She went down like a warrior, even mortally wounded she took as many of the enemy with her as she could, and bought her crew the time to escape. A great last stand.
And it’s strange to only notice now but… the destruction started with the bridge and saucer. Not the engineering hull where the antimatter and warp drive is… Maybe in those days the destruct was to destroy vital equipment and prevent the ships data from falling into enemy hands than a complete destruction.
@@davfree9732 destruct code one does the matter/anitmatter mix. Destruct code zero is for the electrical overload and saucer section going first. Destruct code zero is for when you don't want to destroy everything (including severe damage to the planet below) in a huge radius around the ship.
@@motorcycleboy9000 Were Kruge's actions sanctioned by the Klingon High Command, or was he going ROGUE ? I suspect he was rogue, but the High Command looked the other way. Call it a hunch.
The scene where they're activating the auto-destruct sequence has always been so interesting. You see the raw determination on Kirk's face, and Scotty and Chekov's shocked expressions. Scotty silently and grimly accepts what's happening. After he inputs his code and lets Chekov take over, he stares hard at Kirk, just to see if he's actually going to go through with it. Notice how he only breaks his stare when Kirk says the word ''destruct" in the final code; he knows there's no going back now. And Chekov just sits there in disbelief, almost hesitating to put his code in. Excellent acting from all three of them.
@St. Andrean i too grew up on this movie.. The haunting feeling is real. This is real cinema. "My god bones..what have i done..." Speaks to the friendship they share. I will love this movie forever. It gets better everytime i watch it. Thank you for such an amazing comment :)
Yes. I also liked how this scene demonstrated the level of trust that they both had in Kirk after serving under him for so many years. There were no protestations, no questions...just following the leadership of their captain whom has successfully led them through so many life and death situations before. They know Kirk has a plan and they trust him.
The most powerful moment in the movie is when Sarek approaches Kirk and thanks him. He says "...But at what cost? Your ship, your son" and Kirk says "If I hadn't tried the cost would have been my soul". Among all the loss, destruction and chaos, in one sentence it reminds us it's Star Trek and that glow wells up inside. It just doesn't happen anymore.
I remember originally thinking that Sarek had a good point there, but nowadays I think he was wrong. Saving spock didn't cost kirk his son at all. David was as good as dead from the start; either the klingons were going to kill him, or the collapsing genesis planet was going to. Much like with the destruction of the enterprise, Kirk turned an inevitable death into a fighting chance to live. David lost that fight.
One of my favorite scenes and lines in the entire Star Trek film series. Kirk: “My God Bones. What have I done?” McCoy: “What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.” Me: sobbing hysterically as the Enterprise burns up entering the upper atmosphere of Genesis.
Over the years...I've forgotten MANY important numbers...and lock combination codes...but...for some reason...that destruct code never escaped my memory...
"Turn death into a fighting chance to live." When those words were spoken, I felt so motivated to live by them when my father died 6 months after I graduated from high school and only left a Social Security survivors benefits. Two years later, I moved out on my own, been in and out of school because of the way the current American economy is consistently failing. Still out on my own and no longer on it but driven by those words.
The very first time I saw this in cinemas in 1984, the sight of the Enterprise saucer section exploding like shattering glass hit my heart like a knife. I knew Kirk had done what was necessary but that still didn't prepare me for that visceral scene of watching the scorched and burning remains of the Enterprise flying across the stars like a rogue comet. Even my father jumped in his seat. He had grown up with the original crew so it hit him hard as well.
Yes, but some of her atoms drifted through the galaxy and found their way into a proto solar system. Eventually they became part of a developing planet and formed into valuable metal. Eons later the planet's sentient life forms built great space faring ships. There was always one of them that seemed special, even beloved. In the beating heart of her engines something of the Enterprise was still ready to boldly go.
I think that although Star Trek is A cultural icon somewhere along the way the obsession needs to end and America needs to get on with our lives. All of the other such TV shows had their day and then passed into history. What has kept this obsession running for so long is A mystery I don't think I can solve and I don't think anyone else can. But I think that 50 years is long enough for any science fiction show to last.
Science fiction can end when it becomes science fact. We have been marking time in Earth orbit for 40 years. It is time for us to take our place among the stars. We need an ambitious space program.
Locktwiste72 Yes! The 80’s ....I grew up with the original series in the early 70’s . Every night at 6:00 my oldest brother would put it on. It was the decade of motion pictures with the launch of Star Wars and the technology came great pictures such as Star Trek, Super Man, Lost In Space to name a few. Good times were had .......Our generation is and has been fading and leaving room for the next, while I am not a fan of what happened to true motions pictures today, I am sure the younger generation are thinking the same thing we had back then...
I will say that they came up with a dumb premise to resurrect spock but otherwise i dont have a beef with this movie. Better than the whale one or the lets go to the center of the universe to find god movie.
I was a little boy when I saw this on TV. I cried so hard. In every Star Trek show, the Enterprise is as much a main character as Captain Kirk or Picard, and this was like watching a friend die.
Watched this when I was 28 at a theater, trying to hold my dignity as a man, tears were rolling down , then I noticed the older guy next to me doing the same wiping and snorting which just made it worse for me
@@ShatnerLover CGI is only a means to an end, just like models and makeup, if there isn’t an heart behind the writing they all aren’t going to suffice.
@@notabannedaccount8362 um…what? You don’t even know my race, nor can you make any assumptions about me based on my special effects method preferences. How does preferring makeup and models over CGI equate to disliking modern trek? I hope you’re just a troll.
Modern Trek is sorry. Fantasy Action, with Judo and Lens Flares. The bridge officers have emotional breakdowns, are self-serving, and everyone are Evil. ST:Picard was disgusting. Star Trek is Science Fiction with a Lesson. 60min story of someone overcoming their Issue/Prejudice by being honest when its hard to, by cooperating, belief in their government (Starfleet and the PriDirective).. while using fantastic space tech. AS FOR RACE.. Star Trek never Celebrated Race, because everyone was Equal. Kurtzmans Star Trek.. coddles the millennial savior complex, with zero accountability. Its selfish, and its sad.
This scene and dialogue is as powerful on a smartphone in 2022 as it was in theater in 84. And the camera work, the composition, James Horners music - a thing of beauty.
This film from beginning to end is beautifully filmed. As someone who has had the pleasure of working behind the camera on a dozen films over my lifetime, the cinemotraphy in this film is so underappreciated that it is criminal. Star Trek 3 tends to be on the bottom of people's favorite list, but remember this is Star Trek Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek trilogy (2,3,4). It's somber tone and desperate story are so good.
She just got hot for a while. Like some large asteroids she just skimmed the atmosphere and sheered away. Then she was found and rebuilt so maybe the Enterprise A is the Refit after all... Even if I know they're two separate ships, bit you know what I mean.
No matter how many times I watch this moment in the film (I've lost count) it still hurts. The Enterprise was more than just a ship, she was a character in her own right. To me, anyway.
This scene is so ominous and really hits home the idea of the loyalty this crew had toward one another...willing to sacrifice an entire ship to help save their friends. Epic moment in a very underrated movie of the ST franchise!
I'm not surprised. My brother read the novel version of this movie before I did, and then we watched the movie together with our mother. It was a slight shock to me at first. But things change, of course.
This still tears me up to watch. Kirk had bluffed destroying the Enterprise to get out of a jam in the past; this time, it was no bluff. Kruge failed the most important lesson any Klingon commander should learn: never give James T. Kirk any time. You and your crew will regret it.
One of the greatest and saddest moments not only in Star Trek history, but in film. The end of an era......the destruction of the Enterprise. One of the most iconic vessels in movie history.
