Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

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"A Dying Planet. A Fight For Life. The Search For Spock."

"All that they loved, all that they fought for, all that they stood for will now be put to the test... Join us on this, the final voyage of the starship Enterprise."

Admiral James T. Kirk, finding out he made a mistake by leaving Spock on the Genesis planet, must disobey orders and hijack the hobbled Enterprise to retrieve his best friend. However, a rogue Klingon seeking the secrets of the "Genesis torpedo" puts Kirk's mission – as well as the Enterprise, its crew, and Spock himself – in jeopardy.

Summary

"USS Enterprise, Captain's Personal Log: With most of our battle damage repaired we are almost home. Yet I feel uneasy, and I wonder why... Perhaps it's the emptiness of this vessel? Most of our trainee crew have been reassigned; Lieutenant Saavik and my son, David, are exploring the Genesis planet, which he helped create; and the Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No... more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. It seems I have left the noblest part of myself back there on that newborn planet."

As a result of Khan Noonien Singh's attempt to kill James T. Kirk using the Genesis Device, Spock is dead and a new planet has been created from matter within the Mutara Nebula. Dejected over the loss of Spock, the crew returns to port aboard the Enterprise for essential repairs to their ship, which was severely damaged in the battle against Khan.

Somewhere off in space, a freighter with a female Klingon, Valkris, awaits somebody. That somebody is her lover, the warrior Kruge, who suddenly decloaks in a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Once there, she transmits data to the Bird-of-Prey, which from brief flashes can be ascertained to relate to Project Genesis. When Valkris reveals that she had seen the data, Kruge reluctantly determines that she must die, and destroys the freighter. This also means he does not need to pay the freighter's crew for their work.

Enterprise reaches Earth and approaches Spacedock. During the approach, they see a new ship: USS Excelsior, a part of the "Great Experiment", an attempt at transwarp drive. Although Hikaru Sulu seems to be in awe of the possible capabilities of the ship, Engineer Montgomery Scott is less than impressed, commenting "If my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon...". Suddenly, Pavel Chekov, who is at the science station, notes that someone has entered Spock's quarters. When Uhura adds that the sealed room's door was forced, Kirk goes to investigate. Inside, he finds Leonard McCoy, mumbling about locations on Vulcan, particularly Mount Seleya, before fainting. Kirk calls for a medic.

Once Enterprise is docked, they are met by Admiral Harry Morrow, Commander, Starfleet, who states that all crewmembers will be given the highest commendation of the Federation as well as extended shore leave, except for Commander Scott. Scotty will be reassigned to Excelsior as "Captain of Engineering". When Scotty complains, wanting to stay and help with the refit of the Enterprise, the crew finds out that the ship will not be refit. He also states that Genesis has been quarantined, and only assigned vessels will be permitted to visit in the near future.

Back on the Bird-of-Prey, Kruge and his most trusted officers, Maltz and Torg, view the data on Project Genesis. Kruge is impressed by the power, but also bristles at the idea of the Federation making new planets for themselves. He resolves to travel to Genesis and seize whatever information he can. Kruge regards what he calls the "Genesis torpedo" as a powerful weapon, not a means of creating life.

USS Grissom arrives at Genesis and begins exploring. During the initial scans of the planet's biosphere, its sensors discover Spock's casket on the surface harboring a lifeform that they cannot identify. Saavik and David Marcus manage to convince Captain J.T. Esteban to allow them to beam down and investigate closer.

Back on Earth, at Kirk's apartment, he, Sulu, Chekov and Uhura toast "absent friends". Kirk reveals that the Enterprise is to be decomissioned. McCoy is sedated at home, apparently suffering "exhaustion", and promised he would behave himself. A sound at the door is anticipated to be Scotty, but instead it is Sarek, who demands a word alone with Kirk. Sarek is upset that Kirk did not follow what would have been Spock's final wishes, but Kirk is unaware of any particular request Spock would have made, and had no contact with him in the immediate moment of his death. Sarek believed Kirk would hold Spock's katra, his living spirit, but after a mind meld, Sarek does not find it. Kirk determines that if Spock knew he was going to die, he would have found a way to save it. After reviewing surveillance tapes at the time of Spock's death, they find out that it was Dr. McCoy that received his katra. Although it will be difficult, Kirk swears he will get Spock's body back and return him and Dr. McCoy to Vulcan so they can find peace.

