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In my humble opinion this is the best of the Star Trek movies, especially followng the rather disastrous first movie effort!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It is the 23rd century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise is on routine training manoeuvres, and Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned to the fact that this inspection may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan is back... Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan - the brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth - has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrestled control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk with the threat of a universal Armageddon!
It has been well known amongst ST fans that it is the even numbered films that are the better ones. This is the first of the successes, following on from the strange Motion Picture. I've been after it as a DVD for some time, and luckily found a copy on ebay. The Mutara Nebula battle has excellent effects for its day, and the music is top notch quality. The only downside,is this film is followed by the tedious Search for Spock. Still, you can aleways imagine the Klingon Captain that Kirk kills driving a De Lorean!
The film is a sequel to a first season episode of the series ("Space Seed"). Here, the evil genius Khan (Ricardo Montalban, in a deliciously over-the-top performance) and his followers have escaped from the barren planet where then-Captain Kirk stranded them some fifteen years ago. Khan, once a brilliant, charismatic leader, has become an embittered maniac, dedicated only to revenge. He blames Kirk for the death of his wife and the waste of his own life, and intends to extract payment -- in blood. After hijacking a Federation starship, Khan steals Genesis, a potential doomsday weapon created by Kirk's son, David (Merritt Butrick), and ex-lover, Carol (Bibi Besch), and lures the Enterprise into a carefully-orchestrated trap. The Star Trek regulars do what's expected of them. William Shatner, not generally regarded as a top-flight actor, fits comfortably into this role, mixing heroic arrogance with surprising vulnerability. Of the seven Star Trek features in which he has appeared, Shatner does his best work here. Leonard Nimoy, as usual, plays Spock with a touch of sardonic wit, and DeForest Kelley proves to be his perfect, illogical foil. Familiar faces James Doohan (Scotty), Walter Koenig (Chekov), George Takei (Sulu), and Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) are all on hand, although only Koenig has more than a few token scenes. In addition to bringing back Montalban's scenery-chewing Khan (this is a fun performance to watch, principally because it's so campy), Star Trek II introduces three significant new characters. The first is Saavik (played by soon-to-be Cheers regular, Kirstie Alley), the sexy, half-Vulcan protege of Mr. Spock. Then there are a couple of figures out of Kirk's past -- a son and an ex-lover. However, while Alley steals scenes as Saavik, both Bibi Besch and Merritt Butrick are flat and unappealing, causing the entire "Kirk's family" subplot to flounder. Fortunately, it's afforded only token screen time. The Wrath of Khan is a top-notch, fast-paced adventure that can be enjoyed equally by fans of the series and those who have never seen an episode. There are several tense, well-executed battle sequences that feature impressive special effects and a soaring score by James Horner. The ending, which I won't reveal (although everyone probably knows it by now) is tender and poignant -- proof that Star Trek can still touch the heart. The Wrath of Khan shows the potential inherent in the Star Trek concept as applied to the big screen. It's unfortunate that none of the other films in this long-running series have come close to the level achieved by this marvelous example of entertainment.Read full review
Just one word can describe the Wrath Of Khan: Wow! If you know the history between Khan and Captain Kirk, you will love this film. It turns out the planet Kirk exiled him and his geetically modified super warriors has now become a barren wasteland and, seeing an opportunity, Khan takes control of a Starship and engages with Kirk once more. Poor Chekov and Captain Tyrell get space worms in their ears, which makes them prone to suggestion, and Khans secret warriors. Kirk also meets his son, which is a bit of a shock. It ends with Kirk defeating Khan once and for all, and his death in the stolen starship. But Spock sacrifices his life to save his crew from Radiation poisoning. It's hard to believe how permenant his death felt all those years ago.
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