After watching this countless times, I just noticed that Scotty still kept looking at the crashing Enterprise even when Kirk, Bones, Sulu, and Chekov moved their focus to the Genesis’ unstable core. Scotty was the most heartbroken of them all when the Enterprise was destroyed.
Kirk blows up the Enterprise..... *Sulu:* _"Planet core readings unstable, changing rapidly."_ *Pvt. Hudson:* _"Well, that's great. That's just f**king great, man. Now wtf are we supposed to do! Game over, man. Game over! Wtf are we gonna do now? Whadda we gonna do?!?"_ *Bones:* _"Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh?"_ *__* _"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.....merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream"_ *END OF MOVIE*
If you ever wonder what Star Trek is all about, I saw this movie on opening day and everyone in the theater cried like babies when the Enterprise went down. Yep, movies used to be awesome. 😢😢😢
@@RA-VEN8 I will not go into detail other than to say the following. The movie was released in 1984, which was an extremely bad time for me. In this movie, the scene where Kirk says, "I swear to you we're not finished yet", and in this scene, where Bones says "... what you always do, turn death into a fighting chance to live", had a profound effect on me. Those scenes said something to me about the sanctity of life. Live long and prosper.
I remember seeing this when I was just a young fella. Glad to have been born during a time where Star Trek was a thing. Live Long and Prosper fellow Star Trek fans!
BIt of a throwback, too, to the episode with Frank Gorshin, the black and white guys, when JTK went through the whol auto destruct. Let that be your last battlefield. Just remembered....
There would be no intelligent play from Spock, no clever trick from Scotty, no rescue from the crew, no final save from an unknown source. This moment was so iconic because it was actually going to happen, and not a force in the galaxy was going to stop it. The Enterprise had made her last voyage, and she was going to die. Star Trek III will endure forever in the annals of science fiction for this single scene of tragic heroism.
I saw this with my mom, dad, and best friend when it come out in theaters....We were quiet and sad on the way home... Even my dad was quiet.... Good times regardless
I remember seeing this movie opening day. The enterprise was my favorite character from the series. My parents were married the same month and year the show premiered on tv back in September 1966. so they never missed a show. Later the show was still on tv as reruns i guess and they always watched it. I got into it as well and always watched it with them. So many times the ship was almost destroyed in her career, then kirk and his crew did what no enemy ever could, destroy the enterprise. When kirk said computer destruct sequence one, the crowd just all gasped at once. Some were saying no no they cant destroy the enterprise, the countdown gets to 3 2 1, at 1 i just said OH SHIT....first time i ever swore in front of my parents. I was about 11 at the time. The ship blows up goes down and i could not believe it. I still get upset even now. 39 years later and still hard to watch. When the scene was over people were crying and some were so shocked they just had that look on there face like what the hell did we just see. My mom and dad even had tears in there eyes. One of the most sad moments in the history of star trek, it was the end of an era in a way. An era we will never see again in star trek, not like that anyway. I miss thoses days and this crew and.....that magnificent ship......🖖🏼live long and prosper.
0:03 His voice dead with pain as he calls up the computer. 1:01 _"Zero, zero, zero...destruct."_ His voice quieter after that pause... 3:46 _"My God, Bones...what have I done?"_
I was 14 at the time this movie came out. My brother and I read the novel version of this movie before we actually watched this movie (on VHS). In fact, I believe this movie was the very first movie I ever watched on VHS (with my mother and brother, of course). And yeah, the destruction of the Enterprise was a shock for me too. That ship had so much history.
@@K-11609 When this movie came out, peopled who had never cried over a movie in their lives could not stop crying over this scene. One guy said it was like watching your childhood home with all your stuff burning to the ground.
I remember seeing this movie with my mom and dad a week before my younger brother was born. I was so freaked out by the destruction of the Enterprise it took my parents the entire trip home to calm down. Funny how it stands out so clear in my mind after all these years.
I love how the other Klingons don’t speak English so have no idea what is going on. You can really feel the desperate panic on Kurge when he hears the countdown and works out what is going on
This was truly a powerful scene. The Klingons' hubris really did them in -- Kruge ordering Torg to take essentially the entire crew (save for Maltz and the Genesis landing party) and beam onto the Enterprise. The wind up stalking the corridors and eventually making it to the bridge, thinking that they're gonna get the Genesis data out of the computer's memory banks. Instead, they realized too late that they've beamed onto a death trap. I also loved the moment when Kirk and Company, after having entered the codes, races to the transporter room in a dead sprint as the seconds ticked.
I absolutely love those people. Brought me so much happiness since I was a wee lad in the mid 70s & Mum had 'The Corbomite Maneuver' on............... Hooked!
This scene still gets me after all these years. The music leading up to and after the explosion is so emotional as is seeing the crew on that mountaintop watching as their ship goes down. And Bones' line is just perfect. I totally love the scores from Star Trek II and III. They were amazing and are so incredibly nostalgic for me.
I just put myself back in the moment, like watching it for the first time, and yeah, the second the music started to slide in my eyes watered up. It's a decision they don't want to make but one they know they have to make.
I never understood why Search for Spock is considered to be one of the inferior Star Trek movies. To me it is right up there with 2, 4 and 6. Not to mention that it forms the centerpiece of a pretty amazing story told in the 2-3-4 trilogy of movies. I think that audiences back then were not prepared for its unrelenting tension and bleakness.
@@kevinemmers9424 that does kind of touch on one of the weaknesses of the movie, in that she got left behind when they went to Genesis. Never understood why they decided to cut her out of most of the movie.
I like the movie, but it is glaringly obvious that the money spent on sets and special effects was much less than the two previous Star Trek films. The Genesis planet looks like a sound stage, and the ship models are not composited well. Why did the command crew have to steal the Enterprise to get to the Genesis planet - why not buy or charter a less obvious ship? Once the Enterprise is stolen, Starfleet knows where the crew is going. Also, the Genesis wave turned the mass of the Mutara nebula into both a planet and a sun. If the planet was unstable, why didn’t the sun explode also? Good movie, but it has problems.
The music starts as soon as Scotty starts putting in his code, so you *know* shit is about to go down! And Scotty starts to cry when Kirk enters the final code
Although it broke my heart, I found it interesting that it highlighted how important everyone’s ranks were and how they had to not just identified themselves but had the destruct codes memorized - it’s the most accurate military thing I’ve seen. These guys are Navy seals but in space; not just any monkey can get on there.
Only one thing bothers me about that. At this point in the timeline neither of those 3 are actually officially assigned to the Enterprise anymore. Kirk is an Admiral working out of Earth, Scotty was assigned to the Excelsior and Chekov was assigned to the Reliant. Sure they remember the Destruct Codes from their time when the Enterprise was offically their ship but it's weird that the computer still takes them from people that have no business on the Enterprise anymore. Fun fact those are the exact same destruct codes that were entered when they nearly destroyed the Enterprise in the TOS episode Let This Be Your Last Battlefield, only then it was Kirk Spock and Scotty that activated it so Spock had 11A2B and Scotty had 1B2B3.
@@bob1986the enterprise was due to be decommissioned so it’s onboard computer wouldn’t have been updated with it’s personnel change and I think Chekhov was made into acting 2nd officer for trip home from the wrath of kahn
@@bob1986actually as Kirk was the last commanding officer at time of her return the ship's systems would still have him listed as the captain As was Scotty last engineer and senior highest officer In Chekov's case he wasn't an official officer of the ship but was put into place by Kirk. That's why he says "Acting Science Officer" On why Scotty has the 2nd code instead of 3rd code as in the TV series -- he was at that time the 2nd highest rank officer. Although he and Chekov were both commanders, Scotty is senior in several points
She may have been Kirk's lady, but she was absolutely Scotty's baby. Dude once got in a fist fight with Klingons defending her honor. No way he wouldn't be with her to the very end.
