Although Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been a box-office hit, it was by no means a unanimous success with Star Trek fans, who responded much more favorably to the "classic Trek" scenario of Star Trek II: The Wrath of K... more »han. Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original TV series, the film reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend. This was the kind of character-based Trek that fans were waiting for, boosted by spectacular special effects, a great villain (thanks to Montalban's splendidly melodramatic performance), and a deft combination of humor, excitement, and wondrous imagination. Director Nicholas Meyer (who would play a substantial role in the success of future Trek features) handles the film as a combination of Moby Dick, Shakespearean tragedy, World War II submarine thriller, and dazzling science fiction, setting the successful tone for the Trek films that followed. --Jeff Shannon« less
Stephanie M. (QuiltedKnitter) from COON RAPIDS, MN Reviewed on 7/1/2012...
"He tasks me... I'll chase him round perdition's fire before I give him up."
My very favorite Star Trek movie. This movie has power! Ricardo Montalbán was fabulous in this movie. A gut wrenching, nail biting, thriller with a plot.
2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Great movie/DVD; Star Trek 3 Director's Edition coming soon!
J. F. Cramer | VA | 07/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I just bought this DVD..., and the verdict is in: It's a blast!!!THE MOVIE: Certanily one of the best Star Trek movies. Although the main plot about revenge is a bit too basic, the sub-plots, including the addition of Kirk's ex-wife and son, makes the movie better. The action is well paced and the special effects are marevelous. Also, the "expanded director's edition" featured on this DVD adds about 5 extra minutes to the movie. The added footage does little to help the plot, but does a great deal to flesh out more of the minor characters, such as Kirk's son and Lt. Saavik. Also, the last 15 minutes of the film (some added dialogue was put in there to have a little bit more emotional impact at the end of the film) made me jump the grade of the film from a "B" to an "A+." THE DVD: In addition to having a crisp, clear picture transfer of the film with oustanding sound, the first disc has a nice audio commentary from the director and an even nicer text commentary from Michael Okuda, co-author of the Star Trek Encyclopedia. (That guy knows EVERY SINGLE LITTLE DETAIL THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD NOT EVEN KNOW A THING ABOUT that regards to Star Trek.) The second disc contains the following:1) The Captain's Log: A 27-minute documentary featuring brand new interviews with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, director Nicholas Meyer, Ricardo Montalban, and others. They talk about how they originally intended to put the film together, how they eventually ended up completing that task, and other things.
2) Designing Khan: A 23-minute documentary that features interviews with director Nicholas Meyers, the costume designer, and the production designer. They discuss the transitions they made in costume and production design from the ST:TMP to ST2:TWOK.
3) Visual Effects: An 18-minute featurette that has interviews with the FX crew. They explain how they executed and completed the FX shots. (Big surprise there)
4) The Star Trek Universe: A 28-minute documetary that features interviews with two Star Trek novel writers. They discuss how they fill in the gaps between the movies with their books and where they get their ideas.
5) Original Interviews: Basically 10 minutes of interviews (from 1982) featuring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, and Deforest Kelley.
6) Archives: The archives feature 10 original storyboard sequences. (That sure beats the storyboard archives on the ST:TMP DVD, which features a mere 3 storyboard sequences.) There is also a thatrical trailer.So, there you have it. A great movie with a packed DVD equals a great purchase. Buy as soon as possible.1982; 116 minutes; Rated PG for mild obscenity, some sequences of sc-fi action/violence, and brief shots of the aftermaths of brutal murders.
(I DO think this movie should have been rated PG-13, but the rating didn't exist then. See and judge for yourself.)..."
