Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Paramount Pictures, 1984) is the third feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. It is a direct sequel to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and has a similar feel, although often with a lighter, more humorous touch.

Directed by Leonard Nimoy. Written by Harve Bennett.

Dialogue

James T. Kirk: How much refit time before we can take her out again?

Montgomery Scott: Eight weeks, Sir, [Kirk opens his mouth] but ya don't have eight weeks, so I'll do it for ya in two.

James T. Kirk: Mr.Scott. Have you always multiplied your repair estimates by a factor of four?

Montgomery Scott: Certainly, Sir. How else can I keep my reputation as a miracle worker?

James T. Kirk: [over the intercom] Your reputation is secure, Scotty.

[First look at the USS Excelsior]

Uhura: Would you look at that.

James T. Kirk: My friends, the great experiment... the Excelsior, ready for trial runs.

Hikaru Sulu: She's supposed to have transwarp drive.

Montgomery Scott: Aye. And if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon.

James T. Kirk: Come, come, Mr. Scott. Young minds, fresh ideas. Be tolerant.

Hikaru Sulu: The word, sir?

James T. Kirk: The word...is no. I am therefore going anyway.

Hikaru Sulu: You can count on our help, sir.

James T. Kirk: Thank you, Mr. Sulu, I'll need it.

Pavel Chekov: Shall I alert Dr. McCoy?

James T. Kirk: Please. He has a long journey ahead of him.

James T. Kirk: (He enters McCoy's cell. He holds up his hand in the Vulcan hand salute.) How many fingers do I have up?

Leonard McCoy: That's not very damn funny.

James T. Kirk: Well, your sense of humor's returned.

Leonard McCoy: The hell it has. [Kirk produces a hypospray from his jacket pocket] What's that?

James T. Kirk: Lexorin.

Leonard McCoy: Lexorin? What for?

James T. Kirk: You're suffering from a Vulcan mind-meld, Doctor.

Leonard McCoy: That green-blooded son of a bitch! It's his revenge for all those arguments he lost.

• [Sulu is left in a room with a security guard, who has his feet up and yawns loudly]

Hikaru Sulu: [sarcastically] Keeping ya busy?

• [Guard stands up, towering menacingly over Sulu]

Guard: Don't get smart, Tiny.

• [after Sulu easily dispatches the bigger guard in a fight]

Hikaru Sulu: Don't call me Tiny.

Captain Styles: Ah, Mr. Scott. Calling it a night?

Montgomery Scott: Uh, yes, sir.

Captain Styles: Turning in myself, looking forward to breaking some of the Enterprise's speed records tomorrow.

Montgomery Scott: Ah, yes, sir. Good night.

Elevator voice: Level, please.

Montgomery Scott: Transporter room.

Elevator voice: Thank you.

Montgomery Scott: [under breath] Up your shaft.

James T. Kirk: Scotty, as good as your word.

Montgomery Scott: Aye, sir. The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain. Here, Doctor, souvenirs from one surgeon to another. I took them out of her main transwarp computer drive.

Leonard McCoy: Nice of you to tell me in advance.

James T. Kirk: That's what you get for missing staff meetings, Doctor. Gentlemen, your work today has been outstanding. I intend to recommend you all for promotion... in whatever fleet we end up serving. Best speed to Genesis.

Saavik: It's time for total truth between us. This planet is not what you intended or hoped for, is it?

David Marcus: Not exactly.

Saavik: Why?

David Marcus: I used protomatter in the Genesis matrix.

Saavik: Protomatter, an unstable substance which every ethical scientist has denounced as dangerously unpredictable.

David Marcus: But it was the only way to solve certain problems.

Saavik: So like your father, you changed the rules.

David Marcus: If I hadn't, it might have been years or never.

Saavik: How many have paid the price for your impatience? How many have died? How much damage have you done? And what is yet to come?

Kruge: I've come a long way for the power of Genesis, and what do I find? A weakling human, a Vulcan boy, and a woman.

Saavik: My lord, we are survivors of a doomed expedition. This planet will destroy itself in hours. The Genesis experiment is a failure.

Kruge: A failure. The most powerful destructive force ever created. You will tell me the secret of the Genesis torpedo.

Saavik: I have no knowledge.

Kruge: Then I hope pain's something you enjoy.

James T. Kirk: David, what went wrong?

David Marcus: I went wrong.

James T. Kirk: I don't understand.

David Marcus: I'm sorry, sir. Just don't surrender. Genesis doesn't work. I can't believe they'd kill us for it.

• [David's last words]

Kruge: Admiral, your young friend is mistaken, I meant what I said. And now to show that my intentions are sincere, I shall kill one of the prisoners.

James T. Kirk: Wait a minute! Give me a chance to talk.

Kruge: [in Klingon] Kill one of them. I don't care which.

Kruge: Take every last man. Form a boarding party armed heavily.

Torg: They outnumber us.

Kruge: [shouts] We are Klingons! Once you control the ship, we'll transfer our flag there and take Genesis from their own memory banks.