This is Kirk’s FINEST hour! Blew up his ship, beams to the planet and lures the Klingon commander to a final duel and then escapes on the enemy vessel! Whoa..
Shatner was great in this movie. The ultimate version of Kirk. He does everything possible to set things right with Spock’s father and keep his crew alive. He kind of fails at most of it, losing his son, the Enterprise, and his career. Kirk is at his most compassionate and cunning.
I think SFS was Shatner's finest performance as Kirk. The austerity of the film's content (Enterprise destruction, David's death) really left no room for ham-fisted delivery and compelled a more subdued, introspective character study of Kirk than we had ever previously seen. It also revealed that Shatner really, actually does have his moments as an actor.
Shatner did an excellent job..maintaining calm on the worst day in Kirk's life...his career goes down the toilet, his son is murdered by a Klingon Bastard and he ends up destroying the Enterprise..
Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, Bones and Sulu were the last to leave their dear old Enterprise before it self destruct. Klingons on the other hand were the last to be on board.
Of course, it helps that not just anybody can enter all three codes and expect it to work. For instance, you may know the first sequence, but you can't sound exactly like Kirk, so the computer would ignore you.
Actually, the final code "destruct one" means that the Enterprise will blow up entirely in an anti-matter explosion; flaring up like an exploding sun (which could also destroy enemy ships and even a planet in range of its detonation radius). That code was used in the original series episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". The final code "destruct zero" caused the Enterprise to eject its anti-matter bottles, and the ship's circuitry to overload, blow up, and detonate; thus transforming the ship into a lifeless hulk, useless to enemy captors. That code was used by Admiral Kirk in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. You can also read about this in the book "Mr. Scott's Guide To The Enterprise" (which may have been partially written by the late James Doohan himself).
Before I continue, I first need to state that I was 21 when I saw this film on the first showing of opening day on Friday 01 June 1984 around 10 AM that day because I did not want to read or be aware of any reviews before seeing the film. This is because, believe it or not, of all the Star Trek movies after the first one, "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" was the most anticipated. Needless to say that early morning, it was Star Trek nerd fans like myself who attended. As we watched the ship blow up, we were all speechless and the audience was quiet and absolutely mesmerized as we absorbed the realization of what we were witnessing. I want to be clear though: a snippet of the saucer section blowing up was part of the promotions for the movie that were being broadcast on TV. So, we were aware of a Constitution-class ship exploding. I don't remember if the TV trailers showed the NCC-1701, but, even if it did, it was not the actual spoiler that later fans whine about. For all we knew - and we didn't know the story going into the movie that first day - this could have been a "mirror universe Enterprise" or something. But it wasn't. It was the real thing and we hard-core fans in that first showing were sucked-in hook, line, and sinker into the story at that point. Nothing was predictable at this point. I want to be clear about this. Watching "Star Trek" on TV in the 1960s and 1970s, you knew the ship would be saved or Kirk would be beamed up just in time. The day was always saved. But now we just witnessed the destruction of the Enterprise. Nothing was guaranteed now. The storytelling was a complete wild west, so to speak, with nothing being completely predictable or guaranteed including even a "Star Trek IV". This is hard to explain, but something that is important about this scene - even more than Spock's death in "Wrath of Khan" which was expected - is that Star Trek "went there". In episodic television and certainly not in "Star Trek", a scene with an unexpected killing of a "core character" never would exist. (And, yes, the Enterprise is a "core character".) The closest comparison was the death of Colonel Henry Blake in "M*A*S*H" but actor MacLean Stevenson was already known to be leaving that sitcom and that that would be his last episode. It's how his story came to an end that was shocking. ... but no one... NO ONE... expected the end of the Enterprise - even with the TV promotions. This was something new that NEVER would have happened on television before. Because of this scene, it actually changes how storytelling in Hollywood changed. It gave license to writers to "go there" and do the unthinkable. For instance, the death of Tasha Yar in Season 1 of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" could only happen because the Enterprise blew up. Star Trek "went there" before so it could do it again. Indeed, that death of a core character was an important point in elevating TNG in fans' eyes and the subsequent storytelling got better because of it. The writers had more courage because they felt freer knowing that they could "go there" again. ... and that all happened because of this scene - the destruction of the Enterprise in "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock".
What I find most funny is that the Klingons didn’t realize that it was a self-destruct countdown. But the moment that Kruge just heard one number he knew what the hell it was! But God, it is so hard to watch the Enterprise be destroyed. I still shed a tear over that.
Kirk: "My God, Bones! What have I done?" McCoy: "What you had to do. What you always do. Give death a fighting chance to live" Me: "Still hurts like hell though"
Kirk, "Computer... self-destruct code: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5." Computer, "1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest code I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of combination an idiot would have on his luggage! That's it, I'm done!" EXPLODES! Later, Commander Kruge, "What was the self-destruct code you used?" Kirk, "1-2-3-4-5." Commander Kruge, "That's incredible! It's the same combination I have on my luggage!"
i remember this as a teenager, there wasnt a word spoken during this moment. The death of kirks son, the destruction of the enterprise, it was a lot to take in. Sniffles, and tears but...it was eerily quiet. Then again back then, nobody had cell phones or such distractions so, everyone that was there, wanted to see what happened.
Destruct Zero : destruction of the ship only and not a nearby bodies owing to the ejection of the warp core. Hence detonators positioned on the bridge and primary hull Destruct One: uncontrolled matter/ antimatter collision resulting in destruction of the ship and nearby bodies (eg the command to Scotty in TMP when inside V’ger)
Destruct Zero destroyed all items of intelligence such as main computers and all personnel records. Destruct One was matter anti-matter combination which would instantly destroy the ship and anything below on the planet surface.
This was the point of no return in the TOS franchise going forward. They had effectively ended the longest running character of the series. This physical ship went all the way back to Pike. They tried to unring the bell with the Enterpris A. Folks were pretty miffed about that until TNG and the Enterprise D, but then they did it again in Generations not because it moved a plot point, but that the model was not that cinematic on the big screen.
Obviously, after 78 episodes, 22 animated episodes, and 2 previous films, this scene is sad enough. But what makes it even worse is the element of terror. Not only did they have to destroy their tragically doomed 'old friend,' but they landed on a planet that was in the process of self destructing. Did they even know they would have a chance of gaining control of the Klingon ship? Taking away hindsight, that's a tough question.
Well, they were already doomed. It comes to a point when you really can’t afford to think three moves ahead and have to settle for it playing it as it goes. I think this was one of those moments. The ship was lost one way or the other, but this maneuver kept it out of enemy hands AND also took out a good number of the Klingon crew. For all Kirk knew, he might’ve been lucky enough to have the captain lead the boarding party. That in and of itself would’ve been a great advantage moving forward.
This is a very well acted scene. Scotty and Chekov both look shocked that Admiral Kirk is doing the destruct sequence and then Chekov almost hesitates to put his code in and then after they watch the ship break apart, Chekov gets refocused and starts doing his scans of the planet's core. Once they arrived on Vulcan and had that reunion with Spock, he probably got settled in bed and had a bit of a cry since he practically grew up on that ship.
"Turn death into a fighting chance to live." McCoy knew that was the most difficult thing Kirk had to do. To Kirk, the Enterprise was his baby, she was a daughter to him. Sure, he was rough on her, but he knew she could take it. This time, he knew, she was dead. Nothing he could've done outside of a Starfleet miracle would've saved her. Thus he knew what he had to do, to save her from being a slave to the Klingons, he grimly ends her life, staring at death in open defiance and with a determined grit. The original Enterprise's death still one that resonates massively with me. While I never grew up watching TOS, I was enthralled by the Constitution Class's Refit, and seeing her demise was a shot in the heart. It remains, to this day, my favorite Star Trek ship design, and I wince every time I watch this scene when I watch III. I know it's coming, but it gets me every time.
