Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is Seriously Underrated

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[@TheDaveCullenShow]

Sorry, meant to say Robin Curtis lol

[@thefurrybastard1964]

Have to admit I was wondering who this Robert Curtis bloke was.

[@davidalangay1186]

I chuckled a bit at that. Thanks for the Sunday morning moment of mirth.

[@stevenlornie1261]

Had a good chuckle at that haha.

[@shlomokallner3180]

I always felt that Cristie Alley was the better Saavik.. too bad paramount would not/did not make her a better offer.. so sad.

[@TheSulross]

the Star Trek films with the original cast are like children to me - I won't claim one as a favorite over the others

[@FatNorthernBigot]

We used to take quality scripts for granted. This was the case here. Great writing and, as a consequence, great characters. How things have changed.

[@thomashauguel6811]

True. By comparison to the schlock coming out of Hollyweird these days, Star Trek III is the equivalent of The Godfather, Part 2.

[@Vaultboy101]

Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got til it's gone. Joni Mitchell never lies.

[@greenarrow219]

Today's scripts are rubbish in many movies. We took for granted back in the day, a good story is hard to find now.

[@deletebilderberg]

@@Vaultboy101 EXcept when it comes to the clot shot.

[@Chris-ji4iu]

They have. And no one is watching ...or at least not enough to make a profit (with few exceptions). I'm good with re-watching these and I'm fortunate to held on to the physical media (mostly DVDs).

[@mck-qt7hu]

Stealing the Enrerprise is one of the best moments in Star Trek history

[@stephenfrawley9950]

"The word sir?", "The word is no, I am therfore going anyway "

[@VengerDFW]

Best scene of the movie, and as you said one of the top of Star Trek all time...

[@fredo1070]

The scene with Uhura and Mr Adventure is brilliant.

[@andrewmclachlan4242]

That scene had it all! Great VFX, Fantastic Music, Drama & Comedy, What else could you ask for?😁👍

[@grandetaco4416]

When watching this I expected the Excelsior to put on a big show when going to trans warp, instead it just drifts.

[@misugita]

One of my favorite moments is when the Vulcan high priestess tells Sarek that what he has asked for is illogical. His reply is so touching, "Forgive me, T'layr. My logic is...uncertain where my son is concerned." Mark Lenard was always so believable in his role as an eminent scientist and serious statesman, who is also fiercely dedicated to the principles of his civilization's precepts and culture. He had a real gravitas which always impressed me. I have always felt that the Vulcans, especially Spock with his half human heritage, were not so much emotionless as they were able to keep their feelings under strict control through enormous discipline and their devotion to logic as a means to peacefully advance their society. It makes me happy to know that I'm not the only one who finds _Star Trek III_ really enjoyable. Thanks Dave!

[@jamesabernethy7896]

That scene and the scene between Kirk and Sarek show that the Vulcan's still have emotion.

[@Serahpin]

I remember Tuvok's training on Vulcan the priest telling him that they felt emotions _stronger_ than other species which is why they trained to control their emotions, not get rid of them. The dialogue was something along the line of "I feel sad that you don't want training. Does that surprise you? Being able to control one's emotion does not me we have lost them."

[@carlrood4457]

@@Serahpin Even back in Journey to Babel, Sarek was much more relaxed than Spock, especially with Amanda (the little finger touch thing). It's arguable that Spock overcompensated, much as Worf did, and didn't represent a "typical" Vulcan. That's why he would say he was "incapable" of those emotions, which really wasn't true. It also can give a less racist edge to McCoy's needling and outright insulting of him. As a Starfleet doctor, he's probably encountered many full blooded Vulcans and knows they aren't as extreme as Spock and knows he has to ease up a bit for his health.

[@RussellFlowers]

@@carlrood4457 That's a good take, I've never thought about it that way.

[@jusadude7162]

Mark Lenard gave any scene he was in certain gravitas. What a great actor. What a great character.

[@yendub]

"My God, Bones, what have I done?" "What you had to do. What you always do. Turned death into a fighting chance to live" Best interaction of the entire film for me.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I love that moment too. Such a powerful moment with perfect delivery.

[@Rampart.X]

"My God, Jim. I'm a doctor, not a fucking therapist. Now, where did I put my golf clubs?"

[@Steve_Green]

Saavik was played by _Robin_ Curtis, btw.

[@MrWorf35]

"I have... enough... of you!" Basic racism towards Klingons.

[@johnronald6115]

I have had enough of you. I often reimagined that scene.....with certain politicians replacing the Klingon captain.

[@ernestexner466]

The death of the Enterprise to me was a bigger gut punch than Spock's death. She was as much a star of the show as the crew!

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

Aye, seeing it as a teen having to come and love the Enterprise through endless reruns, it was a massive gut punch. She was a real character and seeing her get destroyed had me depressed for months.

[@veganconservative1109]

My eyes got a bit moist when Spock was dying. I was struggling to keep down the wails and buckets of tears when the Enterprise was blown apart. That was Scotty's bairn! And so soon after losing his nephew.

[@akinsamuel2007]

Agreed! The first time it happened was a real shock . Now modern trek movies destroy enterprises with the regularity of changing the curtains. "Shall we wipe down these blinds in the mess room? No initiate the self destruct - the replacement enterprise G will have cleaner blinds..."