James T. Kirk: Mr. Sulu, what is the crew complement of a bird of prey?

Hikaru Sulu: About a dozen officers and men.

James T. Kirk: With some of them on the planet. I swear to you, we're not finished yet. Bones, you and Sulu to the transporter room. The rest of you with me, we have a job to do. [to Kruge] Commander, Klingon vessel... prepare to board this ship on my next signal.

Kruge: No tricks, Kirk. You have one minute.

James T. Kirk: No tricks. I'm looking forward to meeting you.

Capt. Kirk: Computer, destruct sequence 1, code 1, 1-A.

Scotty: Computer, Commander Montgomery Scott, Chief Engineering Officer, destruct sequence 2, code 1, 1-A, 2-B.

Chekov: Computer, this is Commander Pavel Chekov, Acting Science Officer, destruct sequence 3, code 1-B, 2-B, 3.

Computer: Destruct sequence completed and engaged, awaiting final code for one minute countdown.

Capt. Kirk: Code zero, zero, zero...destruct...zero.

Computer: Destruct sequence is activated.

[The Klingons have boarded the Enterprise]

Torg: My lord, the ship appears to be deserted.

Kruge: How can that be? They're hiding!

Torg: Yes, sir. But the bridge is run by computer. It is the only thing speaking.

• [Torg's last words]

Kruge: Speaking? Let me hear.

Computer: 9...8...7...6... 5...

Kruge: [shouts] Get out! Get out of there! Get out!

Computer: 2... 1...

[The Enterprise bridge explodes]

James T. Kirk: [looking up from the planet surface to see the remains of the Enterprise burning up in the atmosphere]

My God Bones, what have I done?

Leonard McCoy: What you had to do, what you always do. Turned death into a fighting chance to live.

Kruge: Genesis. I want it!

James T. Kirk: Beam the Vulcan up, and we'll talk.

Kruge: Give me what I want, and I'll consider it.

James T. Kirk: You fool, look around you! The planet's destroying itself!

Kruge: Yes, exhilarating, isn't it?

James T. Kirk: If we don't help each other, we'll die here.

Kruge: Perfect. Then that's the way it shall be.

[James, while kicking Kruge off of the cliff's edge]

James T. Kirk: I... have HAD... enough of... YOU!

[Kruge falls screaming into the lavascape below]

T'Lar: Sarek! Child of Skon! Child of Solkar! The body of your son breathes still. What is your wish?

Sarek: I ask for fal-tor-pan, the refusion.

T'Lar: What you seek has not done since ages past… and then, only in legend. Your request is not logical.

Sarek: Forgive me, T’Lar. My logic is uncertain, where my son is concerned.

T'Lar: Who is the keeper of the Katra?

Leonard McCoy: I’m am… McCOY… Leonard H. Son of David.

T'Lar: McCOY son of David. Since thou art human, we cannot expect thee understand fully what Sarek has requested. Spock’s body lives… with your approval, we shall use all our powers to return to his body that which you possess. But McCoy… you must now be warned. The danger to thyself is as grave as the danger to Spock… you must make the choice.

Leonard McCoy: I choose the danger.

[Kirk glances at McCoy]

Leonard McCoy:[Mutters to Kirk] Hell of a time to ask...

Spock: My father says that you have been my friend. You came back for me.

James T. Kirk: You would have done the same for me.

Spock: Why would you do this?

James T. Kirk: Because the needs of the one... outweigh the needs of the many.

Spock: (Spock begins to remember) I have been and ever shall be your friend.

James T. Kirk: Yes. Yes, Spock.

Spock: The ship .... out of danger?

James T. Kirk: You saved the ship. You saved us all. Don't you remember?

Spock: Jim .... your name is Jim.

James T. Kirk: Yes.

• [last lines]

Miscellany

• ...and the Adventure continues...
  • [Closing text.]

Cast

External links

• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock quotes at the Internet Movie Database
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock at StarTrek.com

Creator	Gene Roddenberry  (1921–1991)
Television series	Star Trek  (1966–1969) · The Animated Series  (1973–1974) · The Next Generation  (1987–1994) · Deep Space Nine  (1993–1999) · Voyager  (1995–2001) · Enterprise  (2001–2005) · Discovery  (2017–) · Picard  (2020–)
Feature films	The Original Series		The Motion Picture  (1979) · The Wrath of Khan  (1982) · The Search for Spock  (1984) · The Voyage Home  (1986) · The Final Frontier  (1989) · The Undiscovered Country  (1991)
	The Next Generation		Generations  (1994) · First Contact  (1996) · Insurrection  (1998) · Nemesis  (2002)
	Reboot series		Star Trek  (2009) · Into Darkness  (2013) · Beyond  (2016)
Video games	Borg  (1996) · Klingon Academy  (2000)
Proverbs	Klingon · Vulcan
Other	Star Trek franchise · Last words in Star Trek media · Jean-Luc Picard· Phase II