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After seeing the new Star Trek movie, I vowed to go back and watch more of them—and I just couldn’t think of a better place to start than (almost) at the beginning, with the Star Trek classic, The Wrath of Khan.
As the film opens, the recently promoted Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) is going through a bit of a midlife crisis. It’s his birthday, and he’s not exactly thrilled about getting older. Not only that, but he misses exploring space in his beloved ship, the Enterprise. So, during a routine inspection on the ship, he decides to take the fledgling crew for a little joyride. It isn’t long, though, before their joyride turns into an unexpected mission.
While searching for a lifeless planet to test a life-generating invention known as the Genesis Device, the crew of the USS Reliant is taken prisoner by Khan (Ricardo Montalban), an old enemy of Kirk’s who sees the Reliant’s arrival as his opportunity to get revenge—and maybe take control of the Genesis Device, too.
Fearing that the Genesis Device is in danger, Kirk’s former girlfriend, Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch), contacts Kirk to ask for help—and it’s up to Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and their young crew to stop Khan.
After getting to know the crew of the Enterprise in the new Star Trek movie, I was well prepared for another adventure through space (the final frontier). Thanks to J. J. Abrams and his crew, I already knew the characters and their histories, so it didn’t really bother me that they’re not especially developed in this installment. But, of course, that lack of development is perfectly understandable—because, by the time Khan hit theaters in 1982, fans of the original series were already well acquainted with the crew. Too much character development would have been a waste of precious time.
Really, though, you don’t need to know the characters all that well to enjoy the film. Even if you don’t know where they came from or how they came together, you’ll love watching egomaniacal Kirk, hot-headed McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and cool, logical Spock as they bicker their way through space. It’s all just a bit cheesy—and the acting (especially Shatner’s) is delightfully over-the-top—but the characters are lovable nonetheless, and they make the film a whole lot of outer-space fun.
The story, too, is well done, filled with action and adventure—and even a touch of drama. It’s an entertaining story with an unexpected ending, and it’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Still, the greatest thing about Khan is Montalban. Don’t let the wild hairdo and the (allegedly) prosthetic pectorals fool you; he’s a true professional. His performance as the menacing and malicious Khan is simply brilliant—worthy of the most prestigious stages in London. In fact, he’s in a completely different league than the rest of the cast—and his performance alone gives the entire film artistic cred.
Whether you’re a long-time fan or a curious newbie like me, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a thrilling (and ridiculously entertaining) sci-fi expedition—one that’s well worth embarking on.
Blu-ray Review:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is included in the three-disc Star Trek motion picture trilogy Blu-ray collection, which includes the second, third, and fourth Star Trek films, along with more than seven hours of special features.
The Khan disc includes two commentary tracks—one with director Nicholas Meyer and a second with Meyer and Star Trek: Enterprise writer and producer Manny Coto. It also includes a number of retrospective and making-of features (many of which are new—and presented in HD), as well as an interactive Library Computer feature (which is loaded with pop-up trivia) and a BD-Live Star Trek I.Q. feature, filled with fan-created trivia quizzes that are sure to keep you busy for hours (and hours…and hours…). Those hours of extras—not to mention the crisp feature footage—make it a collection that no fan should be without.
