Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1982

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is generally regarded as the best of the original generation's Star Trek movies, and it's a sentiment I can agree with. Although suitable for the entire family just like the rest of the Star Trek universe, the Wrath of Khan is the most mature and dark entry in the series… a flawlessly produced revenge story that holds the fate of civilizations in balance.

The original Star Trek motion picture was no doubt a box office success, yet despite its success it was condemned by many viewers and Star Trek fans for its flawed pace. Although it possessed plenty of visual eye candy and was the best the Trek universe ever looked at the time, the film often seemed like an excuse to showcase the effects rather than offer an exciting or inspiring tale.

Then came the sequel, Wrath of Khan. Gone are the plodding pace and self-indulgence of the original, replaced instead by a strong story, solid acting and a riveting pace that keeps the viewer's attention.

The story taps into one of the original television episodes named "Space Seed," which told the tale of genetically superior super humans that were banished to space. Kirk's crew came across them and awoke them from their cryogenic sleep, at which time they attempted to take over Kirk's ship, the Enterprise. Khan and his crew's attempt to take over the Federation starship met with failure, and they were banished by Kirk to an isolated and uninhabited planet.

This movie opens to find a Federation starship accidentally stumbling across this planet, at which point Khan hijacks the ship and sets out on a mission for revenge. The many years of banishment have hardened his heart, and this ruthless super soldier has one goal in mind: the destruction of his nemesis, Kirk. When Khan also obtains technology capable of destroying entire civilizations, a climactic showdown between these two old foes becomes inevitable.

One of the reasons for the sequel's success must be credited to Ricardo Montalban and his intense performance as Khan Noonian Singh. Not only was re-introducing Khan to the series a wise choice on the part of the writers', Montalban's delicious performance as the madman hell-bent on revenge stole the show.

William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Doctor McCoy) and the rest of the original series stars shook off the rust that plagued their initial performance and return to fine form with this film. The chemistry they all shared during the television series was returned, and fans of the series embraced these old friends with open arms.

Although Star Trek has a legion of fans, those who haven't bought into the Trek universe may wonder if this movie offers anything for them. To this I'd say definitely! While some of the latter Trek films were a bit cheesy and appealed more to Trekkies than the general public, the Wrath of Khan is an absorbing and dark tale of the bitter quest for revenge. No experience with the Trek series or universe is required to sit back and enjoy this enthralling story.

Movie rating: 9 stars

If you enjoyed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan you may also find the following films to be of interest:

• Star Wars

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