Back at Genesis, Saavik and David transport down to conduct a closer examination of the unidentified lifeform. The duo discovers them to be an evolved form of microbe that had been present on the casket's surface when it was launched from the Enterprise. Opening the casket, they are puzzled to find Spock's body missing entirely, although they recover the burial robe. Before the scientists can speculate further, they are interrupted by what sounds like somebody screaming in the distance, and Saavik and Dr. Marcus set off to find the source.

Kirk's attempt to get the Enterprise back runs afoul of Admiral Morrow. Despite Kirk's plea, Morrow does not give him back Enterprise, and explicitly orders him not to return to Genesis, warning him, as a friend, to stop obsessing over this or it will ruin his career. Kirk determines to do it anyway, and with the help of his crew, puts his plan into work. However, the plan is nearly thwarted before it begins when Dr. McCoy, influenced by the katra, is arrested by Federation Security while attempting to charter a civilian ship to Genesis, independent of his shipmates' efforts. Kirk and Sulu are forced rescue the doctor. In the process they assault Federation personnel and the trio barely escape from the brig.

Despite being reassigned to Excelsior, Scotty has been secretly making essential repairs to the Enterprise in addition to slaving the ship's controls to the main bridge. The Captain of the Excelsior, Stiles (Captain) makes an offhanded remark to Scotty about looking forward to breaking the speed records of the Enterprise, which doesn't sit well with Scotty at all. Uhura accepts a post as a transporter operator in San Francisco, with the covert task of beaming Kirk and company aboard the Enterprise at the required moment. Kirk and his crew (minus Uhura, who makes her way directly to Vulcan) rendezvous aboard the Enterprise, which is still docked within Spacedock.

Scotty has set up an automation system to allow the Enterprise to be controlled by just a few people. Although Kirk cannot ask his friends to go further, and that only he and McCoy must continue, Sulu, Chekov and Scotty hear none of it and insist on joining the flight. Unable to stop the Enterprise from opening the bay doors in Spacedock, the Excelsior is ordered to pursue. Stiles sends a message to Kirk threatening him that if he goes through with this he will never sit in a Captain's Chair again. Kirk considers this but refuses to give up on Spock. Stiles prepares to send the Excelsior into Transwarp to intercept the Enterprise as soon as it goes into Warp. However, due to sabotage carried out by Scotty on its transwarp computer drive, the Excelsior's transwarp drive fails to activate and comes to a rough halt as the Enterprise escapes at warp speed. Meanwhile aboard the Enterprise Scotty jokingly hands McCoy a handful of nuts and bolts from the Transwarp Drive, as a souvenir "from one surgeon to another".

Unaware of events back in the Sol system, Saavik and Dr. Marcus locate a young Vulcan boy and conclude that it is Spock, somehow regenerated by the same process that created the Genesis planet. Captain Esteban, is reluctant to permit Spock to be beamed aboard the Grissom immediately, and would prefer to contact Starfleet Command to recieve instructions. This turns out to be fortuitous as shortly afterward the Grissom is unintentionally destroyed by Kruge's vessel. Kruge is furious, as he had desired to take the science ship, and its data, intact, and the crew as prisoners and summarily executes the subordinate responsible for the "lucky shot." Maltz points out to Kruge that there are lifesigns on the planet and surmises that it is a landing party, which pleases Kruge. Now marooned on the surface and in danger of being captured, Saavik, Dr. Marcus, and Spock flee to more defensible ground.

