Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Well, the best of the Star Trek films. True, a lot of people have recently declared Star Trek Frist Contact the best. There are others who love whales and political correctness declare Star Trek The Voyage Home the best of the Trek films. Out of all the Star Trek films; only two deal with the human element of Star Trek as well as the original TV series did and that's Star Trek 2 and 3. This is the one Star Trek film that I would recommend to people who don't like or watch Star Trek. It's probably one of the best Science Fiction movies of all time.

People will complain that it's too violent and dark. But that's a part of life. Anytime you deal with the darkest human emotions of hate and revenge; you will have starships being fired at and people dying. To say that in the future humans will be 100% peaceful is silly and naive. Themes of life and death are explored very well in this movie without getting preachy about it. Shatner and Nimoy are allowed to expand their characters and bring more life to them. Shatner turns in his best Trek performance since "The City on the Edge of Forever".

The special effects are good, but don't overshadow the story like they did in the first movie. Instead they service the story, as special effects should. The score is great; probably the best of all the Star Trek movies. The uniforms have been toned down and no longer look like pajama's from the first movie. I suppose if you really want to sum up this movie, it should be that this movie brings out the best from the TOS and makes a wonderful movie experience. Also it shows the potential that is in Star Trek that none of the other movies have been able to reach.

This sequel to the Star Trek TV series and first Star Trek movies is the ultimate film for any Scifi fan and a rivetting drama for movie fans in general. More action packed and interesting than the original Star Trek movie, it brings the TV show cast onto the big screen by meeting a villain from the TV show (Khan), obsessively portrayed by Ricardo Montalban. Equally obsessive is William Shatner in his finest role playing Admiral Kirk, an ageing man reluctant to return to command of the USS Enterprise, but a man who finds his first, best destiny is at the helm of his ship. The battle scenes are the most engaging of any movie, and the action only lets up long enough for the audience to catch their breath and to advance the storyline. Witty characters, clever plot devices and ingenious writing and, by late 1990s standards, subdued use of special effects make this movie meet and often exceed the quality of the original show. Even 16 years later, the movie's technoligy does not seem "dated" because of the subdued use of Computer "tricks"! And NO cast of characters(sorry "Next Generation" fans!) ever had the chemistry or style the original Star trek cast after 16 years together, a comaraderie showcased in this movie. I saw this movie while I was in High School during the movie's original run and it gets better every single time I see it! The best!!

I don't think that I'm exaggerating with that title. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" made a lot of money from people who were happy to see the gang re-united, but that turned out to be a pathetically weak movie. Another sub-par effort would surely have killed the franchise, but this instalment was anything but sub-par, and led to two directly related sequels.

The idea was great. Take a popular episode of the TV series ("Space Seed") and update it. Use the main guest star from the TV series (Ricardo Montalban) and have him reprise his role as Khan Noonian Singh, the late 20th century warlord who was cryogenically frozen and then "rescued" by Captain Kirk and ultimately stranded on Ceti Alpha V after trying to seize control of the Enterprise. Here we see Khan taking his revenge on Kirk for the events of 15 years before.

The cast in general is excellent in this one, although - and I find this typical of the movies - both DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy) and James Doohan (Scotty) seem to have some trouble reprising their roles. There are some interesting new characters (Saavik, played by a very young Kirstie Alley) and the Drs. Marcus (Bibi Besch as Carol and Merritt Butrick as David - adding some new context to Kirk's life as his ex-lover and son, respectively.) It's a tense movie filled with all the fun stuff that we expect from Star Trek, and a very good climax with the appropriate open-endedness setting us up for the inevitable sequel.

It isn't without its problems, mind you. How do Khan and Chekhov know each other? Chekhov wasn't part of the crew in Season 1 when "Space Seed" aired (or at least Walter Koenig wasn't part of the cast.) William Shatner (as expected) goes a bit over the top at times (his anguished cry of "KHAAAAANNNNNNNN!" while shaking with fury comes to mind.) It seems strange to me that no one would have checked on Khan after his stranding on Ceti Alpha V, that no one seemed to know that Ceti Alpha IV had exploded (when the Reliant came within scanning distance of the system shouldn't someone have said "uh, Captain Terrell, there's one less planet here than there should be) and that it didn't even seem to have occurred to Chekhov (who apparently and inexplicably knew Khan so well) that this was the system where Khan had been stranded.