[@tony9238]

There are plenty of letters in the alphabet.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@akinsamuel2007 Once Enterprises become disposable they become meaningless. Seeing the original E going down in STIII was gutwrenching, but it made sense in the story. And that Kirk used it as a weapon to snatch defeat from victory. Seeing the E-D go down meant nothing because it happened for the dumbest of reasons with the dumbest 1st officer in Starfleet in charge.

[@EricMorse]

Thank you, Dave. I was on the writing staff of Star Trek 3. It was a labor of love for me. I agree that she is not given enough appreciation.

[@grangerover500]

Hey Eric! Was there anything specific you contributed to the finished film?

[@danielcraig9666]

Eric, Dave made the observation about ST3 being an odd reverent reversal of Star Trek 2's plot. Could you tell us if that was a point of discussion in the writing room?

[@alexdesuys5712]

You should be proud. This was definitely the high point of Star Trek for me.

[@MrFlintlock7]

Man! I didn't LOVE this, when it came out, but multiple rewatches changed that. The writing really is much better than teenage me realized.

[@skyttyl]

It was something I grew up with and I'll always have Fond memories of popping this movie in on a Saturday afternoon and watching it... after cartoons, naturally. Lol

[@MattLovesVinyl]

"Stealing the Enterprise" is the best musical queue in the entire film series. Bravo, James Horner!

[@jamesabernethy7896]

The music is terrific in this movie.

[@MattLovesVinyl]

@@jamesabernethy7896 It really is. I know people rightfully praise the music from TMP and WOK the most, but my favorite scores are TSFS and FC. I love the quieter, less bombastic moments, and Horner and Goldsmith brought it with those scores.

[@iwanttoseeeverything1071]

It all starts with a classic kirk right hook to the security guard and we're off! I love it every time I hear it

[@TheBestPill-no2xp]

He would reuse some of the musical phrases in Aliens. Star Trek III - When Enterprise flies under the rim of space dock after clearing the doors Aliens - When Bishop drops Ripley off to search for Newt (the music when Bishop approaches the platform, after Ripley tapes her rifles together and Hick injects himself with a pain reliever).

[@clmk28]

Anything following Wrath of Khan would have been hard to follow up, but star trek 3 was excellent! This is how to build a universe!

[@Bar-Lord]

100% agree. This film was my entry point to the Trek franchise. It showed me what true friendship is and the lengths to which a true friend should go to do right by you, and to which you should do right by them. Kirk’s like to Sarek of “If I hadn’t tried, the cost would have been my soul.” sums up the film in my opinion.

[@misugita]

You said it. Sometimes we have to realize that rules created by ourselves are just bits of ink scribbled on paper in an attempt to deal with a chaotic universe. They can often be helpful, but they can't cover every possible eventuality. That is why we all cheered when they broke the rules for all the right reasons.

[@james_tiberius_kirk73]

ST: TOS: The City on the Edge of Forever is where the Kirk/Spock dynamic and friendship is at its most apparent and poignant. If you haven't, do so. You'll then understand Kirk's singular focus on finding Spock.

[@allendean9807]

I’ve always felt these three films need to be viewed in a sitting- an all day sitting. It’s a wonderful trilogy that doesn’t get as much paradise as it deserves.

[@radioflyer68911]

Beginning with Space Seed after STMP.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@KingCrab85 "The Spock Trilogy", what an excellent moniker for them. I've never heard them called that before. I wonder of you just coined a term.

[@odysseusrex5908]

@@KingCrab85 Fair enough, very interesting.

[@ryline666]

How much paradise does the trilogy deserve?

[@nathanjames1142]

One of the best trilogies ever made. Kirk's character arc over the three is amazing.

[@613harbinger316]

Let's not forget that the rest of the crew also demonstrated their loyalty to one another. There's barely any hesitation when Kirk tells them what he's planning to do and they join in even though their own court martials are guaranteed. Leading to one of the best sequences in the movie.

[@akinsamuel2007]

"... dont' call me tiny..."

[@613harbinger316]

@@akinsamuel2007 Karate Chop!

[@ryersonfitzpatrick7955]

Admiral, we're losing precious time.

[@mnirwin5112]

Uhura's scene, where she orders the young guy into the closet at phaser-point, was just fantastic. McCoy: "I'm glad you're on *our* side." And then a few minutes later, "Oh, don't worry, Captain, I'll have 'Mr. Adventure' eating out of my hand."

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

I always thought it was a bold decision to have Kruge played by Christopher Lloyd and Maltz by John Laroquette...two well known and brilliant comedic actors. And they managed to play it straight--no corny jokes or lines, no slapstick. Really brilliant.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

True. But there are some really good dramatic acting from some great comedians. Richard Pryor is one

[@crhu319]

Lloyd so nailed the casually cruel nature of old school Klingons like John Colicos played. My favourite Klingon actually. "Unfortunate."

[@DidierWierdsma6335]

The search for Spock was indeed an awesome movie. Rest in peace Leonard Nimoy you are being missed. I really miss the Star Trek of old back when it was an awesome franchise RIP Star Trek. Other than that a great video/review Dave Cullen keep up the great work👍 And greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱

[@Pwj579]

Whole-heartedly agree. The “stealing the Enterprise “ sequence is probably one of my favorite parts of the original Trek movies. Not to mention the Earth space dock model. Scotty sabotaging the experimental Excelsior which would be seen later in the franchise.

[@Pwj579]

Only downside Kirstie Alley not returning as Saavik. Robin Curtis is ok , but not as good.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

Although I didn't have a problem with Alley, I think Curtis made Saavik more Vulcan in her personality.@@Pwj579

[@JohnSmith-bk9iz]

How can you have a yellow alert in spacedock?

