An examination of the enduring appeal of Leonard Nimoy and his portrayal of Spock in Star Trek (1966).

Plot Synopsis:
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steven-leibson from United States
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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.

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angie-42715 from Los Angeles, California
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This documentary about the life of Leonard Nimoy was entertaining and informative. I thought I knew a lot about the man and his career, but had many "I didn't know that" moments, as I imagine will most Trekkies and other fans. The film focuses on the man and his many diverse achievements, but avoided the false light of perfection, showing Leonard's ability to experience setbacks and grow throughout his life, both professionally and personally. Putting celebrities on pedestals isn't good for us or them and this film avoids doing that. The film is honest in ways that will undoubtedly surprise many. Leonard Nimoy is not synonymous with Spock, but even hardcore Trekkies should enjoy depth of the film and learning more about the man, rather than just the character. A big "bravo!" to Director Adam Nimoy, aka Son of Spock, and his team.

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M_Exchange from United States
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I just left a screening that featured a Q&A with its director Adam Nimoy. I appreciate that Adam was amazingly candid and honest about his relationship with his father and their history together in the Q&A and in the film. There are issues that I'm having with MY father NOW that I would feel extremely uncomfortable about revealing to anyone, let alone a huge audience. I also love that the film included frank and candid remarks from Leonard Nimoy about his life and his fellow cast members. I really wanted MORE recent interviews with Leonard. As Adam stated during the Q&A, his father was alive for only the first few months of the filming for this documentary. I'm sorry to state that it suffered as a result. There was also far too much "Big Bang Theory" material. No offense to anyone who is on that show, but I didn't really care about their opinions. So the ten(?) minutes that is devoted to them is rather painful.

But aside from these flaws, it was a great way to spend the Star Trek fiftieth anniversary today. Thanks, Adam.

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darksummoner1 from United States
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A touching and well made tribute to an entertainment icon. Adam Nimoy has truly reached deep into his father's, and his own, past experiences to bring to life this crowd funded portrait of the man who gave us the immortal Mr. Spock. Littered with cameos from fellow cast members, directors, fans, conventioneers, and fellow actors, For The Love of Spock is one of the best biographical documentaries I've ever seen, and an essential for the Trek faithful. Not limited to the professional, the younger Nimoy also relates his own experiences at home both as a child and later in their lives. You'll laugh, you'll cry... and perhaps relive some of what made Nimoy beloved to millions.

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int_53185 from United States
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A full circle story of a man's life that started with family and ended with an extended family that he returned to and what mattered most to him at the end of his life. It's hard not to see yourself in this story with the very personal way that Adam tells his father's story. Adam not only reveals the popular persona that most of us know, but also the very personal side of Leonard and how his popular persona affected the family and Adam himself. Adam tells of how he cherished the rare time he spent with his dad and the hectic schedule Leonard kept with not only the series but also personal appearances. There are short snippets of Adam's life and career and how supportive his dad was when he wanted to change careers. I was waiting for that tearful interview with Mr. Shatner, but sadly that never came. Leonard not only gave us a beloved character in Spock, but also an example of how to live life well and explore new things and not settle for something that doesn't make you happy, for that becomes just a "job." LLAP

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Windy_Dave from Canada
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I just saw the film this evening and generally enjoyed it. It not just about Spock, but also about Leonard Nimoy and his relationship with his son, Adam (the filmmaker). A touchstone in this story is a letter Leonard wrote to his son in 1973. Adam reads portions of this and uses it as a launching pad to take the narrative in different directions. The last time he reads it, he puts the letter back in an envelope and puts it on top of a copy of "I am not Spock." I remember seeing a copy of this book in a bookstore in the 1970s (I'm dating myself here). Leonard wrote this book out of frustration for constantly being pushed into the "Spock" box as he tried to make his way in his acting career (and other pursuits) after Star Trek. Yet, from this film, you would never guess Leonard had a difficult relationship with the character he created. Yes, he eventually made peace with the notoriety that came with creating and 'being' the Spock character, and came to accept the fan attention as an acknowledgement of the universal appeal of the character he created. But why is this absent from the film? We hear about his records and his photography, but what about his poetry? We hear some about his drinking problem and hear allusions to the 30 years of smoking that killed him (COPD). Amazingly, for all the photos we see of him, I only saw one that showed him smoking.

