Star Trek II - L'ira di 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.

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

I've heard some Trekkies argue that The Wrath Of Khan is the best of the Star Trek big screen productions and I'm for one am inclined to accept that. Of all the Star Trek films it's the only one to have origins directly from the cult television series.

And the origin is from the episode Space Seed where the Eneterprise finds a ship floating in space with cryogenically frozen people of all kinds on board. Their leader is Khan Nooriam Singh played by Ricardo Montalban. What they are is a group of genetically enhanced human beings who back in the day tried to take over. Earth justice at the time being what it was, they were not killed, but frozen and were out there in space for several hundred years.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk had a close run battle with this crowd again and they were sentenced to a different kind of exile, on a barren planet where they would have to struggle to maintain life itself.

Fifteen years later Khan is down, but not out. He's out for blood now because the wife he took from the original Enterprise crew is dead and he blames Kirk. Khan's also after bigger game as well, something called the Genesis Project, a thing that scientists Bibi Besch and Paul Winfield have been working on. A method of generating life itself on a dead world.

Khan's a genetically enhanced being both physically and mentally which makes him maybe the most dangerous foe Kirk faced on the three year run of the television series. He hasn't lost a step, but even a genius can't think of everything even if he's taken over a starship of his own.

With both the television episode Space Seed and the film the Wrath of Khan it could well be argued that Ricardo Montalban got his career role, maybe he's known for playing Khan better because of Trek fans than for being the inscrutable Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island. All the Star Trek regulars are in their accustomed and comfortable parts.

I'll let you in on a secret, The Wrath of Khan is my favorite of the Star Trek films and it will be your's if you see it.

The Wrath of Khan was a complete jump in quality, production and standard from first movie, The Motion Picture. Ricardo Montauban, a classic actor best known for his romantic films in his early years, 1950's. One of the best villains you will ever see in a science fiction movie.

The music was good, however not as good as the predecessor movie's music, but still good. The directing is also very good, great use of focusing techniques, close up's, action sequences well done, the usual high standard that comes from a proficient director like Nicholas Meyer.

The lighting, exterior and interior shots, were well done.

Its a pity that they haven't made a remastered tape, as the movie picture quality has degraded through the years.

William Shatner's acting was extremely real, moving, believable. Among with the other main cast, and unlike the previous movie, this movie brought together that atmosphere that existed in the Original Star trek series.

The dramatic plot that happens towards the end of the movie is indeed, one of the best scenes you will ever see in motion picture history. Proving that Star Trek still has emotion. I can not be more clearer than this unless by giving away the story. Watch it yourself, and you'll be moved by the greatest acting, heart touching scene ever made.

The special effects composed along with George Lucas were excellent, and in the year 2000, I feel they would come very close to our standard today. The better warp entering sequences, battle sequences, and the formation of the new Genesis planet are very good effects. The chase in the nebula, final explosion of the Genesis device are effects for you to watch for.

If your like me, you will love the script for its Shakespeare context which Khan uses effectively throughout the film. I highly recommend you to see this movie if you haven't already, it's one of the best.

Rating: 9.5/10

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!!