[@dennisanderson3895]

@@JohnSmith-bk9iz I presume SF Academy quickly developed some suggestions regarding a yellow alert in spacedock!

[@veganconservative1109]

More like a "Kirk Alert!" @@dennisanderson3895

[@Grimaldus1701]

I completely agree, probably the best of the odd number trek movies

[@spinlok3943]

100% agree, I've never understood why this movie gets swept under the rug.

[@blshouse]

Because it is book ended by better films and it does nothing but undo the events of the previous movie. Being "earned" is a serious stretch.

[@MultiAlanR]

I always loved the dialogue in this movie between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. It's the kind of dialogue that movie writers today find difficult to replicate

[@haitolawrence5986]

When they steal the Enterprise it's goosebumps every single time.

[@Vonklieve]

Star Trek 3 has great music. Solid acting. And it shows a fallible Kirk, and Shatner performs great when on screen. Nimoy did a solid job of directing. And the script, plus special effects are all pretty solid. I would rate Star Trek 3, over number 4. The highlight for me is when the Enterprise is stolen, still makes me tingle. It is just so well done.

[@johntabler349]

"you Klingon bastard you killed my son" that scene is so well done, Kirk misses the chair, Scott and Sulu's reaction shots the way Kirk gently brushes McCoy away Kruge speaking in reserved tones thinking he has victory secure. Incredible scene

[@RogueDragon05]

@@johntabler349 Kruge thinks he's administered the coup de grace to his nemesis, not even realizing he's just sent his own men to their deaths and completely failed thanks to his own pride.

[@johntabler349]

@@RogueDragon05 he was the only adversary who called Kirk's bluff

[@shadowbane7401]

michael giacchino is a good composer too

[@Melkur1981]

It will always be my favourite. Stealing the Enterprise is an incredibly powerful scene.

[@ZontarDow]

It's amazing how well 2, 3, 4 and 6 all lean into and support each other.

[@michaelotoole1807]

star trek 5 makes me shudder every time i think of it .

[@playerpage]

Spock saying "I've been dead before" in #6 is a great callback.

[@PetersonZF]

I like 1 and 5... but yeah, I agree with this point!

[@sowder]

I AGREE. I LOVE THIS ONE. ESPECIALLY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD.

[@Xerxes910]

Dave, I always thought Star Trek III was underrated and happy to see others think so as well. I thought Christopher Lloyds turn as the Klingon Commander is also overlooked as one of his better roles. Thanks for revisiting this and reminding me I need to go rewatch it.

[@trumpsextratesticle8590]

I concur, dude was born to play that role. They should have thrown a line in there that he says "When this Bird Of Prey gets up to Warp 8.8, you're going to see some serious shit".... LOL

[@RoboSantasRevenge]

I love Christopher Lloyd as Commander Kruge, and I love his line (and his delivery) “Because you wish it!” What a great line for a movie villain.

[@erentheca]

Kirk's decision to go against orders has since been retconned into a character trait, as if he's just a maverick, but Kirk was a by-the-book professional since he first appeared on screen. This only underscores the significance of his actions in Star Trek 3, that a by-the-book professional like him would be willing to break all protocols for his friends.

[@stevekitt52]

I loved seeing this at the cinema.The sacrifice of both Enterprise and David hit you because of the high stakes involved.When i watched the JJprise get destroyed,i felt bored.

[@radioflyer68911]

Ditto.

[@johntabler349]

It's like killing Henry Cavills Superman after 2 appearances, they assumed because you were connected emotionally to older better versions that emotion would automatically transfer to the new version, they didn't think they had to earn it

[@stevekitt52]

@@johntabler349 good point

[@RogueDragon05]

@@johntabler349 Yes this!! Though the fault dosen't lie with Cavill rather Synder and WB. Even in Man of Steel, Lois and Sup's just start making doe eyes at each other for no reason other then the audience already knows that these two get together so why waste time actually showing them fall in love.

[@JamesRDavenport]

JJ's 'Prise was a setpiece to be thrown around and blow up for kicks. 1701-A was a ship of the imagination created to be our friendly ambassador of hope to the future. We loved her as much as Jim.

[@2GuysTalkingPodcastNetwork]

This is ALWAYS overlooked, and I'm so glad that you took the time to focus on it. The friendship of WOK is undeniable, but - the tether here pays incredible respect to the friendship and makes the heart FULL, in a perfect ramp of course - to STAR TREK iV. A tremendous film, with an undeniably cantankerous villain (brilliantly portrayed by Doc Brown, snort), that features sacrifice and rebuilding on a variety of levels that are deeply heartfelt.

[@willgillies5670]

Well over 20 years old, in fact she was closer to 40 years since launched and major rfit in close to 20 year beforehand. It is also where Klingon as a language was formally created.

[@Cyril29a]

It's the best one. It starts with a Breakout and a Heist, then turns to a road trip and ends as an action movie. It is amazing! and don't call me Tiny!

[@mylovemachine]

"The word gentlemen, is no. I am therefore, going anyway" - My favourite line :)

[@manservantchris]

William Shatners scene upon hearing of the death of his son is the best of his portrayal of Captain Kirk. ❤

[@douggraham5082]

Hmmm....not sure why you would title this video "Underrated." Every ST fan I know LOVES this movie.

