Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan is often cited as the favorites of folks who pay attention to the original series of movies. And it is a entertaining and sometimes thrilling entry, but a smaller budget and a less idealistic vision make this movie less than its predecessor, if admittedly more accessible in classic movie style. Gene Roddenberry had been forced out of control of the series after critics were lukewarm on the initial movie. None of the sequels sold more tickets, but success wasn't enough for Paramount.
Otherwise, all our favorites are back, albeit in brand new outfits. The sleek modernistic look of the first film has been thrown over for costumes and clothing which are filled to be utter brim with pockets. Everything in this movie seems to have pockets. This is a darker world than the one we left last time, a tad gloomier and a bit more in keeping with the sci-fi designs made popular by Star Wars. This is not a gleaming universe, but one filled with shadows. And in those shadows, we find Khan Noonien Singh.
Ricardo Montalban is outstanding in the role of Khan, the time-lost 20th century genetically enhanced superman who along with is minions were deposited on a rough-hewn planet decades before by Captain Kirk and his crew. The movie does a grand job of welding itself to the continuity of the original series, though I am always at a loss watching it how Star Fleet lost track of the number of planets in the Alpha Ceti system. The threat of Khan and his supermen is almost unleashed once again, but this time, as the title suggests, wrath gets in the way.
The story waxes upon the notion of aging and since we have a veteran team of actors, it's a reasonable choice for thematic development. There's a generational shift in this story as Kirk meets his son, and the woman who gave birth to him. Both are scientists working on a project dubbed "Genesis" which is all about renewal and rejuvenation. The desire for the vigor of youth and the regrets which come inevitably with age and the choices made are not insignificant themes. Not as sci-fi worthy in their own right as the absolute seeking of knowledge from the first movie, but not bad.
The final battle between Kirk's Enterprise and Khan's own stolen starship is phenomenal and the scene of the Enterprise looming up out of the mists of space behind Khan's vessel is my favorite moment in the movie. It's a scene which evokes the submarine battles of war pictures past. The contest between Kirk and Khan is a costly one, and the death count is high and those deaths are bloody. This is a more traditionally violent movie than its predecessor. The sacrifice of Spock is considered by many an emotional high point of the series and I don't disagree.
With a new production team, this movie is really presented (following the Star Wars model yet again) as the first part of an ongoing story which will occupy to various degrees the next two installments of the movie series. We will learn more about Genesis and what it is capable of in the next flick. For all its virtues, I rate Star Trek II my third favorite of the original spate of movies. Next time we join the Search for Spock.
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I enjoyed this movie. It was truer to the Star Trek we knew and loved than was its predecessor.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to agree to disagree on that point. I enjoyed this movie, but I found it further from Roddenberry's ideal than the first one. It has a style much more in keeping with the other movies of its time, that's true enough. It succeeded with the audience of its day.
DeleteI also liked this film more than most others from the ST franchise. However, it did feel a bit like a stand alone film a bit removed from ST in some ways.
ReplyDeleteLots of people really like it, I do too. And it made additional movies possible for sure. As much as I admire the first one, without the success of this second movie, it likely would've been all over.
DeleteOn the subject of ageing it amazes me that William Shatner is 92 years old but he looks no older than about 65.
ReplyDeleteHe is amazing. His energy level is supposed to be quite unusually high.
DeleteWell, as to his looks, he's clearly had 'a little work' done.
DeleteIt's funny how movies become part of our lives, both mirroring what we experience and teaching us how to grow and move on.
ReplyDeleteThis movie came out the summer we moved. I was super-excited for a new Star Trek movie full of adventure and excitement... but it also featured the death of Spock, my favorite Trek character at the time. At a time when I was uprooted and had to make new friends and adjust to a new school, now my hero was dead. Eight-year-old me felt like everything in my life was being turned upside-down. For Trek, the result was that I both loved and hated this movie.
Fast forward a few years. When "Wrath of Khan" aired on ABC, I recorded it and watched the movie over and over until I had it practically memorized. By now I knew Spock's death (SPOILERS) wasn't permanent, and I had grown up a little, so I was able to really appreciate the movie for what it was. In my mind, it is definitely up there as one of the best Treks, and maybe one of the best sci-fi adventures of the 1980s.
My experience with this movie, going from hating it to loving it, has colored my perspective on a lot of things. For example, when "The Last Jedi" came out and so many Star Wars fans bashed it for its portrayal of Luke Skywalker, I remember thinking they needed to see the whole story, then revisit "Last Jedi" and appreciate it for what it is.
And now "Wrath of Khan" is added to my "gotta watch again" list.
Seen in the context of the two films which followed it and completed the saga, this story works even better for me as a fan.
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