Kruge and several members of his crew beam to the surface of the Genesis planet to pursue the surviving crew of the Grissom. Saavik finally finds out why the Genesis planet is changing so rapidly: David had used protomatter in the Genesis device, a substance known to be unstable. The Genesis planet is not likely to remain stable for very long, and it is causing the rapid evolution of the lifeforms on the planet as well as making Spock age rapidly. As night falls on the planet, David guards the location where he, Saavik and Spock are hiding. Spock, now aged to adolescence, begins to experience pon farr. Saavik determines that the only way Spock will make it through this portion of his accelerated growth would be for her to mate with him.

As Enterprise enters orbit around the Genesis planet, they briefly detected a ship, but it vanishes. They scan the planet, looking for life on it. Meanwhile, as day breaks at their hiding place, David, Saavik and Spock are captured. Shortly after, Kruge returns to his Bird-of-Prey to confront the Enterprise. As they sneak closer, Kirk and Sulu notice spatial distortions caused by the Bird-of-Prey's cloaking device. As soon as the Klingon vessel decloaks, Enterprise reflexively fires two photon torpedoes, both hitting. Kruge demands emergency power to the thrusters, as Enterprise's shields malfunction. The Bird-of-Prey fires one plasma charge, which strikes Enterprise's port warp nacelle, causing a series of internal explosions. The ship recovers and Kirk orders return fire; before Scotty can do so though, the helm console sparks and bursts into flames, and Scotty grimly reports that the automation system has been destroyed by the Klingon blast. The Enterprise is dead in space.

Kirk hails the Bird-of-Prey, demanding that they surrender within two minutes or face destruction. Kruge determines that Enterprise is more less of a threat than Kirk is letting on, and calls Kirk's bluff, ordering him to turn over all information he has on the "Genesis torpedo". He reveals that he has prisoners on the surface. Both David and Saavik speak to Kirk by communicator, and Saavik reveals that Spock is with them, alive. David says that he can't believe that Kruge would kill them for Genesis, which did not work. Kruge challenges that by ordering his men on the surface to kill any one of the prisoners. One of the men stalks behind with his d'k tahg knife unsheathed. He chooses Saavik. However, as he rears back to sink the blade into the Vulcan's back, David jumps backward and attacks the Klingon. Thoroughly outmatched physically, David is knocked down and stabbed through the heart. On board, Kirk hears Saavik pass the news of David's death.

File:Scott-kirk-bones-st3.jpg

Scotty, Kirk and McCoy watch as the Enterprise is destroyed over the Genesis planet

Distraught over the death of his son, Kirk breaks down, then surrenders. Kruge gives Kirk two minutes to prepare to be boarded. Kirk responds by activating Enterprise's auto-destruct mechanism, with the help of Scotty and Chekov. He chooses Mode 0, the dereliction mode, then quickly beams to the Genesis planet's surface in the same instance that the entire remaining crew from the bird-of-prey with the exception of Maltz and Kruge and the landing party on Genesis, beam onto the Enterprise. Torg radios to Kruge that the ship appears to be abandoned, which Kruge refuses to believe, suggesting they are hiding. Kruge hears the computer counting down in the background, and realizing what Kirk has done, shouts to Torg in a panic to get everyone out of there. Shortly thereafter, the self-destruct detonates, and multitudes of small charges destroy the hull of the Enterprise section by section, killing the Klingon boarding party as well. Large charges then blow up most of the saucer section, and knock the lifeless hull out of orbit, where it burns up helplessly in the Genesis planet's atmosphere while Kirk, McCoy, Sulu, Chekov and Scotty watch from below. The USS Enterprise is no more.