[@itubeutubewealltube1]

Nimoy is the one who came up with the mind meld scene... Half way through filming he started having second thoughts on retiring the character so he asked the writers, director to put the scene in if he changed his mind. Also, the enterprise is actually about forty years old at this point , not 20 . The scene in wrath of kahn was a mistake. In TOS, Spock was on Pikes command 13 years earlier than kirk from the menagerie episode and from TAS, Robert April was the captain before Pike which would make the Enterprise at least 40 years old. There was a refit twenty years earlier between Pikes ship and Kirks ship... so you could say he was referring to that?...

[@MKDumas1981]

Canonically, Robert April took command of the _Enterprise_ in 2245. By the time of _The Search for Spock,_ it was, in fact 40 years old. The Admiral may have been referring to the (movie) refit version, but, even then, seeing as _The Motion Picture,_ while not dated exactly, takes place between 2271 and 2278, the ship couldn't be more than twelve to fourteen years old. I can see the Admiral rounding up to twenty, but, even in a post-scarcity universe, I can't see any good reason to retire a functioning starship.

[@carlrood4457]

It's really one of the great turnarounds in actor/character relations. He'd come to resent the character (even wrote a book title d I Am Not Spock). He didn't enjoy doing TMP. He apparently really enjoyed the experience WoK and the combined with the opportunity to direct got him back. Unfortunately, it meant Saavik wasn't really needed anymore.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@MKDumas1981 This is interesting. If you ask me, The star trek universe was never shown to be "post scarcity" for other than menial items and energy levels. Not incredibly far fetched in many ways from todays society. However, when it comes to larger structures such as starships and the energy to power them, it is shown its very limited indeed for all but the "god like aliens". It is shown to take considerable time to build starships (similar to real world navy ships), and starfleet also has a relatively limited number of them, and cant immediately produce more than what they got. Same for every other species, except the "omnipotent" ones as mentioned above. As for the reason to decommision a starship that works, well in the real world you got 2 things (and others but I will focus on 2) that often happens in the military to functional equipment: The fact they wear out and the structural integrity can become compromised. This happens to pretty much every plane. They are grounded and decommissioned before they have a catastrophic failure in flight. Also, the fact they are so out of date they consume more resources to crew and fuel than they are worth strategically. If the Enterprise as seen in these movies are about to be outsped by the excelsior by a factor of several times over, that would mean its almost effectively useless as some kind of military machine. But it is a big one, that takes a lot of fuel and crew compared to a smaller one or one specialized for science mission, so it makes sense to retire it. This is what happened in the real world to almost every battle surviving warship since time immemorial, it was too outdated and worthless strategically to justify its running costs. There are perfectly shiny and "as new" battleships just off the line that never got to even fire a shot in anger, that got scrapped and smelted down because of this. Very common.

[@42roadsforman]

I always took it that the admiral within the story narrative was referring to the refit that took place just before the motion picture which was supposedly about a year and a half after the 5 year mission of the TV show within the story narrative

[@itubeutubewealltube1]

@@MKDumas1981 I was talking about the Pike to Kirk refit not the motion picture refit

[@TheAutistWhisperer]

It's pretty good and it has Christopher Lloyd in it who's amazing as Kruge.

[@kennyfordham6208]

A little piece of trivia: The security guard who called Sulu 'tiny' (then gets beaten-up by Sulu😊) is the same guy that Spock nerve-pinches, when he steals the thruster suit, in STMP.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

I remember being in the theater and tears running down my face when the Enterprise self-destructed. It was like losing friend. Kirk deciding to steal the Enterprise was incredible. I was what.. 33? I'd been a fan since I was 16. The hijacking of the Enterprise was brilliant. loved that scene .

[@CODY--]

Star Trek III will always be special to me because it was the first movie I ever saw in theaters.

[@baahcusegamer4530]

It was the Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek movie franchise imho. It was serious, had stakes, didn't let the heroes easily win.

[@peterd3881]

Best Trek movie in my opinion. Kirk does it all in this movie including sacrificing the Enterprise to save the crew after his son is murdered.

[@joseburgos8214]

When I was growing up we had Star Trek III on Betamax. It was my first introduction to Star Trek. While not my all time favorite I agree it is severely underrated. It is an exceptional film and vitally important to the franchise as you so eloquently pointed out. Love your content Dave. Keep up the good work.

[@Colin_]

Ah betamax. Not seen or heard of those in a very long time.

[@NoMoneyG]

Very underrated & an excellent Star Trek movie! It has a great plot & gives us action, emotions & great visual effects for the time that almost hold up to today standards. It just feels right. Thanks Dave

[@AncestorEmpire1]

I’m not crying YOU’RE CRYING!

[@camotophat]

Rewatched Star Trek 3 a few months ago, and was amazed at the level of brotherly love portrayed on screen. Amazing to think we use to make films like this. The concept of sincerity is dead in our modern society, and they could all learn something from these old trek films.

[@leobullock3859]

Klingon bastard, you killed my son! Such emotion!!

[@greeneye5977]

Thank you! I’ve been saying that since I was a kid and it’s my favorite of the Star Trek movies. So many iconic moments in this one movie. The first appearance of the Bird of Prey, stealing the Enterprise, destruction of the Enterprise, badass Klingon dog that freaked me out as a kid, the return to Vulcan, Spock’s crew mates sacrificing everything to save him. It’s probably my second most watched movie ever after The Empire Strikes Back.

[@ArnieS1947]

One of my favourites. The stealing the Enterprise scene alone, with the music building to a crescendo as she leaves Excelsior for dust, is iconic. But there are so many great moments.