All those years ago, when I first watched this scene, I cried. I remember feeling deeply sad, upset and betrayed, It just couldn't end that way. A punch in the stomach, as Spock's death in the Wrath of Khan. Now I am 58 and in time I've come to understand, to feel that Nimoy and the authors couldn't have done a greater homage to our beloved 1701. She was too old, as Admiral Morrow had said, and too badly crippled after the Mutara battle, her programmed destiny was to be scrapped in some anonymous drydock, become metal, plastic and electronics to be either recycled or destroyed, and her memory would have faded and vanished eventually with time and deaths of her crew. A most unfair reward for 40 years of glorious service. Look at this instead. She does one last act of defiance against the overwhelming forces of the baddest enemy, she lets her human buddies go safe away, then allows the Klingons come into her, reaching her very heart, the bridge, and then dies with them, the only possible glorious demise for such an iconic character. The ultimate sacrifice. It makes me think to Samson and the Philistines a bit. Then its wreck burns in the Genesis atmosphere, and that is the closest thing to a Viking's funeral a starship could ever have. Thank you Star Trek lll folks, I've hated you at the time, but now I can only but praise you. You have killed her, but you have made her Immortal.
Fun fact: A few scenes later when Kirk convinces Kurge to beam to the planet, we see Kurge with his head in his hands. We think that this is because Kurge is lamenting the loss of his men; not true. In reality, he is lamenting over how Kirk was more cunning and devious.
And with this act, Kirk began a long tradition in Starfleet that wouldn't be broken until the Enterprise-E. That no ship bearing the name Enterprise would survive long enough to be decomissioned.
The service history of the _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-B is largely unexplored, except in non-canon novels. So, we don't know what happened to it, either. I just wish that CGI had been a little more advanced when _Star Trek: Generations_ was made. I *hate* the modified _Excelsior_ design; I much preferred the cleaner lines of the NCC-2000.
Vulcans are puzzled by us humans and our attachment to inanimate objects. I refer the storied history of the Enterprise, 1701. Seeing all the adventures she took Kirk and crew on, seeing her beautiful refit, then seeing her taking the beating she did in Wrath of Khan. In Star Trek III you can see the old girl battered, wounded, and limping home. The crew is getting older, and so to is our Enterprise. The condition of the Enterprise is actually a key part of the plot in this movie. We are shocked to see she isn't going to get another refit, but just scrapped. Kirk knowing the old girl has one last mission left in her embarks on a daring rescue. The old girl already mortally wounded by Khan gives her very last to ensure her crew has a fighting chance to live. She was just as much part of the family as the crew. Of all the iterations of the Enterprise that were destroyed, this is the one that gets you the most.
"...DESTRUCT 0" was not Kirk's only option. According to the 'Starship Enterprise Technical Manuel' circa 1986 or 7, a final code of "...DESTRUCT 1" - Which Kirk was prepared to activate as a last act to stop V'ger in TMP - would drop Warp Core magnetic containment fields, dumping all matter/antimatter into the reaction chamber at once. The Enterprise would super nova it'self into oblivion, taking any vessel within several hundred kilomaters with it.
She went down like a warrior, even mortally wounded she took as many of the enemy with her as she could, and bought her crew the time to escape. A great last stand.
And it’s strange to only notice now but… the destruction started with the bridge and saucer. Not the engineering hull where the antimatter and warp drive is…
Maybe in those days the destruct was to destroy vital equipment and prevent the ships data from falling into enemy hands than a complete destruction.
@@davfree9732 destruct code one does the matter/anitmatter mix. Destruct code zero is for the electrical overload and saucer section going first. Destruct code zero is for when you don't want to destroy everything (including severe damage to the planet below) in a huge radius around the ship.
History will never forget the name Enterprise.
@@motorcycleboy9000 Were Kruge's actions sanctioned by the Klingon High Command, or was he going ROGUE ? I suspect he was rogue, but the High Command looked the other way. Call it a hunch.
The scene where they're activating the auto-destruct sequence has always been so interesting. You see the raw determination on Kirk's face, and Scotty and Chekov's shocked expressions. Scotty silently and grimly accepts what's happening. After he inputs his code and lets Chekov take over, he stares hard at Kirk, just to see if he's actually going to go through with it. Notice how he only breaks his stare when Kirk says the word ''destruct" in the final code; he knows there's no going back now. And Chekov just sits there in disbelief, almost hesitating to put his code in. Excellent acting from all three of them.
Kirk, Scotty & Chekov's inflection when giving the Codes is the same as in "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield".
@@cleekmaker00 Chekhov doesn’t give the code in the episode, it’s given by Kirk, Spock and scott
In the novelization of the film, Scotty and Chekov's codes are switched so that the engineer is last, and he very nearly stops the sequence.
@St. Andrean i too grew up on this movie.. The haunting feeling is real. This is real cinema. "My god bones..what have i done..." Speaks to the friendship they share. I will love this movie forever. It gets better everytime i watch it. Thank you for such an amazing comment :)
Yes. I also liked how this scene demonstrated the level of trust that they both had in Kirk after serving under him for so many years. There were no protestations, no questions...just following the leadership of their captain whom has successfully led them through so many life and death situations before. They know Kirk has a plan and they trust him.
The most powerful moment in the movie is when Sarek approaches Kirk and thanks him. He says "...But at what cost? Your ship, your son" and Kirk says "If I hadn't tried the cost would have been my soul". Among all the loss, destruction and chaos, in one sentence it reminds us it's Star Trek and that glow wells up inside. It just doesn't happen anymore.
I remember originally thinking that Sarek had a good point there, but nowadays I think he was wrong.
Saving spock didn't cost kirk his son at all. David was as good as dead from the start; either the klingons were going to kill him, or the collapsing genesis planet was going to.
Much like with the destruction of the enterprise, Kirk turned an inevitable death into a fighting chance to live. David lost that fight.
No matter how hard they try they'll never recapture the magic.
One of my favorite scenes and lines in the entire Star Trek film series.
Kirk: “My God Bones. What have I done?”
McCoy: “What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.”
Me: sobbing hysterically as the Enterprise burns up entering the upper atmosphere of Genesis.
Agreed. Same here.
Meanwhile, in JJ-World, the Enterprise blows up in EVERY film, and nobody in the audience gives a flying fuck.
Over the years...I've forgotten MANY important numbers...and lock combination codes...but...for some reason...that destruct code never escaped my memory...
my favorite scene
That, and King to King's Level Three".
Its the login for my computer to this day.
I'm still shocked that this was the exact code they used in "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield."
If ever I need to wipe my phone remotely, the final code is what will set it off.
"Turn death into a fighting chance to live."
When those words were spoken, I felt so motivated to live by them when my father died 6 months after I graduated from high school and only left a Social Security survivors benefits.
Two years later, I moved out on my own, been in and out of school because of the way the current American economy is consistently failing.
Still out on my own and no longer on it but driven by those words.
The very first time I saw this in cinemas in 1984, the sight of the Enterprise saucer section exploding like shattering glass hit my heart like a knife. I knew Kirk had done what was necessary but that still didn't prepare me for that visceral scene of watching the scorched and burning remains of the Enterprise flying across the stars like a rogue comet. Even my father jumped in his seat. He had grown up with the original crew so it hit him hard as well.