Sulu detects lifeforms only a few kilometers away. The Enterprise crew finds Saavik, Spock and David's body. Kirk taunts Kruge, who is mourning his crew, as a way to goad him into beaming them aboard the ship before the Planet destroys itself. Kruge beams down to the planet instead and holds them all at gunpoint, ordering Maltz to beam up Sulu, Chekov, Scotty, McCoy, and Saavik, but leaving Kirk and Spock. Kruge and Kirk fight; Kruge is prepared to kill himself in the battle. Fortunately, Kirk wins out, managing to kick Kruge into the forming chasms in the crust. He picks up Spock, who is now unconscious but back to around the physical age he was when he died, and tricks Maltz into beaming him on board the Bird-of-Prey by impersonating Kruge. Maltz, the last remaining member of its crew, surrenders, but Kirk refuses to kill him as punishment. Scotty figures out the Klingon systems, and they set a course for Vulcan as the Genesis planet vaporizes.

The Bird-of-Prey lands near Mount Seleya, where it is greeted by Sarek and Uhura. A ceremony is then officiated by the Vulcan priestess T'Lar, who determines that Spock, indeed, is alive. Sarek, stating that his logic is uncertain as far as his son is concerned, requests that Spock's katra be reintegrated with its body in the fal-tor-pan ceremony. McCoy agrees to this despite being warned that there are risks involved. In a brief ceremony, T'Lar initiates a mind meld with Spock and McCoy, and succeeds in restoring Spock's soul.

Spock rises and approaches his crewmates. He briefly engages in a conversation with Kirk, as if attempting to piece together his memory. In the end, he gives Kirk his name: "Jim. Your name... is Jim." At this, Kirk smiles. Spock looks back to Dr. McCoy, who regards him knowingly, as the rest of the Enterprise crew approaches their resurrected friend overjoyed.

"...and the Adventure continues..."

Memorable Quotes

"USS Enterprise, Captain's personal log. With most of our battle damage repaired, we're almost home. Yet, I feel uneasy, and I wonder why. Perhaps it's the emptiness of this vessel. Most of our trainee crew have been reassigned. Lieutenant Saavik and my son, David, are exploring the Genesis planet, which he helped create. And Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone. No...more empty even than that. The death of Spock is like an open wound. It seems I have left the noblest part of myself back there on that newborn planet."

- James T. Kirk

"Would you look at that?"
"My friends, the 'Great Experiment,' Excelsior, ready for trial runs."
"She's supposed to have transwarp drive."
"Aye, and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon."
"Come, come, Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas, be tolerant."

- Uhura, Kirk, Sulu, and Scotty, upon first seeing Excelsior in spacedock

"The word, sir?"
"The word is no. I am therefore going anyway."
"You can count on our help, sir."
"Thank you Mr. Sulu, I'll need it."
"Shall I alert Dr. McCoy?"
"Please, he has a long journey ahead of him."

- Kirk, Sulu, and Chekov

"Your planet-welcome!"
"I think that's my line, stranger."
"Oh, forgive! I here am new. But you are known being McCoy from Enterprise."
"You have me at a disadvantage, sir."
"Oh, my name not important. You seek I. Message received. Available ship stand by."
"How much and how soon?"
"How soon is now. How much is where."
"Somewhere in the Mutara Sector."
"Oh, Mutara restricted. Take permits many, money more."
"There aren't going to be any damned permits! How can you get a permit to do a damn illegal thing?! Look, price you name, money I got."
"Place you name, money I name; otherwise bargain, no."
"All right, dammit! It's Genesis. The name of the place we're going to is Genesis!"
"Genesis?!"
"Yes, Genesis! How can you be deaf with ears like that?!"

- Rogue charter pilot and McCoy

"You're suffering from a Vulcan mind meld, Doctor."
"That green-blooded son of a bitch! It's his revenge for all those arguments he lost!"

- Kirk and McCoy

"Don't call me tiny."

- Sulu, after knocking out a security guard who called him "tiny", phasering the console, and walking out the brig doors

"Unit two, this is unit one. Kobayashi Maru has set sail for the promised land. Acknowledge."
"Message acknowledged. All units will be informed."
"You're taking me to the promised land?"
"What are friends for?"

- Kirk, Chekov and McCoy

"Up your shaft."

- Scotty, to Excelsior's turbolift

"I'd be grateful Admiral, if you'd give the word."