[@SquabbleBoxHQ]

A great trilogy with two and four. It is a completely necessary story to tell if you're gonna have Spock around still. And it did it fantastically.

[@coecludd]

I love The Wrath Of Khan, but I also prefer The Search For Spock if asked!

[@bradbowers963]

David's death in this movie was incredibly well done. Saavik informing Kirk that David is dead was characteristically emotionless and matter of fact. Followed by Kirk taking an emotional gut punch , staggering back into his command chair and saying "You Klingon bastards. You killed my son." Great scene that Shatner nailed perfectly.

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

He's a better actor than he gets credit for

[@stephenfrawley9950]

This was my favorite film as a kid, i remember we had it recorded on vhs and I watched it over and over on the mornings of my summer holidays. I dont agree with the odd/even number's, I have a soft spot (ducking down here) for ST V the final frontier.

[@WillCamx]

ST V certainly isn't the best movie but I do have a fondness for it too. It's certainly much better than anything made since 2009.

[@Richforce1]

I wouldn't say it's underrated, most people I know who watched this movie like or love it, it is however overlooked compared to more popular or notorious trek films.

[@HunnniDarling]

The word..? is no. I therefore am going to go anyway.

[@BigGator5]

It's not the best, but certainly watchable. The biggest problem with The Search For Spock, is that it's sandwich between the two most popular Star Trek films.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

It is the link that connects those two movies together in the three movie arc. It's a great movie, we get good characters, a good villain, quotable lines, great action scenes. The escape from spacedock is one of the greatest Trek movie scenes of all time, and it has no violence at all. Just shots of the ships moving, the bridge crews, will they or won't they make it through the doors and James Horner's music. Which makes it as close to the iconic scenes of Sergio Leone's spaghetti western movies. Which were often long close ups and Ennio Morricone's music building up tension. This is a good movie. Not the best, and seeing the Big E get destroyed really hurt when I saw it the 1st time around. But certainly the best of the odd numbered Trek movies.

[@Pwj579]

In hindsight , I find ST: IV very dated and silly. I used to feel same about ST:III just being the bridge between II and IV. Now I appreciate it more for the importance it has in advancing the drama…..death of David , the Enterprise destruction, the crew’s dedication to Kirk ( and Spock) and ultimately Spock’s rebirth.

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

@@Pwj579 STIV is the most dated of the TOS movies, by virtue of being said in San Francisco in the 80's, with the movie having a very cheesy 80's feel. On the flipside, it's got a very cheesy 80's feel to it, and I for one think we could do with some of that today.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

FWIW: One of the most moving bits of dialog in this movie -- to me at least -- is this brief exchange between *Sarek* and *Kirk:* *Sarek: **_"But at what cost? Your ship. Your son."_* *Kirk: **_"If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul."_*

[@Mr.E_Bodhako]

good set of movies, they tied them together nicely

[@w.f.syourdoctor]

I am in complete agreement with you regarding this movie ! It is severely undervalued and does a great job continuing the story from Star Trek II . The Star Trek curse of the odd number curse to me is a joke because I enjoyed Star Trek v . 3 is one of my favorites and no matter what people say about it I will continue to love it

[@LeftTownMedia]

David sacrificed himself to save Saavik and Spock, in an act of redemption for using protomatter in the Genesis matrix.

[@margaretgladwell1371]

This has always been my favourite. Not sure why but the themes of friendship and loyalty have always resonated with me.

[@fhsreelfilms]

Thanks for this. I agree that Search for Spock is way underrated. Stealing the Enterprise is one of the best sequences in any Trek film or show, the perfect blend of fun, tension, and humor.

[@noahknoxmarshall3001]

I know it's not the BEST Star Trek movie, but it is my favorite. Rich with feeling, themes of loyalty and friendship. And Shatner's best moment as Kirk (reacting to David's death). And that ending is wonderful. Just absolutely uplifting and full of possibility - the essence of Star Trek.

[@danielseelye6005]

"You Klingon Bastards! You killed my son!"

[@chaptermasterpedrokantor1623]

He hit hearing of his son's death right on the nail. And also the rest of the cast as they watched their captain get gut punched and know nothing they say will make a difference at that point.

[@blshouse]

Yeah, really tore up over the son he never new existed for 30 years and had only found out about and met literally just days before... That's some deep hitting realism there. Shattner sold it though, he was seriously underrated as actor.

[@noahknoxmarshall3001]

Cynicism aside, he DID know David existed. He told Carol in Trek 2, "I did what you wanted. I stayed away." But he was heartbroken THEN when learning she had never told David anything about his father. Separately, from a 'deep hitting realism" perspective - it might not seem realistic if you haven't lived a lot of life, but part of what carves space in your heart is REGRET. And if Kirk has lived with only the notions, his imagination, of what having a son in his life could be like, then yes, that's VERY real. That occupies part of your own heartaches and dreams, and it has substance and weight. You can't understand that if you have not been denied a son of your own and had to suck that up. I personally have wanted to be a dad since my early twenties, but I made choices that cost me this, and now it's decades later, and it serves as a source of pain. So yes, if, after 30 years of longing to meet my son, then meeting my son and hearing him say he's "proud to be" my son - a path toward a new, special relationship - if that new relationship is suddenly SEVERED, I'm going to be devastated. So it's very real, it's very believable. If you've lived with any perspective on the matter. And some haven't. That's not your fault. But just letting you know - there's weight and pathos because those choices Kirk made and had to live with - those are choices some people make and live with, and it comes with pain.

