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Created Feb 03, 2013 09:25PM PST • Edited May 26, 2024 01:20AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   Now this is a movie, boldly going where few TV sequels had gone before.

   It’s got a strong cast, really great visuals and really great movie music that caresses the iconic starship Enterprise without lingering too long, unlike the failed first Trek movie, which lingered way too long.

   The Wrath of Khan is surely a great movie, for Trekkies anyway.

   Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was the first of Nicholas Meyer’s II, IV, VI even-numbered trilogy. The three Star Treks he wrote – also directing two of them – were the great ones from the original cast era. Wow

   Meyer’s heavily doctored script touches all the bases well and truly that a Star Trek movie should, using a family affair to provoke Shatner’s James T. Kirk into action. Phasers fire. Photon torpedoes launch.

   Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country follow. Engage.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   William Shatner’s Kirk – now Admiral James Tiberius Kirk – misses getting thrown around the bridge of the Enterprise. We also missed Kirk getting thrown around the bridge of the Enterprise. Even in ‘82, it was a reunion. Notwithstanding the failed first Star Trek movie, we were tickled to see him a dozen years after he’d done the TV series.

   Spock is like Keith Richard to Kirk. Yes, that makes Shatner Mick Jagger. Think Leonard Nimoy would disagree? Nimoy’s great. Of course.

   The rest of the classic cast have classic moments.

   • DeForest Kelley’s McCoy goes on a rant about some ridiculous combination of genetic engineering and nuclear bombs. What could go wrong?
   • James Doohan’s Scotty tries to keep her going Captain, giving it all he’s got.
   • Walter Koenig’s Chekov has a horrible little creature with big insect mandibles burrow into his brain through his ear canal. But he ends up OK in the end. Of course he does. It’s Star Trek.
   • George Takei’s Sulu remains the original perfect tactical officer.
   • Nichelle Nichols’s Uhura remains verbally crisp and visually appealing.

   Movie specific cast include some players for whom this was their one big movie. Just saying.

   • Bibi Besch’s super genetic scientist and former girlfriend of Jim Kirk’s.
   • Merritt Butrick as her son. Butrick? There’s a name you just don’t forget.
   • Paul Winfield shows up as another Starfleet Starship Captain. Rough go of it.

   And introducing Kirstie Alley as Vulcan lieutenant Saavik

   She and Kirk spark up some impending HR issues, back when Kirstie was young and skinny.

   Ricardo Montalban as top movie villain Khan Noonien Singh,

   an Asian-Mexican super-villain straight from central casting, in a modified pageboy, with chest by Fabio. The Asian-Mexican thing’s confusing, but it works and the rest is a big time movie treat.

5. Male Stars Really Great 4.5

6. Female Stars OK 2.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Great 4.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    The cheesy costumes, phony explosions and obvious sound-stage “action” are all very Star Trek. Those of us weaned on the original TV series absolutely love it.

    All hail Nicholas Meyer, who was responsible for Star Trek II, IV and VI – the even-numbered great ones. Apparently Meyer rewrote most of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, even though he didn’t receive a writer’s credit, as he did with IV and VI. So it’s really his movie, notwithstanding that he was smart enough to hew close to Gene Roddenberry’s vision and to deal with nearly half a dozen other writers.

11. Direction Really Great 4.5

12. Play Good 3.0

13. Music Really Great 4.5

    The Wrath of Khan was James Horner’s first high profile movie. He hasn’t stopped in the ensuing three decades. For instance, he created the music for both Titanic and Avatar. Big music for big movies.

14. Visuals Really Great 4.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.7

    Cheesy Star Trek violence.

17. Sex Innocent 1.4

18. Violence Fierce 2.1

19. Rudeness Salty 1.7

21. Reality

    Supernatural 3.6

    Oh that the future is as ultimately optimistic as Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek would have it.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.5

23. Biological Fantasy 4.1

24. Physical Fantasy 4.1