A testament to the appeal of the Spock character and the actor who created him is in the very long list of people who participated in the crowdfunding to get this film made.

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deebz270 from Cornwall - UK
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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.

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planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida
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As I watched, I started to realize that this was no ordinary fan film but was instead one of the most incredibly well made biographical documentaries I'd ever seen. The closest thing to it was the amazing documentary on Roger Ebert, Life Itself (2014). And, because of that, the film has appeal for everyone…not just Trekkers, Trekkies and the like.

The driving force behind this film is Leonard Nimoy's son, Adam. Adam had envisioned making a film about just the Spock character but later decided to also make it about his father as well…particularly since Leonard had just died. However, Adam didn't have the money to make the film and did what many indie filmmakers do today—he started a Kickstarter campaign. Now considering this, you would expect the resulting film to be cheap…really, really cheap. And this is what really shocked me about the film, as it was anything but cheap. In fact, it looked as if the documentary cost many millions to make. All the clips from the original Star Trek show were gorgeously remastered and vividly colored and it's obvious that Adam was able to get the studio to give him access to these clips. But, more importantly, the number of stars from the Trek franchise in the film was incredible— and not just from the original show but the new movies as well. It also helped that the film features much of the narration by Leonard as well as some nice clips of the man as he talks about his life, his family and legacy.

As far as the film goes, it's part biography of Leonard Nimoy, part the history of the Spock character as well as healthy doses of the family life of Nimoy…a family life that was, sadly, rather rocky until his later years. But, and this is what I really enjoyed, there was redemption for him and his estranged children and grandchildren… which leads to the part of the film where you really do need to brace yourself and have some Kleenex handy. I found myself shedding a few tears as Adam and his sister revealed how estranged this relationship had been as well as the efforts made to repair it…as well as Adam's sad second marriage. As I said, this part is tough to watch—but ultimately very satisfying.

I score this movie a 10, something I almost never do. This is because like the Ebert film I mentioned, it was not just some superficial biography but a deep look into who the person was. It also features absolutely amazing special effects and is a quality production throughout. Clearly it's a must-see for Trek fans but anyone could enjoy and learn from this slickly produced film. One of the best films of the year and a movie that just debuted with Netflix's streaming service.

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Larry Silverstein from United States
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This is an intimate and very well presented documentary on the life and career of Leonard Nimoy, as well as his beloved and iconic Star Trek character Mr. Spock. It's ably directed by Adam Nimoy, Leonard's son, but it is by no means a vanity project, in my opinion.

There are plenty of wonderful film clips from the TV series, as well as lots of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and stories from Nimoy, and those who worked closely with him. The movie also has some humor and poignancy, and illustrates the rough patches in his career and family life,

All in all, I found this to be an outstanding documentary, which gave me a close-up look into the life and character of Leonard Nimoy, which directly helped formulate the persona of Spock, a figure still loved by so many some 50 years later.

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dcarsonhagy from Frankfort, KY
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Let me start this review by stating I have never been that much of a "Star Trek" fan. I thought the series was okay, but it never held my interest that much. However, since the time it first aired, it has now become an iconic series, and Leonard Nimoy's role as Spock is one of the reasons why.

This movie is directed by Spock's son, who up until a few years ago, the two were as estranged as most Hollywood father/son duos. It was amazing to see how they both worked to turn that relationship around and you can tell they cared deeply for each other. The interviews with Nimoy are spellbinding. He certainly did not know how his characterization of this one character would be his calling card even after his death.

Overall, the movie was very interesting, enlightening, and heart- felt. I highly recommend it. The movie has a little salty language, but nothing else to offend. More an 8-1/2 rating than an 8.

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Certifications:
Canada:PG (British Columbia) / Singapore:PG13 / UK:12