Yes, but some of her atoms drifted through the galaxy and found their way into a proto solar system. Eventually they became part of a developing planet and formed into valuable metal. Eons later the planet's sentient life forms built great space faring ships. There was always one of them that seemed special, even beloved. In the beating heart of her engines something of the Enterprise was still ready to boldly go.
I think that although Star Trek is A cultural icon somewhere along the way the obsession needs to end and America needs to get on with our lives. All of the other such TV shows had their day and then passed into history. What has kept this obsession running for so long is A mystery I don't think I can solve and I don't think anyone else can. But I think that 50 years is long enough for any science fiction show to last.
Science fiction can end when it becomes science fact. We have been marking time in Earth orbit for 40 years. It is time for us to take our place among the stars. We need an ambitious space program.
I remember reading one review where the critic said someone in the audience screamed when then Enterprise blew up.
Locktwiste72 Yes! The 80’s ....I grew up with the original series in the early 70’s . Every night at 6:00 my oldest brother would put it on. It was the decade of motion pictures with the launch of Star Wars and the technology came great pictures such as Star Trek, Super Man, Lost In Space to name a few. Good times were had .......Our generation is and has been fading and leaving room for the next, while I am not a fan of what happened to true motions pictures today, I am sure the younger generation are thinking the same thing we had back then...
To this day, this is still one of the most painful scenes to watch.
This is why the last scene in Star Trek IV at space dock brought so much joy.
I’m going on record to state Star Trek III is not a bad movie!
Its one of my favorite trek movies along side 2 and 6.
No. It's not. It's the tragic second act to a three act play.
I'll go on record to say that ST3 is the best Star Trek movie. And it's not even close.
It's a bit rough at points, but overall a great entry into the series.
I will say that they came up with a dumb premise to resurrect spock but otherwise i dont have a beef with this movie. Better than the whale one or the lets go to the center of the universe to find god movie.
I was a little boy when I saw this on TV. I cried so hard. In every Star Trek show, the Enterprise is as much a main character as Captain Kirk or Picard, and this was like watching a friend die.
Watched this when I was 28 at a theater, trying to hold my dignity as a man, tears were rolling down , then I noticed the older guy next to me doing the same wiping and snorting which just made it worse for me
Real actors, real writers, real stories. Sigh. Those were the days...
Never again lost art. We have these jewels still at least
Makeup and models age better than CGI.
@@ShatnerLover CGI is only a means to an end, just like models and makeup, if there isn’t an heart behind the writing they all aren’t going to suffice.
@@notabannedaccount8362 um…what? You don’t even know my race, nor can you make any assumptions about me based on my special effects method preferences. How does preferring makeup and models over CGI equate to disliking modern trek? I hope you’re just a troll.
Modern Trek is sorry. Fantasy Action, with Judo and Lens Flares. The bridge officers have emotional breakdowns, are self-serving, and everyone are Evil. ST:Picard was disgusting.
Star Trek is Science Fiction with a Lesson. 60min story of someone overcoming their Issue/Prejudice by being honest when its hard to, by cooperating, belief in their government (Starfleet and the PriDirective).. while using fantastic space tech.
AS FOR RACE.. Star Trek never Celebrated Race, because everyone was Equal.
Kurtzmans Star Trek.. coddles the millennial savior complex, with zero accountability. Its selfish, and its sad.
This scene and dialogue is as powerful on a smartphone in 2022 as it was in theater in 84. And the camera work, the composition, James Horners music - a thing of beauty.
The music of James Horner here is amazing i agree… He heightens the sense of drama and sorrow…. God I love Star Trek!
Rip James Horner, such a sad loss.
This film from beginning to end is beautifully filmed. As someone who has had the pleasure of working behind the camera on a dozen films over my lifetime, the cinemotraphy in this film is so underappreciated that it is criminal.
Star Trek 3 tends to be on the bottom of people's favorite list, but remember this is Star Trek Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek trilogy (2,3,4). It's somber tone and desperate story are so good.
The old girl saved them one last time ....
Eric Ostling And took a couple of Klingons with her.
That was really sad
She just got hot for a while. Like some large asteroids she just skimmed the atmosphere and sheered away. Then she was found and rebuilt so maybe the Enterprise A is the Refit after all... Even if I know they're two separate ships, bit you know what I mean.
@@xsailor85 Not just any Klingons, these were Klingon bastards!!!!
Its the login for my computer to this day.
No matter how many times I watch this moment in the film (I've lost count) it still hurts. The Enterprise was more than just a ship, she was a character in her own right. To me, anyway.
When I first saw this i was shocked, didn't see it coming at all. And yes it was sad to see them watching the wreckage burning through the sky. 😢
@@lamueldagon7618 How many times has she been destroyed or damaged pretty much beyond repair, every version ?
This scene is so ominous and really hits home the idea of the loyalty this crew had toward one another...willing to sacrifice an entire ship to help save their friends. Epic moment in a very underrated movie of the ST franchise!
I actually cried when she exploded when i saw this in the theatre back in the 80's. Still hurts to watch even today.
@K.C. LeJeune I'm with you on that.
@@jameswise3971 Me too
Same here
Same here.
I'm not surprised. My brother read the novel version of this movie before I did, and then we watched the movie together with our mother. It was a slight shock to me at first. But things change, of course.
‘What you had to do,what you always do...turn death into a fighting chance to live’
Bones wisdom shines.
This still tears me up to watch. Kirk had bluffed destroying the Enterprise to get out of a jam in the past; this time, it was no bluff. Kruge failed the most important lesson any Klingon commander should learn: never give James T. Kirk any time. You and your crew will regret it.
One of the greatest and saddest moments not only in Star Trek history, but in film.
The end of an era......the destruction of the Enterprise. One of the most iconic vessels in movie history.
After watching this countless times, I just noticed that Scotty still kept looking at the crashing Enterprise even when Kirk, Bones, Sulu, and Chekov moved their focus to the Genesis’ unstable core. Scotty was the most heartbroken of them all when the Enterprise was destroyed.
She was Scotty's pride and joy. I'd be heart broken too.
Kirk blows up the Enterprise.....
*Sulu:* _"Planet core readings unstable, changing rapidly."_
*Pvt. Hudson:* _"Well, that's great. That's just f**king great, man. Now wtf are we supposed to do! Game over, man. Game over! Wtf are we gonna do now? Whadda we gonna do?!?"_
*Bones:* _"Maybe we could build a fire, sing a couple of songs, huh?"_
*__*
_"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.....merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but a dream"_
*END OF MOVIE*
Scotty built her he was her chief engineer. Losing Enterprise was a huge blow to him.
Such small details somebody had to think about and few people noticed...thanks for sharing!
@@geomodelrailroader he didn’t build her 😒
If you ever wonder what Star Trek is all about, I saw this movie on opening day and everyone in the theater cried like babies when the Enterprise went down. Yep, movies used to be awesome. 😢😢😢
This movie changed my life. I'm not sure I would be alive today without it. Live long and prosper.
@@RA-VEN8 I will not go into detail other than to say the following. The movie was released in 1984, which was an extremely bad time for me. In this movie, the scene where Kirk says, "I swear to you we're not finished yet", and in this scene, where Bones says "... what you always do, turn death into a fighting chance to live", had a profound effect on me. Those scenes said something to me about the sanctity of life.
Live long and prosper.
You are an associate of good character.
Star Trek lll is a brilliant movie as are they all. Kirk and his crew are top quality.
Nimoy and Horner really understood epic, operatic moments.
The musical cue when we watch the Enterprise wreck gliding in the atmosphere is taken from some old classical music, Romeo at Juliet’s Grave.
I remember seeing this when I was just a young fella. Glad to have been born during a time where Star Trek was a thing.
