Nanu Nanu" greeting of Mork from Ork, Robin Williams in Mork and Mindy tv show.

[@MichaelJShaffer]

John Larroquette as Maltz. Classic!

[@LeutnantJoker]

It shows that you guys have become true Trekkies when you understand what the statement "My logic is uncertain where my son is concerned" truly means and what a strong statement that is for a Vulcan.

[@darthroden]

19:30 Fun fact: The destruct sequence codes are the same ones used by Kirk and the crew during the Original Series episode "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield".

[@kermitlacock5930]

I was really surprised when I learned that the Klingon who survived was John Larroquette from "Night Court". I loved that show but had no clue he was in this movie.

[@5ilver42]

I've come to enjoy this movie more and more as the years go by. When I was younger I liked this one the least of the 6 as a whole, but now, the whole story and music score through it does a whole lot more for me.

[@Embur12]

The odd numbered movies are all pretty bad except this one. Search is fantastic and feeds so well into the Journey Home.

[@Embur12]

@feenix219 It was garbage, which Shatner directed. Horrible plot, 21% even on rotten tomatoes. Thank goodness the Undiscovered Country was the true love letter to the fans.

[@5ilver42]

@@Embur12 The flaws I see in 5 are in it's execution. The ideas are good, but just aren't done well. The scene with McCoy reliving the final moments with his father almost make up for rest of the film for me.

[@Cyborganna]

Absolutely adore every TOS Star Trek film, because they all capture a certain magic missing in movies now. You feel like you're along for the ride with real fleshed out characters on an intrepid adventure through space with stunning Cinematography. They feel epic and expand upon the retro TV series in such an advanced way that they become timeless. All humour earned by the best Sci-fi cast of all time. So happy that you're watching these, Subbed!💖

[@tom_riker0114]

And let's not forget that "Maltz", the lone Klingon who survived, is actually none other than John Larroquette under all that makeup.

[@paulschuckman6604]

As a kid this was the Star Trek movie I watched over and over for all the battles with the Klingons.

[@allendean9807]

Your content has gotten so much more fun- you guys watching together, in the same space is cooler than separately, in my opinion. Keep up the great work!

[@targetaudience]

Thanks! We also enjoy watching in person much more!

[@realitystrikes3769]

Great review. Star Trek III is my favorite of all the Trek movies.

[@fatboysamurai4419]

I was watching Voyage Home in theaters (the next one) and in the commentary it was stated that II, III and IV are supposed to be a triology while the others are more standalone, and in my opinion this is one of the best trilogies of all time

[@clydekim9137]

I remember showing a friend of mine TOS back in the day during film school and it built up to the movies. He had very similar views on Star Trek III as well. He said that it was strange to see people he recognized as Klingons (Christopher Lloyd and John Larroquette), but over all it was one of his favorites.

[@Vulcanerd]

I envisioned a scenario where Josh saves Alex and their friends’ lives and puts his katra in Alex in hopes of a resurrection and when Josh’s dad is like “Alex, you gotta bring Josh’s body back to us so we can perform the ritual to return his soul to his body!” And Alex is like, “Uhh, I miss him too, but I’m good” and walks off 🤣

[@Drawkcabi]

3:38 This movie came out 1 year before Back to the Future. So, people who saw this when it first came out, we all went "OMG, Jim from Taxi!!!" (Seriously, so many of us did say that.) Later on, after we got familiar with another great sitcom that debuted the same year this movie came out, we'd rewatch this movie and then we'd exclaim: "And that's Dan from Night Court!!!"

[@SamFerguson]

Someone has probably beaten me to this, but that's okay 😀 I think one of the reasons that they tended to do more recaps at the beginning of a sequel back in the 1980s is that fewer people had the ability to watch movies at home. So unlike today, you could only count on a very, very small percentage of the potential theater audience being able to watch the preceding film(s) in the franchise more than once, let alone re-watching them at home right before they go to see the newest film during its theatrical release. So a quick recap was probably useful for audiences that probably only saw 'The Wrath of Khan' one time, in a theater, when it came out in 1982 (two years before 'The Search for Spock'). Loving these reactions, keep it up! 🖖

[@shannanmuire]

Precisely! I didn't have access to a VCR until 1986 when my mom finally bought one. She had only bought a color TV the year before. Up until then, my dad was so cheap, we only had two small black and white TVs, 12 inch and a mini. I would have to go to a friend's house to watch things in color, or experience cable with movie channels! I saw Star Trek two and three at a friend's house. I was 9 or 10 at the time. My friend seemed to want to go play with her toys, but I wanted to watch Spock and the gang with her older brother. Fantastic movies! Later when I was 12/13 I started watching the original series. It came on very late at night on a local channel. 🖖😁

[@kellinwinslow1988]

Glad to see you guys liked it. While I don't think it's perfect it will have repercussions up into the 6th film. If you look on the bridge of the Excelsior you'll see on of Miguel Ferrer,from Robocop and Twin Peaks among others. Actor John Larroquette, from Night Court,was Christopher Loyd's second in command who Kirk doesn't kill at the end. And finally the captain of the Excelsior was James Sinkking from Hill Street Blues. He was a good friend of Nimoy and did the part as a favor for him.

