Review | Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (40th Anniversary 4K Re-Release 2024)

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is 40 years old this year. To celebrate, Paramount Pictures re-releases the film theatrically in 4K. 

Can you believe that Star Trek III: The Search For Spock is 40 years old this year? It doesn’t seem possible. It feels like only yesterday that I was sitting in a darkened cinema watching the film unfold. Did I cry when they blew up the Enterprise? You’re damn right I did. Did I cry when Spock came back at the end of the movie? What do you think? I’d have hated being the person to have to mop up my tears back in 1984 from the screen floor. Over the years I’ve loved watching the movie on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and streaming. And back in 1996, I got to watch it on the big screen again during an 8-film Star Trek Marathon that started with Star Trek: The Motion Picture and climaxed with Star Trek: First Contact the following day. (I was younger then, but it still hurt.)

Over the past number of years, we have been treated to 4K re-releases of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and perhaps the best Star Trek film ever made, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Now it is the turn of the third film to get an anniversary re-release in 4K. I’ve never been a subscriber to the theory that the even-numbered films are better than the odd-numbered. Despite being a step back from the second film, the third film continued the story forward brilliantly. Like the second film, it is full of high emotion, some laughs and action that lesser films would die for. But can the Paramount Pictures 40th anniversary 4K re-release justify its return to screens or is it merely a cash grab?

PREMISE

After the death of Spock, the crew of the USS Enterprise returns to Earth. When James T. Kirk learns that Spock’s spirit, or katra, is held in the mind of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, Kirk and company steal the decommissioned USS Enterprise to return Spock’s body to his homeworld. The crew must also contend with hostile Klingons, led by Kruge, who are bent on stealing the secrets of the powerful terraforming device, Genesis.

THOUGHTS

I really don’t need to tell you if the film is good or not. After forty years, you’ll have made up your own mind whether or not you like it. What I will say is that it is a worthy sequel to The Wrath Of Khan, one that does go back a step after what is an all-time classic science fiction movie. But that hardly matters when it is as fun as it is. William Shatner plays Kirk superbly, instilling a sense of fun to combat the feelings of loss, grief and anger the character feels during proceedings. DeForest Kelley gets to own the screen in both a humorous and emotion-filled role as McCoy. James Doohan again makes Scotty one of our favourite characters. George Takei as Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Checkov are enjoying themselves throughout. While Nichelle Nichols gets only a small part of the film as Uhura, which still rankles.

With Christopher Lloyd on villain duties as Kruge, the film has enough in its locker to keep fans and non-fans entertained. But it’s the direction from Leonard Nimoy himself and the epic score from James Horner that make the film as enjoyable and as memorable as it is. Throw in some truly epic Star Trek moments, such as stealing the Enterprise, the destruction of the Enterprise and that emotionally draining ending, and you’ve got a damn good Star Trek movie. The special effects at times look pretty dated now but that adds to the charm of the movie.

THE 4K RE-RELEASE

What makes this re-release stand out above the rest is the 4K remastering. Recently, I’ve seen digital re-releases that claim to be in 4K, only to be disappointed to see them and realise they’ve just been upscaled and released again. Their picture and sound quality have been distinctly lacking. Here though, Paramount Pictures has shown their devotion and love for their craft. To not put too fine a point on it, the 4K re-release looks and sounds incredible. The film hasn’t been upscaled, it has been remastered digitally, polished, cleaned up and has its sound boosted to epic proportions. To put it blankly, watching the film now feels like you’ve had your eyes removed and given a complete polish. The colours of what we see on the screen are incredible. Every aspect of the picture is crystal clear, vibrant, and outstanding.

The scenes I love the most, the aforementioned stealing the Enterprise and the destruction of the Enterprise are incredible in this 4K remaster. Watching my favourite ship in science fiction history (sorry, not sorry Millenium Falcon!) embark on her final voyage gave me goosebumps from start to finish. Watching her destruction, although heartbreaking, looks absolutely amazing. Believe me, you’ve never seen the film in this way before. There are a few blotches, such as the effect of Kruge’s death looking poor as it always has. But these are minor quibbles. Even though the effect remains poor, it hasn’t looked this good. Ever.

THE SOUND

The sound mix of the film has now boosted every aspect of the sound quality the film contains. Background noises, overlooked or muted in the past are now crystal clear, allowing us to hear everything in the movie. Communication chatter, background speaking, and phaser effects are all here for us to marvel at. They don’t overwhelm the dialogue at any point, they accompany what we see and hear in the movie. It increases the enjoyment level up higher than ever. I saw the film on a digital screen with digital sound and when I say at certain points the sound had my seat shaking, I mean it. This is how cinema should be. Making us feel as well as watch the film. No added gimmicks in the cinema here either, it was purely due to the sound mix alone.

James Horner’s score now surrounds us in digital quality. And it is moving as well as sublime. Hearing the opening bars to the original theme with the boosted sound at the beginning sends shivers down the spine. This is replicated throughout the film, every note, and every chord sounds amazing. Although I still prefer Jerry Goldsmith’s scores for the movies (that’s never going to change), Horner’s scores remain among my favourite scores of all time. Hearing it here, in absolutely sublime quality is something that needs to be experienced.

VERDICT

For a film that is celebrating its 40th birthday, it has been treated with the love and respect it deserves. It looks and sounds better than more than a fair few of the big Hollywood movies that are released nowadays. If all Hollywood studios took Paramount’s care and attention to its re-releases, then some of our favourite movies from over the years would blow us away all over again. This is why I go to the cinema, to be entertained and to be blown away by picture and sound quality along the way. The film blew me away once again, almost like seeing it for the first time. In a way, it is.

Sadly for fans across the globe, at the moment the 4K re-release is a UK-only theatrical event. However, if the film does make it to your cinemas or multiplexes, wherever you are in the world, take my advice and go and see it on the biggest screen you can, with the best sound system. Thank me later. You’ll need to strap in as the film is now an even bigger rollercoaster ride than ever before. With the picture and sound being the best it has ever been, even if you’ve seen it countless times before, it is a must-see on the big screen. Tissues are optional. Happy birthday Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. You don’t look a day of your forty years. Set your phasers to Warp Factor Fun.

Star Trek III: The Search For Spock will be in UK cinemas from June 14th, courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

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Carl Roberts

Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.

He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.