Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Pretty good follow up to The Wrath of Khan, even though it pales in comparison to that film. William Shatner’s acting abilities seem to have disappeared between movies, and the death of his son had little emotional impact, plus a number of minor flaws (plot holes, strange coincidences). Leonard Nimoy’s direction was very good, and the Genesis planet made for an interesting and aesthetically pleasing setting. The plot, while nothing extraordinary, was good, and the characters all felt like themselves. Overall, while nothing amazing, it was an immensely entertaining threequel.
7/10
The recasting of Lt. Saavik was a major disappointment. The lighting and cinematography were way off. Star Trek II had such a wonderful warm look and feel to it. In Star Trek III, you can really see the falseness of the sets and props. The blue color tones that seem to dominate the film are cold and bleak. The editing was also off. There was a fan edit done a few years back that re-arranged some scenes and that helped the flow of the film a great deal. The tie-in novelization included much of what I wished would have been included in the movie version.