Live Long and Prosper fellow Star Trek fans!
BIt of a throwback, too, to the episode with Frank Gorshin, the black and white guys, when JTK went through the whol auto destruct. Let that be your last battlefield. Just remembered....
Chekov's momentary hesitation is heartbreaking
Shatner as he delivers the destruct zero is personally one of my favourite Kirk moments.
I like how the final code is all zeros. Zero being the number of nothing. The enterprise would explode itself into nothing.
The Enterprise was a character. The greatest one. She saved them all. I cry every time I see this.
There would be no intelligent play from Spock, no clever trick from Scotty, no rescue from the crew, no final save from an unknown source. This moment was so iconic because it was actually going to happen, and not a force in the galaxy was going to stop it. The Enterprise had made her last voyage, and she was going to die. Star Trek III will endure forever in the annals of science fiction for this single scene of tragic heroism.
I saw this with my mom, dad, and best friend when it come out in theaters....We were quiet and sad on the way home... Even my dad was quiet.... Good times regardless
I remember seeing this movie opening day.
The enterprise was my favorite character from the series. My parents were married the same month and year the show premiered on tv back in September 1966.
so they never missed a show. Later the show was still on tv as reruns i guess and they always watched it. I got into it as well and always watched it with them. So many times the ship was almost destroyed in her career, then kirk and his crew did what no enemy ever could, destroy the enterprise.
When kirk said computer destruct sequence one, the crowd just all gasped at once. Some were saying no no they cant destroy the enterprise, the countdown gets to 3 2 1, at 1 i just said OH SHIT....first time i ever swore in front of my parents. I was about 11 at the time. The ship blows up goes down and i could not believe it. I still get upset even now. 39 years later and still hard to watch. When the scene was over people were crying and some were so shocked they just had that look on there face like what the hell did we just see. My mom and dad even had tears in there eyes.
One of the most sad moments in the history of star trek, it was the end of an era in a way. An era we will never see again in star trek, not like that anyway. I miss thoses days and this crew and.....that magnificent ship......🖖🏼live long and prosper.
Ah, someone else who recognized the Enterprise was a actual character on the show! 🌟
@@TheNoiseySpectator you better believe it...👍
Seeing the Name Plate and Number crumble gets you in the feels
0:03 His voice dead with pain as he calls up the computer.
1:01 _"Zero, zero, zero...destruct."_ His voice quieter after that pause...
3:46 _"My God, Bones...what have I done?"_
I was a kid, maybe 5 or 6 years old, when I saw this movie for the first time.
I cried a lot seeing the old lady go kaboom.
She goes hard and crazy in the end. Stages. Like all good ladies.
I still do
Me too
I was 14 at the time this movie came out. My brother and I read the novel version of this movie before we actually watched this movie (on VHS). In fact, I believe this movie was the very first movie I ever watched on VHS (with my mother and brother, of course). And yeah, the destruction of the Enterprise was a shock for me too. That ship had so much history.
At least it took out a heap of Klingons
Still by far the most powerful scene in Star Trek history I'd argue, if not science fiction history.
It's one of those scenes I never quite understood, then I saw Avengers: Endgame and suddenly it all made sense.
@@spectre111 what do you mean?
@@K-11609 When this movie came out, peopled who had never cried over a movie in their lives could not stop crying over this scene. One guy said it was like watching your childhood home with all your stuff burning to the ground.
The Sacrifice of Spock and Kirk in the engine room is just as if not a pinch more
The transporter effects and sounds from these movies were my favorite.
I remember seeing this movie with my mom and dad a week before my younger brother was born. I was so freaked out by the destruction of the Enterprise it took my parents the entire trip home to calm down. Funny how it stands out so clear in my mind after all these years.
2:28 Damn, that Klingon sounds just like Doc Brown in Back to the Future..... hey, it's him - Christopher Lloyd!
I love how the other Klingons don’t speak English so have no idea what is going on.
You can really feel the desperate panic on Kurge when he hears the countdown and works out what is going on
Same destruct codes that were used in "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," from TOS.
This was truly a powerful scene. The Klingons' hubris really did them in -- Kruge ordering Torg to take essentially the entire crew (save for Maltz and the Genesis landing party) and beam onto the Enterprise. The wind up stalking the corridors and eventually making it to the bridge, thinking that they're gonna get the Genesis data out of the computer's memory banks. Instead, they realized too late that they've beamed onto a death trap.
I also loved the moment when Kirk and Company, after having entered the codes, races to the transporter room in a dead sprint as the seconds ticked.
I absolutely love those people. Brought me so much happiness since I was a wee lad in the mid 70s & Mum had 'The Corbomite Maneuver' on............... Hooked!
Those footsteps noises are straight out of OG Resident Evil! 😂
The look on Scotty and Chekov's faces as they realize that Kirk's only done this once before, under similar dire conditions...
This scene still gets me after all these years. The music leading up to and after the explosion is so emotional as is seeing the crew on that mountaintop watching as their ship goes down. And Bones' line is just perfect. I totally love the scores from Star Trek II and III. They were amazing and are so incredibly nostalgic for me.
Yes. I still listen to them. Back when Star Trek still told a lesson and was honest.
James Horner had a gift. RIP
I just put myself back in the moment, like watching it for the first time, and yeah, the second the music started to slide in my eyes watered up. It's a decision they don't want to make but one they know they have to make.
Seeing this scene in the cinema was one of the most amazing movie experiences for me.
The soundtrack, so beautiful.
You know, I just noticed a goof up. They were heading to the transporter room on B deck, but in Star Trek II, the transporter room was on C deck.
James Horner's music score in Star Trek 3 is my favorite out of all the films. Captures every scene. So epic
I never understood why Search for Spock is considered to be one of the inferior Star Trek movies. To me it is right up there with 2, 4 and 6. Not to mention that it forms the centerpiece of a pretty amazing story told in the 2-3-4 trilogy of movies.
I think that audiences back then were not prepared for its unrelenting tension and bleakness.
Because Nichelle Nichols said in an interview once, and it became popular, that only the even numbered movies are good. Blame it on blind fan loyalty.
@@kevinemmers9424 that does kind of touch on one of the weaknesses of the movie, in that she got left behind when they went to Genesis. Never understood why they decided to cut her out of most of the movie.
Your answer helps to explain her perspective on ST 3.
I like the movie, but it is glaringly obvious that the money spent on sets and special effects was much less than the two previous Star Trek films. The Genesis planet looks like a sound stage, and the ship models are not composited well. Why did the command crew have to steal the Enterprise to get to the Genesis planet - why not buy or charter a less obvious ship? Once the Enterprise is stolen, Starfleet knows where the crew is going. Also, the Genesis wave turned the mass of the Mutara nebula into both a planet and a sun. If the planet was unstable, why didn’t the sun explode also? Good movie, but it has problems.
@@gordondavis6168 IIRC it was a microsun, not a full size star. I think it's mentioned in one of the novelisations.
The music starts as soon as Scotty starts putting in his code, so you *know* shit is about to go down!
And Scotty starts to cry when Kirk enters the final code
Although it broke my heart, I found it interesting that it highlighted how important everyone’s ranks were and how they had to not just identified themselves but had the destruct codes memorized - it’s the most accurate military thing I’ve seen. These guys are Navy seals but in space; not just any monkey can get on there.
Tell that to Alex Kurtzman and his cultural vandals...
