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Arriving in time for the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek," the documentary "For the Love of Spock" is a fun, thoughtful mix of pop-culture appreciation, intimate biography and family therapy session.
Director Adam Nimoy, the son of original Spock portrayer Leonard Nimoy, combs through interviews and appearances of his father to detail how the character evolved. More details come from interviews with the original Enterprise crew — William Shatner, George Takei, Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols — while others, including the stars of the J.J. Abrams reboot, Neil deGrasse Tyson and people from "The Big Bang Theory," discuss how Spock has become a science-fiction icon.
Adam Nimoy also explores his sometimes-thorny relationship with his dad, who let work and alcohol take him away from his family for stretches of their lives.
The elements don't always hang together, and the younger Nimoy sometimes falls back on graphic gimmicks — but it's fitting for a life that was, to borrow two of Spock's favorite words, illogical and fascinating.
'For the Love of Spock'
Opens Friday, Sept. 9, at area theaters; not rated, but probably PG-13 for language and some images of nudity; 111 minutes.