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eBook – The Empire Striketh Back

eBook –  The Empire Striketh Back Full title :  William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back By : Ian Doescher  Iillustrations :  Nicolas Delort Score : 9/10 Year : 2014 Publisher : Quirk Books  eISBN :  978-1-59474-716-8 Based on  978-1-59474-715-1 (hard cover) Pages : 176 *  Language : English From Goodreads : Hot on the heels of the New York Times best seller William Shakespeare’s Star Wars comes the next two installments of the original trilogy: William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back  (and not reviewed as yet,  William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return.) Return to the star-crossed galaxy far, far away as the brooding young hero, a power-mad emperor, and their jesting droids match wits, struggle for power, and soliloquize in elegant and impeccable iambic pentameter. Illustrated with beautiful black-and-white Elizabethan-style artwork, these two plays offer essential reading for all ages. Something Wookiee this way comes!  *** As he explains at the end, Ian Doescher

Movie – Star Trek III - The search for Spock


Score : 7/10  
Year : 1984
Director:  Leonard Nimoy
Country :USA
Language :English. (Klingon. Vulcan)
Duration: 1h45

Writers : Harve Bennet (story) ; Jack B. Sowards (story & screenplay) 
 Gene Roddenberry  (Star Trek created by) 

The direct sequel to The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III starts with the last scenes from its predecessor. To mark this, there is no ''previously on'', but a gradually growing screen of the scene, tinted in blue. Slowly, the image fills, and the blue filter fades into full color. I personally liked that effect. 

The Enterprise has to return home, half broken physically, and with a demoralized crew. 
In the meantime, Klingons try to get their hand on the secret left at the end of Wrath of Khan, and a new conflict arises. 
As Kirk and a skeleton crew embark to search for Spock, the two quests merge. 

James Horner's score shines, this time, more so than in the Wrath... 
Cinematography and special effects are quite good and look superb in their full 1080p HD on bluray. 

Nimoy, in front and behind the camera, made, I think, a few directorial continuity errors, but nothing too alarming or explainable. 
However, I do think the story should've included Saavik in Kirstie Alley's absence, and should've made a different Vulcan character in Robin Curtis. 

Apart for a quick scene involving a klingon killing a (cgi) creature, the movie is almost bloodless and brings back the Kirk wrestling into the forefront, faithful to TOS in this respect.

The costuming isn't the best - for ex, what the hell does Chekov (Koenig) wear ? 
There is no easily discernible rank, either, so it seems that this wasn't a concern anymore for any of the first 3 movies (thus far)...

Last critic : as my wife pointed out, why didn't Sarek request from Starfleet their help, or better yet, send a Vulcan ship? this, as far as I know, can only be answered through : Kirk's a rebel and we love the Enterprise on Star Trek. The writers must've wished to showcase the crew's self sacrifice more than any other alternative path - or maybe, a plot hole. 
Either case, I don't know for sure if anyone has answered this question (I have to read more about it, or hear it in some bonus material) ; in the meantime, I have to precise that 7* score, resulting from this mixed bag of a movie. It's not horrid, and certainly presents an interesting story, but it's not great either. 

Nonetheless, it's quite enjoyable and should be viewed as part of a trilogy formed by Star Trek II, III & IV (non reboot numbering, let me remind you here).

Starring : William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Robin Curtis, Merrit Butrick, Christopher Lloyd, John Larroquette 


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