Only one thing bothers me about that. At this point in the timeline neither of those 3 are actually officially assigned to the Enterprise anymore. Kirk is an Admiral working out of Earth, Scotty was assigned to the Excelsior and Chekov was assigned to the Reliant. Sure they remember the Destruct Codes from their time when the Enterprise was offically their ship but it's weird that the computer still takes them from people that have no business on the Enterprise anymore. Fun fact those are the exact same destruct codes that were entered when they nearly destroyed the Enterprise in the TOS episode Let This Be Your Last Battlefield, only then it was Kirk Spock and Scotty that activated it so Spock had 11A2B and Scotty had 1B2B3.
@@bob1986the enterprise was due to be decommissioned so it’s onboard computer wouldn’t have been updated with it’s personnel change and I think Chekhov was made into acting 2nd officer for trip home from the wrath of kahn
@@bob1986actually as Kirk was the last commanding officer at time of her return the ship's systems would still have him listed as the captain
As was Scotty last engineer and senior highest officer
In Chekov's case he wasn't an official officer of the ship but was put into place by Kirk. That's why he says "Acting Science Officer"
On why Scotty has the 2nd code instead of 3rd code as in the TV series -- he was at that time the 2nd highest rank officer. Although he and Chekov were both commanders, Scotty is senior in several points
The saddest and most emotional scene in almost 60 years of Star Trek
Kirk wasn't going to let the ENTERPRISE fall into Klingon hands.
Like a true engineer which really owned the ship, Scotty never takes his eyes off the Enterprise as she makes her plunge onto the planet.
She may have been Kirk's lady, but she was absolutely Scotty's baby. Dude once got in a fist fight with Klingons defending her honor. No way he wouldn't be with her to the very end.
This is Kirk’s FINEST hour! Blew up his ship, beams to the planet and lures the Klingon commander to a final duel and then escapes on the enemy vessel! Whoa..
Shatner was great in this movie. The ultimate version of Kirk. He does everything possible to set things right with Spock’s father and keep his crew alive.
He kind of fails at most of it, losing his son, the Enterprise, and his career. Kirk is at his most compassionate and cunning.
I think SFS was Shatner's finest performance as Kirk. The austerity of the film's content (Enterprise destruction, David's death) really left no room for ham-fisted delivery and compelled a more subdued, introspective character study of Kirk than we had ever previously seen. It also revealed that Shatner really, actually does have his moments as an actor.
Shatner did an excellent job..maintaining calm on the worst day in Kirk's life...his career goes down the toilet, his son is murdered by a Klingon Bastard and he ends up destroying the Enterprise..
Kirk, Scotty, Chekov, Bones and Sulu were the last to leave their dear old Enterprise before it self destruct. Klingons on the other hand were the last to be on board.
This has been the longest minute in any movie I remember seeing
she was a grand old lady to the end. her legacy will always live on. we will never forget her or the last time we saw her.
Just watching "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". I like how the destruct codes are the same.
That final code sounds like it has not been changed by kirk, ever!
That's amazing! It's the same combination I have on my luggage! lol.
Of course, it helps that not just anybody can enter all three codes and expect it to work.
For instance, you may know the first sequence, but you can't sound exactly like Kirk, so the computer would ignore you.
Actually, the final code "destruct one" means that the Enterprise will blow up entirely in an anti-matter explosion; flaring up like an exploding sun (which could also destroy enemy ships and even a planet in range of its detonation radius). That code was used in the original series episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield". The final code "destruct zero" caused the Enterprise to eject its anti-matter bottles, and the ship's circuitry to overload, blow up, and detonate; thus transforming the ship into a lifeless hulk, useless to enemy captors. That code was used by Admiral Kirk in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock. You can also read about this in the book "Mr. Scott's Guide To The Enterprise" (which may have been partially written by the late James Doohan himself).
Sulu was looking FABULOUS in that leather cape.
Before I continue, I first need to state that I was 21 when I saw this film on the first showing of opening day on Friday 01 June 1984 around 10 AM that day because I did not want to read or be aware of any reviews before seeing the film. This is because, believe it or not, of all the Star Trek movies after the first one, "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock" was the most anticipated. Needless to say that early morning, it was Star Trek nerd fans like myself who attended.
As we watched the ship blow up, we were all speechless and the audience was quiet and absolutely mesmerized as we absorbed the realization of what we were witnessing. I want to be clear though: a snippet of the saucer section blowing up was part of the promotions for the movie that were being broadcast on TV. So, we were aware of a Constitution-class ship exploding. I don't remember if the TV trailers showed the NCC-1701, but, even if it did, it was not the actual spoiler that later fans whine about. For all we knew - and we didn't know the story going into the movie that first day - this could have been a "mirror universe Enterprise" or something.
But it wasn't. It was the real thing and we hard-core fans in that first showing were sucked-in hook, line, and sinker into the story at that point. Nothing was predictable at this point. I want to be clear about this. Watching "Star Trek" on TV in the 1960s and 1970s, you knew the ship would be saved or Kirk would be beamed up just in time. The day was always saved. But now we just witnessed the destruction of the Enterprise. Nothing was guaranteed now. The storytelling was a complete wild west, so to speak, with nothing being completely predictable or guaranteed including even a "Star Trek IV".
This is hard to explain, but something that is important about this scene - even more than Spock's death in "Wrath of Khan" which was expected - is that Star Trek "went there". In episodic television and certainly not in "Star Trek", a scene with an unexpected killing of a "core character" never would exist. (And, yes, the Enterprise is a "core character".) The closest comparison was the death of Colonel Henry Blake in "M*A*S*H" but actor MacLean Stevenson was already known to be leaving that sitcom and that that would be his last episode. It's how his story came to an end that was shocking.
... but no one... NO ONE... expected the end of the Enterprise - even with the TV promotions.
This was something new that NEVER would have happened on television before. Because of this scene, it actually changes how storytelling in Hollywood changed. It gave license to writers to "go there" and do the unthinkable. For instance, the death of Tasha Yar in Season 1 of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" could only happen because the Enterprise blew up. Star Trek "went there" before so it could do it again. Indeed, that death of a core character was an important point in elevating TNG in fans' eyes and the subsequent storytelling got better because of it. The writers had more courage because they felt freer knowing that they could "go there" again.
... and that all happened because of this scene - the destruction of the Enterprise in "Star Trek III: The Search For Spock".
What I find most funny is that the Klingons didn’t realize that it was a self-destruct countdown. But the moment that Kruge just heard one number he knew what the hell it was! But God, it is so hard to watch the Enterprise be destroyed. I still shed a tear over that.
I think he heard more than one number
Kirk: "My God, Bones! What have I done?"
McCoy: "What you had to do. What you always do. Give death a fighting chance to live"
Me: "Still hurts like hell though"
When I saw this in the theatre back in the 80s it shocked me when the Enterprise was blown up.
When I saw this in the theater, people cheered when the Klingons got blown over the bridge, then shocked silence as the Enterprise blew up.
I love the seriousness of this scene, the drama of it. Great scene and a great film, love it.
Kirk, "Computer... self-destruct code: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5."
Computer, "1-2-3-4-5? That's the stupidest code I've ever heard in my life! That's the kind of combination an idiot would have on his luggage! That's it, I'm done!" EXPLODES!
Later, Commander Kruge, "What was the self-destruct code you used?"
Kirk, "1-2-3-4-5."
Commander Kruge, "That's incredible! It's the same combination I have on my luggage!"
That look on Scotty's face says it all. It breaks his heart to sacrifice the grand old Enterprise, but he understands there is no alternative left.
Lost Spock, lost David, and he lost his ship. That must have been a hard few months for Kirk.
The reaction from Scotty and Chekov is
priceless. They are all sacrificing their lives to save their friend Spock. No matter the cost.