The royal treatment comes to the most famous TREK film
James Mason | Dearborn, MI United States | 08/28/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the wake of Robert Wise's "director's edition" of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, it was only a matter of time before Nicholas Meyer's STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN was awarded the same treatment. Half a year later, KHAN does indeed get the royal treatment with a 2-disc set loaded with extras and fan tidbits galore. The package includes a slightly extended "director's cut" of KHAN that restores a critical plot point (namely, the young cadet who dies in Scotty's arms is actually Scotty's nephew) and a few brief clippings of dialogue (mostly back-and-forth exchanges among the main cast); a commentary by Meyer in which he discusses both the film and his approaches to filmmaking; a text commentary by STAR TREK's long-time technical point man Michael Okuda that's packed with more fanboy knowledge than a game of Trivial Pursuit; cast interviews from 1982 (in which Leonard Nimoy wears a pink and white striped suit that makes him look like a pimp); three documentaries covering the making of the film; "A Novel Approach," a documentary where TREK authors Julia Ecklar and Greg Cox discuss how KHAN's plot elements spun off into the TREK novels; the film's FX storyboards; and of course, the theatrical trailer. Let's look at each of these:THE DIRECTOR'S CUT OF KHAN - the film makes a bit more sense now that the scenes establishing the doomed cadet as Scotty's nephew have been restored, and the restored dialogue adds a little extra kick to the proceedings (it's especially funny to hear Spock respond to Kirk's telling him about his son with a disinterested "Fascinating"). But the film is still as tightly structured and fast-paced as it's ever been; the added footage does nothing to slow the film down or to harm the story (although some nit-pickers will make the hilarious claim that the whopping THREE minutes restored to the film "butcher" it and ruin the pace-how can this be when the added three minutes are spread out over the whole film?). Rather, it gives it a bit more punch. As for the look of the film, it's certainly a lot cleaner and brighter than most other prints, but even with the digital re-mastering, there's still a lot of visible film grain. Like STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE before it, KHAN looks its age regardless of the print quality. But this is a minor detail. Overall the film looks pretty good.COMMENTARIES - both interesting and enjoyable. Meyer's regular guy vibe and insights into the making of the film are engaging, and Okuda's trivia-heavy text comments are a joy for anyone who thrives on knowing useless fanboy tidbits.CAST INTERVIEWS - a unusual time capsule in which the film's leads plug the film. But let's face it; the coolest thing about this insert is seeing Leonard Nimoy dressed like a pimp. Spock in a pink suit is perhaps the greatest source of laughs you'll ever find.DOCUMENTARIES - by far, the coolest of these is "Where No Man Has Gone Before," which covers the stylish FX work ILM did on the film. The giddiness with which the film's FX crew recalls their work on the film is enormously contagious. "Designing KHAN," about the film's costume and set designs, is pretty good, too. "Captain's Log," about the overall making of the film, is uneven though. Where Meyer, producer Harve Bennett, and Ricardo Montalban are discussing what went into the making of the film, William Shatner spends his time being a total wiseacre, either mercilessly razzing his pal Nimoy ("I think the death scene would have been better if we DIDN'T see him thru the glass!" and "Oh, he knew he was coming back, he set me up to think he was leaving...I'll get him one day!") or joking about how he used women's cosmetics to look younger. And Nimoy is no better, cracking wise about how much older Shatner is than he. (For those of you wondering, this is how they act around each other all the time.) The insight/clowning-around mixture simply doesn't jell. But to be fair, at least Nicholas Meyer is finally acknowledged as the author of KHAN's shooting script, not Jack Sowards as has been erroneously credited. "A Novel Approach" is interesting, but dry; it bogs down when the authors recite passages from the novels. The moments where they discuss how KHAN formed the backbone of their work and display their fan knowledge are the most enjoyable, even if the supertitles used during the film clips steer too much into jokiness.STORYBOARDS - mind-blowing. We're treated to the conceptual sketches of the film's FX shots (including the combat sequences, which match those in the finished film almost exactly), as well as some terrific concepts for the opening title sequence and the "Spock monologue" finale that really should have been used in the film. Illustrated by the late Mike Minor, these storyboards read like a really good comic book.THEATRICAL TRAILER - pretty dramatic for a teaser, and it gives a good idea of what the film was going to be.Despite a couple of rocky patches, the "director's edition" of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN is a worthy package to a really good film. Highly recommended."
KHAAAAAAAN! KHAAAAAAAAN!