[@Dmarcoot]

3 is highly underrated. We get the heist of the enterprise and Christopher Loyd as the first modern Klingon.

[@caseyanne967]

This is my favorite of the first three movies. I'm thrilled that you loved it so much! Great directing from Leonard Nimoy. Everything about the movie came together well.

[@Fydron]

Fun fact Maltz later became Kirks boss in a Boston law firm

[@owenmadden7577]

This has always been my favorite of the series. For all the same reasons Josh exclaimed. It's everything a Trek fan could ask for!

[@sydhamelin1265]

The Klingons didn't take prisoners, but Christopher Lloyd was acting on his own, to get information about the Genesis device, and he wanted to interrogate the crew.

[@MackerelCat]

I’m loving watching along with you, its like showing it to your friends for the first time. Can’t wait for you to watch the next one😂

[@VulcanDeathGrip44]

I love this movie and really like the older Trek homages like Tribbles, Sarek, McCoy trying the pinch, the self destruct. A lot of cool callbacks.

[@reesebn38]

I was born in 64, a was a huge Star Trek fan the moment I could walk & talk. I think I remember seeing the OG broadcast from age 2-5. I saw all 6 movies and the STNG movies in the theatre. When ever the OG cast movies came out it was a real treat! Christmas/79, Summer/82, Summer/84, Christmas/86, Summer/89, Christmas/91.

[@joshuahartman3132]

I'm very glad that I'm not alone in liking Robin Curtis's Saavik more than Kirstie Alley. It's kinda funny how you mentioned that The Motion Picture felt like a pilot, as it is essentially a rewritten pilot episode of what would have been Star Trek: Phase 2. It was going to be a series with Ilia and Decker and the Vulcan whose name I forgot as new main characters, but then Star Wars came out and Paramount realized that they could make more money from a movie than a TV series, so they recycled a lot of the costumes, character, and plot from what would have been Phase 2 into The Motion Picture. Unfortunately, Star Trek 3 was not as successful as Wrath of Khan, so to many fans it started what has become known as the Odd Movie Curse, where all the odd numbered Trek movies are considered "bad" next to the "good" even numbered movies. I disagree with this "curse" with regard to this movie, because The Search for Spock is, in my opinion, a great movie! While 2 and 4 are indeed better in my opinion (and I can never decide which is my favorite of the two) it's still a great movie, and as y'all pointed out, I love that it's a direct continuation from TWOK. Keep up the great work, guys, and I very much look forward to the adventure continuing with The Voyage Home!

[@bustedsim]

The other Vulcan in Phase II would have been named Xon. And he was to be played by the actor who ran Epsilon station in TMP before V'Ger ate it.

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

Yeah same here.. I like Kirstie Alley as an actress and from Cheers, but Curtis played off Saavik so much more to her character

[@LeutnantJoker]

Same, I love Robin Curtis as Saavik

[@penoyer79]

to be fair to Kirstie Alley it was her first role

[@mark-s]

I enjoyed this out of the three you have watched it focused on the whole cast lots of action and funny in parts 9 out of 10

[@xander66644]

Star Trek IV -- will be like nothing you ever see. ALL 7 main characters WILL have large roles! Plus one more surprise!

[@zipadeedooda7938]

There's a fan made series that amazingly captures the original series feel and style, called 'Star Trek Continues'. The set still exixts, and is available for tours. It's in Kingsland, Georgia, which is only about 5 miles from the Florida state line. Even if you don't react on camera, I think you'll enjoy it. Gene Roddeberry's son believes his father would have considered it canon. Can't get a better recommendation than that.

[@adamcohen233]

Your reactions are aligned with mine on this movie, it really checks a lot of boxes as a Star Trek adventure. I think this movie suffered from unrealistic fan expectations at the time, because WRATH OF KHAN was very space-battle heavy, while SEARCH FOR SPOCK was a character-driven, moody story. Also, lots of fans at the time went ballistic over the destruction of the Enterprise. Over time, though, I think this movie has gained the praise it deserves. Seeing your take on it solidifies my belief that this is one of the best of the films as well. Keep your blindness to VOYAGE HOME intact, you're in for a major bag full of surprises. Keep up the great work!