- Scotty, to Admiral Kirk on the Enterprise bridge

"And...now, Mr Scott!"
"Sir?"
"The doors, Mr. Scott."
"Aye, sir, I'm working on it!"

- Kirk and Scotty, while Enterprise is approaching the still closed space doors

"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain!"

- Scotty, explaining how the removal of four small parts can cripple Excelsior

"We have found the lifesign. It is a Vulcan child, perhaps eight to ten Earth years of age..."
"A child? How did he get there?"
"It is Dr. Marcus's opinion that this is...that the Genesis effect has in some way regenerated...Captain Spock."

- Saavik and Esteban

"Admiral, this is Lt. Saavik."
"Saavik! Is David with you?"
"Yes he is...and someone else - a Vulcan scientist of your aquaintence."
(Kirk is temporarily speechless, knowing exactly who she's referring to)
"This...Vulcan...is he alive?"
"He is not himself, but he lives."

- Saavik, revealing Spock's rebirth to his comrades, and Kirk

"Hello, sir. It's David."
"I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's okay. I should've known you'd come. But Saavik's right. This planet is unstable. It's going to destroy itself in a matter of hours."
"David, what went wrong?"
"I went wrong."
"I don't understand."
"I'm sorry, sir. Just don't surrender. Genesis doesn't work. I can't believe they'd kill us for it."

- David Marcus and Kirk

"You Klingon bastard, you killed my son. You Klingon bastard you killed my son! You Klingon bastard."
"There are two more prisoners, Admiral. Do you want them killed too? Surrender your vessel."

- Kirk and Kruge, just after David Marcus dies

"All right. All right, damn you. All right! Give me a minute to inform my crew."
"I give two minutes, for you and your gallant crew."

- Kirk and Kruge, just after the death of Marcus

"Computer, this is Admiral James T. Kirk. Request security access. Computer, destruct sequence one, code: 1-1-A."
"Computer, Commander Montgomery Scott, chief engineering officer. Destruct sequence two, code: 1-1-A-2-B."
"Computer, this is Commander Pavel Chekov, acting science officer. Destruct sequence three, code: 1-B-2-B-3."
"Destruct sequence completed and engaged. Awaiting final code for one minute countdown."
"Code: zero, zero, zero, destruct, zero."
"Destruct sequence is activated."

- Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov, activating the Enterprise auto-destruct sequence (Listen^file info)

"My Lord. The ship appears to be deserted."
"How can that be? They're hiding!"
"Yes, sir. But the bridge appears to be run by computer. It is the only thing speaking."
"Speaking? Let me hear!"
"NINE...EIGHT...SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...FOUR..."
"Get out! Get out of there!! Get out!!!!"
"ONE..."

- Torg and Kruge, learning that Enterprise is set to self-destruct

"My God, Bones... what have I done?"
"What you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live"

- Kirk and McCoy, commenting on the destruction of the Enterprise

"You should beam the Vulcan up too."
"No."
"But why?"
"Because you wish it."

- Kirk and Kruge, speaking on Genesis

"You fool, look around you! The planet's destroying itself!"
"Yes, exhilarating, isn't it?"
"If we don't help each other, we'll die here!"
"Perfect! Then that's the way it shall be!"

- Kirk and Kruge

"I... have had... enough of... you!"

- Kirk, kicking Kruge into the lava

"I do not deserve to live."
"Fine, I'll kill you later."

- Maltz and Kirk

"Wait! You said you would kill me!"
"I lied."

- Maltz and Kirk

"Forgive me, T'Lar. My logic is... uncertain, where my son is concerned."

- Sarek, requesting Spock's katra be reunited with his body

"I choose the danger!"
(Kirk glances over at him) "Hell of a time to ask!"

- McCoy

"Kirk, I thank you. What you have done?"
"What I've done, I had to do."
"But at what cost? Your ship, your son."
"If I hadn't tried, the cost would have been my soul."

