STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK

   Film (1984). Paramount. Dir Leonard Nimoy, starring the lead players from the STAR TREK tv series, along with Robin Curtis, Merritt Butrick, Christopher Lloyd. Screenplay prod Harve Bennett. 105 mins. Colour.

   This is the 3rd movie in the Star Trek movie series begun with STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE (1979), and it follows directly on from the action of STARTREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) in which Spock died and the Genesis Planet was created. It transpires - the realization is slow - that Spock's body has been recreated (as a rapidly ageing child) by the Genesis Planet, while his soul is sharing McCoy's mind, rendering McCoy schizophrenic. Kirk undertakes to get body and soul together and does so on Vulcan, firstoutwitting Klingon warlord Kruge (Lloyd). Spock is absent for most of the film, the resulting emptiness being palpable, but Nimoy made up for this by competently directing it. Only complete non-cynics, however, could find other than laughable this saccharine soap opera (rather than SPACE OPERA) in which Kirk loses his son and his ship, Spock is retrospectively canonized, and there is tear-jerking all round.The novelization is Star Trek III: The Search for Spock * (1984) by Vonda N. MCINTYRE.

   PN