Star Trek II - IV: The Spock Trilogy - 10 Things You Never Knew

6. Star Trek III: Nimoy Authorised Some Of The Most Memorable Designs In The Franchise

Star Trek III Spock
Paramount

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The entire sequence of the Enterprise being stolen from Spacedock is not just thrilling but is also one of the most beautiful scenes in all of Star Trek. The shots of both the Enterprise and the Excelsior piloting their way through is stunning and the nail-biting approach to the locked space doors still causes a catch in breath each time. James Horner's fantastic score swells as the Enterprise pulls away and the Excelsior grinds to a halt.

The sets for this scene were enormous, allowing for close up shots and panning. Once the Enterprise flies away and arrives at Planet Genesis, Industrial Light and Magic got to work on the films biggest surprise and set piece.

The destruction of the Enterprise was conceived by Producer Harve Bennett. This came from the inevitability of the predictability of the plot. In a film called The Search for Spock, there was little doubt about how the film would end. So, the destruction of the Enterprise, something no one would have seen coming, was inserted with time still to go in the film.

It was truly shocking and heart breaking to see the very image of all of Star Trek explode in the sky, shattering the saucer section and letting the corpse fall down toward the planet. As Kirk and company look up at the burning hulk, they reflect on subverting the expectations of the Klingons, while in real life a shell-shocked audience was wondering where it could possibly go next.

Contributor
Contributor

Writer. Reader. Host. I'm Seán, I live in Ireland and I'm the poster child for dangerous obsessions with Star Trek. Check me out on Twitter @seanferrick