- Sarek and Kirk

"My father says that you have been my friend. You came back for me."
"You would have done the same for me."
"Why would you do this?"
"Because the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many."

- Spock and Kirk, asking Kirk why he came back for him

"Jim - your name is Jim."
"Yes!"

- Spock and Kirk, as his memory begins to return

Background Information

Movie trailer

Harve Bennett's twenty-page outline for this film was entitled Return To Genesis. Bennett has said in various interviews and the Star Trek III DVD that the script was the easiest he had ever written, starting at the end of the movie with Spock alive again and working backwards from that point.
This is the only Star Trek film with a main character's name in the title.
Actor and director Leonard Nimoy also worked on the film's story, but his contribution went uncredited.
This movie marks the first live-action appearance of Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard) since his introduction seventeen years earlier in TOS: "Journey to Babel" (not counting TAS: "Yesteryear").
The Template:ShipClass, the Template:ShipClass, the spacedock, and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey all make their first appearances here. They continued to be used in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. The Bird-of-Prey appeared in every subsequent movie until Star Trek Generations, its last movie appearance.
Judi Durand voices her first computer in this movie. She went on to play the Cardassian computer voice in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
To keep secret Leonard Nimoy's participation in this movie as an actor, official daily callsheets mentioned the adult Spock character only as "Nacluv" ("Vulcan" spelled backwards), played by "Frank Force". Nimoy continued the joke by using the pseudonym in the end credits for his cameo role as the (Excelsior) Elevator Voice.
There is an extra long pause between William Shatner's name and DeForest Kelley's during the opening credits where Leonard Nimoy's name would have been.
During the scene where Kirk asks Admiral Morrow for permission to return to the Genesis Planet, the Epsilon IX station from Star Trek: The Motion Picture can be seen as a wall decoration hanging in the background.
In an early draft of the script, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was originally to be a stolen Romulan vessel (the red "feather design" of the wings' underside was designed with the original Romulan Bird-of-Prey in mind), but that detail was dropped from the final draft.
The Enterprise destruct sequence was previously used in TOS: "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" with Spock's command codes used by Scotty, and Scotty's codes used by Chekov this time out.
Leonard Nimoy originally wanted Edward James Olmos as Kruge, but Paramount Pictures nixed the casting. Olmos went on to play William Adama in Ronald D. Moore's Battlestar Galactica revival in 2003.
The climactic fight between Kirk and Kruge was originally supposed to feature huge boulders that would "burst" up from the ground. On the day of shooting, however, the boulders failed to work properly and the scene was shot without them (however, one of them worked correctly and was used to propel Kruge into the air to attack Kirk at the onset of their fight).
This film featured the first appearance of tribbles since TAS: "More Tribbles, More Troubles".
Paramount continued its practice of seeking design patents for designs from the Star Trek movies with this film as well. It obtained patents for several props, the Excelsior, and the Klingon Bird-of-Prey.
Filming on Star Trek III began on Monday, 15 August 1983. The opening scene on the Enterprise bridge was the first to be filmed.
During production, a fire broke out behind the Paramount lot which caused minor damage to the Genesis Planet set. Among those who assisted in putting out the fire was actor William Shatner. According to Shatner's Movie Memories book, he was in full Kirk costume and makeup when he helped with the fire. Shatner also accounted in his book that he was terrified the fire was going to hold up filming and thereby make him late for reporting back to start filming the new season of TJ Hooker, the police drama that Shatner was starring in at the time that Star Trek III (and later IV) was filmed.
The film was nominated for a Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation." It was also nominated for six Saturn Awards.
Although this film takes place immediately after The Wrath of Khan, Khan is never mentioned once.
This movie is the first time that Chekov is heard to speak in Russian.
The toast made in Kirk's apartment, "Absent friends," is one of the traditional toasts of the Royal Navy.
Several costumes, props, and set dressing from this film were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a pair of Vulcan gloves [1], a lot of Genesis microbes [2], Scott McGinnis' undershirt [3], and one of Robin Curtis' costumes. [4]