That's enough of 1983. Now we move on to 1984, and this might just be the year I spend the most time on the 1980's. Lots of good and bad stuff from this year, so let's dive in with the sequel to Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Khan. So with this sequel, they decided that after killing off Spock in the last movie, they will bring him back in the next one. It's fascinating to see a Star Trek film without one of its most iconic characters, and we'll see how that affects the grading scale.
So let's talk plot:
We start with the Enterprise on its way back to Earth for a rest after battling Khan, but the mood of the crew is morbid. In the absence of Spock, repairs can hardly begin, Kirk's son David and the lead Vulcan first officer of their trainee crew, Saavik have been reassigned to the USS Grissom.
Meanwhile, Klingon General Kruge and his ship has been stealing information from the Federation about Genesis, the planet-making device that can also destroy a living planet when launched. Kruge is acting against his government in a time of peace-talks, and soon he takes off for the Genesis planet created at the end of the last movie.
Also meanwhile, David and Saavik, aboard the Grissom, look at the Genesis planet and find a life form on the surface. It is in the same general area as the location of Spock's torpedo tomb. They beam down to investigate and find the tomb empty.
The Enterprise arrives back on a station above Earth and the crew is informed that the Enterprise will be decommissioned and that Genesis is now a controversy and not to be mentioned. Also, Kirk finds Bones in Spock's quarters and sees that he seems to have lost his mind.
Kirk gets the officers together and hosts a remembering of Spock, and his father, Sarek, arrives, looking for Spock's soul, I guess. Kirk learns that a Vulcan spirit can never die, even if his body can. They find out that in fact Bones has the mind of Spock in his, and that the crazy behavior is the cause of it all. Sarek tells Kirk that they must deliver the soul and body back to Vulcan to merge them together and ressurrect Spock.
Back on Genesis, Saavik and David continue to look around the planet and find a Vulcan child, supposedly Spock. However, before they can beam up, Kruge appears and destroys the Grissom. He beams down to the planet and prepares to look around.
Back on Earth, Kirk asks for permission to go to Genesis, is denied it, and gets ready to rebel. He grabs Bones, who ended up in the funny farm, and Scotty, Sulu, and Checkov. The five head off to Genesis, even if it means Kirk will lose his command, as will the other officers.
On the planet, the child grows at an incredible rate as the planet changes just as rapidly. David explains that he cheated the genetics of the planet so that it would work, but it didn't quite work and now the planet's climates are changing and soon it will destory itself. The Klingons capture them just as Kirk and company arrive on the Enterprise.
After brief combat, the Enterprise becomes a sitting duck with engine problems, and Kirk is informed about the prisoners down below. Kruge proves his power by executing one of them. They aim for Spock, but David interferes and is killed. Kirk, in a stumbling rage and sadness tricks Kruge's men to beam aboard as the Enterprise self-destructs.
Kirk and friends beam down to the planet just before the explosion, and Kruge beams down as well, captures everyone but Spock and Kirk and haves them beamed aboard his ship. Kirk and Kruge fight as the planet destroys itself in fire, earthquake, and Old Testement style lava and shooting volcano like stuff and disaster. Kruge is killed and Kirk imitates him so that he and Spock can be saved.
The planet is destroyed as the ship is captured by Kirk and company and taken to Vulcan. The lone Klingon becomes prisoner and Kirk brings Spock to the main chamber on Vulcan. After a long ceremony, Spock returns to his natural form and slightly remembers some things, including Kirk's name and what happened as he was dying in the last movie. With the crew all back, the movie ends.
So now for grading:
Acting: 8 out of 10. Actually well done with both heroes and villains.
Entertainment: 8 out of 10. A few nonsensicle stuff here and there with sci-fi, but it is massively entertaining.
Screenplay: 7 out of 10. Sometimes seems like a complete coincidence that Spock could come back.
Directing: 5 out of 10. The actor who played Spock actually directed the film. His first time, and it does show.
Technical Credits: 9 out of 10. Special effects look great for their time.
Genre Fit: 9 out of 10. Despite confusion at times, it is a sci-fi film all the way through.
MPAA Rating: 8 out of 10. A little violence here and there exceeds PG, but otherwise its fine.
Stupid Scenes: 6 out of 10. While preparing to steal the Enterprise, a few things here and there are awfully stupid, as is a scene where Krug fights a worm on Genesis.
Deeper Message: 2 out of 10. Nothing really. Maybe those we really love never leave us.
Beginning: 19 out of 30. Quite a slow start.
Middle: 24 out of 30. Gets much better.
Ending: 28 out of 30. Great stuff at the end.
Final Score: 133/180 or 74%. A B, which means that it's not as good as the last, but its still good.
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