Movies: For the Love of Spock

So I read that this was streaming, and I went to look for it, and we have one of those TVs where you talk into the remote and it does the search for you. I asked for "Spock" and it pulls up everything but this documentary. It says, "I found some spock selections for you." Spock selections? What, did he start a frozen dinner line? And WHY wasn't this documentary included in my "selections"?

Anyway, I did find it and watch it, and it was pretty well done. Originally conceived of as something that would focus on the character of Spock for the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, after the passing of Leonard Nimoy, For the Love of Spock became also a bit of a documentary about Nimoy's life and career, though still focusing on Spock and the role's impact on Nimoy's family. So the end result is kind of a mishmash, but not a bad one.

My parents used to take me to the Star Trek movies whenever they came out. I was too young for the first one, or maybe I just don't remember it, but I do recall The Wrath of Khan having quite an impact on me. But when I think of Spock, I think of my mother. She had what was, to me, an incomprehensible love for the character, and for Leonard Nimoy. I mean, I liked him fine, I guess, but Mom was a swooner. And I just couldn't understand it.

This documentary, then, gave me some insight. For one thing, some of those old photos made Nimoy look pretty attractive. I could see why my mom might crush a little. And as a person, he was so . . . personable. How could you not like him?

For the Love of Spock was directed by Adam Nimoy, with input from his father before his passing. They talk to a number of Trek veterans and fans, but these interviews are so spotty that it's difficult to pull any meaning from them. They're mostly just soundbites. Still and all, the final package is a slick and smooth overview of Nimoy's work as Spock and what that role meant to him, his family, as well as viewers. If you're a Trekkie, it's certainly worth a watch.