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Library Computer
Easily the coolest new feature on this Blu-Ray set, the “Library Computer” effectively replaces the text commentary by Michael Okuda, coauthor of The Star Trek Encyclopedia, with a more thorough, graphically intensive, and user-controlled interface. Essentially, this is an interactive experience that allows you to access information about the Star Trek universe while watching the film. The Blu-Ray creates a frame around the film with constantly shifting icons that represent different categories of information related to whatever is on screen at that moment: Culture, Science & Medicine, Starfleet Ops, Life Forms, Planets & Locations, People, Technology, Ships, and Miscellaneous. At any given point there can be six or seven of these icons available for clicking, and you also have access at all times to an Index that includes every term in the computer. A real geek fan’s delight.

Audio commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor
Moore and Taylor had nothing whatsoever to do with the production of Star Trek III, but both have plenty of experiences in the Trek universe (Moore was executive producer of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, as well as cowriter of the movies Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, while Taylor was a story editor and wrote numerous episodes for Deep Space Nine and Voyager). Between them they have a wealth of knowledge, which is what they bring to their commentary, casually but intelligently discussing the events and details of The Search for Spock in relation to the larger narrative universe.

“Industrial Light & Magic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek” featurette (HD)
This excellent 14-minute featurette looks back at the practical effects achieved by the always impressive ILM team for Star Trek II, III, IV, and VI, which included model work, practical explosives, and such creative low-tech techniques as melting Styrofoam and burning steel wool. The featurette includes interviews with visual effects supervisors Scott Farrar and Bill George, visual effects director of photography Pat Sweeney, and digital model artist John Goodson, all of whom clearly love talking about their craft.

“Spock: The Early Years” featurette (HD)
In this 6-minute interview, Stephen Manly, who played Spock at age 17 in the movie, discusses his experiences being cast as a younger version of Leonard Nimoy, getting to be the first actor to fully enact the notorious Pon Farr, and his subsequent popularity with female fans at various Trek conventions.

“Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame” featurette (HD)
The title of this 17-minute featurette is a bit misleading because it has little to do with Seattle’s Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, which is simply a backdrop for a wide-ranging interview with writer/producer Harve Bennett by Seattle Times pop culture writer Mark Rahner. Bennett has some interesting things to share and, at his advanced age, clearly has no problem taking full credit for resurrecting the franchise. Near the end of the featurette there is a brief interview with Jacob McMurray and John Brooks Peck, the curators at the museum.

“Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer” featurette
As on the other new Star Trek Blu-Rays, this rather silly faux training film is little more than two minutes of filler.

And, of course, all of the original DVD supplements are also here:

Audio commentary by director Leonard Nimoy, writer/producer Harve Bennett, director of photography Charles Correll, and actress Robin Curtis
The four participants in this screen-specific audio commentary were recorded separately and then edited together, but it is clearly dominated by director Leonard Nimoy and writer/producer Harve Bennett, who together offer a great deal of insight and detail into the making of the film and how it fits into the larger Star Trek universe. Cinematographer Charles Correll does have some interesting things to say about the film’s visual look, but one has to wonder why exactly actress Robin Curtis was included, as she doesn’t have a great deal to offer beyond a few amusing anecdotes and a lot of enthusiasm for having participated in the film.

Captain’s Log
This 26-minute look back at the film’s production includes video interviews with director Leonard Nimoy, writer/producer Harve Bennett, stars William Shatner, Christopher Lloyd, and Robin Curtis, associate producer Ralph Winter, and cinematographer Charles Correll. By far the two best moments in the featurette are when Shatner declares that he taught Nimoy everything he knew about directing and when he tells the story of how he single-handedly saved the set from burning down. The joy in watching Shatner is that it is impossible--absolutely impossible--to tell if he’s serious or joking in his self-aggrandizement. A real pleasure. Presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1).

The Star Trek Universe
The section is divided into three meaty featurettes, each of which focuses on a different aspect of the film’s production. Space Docks and Birds of Prey focuses on the film’s special effects and rounds up interviews with a host of behind-the-scenes people, including spacecraft designer Bill George, modelmaker Steve Gauley, and visual effects cameraman Scott Farrar, who gives a lengthy and informative explanation of the blue-screen process. If there’s a theme here, it’s that special effects were a helluva lot harder in 1983 than they are now. In Speaking Klingon, I was surprised to learn that the Klingon language was invented for Star Trek III. Not knowing much about Star Trek, I had somehow been under the impression that the language dated back to the original series. In this 21-minute featurette, linguist Mark Orkrand explains how he created the Klingon language from scratch, building off other languages and incorporating various mistakes made by the actors into its grammar. Klingon and Vulcan Costumes is the shortest of the three, running only 12 minutes in length. It features jewelry designer Maggie Schpack and costume designer Robert Fletcher discussing their work on the film and also includes numerous costume sketches and photographs of the props. All three featurettes are presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1).

Terraforming and the Prime Directive
If you’re looking for a little Discovery Channel in your Star Trek experience, here it is. Running 26 minutes in length, this featurette focuses on the scientific realities of terraforming, mostly concentrated on turning Mars into a habitable planet (this is connected to Star Trek via the fictional Genesis Project). It includes intriguing interviews with Dr. Louis Friedman, executive director of The Planetary Society, NASA research scientist Chris McKay, and sci-fi author David Brin, who offers a compelling discussion of the power of science fiction to effect change in society. While it might seem a little “out there,” this featurette is definitely worth watching, if only to remind ourselves that science fiction often becomes science reality. Presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1).

Archivex
This section is divided into storyboards and photos. The storyboards section contains dozens of storyboards of 10 major sequences in the film, and the photos section is divided into 25 production and behind-the-scenes photos and 26 stills from the movie. Presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1).

Original theatrical trailer (HD)
Now presented in high-definition (2.35:1).