'Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)' feels like an interlude. It isn't exactly inconsequential, but it only serves to (mild spoilers for anyone who has lived under a rock for the last forty years) reintroduce Spock back into the series. It's basically a slice of connective tissue, a necessary yet sort of tedious tether between 'Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Kahn (1982)' and 'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)'. Still, it isn't devoid of merit. It moves at a brisk pace and is generally enjoyable. It also features a few entertaining set-pieces, including a short-but-sweet space battle and a fairly ferocious fight on the surface of an exploding planet. It's impossible to deny the time and talent put into every aspect of production, especially its impressive visual effects and comprehensive Klingon language. The cast is as good as ever. Christopher Lloyd is underused yet solid as the big bad, and Shatner's apparently improvised response to the death of a certain character is genuinely affecting, too. At the same time, the movie feels much more like a television episode than either of its predecessors. Its plot is a bit thin and some of it is ever-so-slightly dull. Plus, Robin Curtis is a poor substitute for Kirstie Alley (who supposedly didn't return because of a disagreement over her salary, but I'm sure the scene in which her character fingers a teenage Spock didn't help). It's hard to decide whether or not I prefer this to the first; it certainly isn't as epic (it doesn't feel as much like a film, if that makes sense), but its pacing is much tighter and it has stronger set-pieces overall. It's probably about as good, to be honest, just in different ways. Ultimately, this is a solid entry in its series. It's nowhere near as good as its immediate predecessor, but it's a respectable sci-fi flick nevertheless. 6/10.