8. The Search for Spock (1984)
Following on from The Wrath of Khan was always going to be a challenge, yet while the third movie in the franchise never comes close to that series high, The Search for Spock doesn’t deserve to be as overlooked as it is. At its best an intimate tale about the crew seeking out their old friend at the expense of their careers, future and family – at worst a dull walkabout an alien planet on a sound studio with three bland characters.
It’s impossible not to love the Enterprise escaping space dock or burning up in the atmosphere, and touching work from Shatner as he hears and stumbles to the floor when he hears news of his son’s death, but those are its primary standout moments.