Mistrmind | MA | 04/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Considered the best Star Trek film to date. The film is a virtual Horatio Hornblower in outer space. Wrath Of Khan is a gripping adventure reminisent of a 1957 WWII film "The Enemy Below." Ricardo Montalban is superb at Khan Noonan Singh, genetically modified super madman from the late 20th century. Awoken on a sleeper ship in the 23rd century by Capt Kirk and crew, only to be exiled on unstable planet. Khan seeks revenge on Kirk in the worst way, as he hijacks a Federation starship as well as a device that could literally destroy the galaxy. The best line in the film:Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan, you bloodsucker! You're gonna have to do your own dirty work now, do you hear me? Do you? Khan: Kirk! You're still alive, old friend! Admiral James T. Kirk: Still, "old friend!" You've managed to kill everyone else but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target. Khan: Perhaps I no longer need to try, Admiral. [beams the Genesis device away] Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan... Khan, you've got Genesis, but you don't have me. You were going to kill me, Khan. You're gonna have to come down here. You're gonna have to come down here. Khan: I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her: marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet, buried alive. Buried alive. Kirk: KHAAANNNN! KHAAANNNN!Wrath Of Khan also stars Kristie Alley (of Cheers, and Veronica's Closet). It was Krisitie's 1st roll on the big screen, playing Lt. Saavik, Spock's protegee. Great acting by Montalban and terrific over-acting by Shatner. Star Trek II is a tour de force. A must have for the Trekkie and sci-fi collector."
"From Hell's heart, I stab at thee!"
Felix A. de la Torre, Jr. | Brentwood, TN United States | 07/18/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A classic line in a classic movie. This is undoubtedly classic Trek. For most fans of the Star Trek series, Star Trek II is the movie which set the standard for all the following films in the series. Nicholas Meyer's direction is a welcome change from ST:TMP, which plodded along, even for die-hard Trek fans. Ricardo Montalban's portrayal of Khan is what really steals the show, though. His single-minded purpose of destroying Adm. Kirk is both chilling and convincing. Besides Star Trek 6 (also directed by Meyer), this is the only Trek movie that feels we've "Boldly gone where no one has gone before." The DVD edition is a flawless transfer. Its presentation is certainly the best transfer to date, though the sound fidelity sounds dated at times. However, even the sound is the best you've ever heard on this film. The only thing wanting in this edition is more supplemental material. Come on, Paramount, where's the beef! Though the theatrical trailer is a nice touch, the DVD could have had some added cast biographies and interviews. The sparse supplemental material keeps me from giving this DVD a full 5 stars.Overall, I highly recommend this film to Sci-Fi/Action/Trek fans alike. If Hollywood invested more time in movies like this, a lot more people would be more satisfied in spending a day's pay at the theater."
DVD is superior to all previous video releases of the movie
Samuel Benezet | Las Vegas, NV USA | 07/13/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the first Star Trek movie I have purchased on DVD. And I was quite impressed.As far as I can tell, the entire movie panarama is restored within the 2.35 letterbox. Apparently this was *not* the case with the laserdisc and VHS widescreen versions, as this DVD has more material in the frame. Even the closing titles are authentic letterbox (not the vertically cropped, horizontally-compressed pan-and-scan version titles that were coppied onto the laserdisc).Picture quality is also improved. Starfields are actually black this time instead of grey. Images are cleaner and sharper. The spaceships are more intense-looking than ever before, and I finally understand what's in the Genesis cave. The video transfer is darker, hiding some of the now-familiar film artifacts but also revealing a few new ones. Then again, even the cleaned-up special edition of Star Wars still had its film artifacts.Sound is improved. I noticed some background effects I had never heard before.Extras on this disc are limited to the theatrical trailer, which is letterboxed in 1.85. Personally, I would have liked to have seen the extended scenes from the ABC broadcast version of Star Trek II -assuming those can be restored in widescreen. The main menu looks like the menus for the TV episodes and does not capture the personality of the film.Overall, a good disc. Buy it."