When I first saw Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, my expectations weren't too high. The first movie had been such a letdown for me, and I knew sequels better than the original to be a very rare thing. So, I was quite surprised when the end credits started to roll; I had just witnessed an entertaining, thrilling, memorable and all- around awesome movie. Most Trek fans seem to consider this to be the best movie in the entire franchise, and while it only reaches fourth place on my list, I do understand why this is the #1 favorite for so many. There is so much that this film does right, and so little to complain about.
The movie is a sequel, not only to The Motion Picture, but also to Space Seed, an episode from the original series. It continues the story left open in that episode, as the villain Khan returns - with a plan of vengeance against Captain Kirk and his crew. The film begins with members of the original crew overseeing the Kobayashi Maru test, after which we see some surprisingly deep character development from Kirk's part. With these very moments, the movie establishes that it has an exciting and creative story element in it, as well as good character writing with a sense of humanity - two things very much missing in the first Trek film. As the story progresses, the audience is treated to several iconic scenes: from Khan's epic return, through Kirk's powerful scream of rage, all the way to Spock's heartbreaking death - more on that one later. The movie is extremely well-written, as the story keeps fresh and engaging while offering many sides to the characters and events, as well as avoiding any dull moments.
Nicholas Meyer does a great job directing. Everything in the movie, from the sets and lighting all the way to the camera-work and soundtrack, just feels much more natural and well-made than in the previous installment. And I won't just compare this film to its predecessor which I didn't like, as that doesn't say much; I also think that this movie does a far better job as a production and as a work of art than most of the sci-fi films I have seen, certainly most of the other Star Trek films. It's great that they got the original cast to return once again, as the acting is also top notch. But as good as the main Enterprise crew is, the perhaps greatest performance is given by Ricardo Montalban, who plays the character Khan to perfection.
To this day, Khan is the best Star Trek villain, in the opinion of me and many others. The battle of wits between him and Kirk remains at the center of the stage for most of the movie, and gets more and more exhilarating as the run time progresses. But the single greatest part of this film, to me at least, is Spock's sacrifice at the end. Not very often do I find an individual scene to be the absolutely best thing in a feature film, but that is the case with The Wrath Of Khan. Everything about that moment is perfect - the pure emotional impact it has on the viewer, the incredible acting from Shatner and Nimoy, the pitch perfect dialogue between Spock and Kirk in his final moments, and the overall effect that is has on the story - not only the story of this movie, but of the franchise in general. Kirk's line about Spock's soul being the most human he ever knew is possibly the most emotionally powerful line I have ever seen in a movie - something that I definitely didn't expect from a Star Trek sequel. The way they bring the movie to an end is absolutely beautiful.
All in all, I find this to be one of the best Star Trek films. It definitely deserves its acclaim as a science fiction landmark and a turning point for the franchise. I don't regard it to be the 'best sci-fi film of all time' or 'a flawless masterpiece' like many do, as there are better films in the genre - even in the franchise. But while this movie isn't perfect, it certainly is a groundbreaking and awesome film worth watching quite a few times. I definitely believe that the legacy of this movie will live long and prosper.
The movie is a sequel, not only to The Motion Picture, but also to Space Seed, an episode from the original series. It continues the story left open in that episode, as the villain Khan returns - with a plan of vengeance against Captain Kirk and his crew. The film begins with members of the original crew overseeing the Kobayashi Maru test, after which we see some surprisingly deep character development from Kirk's part. With these very moments, the movie establishes that it has an exciting and creative story element in it, as well as good character writing with a sense of humanity - two things very much missing in the first Trek film. As the story progresses, the audience is treated to several iconic scenes: from Khan's epic return, through Kirk's powerful scream of rage, all the way to Spock's heartbreaking death - more on that one later. The movie is extremely well-written, as the story keeps fresh and engaging while offering many sides to the characters and events, as well as avoiding any dull moments.
Nicholas Meyer does a great job directing. Everything in the movie, from the sets and lighting all the way to the camera-work and soundtrack, just feels much more natural and well-made than in the previous installment. And I won't just compare this film to its predecessor which I didn't like, as that doesn't say much; I also think that this movie does a far better job as a production and as a work of art than most of the sci-fi films I have seen, certainly most of the other Star Trek films. It's great that they got the original cast to return once again, as the acting is also top notch. But as good as the main Enterprise crew is, the perhaps greatest performance is given by Ricardo Montalban, who plays the character Khan to perfection.
To this day, Khan is the best Star Trek villain, in the opinion of me and many others. The battle of wits between him and Kirk remains at the center of the stage for most of the movie, and gets more and more exhilarating as the run time progresses. But the single greatest part of this film, to me at least, is Spock's sacrifice at the end. Not very often do I find an individual scene to be the absolutely best thing in a feature film, but that is the case with The Wrath Of Khan. Everything about that moment is perfect - the pure emotional impact it has on the viewer, the incredible acting from Shatner and Nimoy, the pitch perfect dialogue between Spock and Kirk in his final moments, and the overall effect that is has on the story - not only the story of this movie, but of the franchise in general. Kirk's line about Spock's soul being the most human he ever knew is possibly the most emotionally powerful line I have ever seen in a movie - something that I definitely didn't expect from a Star Trek sequel. The way they bring the movie to an end is absolutely beautiful.
All in all, I find this to be one of the best Star Trek films. It definitely deserves its acclaim as a science fiction landmark and a turning point for the franchise. I don't regard it to be the 'best sci-fi film of all time' or 'a flawless masterpiece' like many do, as there are better films in the genre - even in the franchise. But while this movie isn't perfect, it certainly is a groundbreaking and awesome film worth watching quite a few times. I definitely believe that the legacy of this movie will live long and prosper.