Really Surprised!

Powerful

Excellent adaptation.

Blistering performances.

Despite the fact that William Shatner's Captain Kirk was the ostensible lead of "Star Trek: The Original Series", it was ultimately Leonard Nimoy's Mr. Spock that often stole the show. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Trek, Leonard's son Adam Nimoy decided to make a documentary somewhat focusing on his father's time as Spock. When Leonard unexpectedly passed from COPD, however, Adam decided that the documentary must take on a more personal, emotional tone. "For the Love of Spock" was the end result, an emotional piece that thrives on its ability to show Mr. Nimoy the husband and father.Because Nimoy (and his alter-ego Spock) had become such a luminous figure in the entertainment community, it is very interesting to get "insider" glimpses into what his life was like when the cameras stopped rolling. That is the heart and soul of "For The Love Of Spock". Thoughts about Leonard/Spock from fellow actors and family members are quite poignant, while Adam's composure and dignity in hearing all this about his father is interesting to take in as well.The reason I can't give this the full five stars is because the parts dealing with Trek/Spock in general are rather generic, using footage I had seen before and not really giving me any new information. Without the shift in focus towards the familial side of Nimoy, I think this may have been a rather middle-of-the-road documentary.Overall, though, I very much enjoyed watching "For the Love of Spock", as it provided me with new insight into the personality of Leonard Nimoy and how not only his peers but also his family viewed him. Adam Nimoy does a good job of getting the most out of the experience, and many emotional moments are present. Highly recommend for those who still can't quite believe that Mr. Nimoy has left this mortal coil, and want to get a peek into his life both on and off camera.

It is not that often that one is moved emotionally when watching a biographical documentary, but this had me both laughing, smiling, nodding, empathizing and yes certainly shedding the odd tear... . This is quite simply a superb tribute to the life and times of one of the most influential and inspiring celebrities of our time - Leonard Nimoy(1931-2015). Peppered with rostrum footage of many of the actors connected with Star Trek. Particular noteworthy were the sentiments of George Takei (Sulu), Bill Shatner (Kirk), Walter Koenig (Chekov), Nichelle Nichols (Uhuru) and Neil DeGrasse Tyson... Sentiments, equally echoed by the entire cast of the new film series. Even if you are not a 'Trekkie', this film will reach, where no other bio-documentary films have gone before. Beautifully and thoughtfully directed by his son Adam Nimoy. Which no doubt Spock would have approved of and would probably have found... quite fascinating.

This film should have been entitled 'For the Love of Leonard', for, in essence, it is director Adam Nimoy's eulogy to his late father. As such, the film is drenched in the sentimentality and nostalgia of a recently bereaved son. There's a whole lot of interview footage he conducts with the much missed actor's family, friends and colleagues and, unsurprisingly, no-one has a bad word to say about his dad. What they do say is, on the whole, trite and predictable. The broad strokes of Leonard's life and career are dutifully documented and, while this may hold some interest for anyone unfamiliar with his trajectory, it offers little that fans of Star Trek won't already know. We gain absolutely no insight into his relationships with Gene Roddenberry, Paramount or, especially, the cast and crew. His fractured friendship with William Shatner is never alluded to (Shatner himself appears for about 30 seconds), and Deforest Kelley and James Doohan are barely mentioned. Of the show's directors and writers there is hardly a peep (but we do get plenty of time with his sister-in-law).But by far the film's most disappointing aspect is the treatment of the character of Spock himself, the apparent subject of the piece. Yes it covers the evolution of the ears, the nerve pinch, the Vulcan salute etc. and yes, there is some examination of his motivations, inner turmoil and the relationship with Kirk and McCoy. But there's no depth, no insight, no analysis of the growth of the character over time. Any discussion of particular scenes, episodes or films is fleeting and perfunctory. The cultural impact of Spock, and Star Trek in general, is also treated in a facile manner unrelated to any wider social context.This film works as a fairly insipid memorial to Leonard Nimoy's life and work but disappointingly fails to offer anything else of substance.

Star Trek's been in my life for a week shy of 50 years at this point. I was saddened by Leonard Nimoy's death in early 2015 both because of my affinity for Mr. Spock and because I was able to work on a TV show for one day with Nimoy. So when I got a chance to contribute to the making of this movie through Kickstarter, I jumped at it. This documentary, made with a heap of love by Nimoy's son Adam, chronicles the life of the actor starting with his move to California in the 1940s, follows him through his salad days in the 1950s working as an actor for no more than two weeks at a time, and then describes his big break, diving off the cliff into Star Trek. As the movie will tell you, Roddenberry wrote the role of Mr. Spock specifically with Nimoy in mind. What happened after that resulted in one of the most durable characters on both the big and small screens, alien or no. If you followed the saga of Star Trek for all or even part of the last half century, then you will definitely want to see this film.