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review
added: 4/11/00
Star
Trek III: The Search for Spock
1984
(2000) - Paramount
review
by Bill Hunt, editor of The Digital Bits
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Film
Rating: C
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras):
A-/B/D-
Specs and Features
105 mins, PG, letterboxed widescreen (2.35:1), 16x9 enhanced,
single-sided, single-layered, Amaray keep case packaging, theatrical
trailer, film-themed menu screens, scene access (11 chapters),
languages: English (DD 5.1 & 2.0) and French (DD 2.0),
subtitles: English, Closed Captioned
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"It
was the best of times, it was the worst of times
"
Okay, that's not a quote from Star Trek
III. Trek fans out
there know that it's actually a Dickens line (from A
Tale of Two Cities) used in Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. But I think it applies to
this film very well. The Search for Spock
is alternately a moving and gripping sci-fi adventure film
and
a completely hokey and frustrating bore.
The story picks up where the events in Star
Trek II left off. Kirk and company have defeated Khan,
and are limping home aboard a badly damaged Enterprise. But Spock is
gone, having given his life to save the ship from Khan's last gasp -
the stolen Genesis device. Per Starfleet custom, Spock was "buried
in space", his body fired in a casket (fashioned from a photon
torpedo) into the atmosphere of the newly-formed Genesis planet. As
if the loss of their friend wasn't bad enough, upon their return to
Earth, our heroes are informed that the Enterprise is to be
decommissioned, and the crew disbanded.
But in Captain Kirk's darkest hour, comes a glimmer of hope -
Spock's father informs him that Spock may not truly be gone after
all. Just before his death, Spock managed to transfer his soul to
Dr. McCoy in a Vulcan mind-meld. If Kirk can retrieve his body from
the Genesis planet, the Vulcans may be able to reunite body and soul
and Spock may live again. But there's a problem - Starfleet has
quarantined the Genesis planet, and has denied Kirk's request to
take the Enterprise on one final mission. Kirk and crew are
therefore forced to make a choice - steal the Enterprise and destroy
their careers
or lose their friend forever. To make matters
worse, they'll also have to face a rogue Klingon captain, who is
determined to steal the secret of the Genesis device for the Klingon
Empire.
This third installment in the Star Trek
feature film series is extremely frustrating. As written and
produced by Harve Bennett and directed by Leonard Nimoy (no less
than Spock himself), the film starts off well, with our victorious
(but emotionally-beaten) heroes licking their wounds. Sarek's
appearance adds a measure of mystery and hope, and the Klingons
enter the picture for a dash of danger and drama. And once the
action kicks in, it's pretty good - the sequence where Kirk and
company steal the Enterprise is first-rate. But then the film hits
the skids hard, with a really poorly-written subplot involving
Kirk's son David and Lt. Saavik exploring the Genesis planet and
finding Spock's body, now regenerated into a rapidly aging boy. Some
of their dialogue is really terrible. Try this on for size:
Saavik: "It is time for total truth between us. This planet is
not what you hoped."
David: "No."
Saavik: "Why?"
David: "I used proto-matter in the Genesis matrix."
Saavik: "Proto-matter
an unstable substance which every
ethical scientist in the galaxy has denounced as dangerously
unpredictable."
Boy, that's some riveting exposition there, huh? It doesn't help
matters that Robin Curtis, the actress who took over the role of
Saavik from Kirstie Alley (when the latter asked for more money than
Shatner to reprise the part) is simply terrible. In addition, due to
budget limitations, most of the Genesis planet scenes were filmed on
a soundstage and they look like it - the middle of this film
sometimes feels like a bad episode of Lost
in Space. Add to that another lame subplot about Spock's
body going through the Vulcan equivalent of puberty, and you've got
more than enough to kill this film (or ANY film for that matter).
But there are still bright spots. Christopher Lloyd is terrific as
Kruge, the Klingon captain who pits his tiny Bird-of-Prey against
Kirk's Enterprise. Their head-to-head conflict in this film is
outstanding, and results in some serious repercussions for both Kirk
and Trek fans in general. And
there are some very endearing moments of humor with Trek's
familiar supporting cast - McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura.
These elements almost, but not quite, make up for the film's
deficiencies. And that's what makes Star
Trek III so frustrating in the end - you find yourself
alternately enjoying and hating it at the same time.
As DVDs go, this disc from Paramount is of very good quality, with
just a few minor issues. The anamorphic widescreen film transfer is
very nice looking, but the print is occasionally a bit lacking. It
starts off showing a lot of rough grain, and there are plenty of
bits of dust and dirt that could have (and should have) been
removed. On the other hand, the print gets a lot better, and the
color exhibited here is gorgeous - vibrant and true at all times.
Better still, the contrast is outstanding, with deep blacks and
terrific shadow detail. A touch of edge-enhancement is visible, but
it's not at all distracting. This is almost (but not quite)
outstanding DVD video - it's really easy on the eyes.
The disc's audio also doesn't disappoint. All of the Trek
films on DVD thus far have featured very active Dolby Digital 5.1
sound fields, and this one is no exception. There's plenty of nifty
panning and directional effects in the mix, and the bass is simply
thunderous. Just listen to the sound of the Klingon ship decloaking
in chapter 1 (about 9 minutes into the film) - it's just
outstanding. My only complaint is that the dialogue occasionally
sounds flat and lifeless, isolated in the center channel, and it's
slightly too understated compared to the rest of the mix. I had to
increase the volume on my stereo system more than once to catch
everything being said, and when I did, the effects were then
slightly too loud. While I really dig the effects mixing, the
dialogue problem is distracting. It's a small bit important issue.
As for extras
well, true to most of the other Trek
DVDs, there aren't any to speak of. You do get a theatrical trailer.
Despite its poor quality, I'm glad it's on the disc - it's pretty
cheesy in a good sort of way. But that's it. I wish there was
something else - anything else - but there isn't.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
isn't the best film in the series, but it's far from being the worst
either. If nothing else, it serves as an adequate bridge between two
of the best Trek installments,
and is notable as Nimoy's first effort behind the camera. I have to
tell you, having this film on DVD makes me very excited, because it
means that my favorite film in this series is up next for release on
the format: Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan. Star Trek II
is big-screen Trek at its very
best. It's by far the film that fans want most on DVD, and it needs
to be a home run - I really hope that Paramount understands this.
I'd actually like to see the disc include the longer cut of the
film, that appeared on ABC a number of years back. Consider my
fingers crossed. In any case, The Search
for Spock makes for a nice little DVD snack to hold us
over while we wait for the main course.
Bill Hunt
billhunt@thedigitalbits.com |
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