[@christopherquinn5899]

These are very good observations. You are quite right about how good this film is. Star Trek III is a very solid film and is like watching an elongated and really good episode in the TV series.

[@TheeRobertPhoenix]

Love the channel. There's a few movies and shows from the past that I would love to have your take on. If you haven't done a breakdown of "The Intruders" I would highly recommend it. Also, there was a series called, "Nowhere Man" with Bruce Greenwood that was insanely good. It's not quite Sci-Fi but has some Sci-Fi themes in it. On the movie front, two films from the 70's; "The Last Days Of Man On Earth" also known as "The Final Program" and a Larry Cohen film (writer of The Intruders) called, "God Told Me Too" which was originally titled "Demon." Keep up the good work.

[@williamwelch7]

Thanks Dave. Beautiful review!

[@TheDaveCullenShow]

My pleasure!

[@LordRaa]

Opinion: Search for Spock is not bad, it's just not as good as Wrath of Khan. But what is as good as Wrath of Khan? I do need to have a rewatch of the Trek movies, and I'll probably fit it in over Christmas.

[@mtmoink]

I watched Star Trek 3 first back in my early teens. It took a couple of years before i found the wrath of khan in a VHS rental shop ( yep i'm THAT old) but i still understood all the references to the earlier movie from watching this one. Star Trek 2 and 3 are the first and second act of a great story. They also share a lot of the music...the best of the Star Trek movies in my opinion. If i were to introduce new viewers to Star Trek i would start with these 2 movies... absolute masterpieces 😊

[@iKvetch558]

Yes...110 percent correct...it absolutely is underrated. 👍

[@diviningdragon]

I agree with all you shared. In fact, my only regret is that Star Trek V was a narrative let-down. When I think of the Saavik character, and Valeris in the sixth film, I feel that a potential Saavik catalyst story, perhaps with her interactions with Spock leading to a fresh conflict with the Romulans in a re-imagined fifth film, a serious opportunity to develop her back story was dismissed in order to search for God. This could have led to her being the logical successor to Spock in Star Trek VI, making her betrayal of the Federation all the more poignant. I have always loved the trilogy of 2, 3, and 4. And 6 felt like a reasonable conclusion to both the elements of the trilogy and the series overall. Were Final Frontier composed with a different but reasonable narrative structure to follow the classic trilogy, we would have had a classic 'saga' model with five solid chapters. But as it stands, the trilogy is meant to be respected as a full narrative arc, and I miss that kind of story-telling today.

[@neohermitist]

You know maybe Saavik was turned by Sybock and her "pain" that she overcame turned her to the person she would've been in STVI.

[@diviningdragon]

Interesting to consider...@@neohermitist

[@nerdicwarrior]

Dave, have you considered Godzilla Minus One and/or the original Godzilla movie from 1954?

[@RionE23]

You know, I’ve never noticed how it undid Star Trek 2 until you brought it up, but yes they did an amazing job honoring both movies

[@Cornz38]

In retrospect, even the bad old style trek films were immeasurably better than the modern Trek dross.

[@RantingBrummie]

The destruction of the Enterprise was a great dramatic moment.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

They got the visuals and the story beats of the destruction perfect.

[@Butler195]

If you watch 2 and 3 back to back you can pretend its just one long film.

[@MatadorM83]

Anyone who thinks that William Shatner is a crappy actor needs to see the mindmeld scene with Mark Leonard in this move. The emotions are incredibly powerful.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

Shatner had a unique style of acting, but there is a lot of subtleties in some intense moments.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I certainly don't think he's a crappy actor. But in many of his roles, he maintains his distinct. In a way, he is his own brand. Vin Diesel is sort of like that with many similar characters. Actor like Daniel Day Lewis and the late Philip Seymor Hoffman, they have a recognisable name but could physically transform for their roles. Changing tier appearance, physicality and vocal qualities that is more than just accent.@@GarretGrayCamera

[@jsharp3165]

I disagree that TSFS is visually identical to TWOK. Apart from the big set pieces, space battles, and a handful of dramatic moments, it is both shot and (especially) lit very simply and inexpensively. It looks like an early 1980s TV series in those moments. Harve Bennett was first and foremost a TV show runner. You stayed on budget and hit your deadlines or you didn't have an episode to air on schedule. He brought that same quality - for both good and ill - to the Trek films.

[@Dragblacker]

Star Trek V is also underrated. Especially compared to NuTrek.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I also have a soft spot for V. I love the emotional journey they go on.

[@Dragblacker]

@@jamesabernethy7896 In addition to the music, I always liked the Klingon language scenes with Klaa and the rest.

[@stevenewman1393]

🖖😎👍 Startrek 3 The Search For Spock was a very great movie and wonderfully spectaculary well done indeed and without it the trilogy truly would have of made no sense whatsoever at all Period!👌.

[@mck-qt7hu]

Effects also still look great to this day.

[@misugita]

I agree. It has been like forty years and those VFX really hold up.

[@Kroukus]

Great commentary. Startrek 2/3 are absolutely peak sci-fi IMO. Amazing world building / epic scenes character driven plot. Rewatchable in the extreme. Stealing the Enterprise scene may be the greatest sci-fi sequence of all time. They could never make such a cerebral movie today. Brilliant.

