Star Trek III had a lot of heavy lifting to do considering how much of an impact it’s predecessor (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) had on the franchise. This is the odd numbered Trek that breaks the alleged curse of odd Trek movies being sub par. To be fair, every franchise has its ups and downs.
This film had a $16 million dollar budget, bigger than The Wrath of Khan. This film is rammed with fantastic visual effects from Industrial Light and Magic, who are the seminal masters of Hollywood visual effects. Despite all the extra attention to detail I think a lot of people miss the points of this film.
The story is rich with complex themes, expanding further on The Kobayashi Maru training simulation that’s designed to test the character and command skills of Starfleet cadets by putting them in an unwinnable command situation. The Kobayashi Maru test, was brought into canon in The Wrath of Khan, and it’s become a part of pop culture. The “no win scenario” only won by Kirk, who cheated by reprogrammed the simulator.
We’ll take a deep dive later over on The Trev Retro Channel over on YouTube. Just Great Movies (Tuesdays 9pm GMT / 4pm EST) is currently exploring the greatest science fiction franchise of all time, during December.
Star Trek II: Odd One Out of Underrated Masterpiece? Airs tonight on Just Great Movies at 9pm GMT / 4pm EST. It would be great to see you in the chat later!