There was not a dry eye in the theater for this scene. Godspeed, Enterprise.
i remember this as a teenager, there wasnt a word spoken during this moment. The death of kirks son, the destruction of the enterprise, it was a lot to take in. Sniffles, and tears but...it was eerily quiet. Then again back then, nobody had cell phones or such distractions so, everyone that was there, wanted to see what happened.
Destruct Zero : destruction of the ship only and not a nearby bodies owing to the ejection of the warp core. Hence detonators positioned on the bridge and primary hull
Destruct One: uncontrolled matter/ antimatter collision resulting in destruction of the ship and nearby bodies (eg the command to Scotty in TMP when inside V’ger)
Destruct Zero destroyed all items of intelligence such as main computers and all personnel records. Destruct One was matter anti-matter combination which would instantly destroy the ship and anything below on the planet surface.
i saw this in the theater as a kid when Enterprise blew up i was inconsolable had to leave the theater i was so upset.
Everything about this is still superb.
2:47 Doctor Brown: GET OUTTTT!! GET OUTTA THERE!! 2:50 GET OUT!
Seriously underrated movie! Movies 2 and 3 (yes even 4) are masterpieces
it gets undue criticism. Search for Spock completes the Kobayashi Maru arc
I really think 3 is far superior to 4. Im in the minority with that opinion I know!
Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock is one of my all-time favorite movies.
RingLordSonic I believe 1 is underrated as well. I love 1, not as much a 3 and 4 tho
Started my own mini movie marathon the other day. ST II, III. IV and VI. That’s all you need in life
20 years of hard work searching for new life gone in 60 seconds. Scotty's reaction is in complete shock
This was my FAVORITE Enterprise and bridge. I hurt me when they destroyed it😪
2:40 Marty arrives from 1885 to 1985
I love this film. Friends that are so loyal to another they would do anything to save them. You don't see this at all in new Trek
This was the point of no return in the TOS franchise going forward. They had effectively ended the longest running character of the series. This physical ship went all the way back to Pike. They tried to unring the bell with the Enterpris A. Folks were pretty miffed about that until TNG and the Enterprise D, but then they did it again in Generations not because it moved a plot point, but that the model was not that cinematic on the big screen.
Obviously, after 78 episodes, 22 animated episodes, and 2 previous films, this scene is sad enough. But what makes it even worse is the element of terror. Not only did they have to destroy their tragically doomed 'old friend,' but they landed on a planet that was in the process of self destructing. Did they even know they would have a chance of gaining control of the Klingon ship? Taking away hindsight, that's a tough question.
Well, they were already doomed. It comes to a point when you really can’t afford to think three moves ahead and have to settle for it playing it as it goes. I think this was one of those moments. The ship was lost one way or the other, but this maneuver kept it out of enemy hands AND also took out a good number of the Klingon crew. For all Kirk knew, he might’ve been lucky enough to have the captain lead the boarding party. That in and of itself would’ve been a great advantage moving forward.
This is a very well acted scene. Scotty and Chekov both look shocked that Admiral Kirk is doing the destruct sequence and then Chekov almost hesitates to put his code in and then after they watch the ship break apart, Chekov gets refocused and starts doing his scans of the planet's core. Once they arrived on Vulcan and had that reunion with Spock, he probably got settled in bed and had a bit of a cry since he practically grew up on that ship.
"Turn death into a fighting chance to live." McCoy knew that was the most difficult thing Kirk had to do. To Kirk, the Enterprise was his baby, she was a daughter to him. Sure, he was rough on her, but he knew she could take it. This time, he knew, she was dead. Nothing he could've done outside of a Starfleet miracle would've saved her. Thus he knew what he had to do, to save her from being a slave to the Klingons, he grimly ends her life, staring at death in open defiance and with a determined grit.
The original Enterprise's death still one that resonates massively with me. While I never grew up watching TOS, I was enthralled by the Constitution Class's Refit, and seeing her demise was a shot in the heart. It remains, to this day, my favorite Star Trek ship design, and I wince every time I watch this scene when I watch III. I know it's coming, but it gets me every time.
I still cry watching her blow up.
So do I.
Kirk knows my wi fi password
This scene reminds me of ditching most of my belongings and moving into my 06 f150... Beautiful... It'll be ten years this may 2021...
All those years ago, when I first watched this scene, I cried. I remember feeling deeply sad, upset and betrayed, It just couldn't end that way. A punch in the stomach, as Spock's death in the Wrath of Khan. Now I am 58 and in time I've come to understand, to feel that Nimoy and the authors couldn't have done a greater homage to our beloved 1701. She was too old, as Admiral Morrow had said, and too badly crippled after the Mutara battle, her programmed destiny was to be scrapped in some anonymous drydock, become metal, plastic and electronics to be either recycled or destroyed, and her memory would have faded and vanished eventually with time and deaths of her crew. A most unfair reward for 40 years of glorious service. Look at this instead. She does one last act of defiance against the overwhelming forces of the baddest enemy, she lets her human buddies go safe away, then allows the Klingons come into her, reaching her very heart, the bridge, and then dies with them, the only possible glorious demise for such an iconic character. The ultimate sacrifice. It makes me think to Samson and the Philistines a bit. Then its wreck burns in the Genesis atmosphere, and that is the closest thing to a Viking's funeral a starship could ever have. Thank you Star Trek lll folks, I've hated you at the time, but now I can only but praise you. You have killed her, but you have made her Immortal.
Fun fact: A few scenes later when Kirk convinces Kurge to beam to the planet, we see Kurge with his head in his hands. We think that this is because Kurge is lamenting the loss of his men; not true. In reality, he is lamenting over how Kirk was more cunning and devious.
And with this act, Kirk began a long tradition in Starfleet that wouldn't be broken until the Enterprise-E.
That no ship bearing the name Enterprise would survive long enough to be decomissioned.
We don't know that about A. IIRC she was 'retired' after VI. As for E there's stories on Star Trek Online she was destroyed in the line of duty.
The service history of the _Enterprise_ NCC-1701-B is largely unexplored, except in non-canon novels. So, we don't know what happened to it, either. I just wish that CGI had been a little more advanced when _Star Trek: Generations_ was made. I *hate* the modified _Excelsior_ design; I much preferred the cleaner lines of the NCC-2000.
Star Trek III is THE most underrated Star Trek movie.
The reaction Scotty and Checkov have when Kirk says destruct.
Years leter and I still can't get over the shock this happened.
Vulcans are puzzled by us humans and our attachment to inanimate objects. I refer the storied history of the Enterprise, 1701. Seeing all the adventures she took Kirk and crew on, seeing her beautiful refit, then seeing her taking the beating she did in Wrath of Khan. In Star Trek III you can see the old girl battered, wounded, and limping home. The crew is getting older, and so to is our Enterprise. The condition of the Enterprise is actually a key part of the plot in this movie. We are shocked to see she isn't going to get another refit, but just scrapped. Kirk knowing the old girl has one last mission left in her embarks on a daring rescue. The old girl already mortally wounded by Khan gives her very last to ensure her crew has a fighting chance to live. She was just as much part of the family as the crew. Of all the iterations of the Enterprise that were destroyed, this is the one that gets you the most.
"...DESTRUCT 0" was not Kirk's only option. According to the 'Starship Enterprise Technical Manuel' circa 1986 or 7, a final code of "...DESTRUCT 1" - Which Kirk was prepared to activate as a last act to stop V'ger in TMP - would drop Warp Core magnetic containment fields, dumping all matter/antimatter into the reaction chamber at once. The Enterprise would super nova it'self into oblivion, taking any vessel within several hundred kilomaters with it.
The whole point was NOT to blow up the Bird of Prey. Kirk had a plan all along to hijack it for their escape.
1:35 I like how he just activates the transporter without a care in the world, and he is just damn oblivious to what Kirk and Co. just did