I remember as a kid having "Kirk's Explosive Reply" turned up really loud and that crashing finale (dialed out in the film) startled the shit out of me.
I'll be the contrary voice that says I get a little exhausted with the somber musical tone of III by the time the crew leaves the Genesis Planet for the final act on Vulcan. At that point, I've had enough of the "B" theme and Spock's theme doing so much heavy heart lifting.
I prefer the jaunty peppy, light on the feet Wrath of Khan, which earns the somber emotional ending (both film and score).
No one will deny the magnificence of Stealing the Enterprise, but I feel like the score peaks early, and sometimes turn it off early after "Genesis Destroyed", and I can't be the only person who isn't excited to hear the exact same end credit suite to finish it off.
I can kinda agree with you, but right after "Genesis Destroyed" is the glorious "Returning to Vulcan", which is pretty much the emotional crescendo of the score... after that it does kind of settle down for the Katra Ritual and End Credits.
I'm totally fine with the use of the end credits. The music leading up to it is more joyous. Different sort of ugly crying. And since it's just the Kirk and Spock themes in there, what was left to change? Adding the Klingon theme? That is really the only new theme in the score of note.
Track 2 -- After the Klingon sequence, the build-up to the glorious rendition of the main theme. Stunning piece of music. Horner elicits so much emotion there.
