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| | Salesrank: 181299
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| Used Price: $4.59 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Although Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been a box-office hit, it was by no means a unanimous success with Star Trek fans, who responded much more favorably to the "classic Trek" scenario of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original TV series, the film reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend. This was the kind of character-based Trek that fans were waiting for, boosted by spectacular special effects, a great villain (thanks to Montalban's splendidly melodramatic performance), and a deft combination of humor, excitement, and wondrous imagination. Director Nicholas Meyer (who would play a substantial role in the success of future Trek features) handles the film as a combination of Moby Dick, Shakespearean tragedy, World War II submarine thriller, and dazzling science fiction, setting the successful tone for the Trek films that followed. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Reviews:
Great! 
2009-12-25 - Just as described - still in the wrapping, shipped in good time, very good buy. Thank you!
Best Star Trek Ever.......Until Recently
2009-11-01 - This movie flat out rocks. I mean it is awesome. Star Trek the Motion Picture was a critical failure, garbage pile that it was, but a financial success. The studio decided to try making one more movie, with a much lower budget. They didn't let Gene Roddenberry have much involvement with this project, which is probably a good thing. They hired Nicholas Meyer to direct this movie, who had no knowledge of Star Trek. He watched the entire original series, and particularly liked the episode "Space Seed." This episode features the first appearance of Khan Nooien Singh, and is one of the only episodes of the series that I liked. He decided to make Khan the primary villian of the sequel. When the film was released, it was a huge success, critically and financially. It is still considered by some to be the best Star Trek movie of all time, even better than the 2009 reboot.
The movie starts out with Admiral Kirk on an inspection of the Enterprise. Spock is now captain of the Enterprise. Kirk is longing for the days of years past when he was captain, and is getting depressed in his old age. Chekov...I hate Chekov...is the first officer on the Reliant, a science vessel which is conducting tests on a new piece of technology, the Genesis torpedo. It has the power to "create life from lifelessness". They are trying to find a completely dead planet to test it on. They explore the planet Ceti Alpha Five, and find Khan there. He captures Chekov and the captain of Reliant, and sets out to obtain Genesis. He also wants to find and kill Kirk, who he blames for the death of his wife. Marla Mcgivens, the dumb chick from Space Seed, who fell in love with Khan. Khan attacks and severly criples Enterprise, but they are able to fight him off. Then Kirk and a few others beam to the Genesis space station. They discover Carol Marcus, Kirk's old girlfriend, and their son, David. Khan tries again to kill Kirk, but is unsuccessful. He decides to leave Kirk on the planet to die. However, Enterprise beams them back on board. They engage Reliant in a spectacular battle, and Enterprise gets the upper hand. However, Khan sets off the Genesis torpedo, crazed in his attempt to kill Kirk. Enterprise's warp drive is busted, so Spock goes into a room with radiation in it and fixes the problem. He sacrifices himself to save the Enterprise, which is able to escape just in time. Although Khan is dead, he had inadvertantly succeeded in hurting Kirk by killing his friend The torpedo creates a luscious, livable planet out of the dead moon by the station. Kirk loads Spock's body into a torpedo tube and shoots him out onto the Genesis planet. He then contemplates that if Genesis is capable of producing life, then maybe it can revive Spock.
Again, this movie is awesome. It has one of the best villians in the Star Trek cannon, (I don't want to say best, because I've heard that the bad guy on Deep Space Nine is the best) it has visuals which were pretty good for the 1980s, and it set the stage for much more Star Trek. With the success of this movie, they made more sequels, and eventually four more Star Trek television shows. If they hadn't done such an outstanding job on this movie, Star Trek would probably have ended back then. If you have never seen this movie, or you've never seen Star Trek at all, buy this movie anyway. It's that good.
When I first saw this movie, I thought it was good , but not great. That is, until I saw the TOS episode Space Seed. Before watching this movie, watch this episode. I've posted a link to it below.
You Won't Like Him When He's Angry!
2009-08-29 - You Won't Like Him When He's Angry
The original series Star Trek films were an interesting study in what fans wanted versus what the directors wanted to produce. Some were banal, some were exciting, and some were cursed. Wrath of Khan is seen as one of the more exciting space adventures of Kirk and crew.
As in the first film, "The Motion Picture", the script is based on an earlier episode of the original Trek, except "Wrath" could be called a sequel of sorts.
The new USS Enterprise is going through its shake-down and Kirk, looking like he is destined for a desk job, takes a visit to "his" Enterprise. Meantime, the Reliant is doing some exploring in the same area of space where Khan was exiled by Kirk many years ago (back in the Sixties don'tcha know). Khan, expertly played in a reprisal role by Ricardo Montalban (Fantasy Island, etc)., still wants his revenge. When the Reliant beam down a shore party, Khan recognizes Chekov and proceeds to take over the Reliant as a tool to find and kill Kirk.
It's an interesting scene where Chekov is recognized by Khan, when Chekov was not in the earlier Sixties episode. Oops.