Still, it's a fun movie that made Star Trek worth watching again.

7/10

"Kirk, my old friend!" With these words 62 year old Ricardo Montalban, as Kahn Noonien Singh, makes his presence known to the 51 year old James Tiberius Kirk, now an Admiral, in a dramatic performance all will remember for years to come.

This is probably the best of the Star Trek movies because it follows most closely the original concept of the television series. No fancy or tricky themes like saving whales or resurrecting Spock (If Spock can be resurrected then why does any Vulcan ever die?) Simply, just like Star Wars is in reality a "Western" story set in space, so is Star Trek. A bad guy wants to kill a good guy for money, greed, power, fame, or revenge. The good guy is always moral like Marshall Dillon and saves the day.

But, William Shatner needs an emotional counterpart as his adversary. Klingons are too shallow to meet this requirement. They only want to kill and capture. But the veteran actor Mr. Montalban is a favorite and well known to all from his Planet of the Apes and Fantasy Island performances. He is the most intense and challenging opponent for the always emotional James T. Kirk.

For Kahn, "revenge is a dish best served up cold!" Even when the end is obvious, you come away remembering Kahn's final lines as the Genesis Wave builds up for total destruction of the Star Ship Reliant, "No Kirk, the game's not over. To the last I will grapple with thee. No, no...you can not get away. From Hell's heart I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spat my last breath at thee." Outstanding Mr. Montalban, outstanding acting and dying!

If the 51 year old Leonard Nimoy can be remembered in this film for one word, it would be "Remember" when he implanted his mantra into the brain of Doctor Leonard McCoy (the 71 year old doctor of the USS Enterprise). Jackson DeForest Kelley died in 1999 at the age of 79 years. As Dr. "Bones," DeForest Kelley plays the alter ego of James Kirk and advises him as his friend and physician to stop growing old and try to revert from being an Admiral back to a star ship Captain, Kirk's best destiny.

Both born in 1931, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are soul-brothers given that the Star Trek television series and movies cannot take place without them both. They story concept equally requires both these actors because it is through their collective stories that Star Trek takes place.

Upon dying, we remember Spock's last words, "Ship? Out of danger? Don't grieve, Admiral. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or, the one! I have been and always shall be -- your friend! Live long and prosper!"

James Montgomery Doohan was a 62 year old Montomery "Scottie" Scott. Nichelle Nichols was a 49 year old Cmdr. Nyota Uhura. Walter Koenig was a 46 year old Cmdr. Pavel Andreievich Chekov. George Takei was a 41 year old Cmdr. Hikaru Sulu. They all play their familiar roles. Paul Winfield was a 41 year old Capt. Terrell. Bibi Besch (Carol Marcus) and Capt. Kirk's old flame and mother is his son was 40 years old. Ms. Besch died in 1996. The young (23 year old) Merritt Butrick played Kirk's son, David Marcus. Mr. Butrick died in 1989. As the Vulcan, Lt. Saavik, Kirstie Alley was one of the youngest major stars at 31 years old. Her long hair was most becoming!

So, if you are a trekkie (and many secretly are) then you will watch this film time and time again as it keeps getting aired on cable TV.

Star Trek bridges the qualities of all living beings in the universe regardless of their race, gender, religion, national origin. This is an integrated show and serves as a role model for decent living with all life forms.

We would all do well to remember the eulogy for Spock given by James T. Kirk -- "Of my friend, I can only say that of all the life forms I have encountered in this universe, his was the most -- human!"

"Space, the final frontier."

Wrath of Khan owes a certain debt of thanks to Clark Gable's wartime thriller. Although it's easy to criticize, WOK is full of suspense and tension. The design of the costumes and sets is excellent, except for the cream and brown combinations. But what the hey, it was made during the heady days of the early 1980s. It is certainly more accessible to a mainstream audience than the first film was...but I liked that one too anyway.

I'm no trekkie...I'm not obsessed by the tech specs of warp drive, and transporters or beams and such...I just like Sci-Fi movies that are well done and entertaining. This is not the best movie ever made as another poster stated...but it is exciting and engrossing.

Buy the DVD.