[@fredo1070]

The first Star Trek film I saw in the cinema, the "Jim, your name, is Jim" ending is incredible, still gives me goosebumps.

[@Willpower-74205]

The moment Spock raised his eyebrow at the smiling Kirk confirmed for me that he was truly back. 🖖😎👍

[@allovett6246]

"AWAITING FINAL CODE FOR ONE-MINUTE COUNTDOWN." "Zero Zero Zero. Destruct. Zero."

[@darrensmith6999]

I love it to saw it at the cinema back in 1984, shed a tear i must admit when the Enterprise was lost. I do wish Kirsty Ally and Bibi Besch had reprised their rolls.

[@danielseelye6005]

Decades later and it _still_ punches me in the gut when the computer counts down to One and seeing her in her death throes.

[@darrensmith6999]

@@danielseelye6005 Me as well :(

[@mikavirtanen7029]

Kirstie Alley would have reprised her role as Saavik in The Undiscovered Country, but of course Roddenberry hated it and went behind Nick Meyer's back to complain about it to Paramount brass and idea was nixed. Valeris was originally Saavik and her betrayal would have been much more powerful dramatically in otherwise excellent movie. Needless to say Meyer was pissed.

[@givmi_more_w9251]

@@mikavirtanen7029 Roddenberry really hated giving us nice things sometimes, huh ... instead we got Wesley Crusher. I suppose had he lived longer, DS9 would have never happened, either.

[@mikavirtanen7029]

@@givmi_more_w9251 At least Roddenberry would have fought tooth and nail against DS9, that's for sure. Gene never forgave that Paramount gave TOS movie franchise to Harve Bennett and while Bennett had left after ST V he just had to give one last FU to Meyer while having one foot in the grave already.

[@ronaldgarrison8478]

The video about ST 4 provides, near the end, the answer to this question I just posed here-although I don't know where that answer was given: In ST 4, the Bird Of Prey is presumably destroyed after George and Gracie escape from it. AFAIK nothing is ever said about what happens to it. Since the Federation is still at war with the Klingons, I would think the Federation would be very interested in studying that ship closely.

[@FrostUK]

Star Trek II, III and IV make up one of the best cinematic trilogies. Great characters, stories, action, music, and Kirk's character arc is excellent. Mark Lenard is so good as Sarek. A very underrated performance, in an underrated movie.

[@MesaOracle]

The duality of the Enterprise in 2 and 3 is that in 2, Kirk had to save the Enterprise, but in 3 he had to destroy it. Good movie all around with the best Klingon (in Christopher Lloyd) who really set the standard for how the Klingons should be going forward.

[@Dragblacker]

Almost like how in Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence was able to save Gasim out from the desert against the odds, only to execute him later to keep the peace between the Arab tribes en route to Aqaba.

[@Cre80s]

Well, actually in 2 Spock saved the ship, but in 3 Kirk destroyed it to get Spock back, so to speak. Which of coursed flummoxed Spock, who was now even less capable of understanding such an emotional decision.

[@VengerDFW]

No mention of the return of Janice Rand in a nice cameo? Anyways, it's not a bad movie, it's just not as satisfying as it's bookends. The change of Saavik always sticks out badly as well. Not that Robin Curtis was bad, she certainly played a Vulcan well, but her Saavik feels so different than Kirstie's. She is more Spock-like in demeanor - not sure that change was altogether welcome though.

[@WC3POchannel10A]

That is how Nimoy directed her. What got left behind is the character is actually half Romulan.

[@hillbillysimmer7120]

I saw this movie as a teenager, on my first date with my future wife. At a convention later that year, we both met George Takei, and told him the story of seeing his movie on our first date. I'll never forget what he said. "How about that. We found Spock, and you found each other". It's so hard to believe that was 40 years ago. Oh, and I'm still married to that girl.

[@chrisrasdale7764]

Hi Dave, Another great video! I've personally never thought of 'STIII: TSFS.' as being under-rated or '...the forgotten middle child.' as you put it. To me its simply a great 'Star Trek' Film that's right up there with the best of them. If 'STIII: TSFS.' has one small weakness, for me it's the fact that Robin Curtis doesn't make that much of an impression as Lieutenant Saavik. She's OK but I think it's a shame that Kirstie Alley didn’t continue in the roll. I know this is unrelated to any discussion of 'STIII: TSFS.' but as I write this, the stray thought occurs to me that I've always thought that it would have been great if 'Star Trek: Enterprise.' had graduated to the big screen. But of course the studio execs of the time had other ideas and stupidly mothballed the franchise. Finally Dave; in the interests of exploring great past TV Series I'd like to suggest that you do a video review of my all-time favourite American Drama Series - 'Millennium.', which starred Lance Henriksen and Terry O'Quinn. This Chris Carter-created Series overlapped with his 'The X-Files.' and I've always considered it to be a more mature and, at its best, superior alternative to 'The X-Files.'. I'd be interested to know what you think of 'Millennium.', Dave. All the best, CJR.

[@lorentoy1994]

I like III(TSFS) over VI(TUC). At least III has some original sci-fi concepts. VI feels like a movie that was ripped from the current news headlines (the collapse of the Soviet Union) because the writers couldn't come up with an original sci-fi concept, despite the movie's sizeable budget. Also, doing a little math from TOS, the Enterprise should be closer to 30 years (maybe even older) than 20 mentioned in the movie. 15 years from the time of the original series (Season 1 TOS) + 13 years before Season 1 TOS (referenced in The Menagerie, Pt 1) = 28, plus a possible 2 year shakedown cruise even before the events depicted in The Cage. I saw III in theaters, but did not watch II in theaters when it was released in 1982, so watching III was jarring and a little hard to follow along in terms of the narrative because I wasn't familiar with the setup established in II.

