Note: If you’re one of the 2 remaining human beings who don’t know that Spock died at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, I make no apologies for revealing the ending, as you shouldn’t be watching the sequel first anyway.
Picking up where part II left off, the crew of the Starship Enterprise has left the body of Spock on the regenerative planet Genesis, and returned home in their battle-scarred ship. On Earth, Spock’s father informs Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) that as a Vulcan, Spock transferred his soul into the mind of a crew-member prior to putting himself into the situation that could kill him. They soon find Spock put his soul inside the ship’s Dr. McCoy (Deforest Kelley).
Kirk, McCoy, and the rest of the command crew defy orders and hijack the Enterprise in a bid to retrive Spock’s body and transfer his soul back into it.
Christopher Lloyd managed a level of sadistic villainy equal to that of Khan, if not necessarily as intellectual. There is a good deal of pathos in the story of Spock’s resurrection, which addresses themes on the nature of mortality, and whether the life of one man is worth risking the lives of others.
By themselves, either of the film’s chief stories might have made for an interesting episode of the series. However, there is a drastic contrast between the Klingon subplot and the story of saving Spock. While it is admirable that they tried to merge the commercial and artier aspects of the series, the two just didn’t fit very well together. What is ultimately left over is a series of passionless space battles and a two hour long bromance.
There is a distinctly dark feel to Star Trek III. This hateful tone is a direct contrast with the rest of the Trek series, which has always aspired to be hopeful. The film seems like it was supposed to end on a positive note, but they make it clear that the efforts of Kirk and the crew to bring Spock back resulted in the deaths of multiple people, and the destruction of the Enterprise ship itself. Indeed, the depressing mood this creates feels like it crippled the momentum of the series, and it would take a sequel merging into near parody to compensate.
A movie stuck between wanting to tell a new story, and tie up the loose ends of the prior film.
Take a Drink: for each stage of life soulless Spock goes through before they get him off the Genesis Planet.
That pic you posted with the caption “Hello computer” is from Star Trek IV.