If The Search for Spock was a cut above being just an average Trek movie it’s because the story reinforced the camaraderie of the Original Series crew and featured the destruction of the Enterprise in a scene that was as pragmatic as it was poignant. Now Spock’s return was a foregone conclusion, but the real revelation was Spock’s alterego Leonard Nimoy behind the camera, who constructed a well-paced, action-packed entry into the Star Trek saga, which introduced several elements that carried on into future Trek movies and series. Chief amongst those were the Klingons, who took centre stage as the villains after a mere prologue appearance in The Motion Picture. The new look and language of the Klingons would be re-used and expanded upon for next 20 years, thanks in no small part to Christopher Lloyd as the main Klingon antagonist. Lloyd, until then mainly known for playing the loony Reverend Jin on the sitcom Taxi, proved that he could match Shatner ham for ham. And who wasn’t touched by Spock’s reunion with his loving crewmates. Vulcans may not show emotion, but fans sure did.
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