[@chuckpoore]

I think it's underrated by casual movie fans and reviewers, but every real Trekkie I have ever known loved it (myself included). It certainly had a different tone and feel than either TWOK or TVH, but that's a strength in my opinion. Even though it was part of a larger story, it still tried to be it's own thing, rather than just a re-hash. So often that's what you get with sequels (think Jaws II), the writers just try to find away to "do the same thing again" since the first one was successful. STIII actually tried to do something different and unique (especially in ST). Not only the Vulcan mysticism, which crosses into fantasy territory, but the whole thing of the crew actually becoming renegades and doing a "mission impossible" stunt to steal the Enterprise, where everyone gets a part (I always loved Uhura's part...'Be careful what you wish for...you may get it!'). It didn't do as well at the box office, but it is loved by most actual Trekkies.

[@iwanttoseeeverything1071]

"That green blooded son of a bitch , its his revenge for all those arguments he lost"

[@cmedtheuniverseofcmed8775]

If anybody told you that the odd-numbered Star Trek films aren't worth watching, then they're lying to you. Star Trek 3 is amazing, with ST 2, 3, and 4 being "The Great 3 Trilogy," where the Star Trek movies had a coherent, well-executed, and extremely well-written storyline path. Literally, each movie continues where the last one ended and had a central lying arc of death, rebirth, and ultimately, redemption. I don't think many sci-fi movies have ever managed to accomplish that task with a spree of movies like that. :)

[@scifiguy26]

I always like this film me being a ship guy & model builder this was the film that introduced The Excelsior class,Klingon bird of prey (which should have been a romulan ship) space dock, the USS grissom & others that would be in use for years to come in other Star Trek productions .. the destruction of the Enterprise still gets me 😢 I wonder how Nu-Trek would handle this story 🤔 probably have Michael Burnham save them all 😆

[@brettcooper3893]

"KROOG" is how it's pronounced. "Robert" Curtis? What is odd is that it was stated that the Enterprise was "20 years old," and yet according to canon, it was actually closer to double that, at about 40 years old. How is it then justified to say it's 20 years old? Even if they were just counting from when she was refit, you're still only looking at about a decade since that happened. Just odd.

[@CavemanSynthesizer]

I can't quite put my finger on why The Search for Spock is second tier for me. It's definitely a cut above Star Trek V and perhaps (if I'm being generous) about even in quality to Star Trek IV, but it just isn't quite there for me, maybe it's the slight over-convenience of the plot device. Maybe it's the replacement of Kristie Alley as Saavik, maybe it's the fact that it too conveniently wraps up all the loose ends of the previous plot - I agree not disrespectfully, but perhaps... disconcertingly - even killing off Poor David. There are great moments, like the self destruct ruse and that's about it, and the villain - though well acted - is a somewhat disappointing B plot to the movie. Overall I enjoy it, but then again I even kind of like Star Trek V.

[@curmudgeonextraordinaire1884]

I always thought the Enterprise being decommissioned at 25 years was dumb. Even by today’s standards that’s ridiculous. The Aircraft carrier Nimitz is over 50 years old and still in service. The B52 bomber is just as old.

[@saladinbob]

You have it wrong saying it undo's WOK. Allow me to explain. Star Treks II, II, and IV are a Trilogy, no matter how unofficial that might be, their stories are interlinked and so should be viewed as one story set over three films, because that's precisely what it is. The central theme of this three-movie story is the death and rebirth of _Kirk_ - Yes, you read that right. The death and subsequent rebirth of Spock is an integral part of that but it is only a part. Star Trek II opens up to a jaded Admiral Kirk who is going through a mid-life crisis. He's practically given up his command, is trying to come to terms with middle age, and feels trapped by the mundanity of evaluating cadets during the Kobashi Maru test. It's a job he takes no fulfilment from which has left him dead inside. By the end of the film he is reinvigorated, but is facing the prospect of returning to the same unfulfilling job, only this time without his closest friend. Star Trek 3 we know the events of but by the end of Star Trek IV, Kirk is reduced in rank to Captain, and this demotion is only superficially punishment. because he is also given command of the Enterprise A, allowing Kirk to do what he does best in a job he's always got the most fulfilment from. Exploring the galaxy. As Kirk takes command, he is finally reborn. The commanding, charismatic presence all TOS fans know and love is back. It's a great story as many of us can personally relate to.

[@Rocket_Man232]

🔔 The BIG reason ST III was (relatively) bad can be summed up in two words: Robin Curtis. They should NEVER have let Kirstie Alley go!

[@rufust.firefly6352]

And, the created the Klingon language for the movie (Dr. Okrand), expanding on the few gibberish words they created in Star Trek TMP. This would reverberated through all the movies and shows and give depth to the Klingons.

[@jorge23483]

I admit it, it bugs me the way they revert somethings from Star Trek 2 to 3, especially the dead of Kirk's son, but oddly enough, I do like the way they get back spock. And the Kilngon's bird of prey ship, really awesome design. Thank you for the video.

[@amehak1922]

I used to be meh about st3 when I was younger but appreciate it now, especially compared to trek 5, Nemesis and Abrams trek. Leonard was asked about killing Spock, he didn't ask for it or plan to retire.