Not only do we have the cat & mouse game between Kirk and Khan, but another part of the plot gets into Kirk's lost love, a love child of sorts and a secret weapon that Khan wishes to unleash upon the universe. This is important, as it then spawns three more Trek films!
Kirstie Alley (Cheers) is competently playing a Vulcan in this one, and is somewhat coy, but I was hoping for some kinda love mix-up with Kirk. Oh well, can't have everything. This film was her film debut. A lot slimmer here, too.
Nicholas Meyer directed this exciting piece of Star Trek canon. Highly recommended especially if you like intrigue and space battles!
Khan is the man
2009-08-20 - This was a terrific episode in the original series, developed into a wonderful movie. Ricardo Montalban is the ultimate villain, not just a cut-out bad guy, but charismatic, sympathetic, compelling. If you love the original series and cast members, this movie is for you. They're all here doing what we've always loved. The years have made their relationships more complex and interesting.
The Best Of The Star Trek Films
2009-08-10 - If Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the Star Trek film based more on the original TV series philosophical side, then the second would, perhaps, be considered the Star Trek film more in line with the action oriented side of the series. Yet while seeming to be action based, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan would also have some of the series most dramatic moments as well. The result of this, in the hands of director Nicholas Meyer would be the best of the Star Trek films.
To begin with the acting is pretty solid. The performances from the original series cast members are all well done especially int he cases of William Shatner, Loenard Nimoy and DeForest Kelly. In particular Shatner and Nimor get some fantastic scenes together including one of the best staged and moving farewell death scenes in film history (even if it is only temporary). Also of special mention is the performance of James Doohan whose performance gets some additional (and excellent) material in the director's edition DVD version. Plus there are also good performances from other cast members including Kirstie Alley in her film debut and Bibi Besch amongst others. Then there is the villain...
Ricardo Montalban's performance as Khan, in my opinion anyway, is one of the all time great film villain performances. While Montalban had made quite an impact with the character int he original 1967 TV episode that performance was just the tip of what this film would reveal to the character. It's a layered performance with echoes, both in writing and in performance, to characters like King Lear and Capatin Ahab as Khan is revealed to be more then a genetically engineered superman in exile but a man driven to vengeance at any cost (hence the title). Khan's face-off's with Kirk are pieces of acting that focus your attention onto him which is even more incredible considering that the two characters (and presumably the actors as well) never come face to face int he film but spend the entire film facing off against each other via screens and communicators. It speaks to the power of a performance when despite that fact, the villain comes across as a real and imposing threat to the film's other characters.
The film's special effects also remain top notch. This film remains a prime example of the power of pre-CGI visual effects not only with ships in flight but with the still visually striking battle sequences and things like the Mutara Nebula sequence and the formation of the Genesis Planet. The film also makes nice reuses of some of the effects footage from the first Star Trek film as well which, for once in a case of footage reuse, doesn't make the film look cheap at all. All in all it's rather impressive material coming out of a film that is fast approaching its third decade of existence.
If the success of this film can really be credited to any single person it would be Nicholas Meyer. Despite Jack B. Sowards and executive producer Harve Bennett being credited as the writers of Star Trek II it was Meyer who did the (uncredited) massive re-write that brought together the film as it is. Whiel the script is firm in placing the film into being a science fiction action film, the film also a philosophical side as well. yet unlike its predecessor, the second Star Trek film is philosophical not about what's out there but about the human condition as it covers (without hopefully sounding cliché) the full range of the human condition including the emotional need for revenge, youth, knowledge vs experience, aging, morality, regrets and, most famously, death. Perhpaos the greatest example of this is the films use of the opening and closing liens from Dickens A Tale Of Two Cities as effective bookends to the film. Meyer also makes use of the film's rather limited budget to effectively create a vision of life in the 23rd century and the result is that this film, perhaps more then any other of the Star Trek film, seems to occupy a real world thanks to Meyer's direction of people ranging from cinematographer Gayne Rescher to costume designer Robert Fletcher and the set designs of Joseph R. Jennings. Meyer proves that it is story, not just good effects, that makes good science fiction work.
There is also the film's score. Then newcomer James Horner faced quite a challenge in trying to create a score that followed on from Jerry Goldsmith's masterpiece for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Yet Horner proved up to the task with pieces such as his main title music, the theme of the Enterprising leaving space dock (which reused the same footage that Goldsmith had scored to in Star Trek: The Motion Picture), the battle in the Mutara Nebula and the film's emotional finale. Whiel ti may lack the sound of the size of orchestra that Goldsmtih had Horner's score still has the power to add great emotion and tension to any scene it accompany. Indoing so, Horner kicked off a career that continues to this very day.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is the best of the Star Trek films. Why you may ask? Well with fine performances, a great villain, impressive special effects, a nice script, the direction of Nicholas Meyer and a score by James Horner it what every Trek film has had to live up to. It is a film that is as much about the human condition as it is about action and is all the better for it. That's why it is.
