Now this is more like it.
Although the poor reception of the first movie almost sidelined the entire series - this
sci-fi action film was allowed to proceed on a drastically reduced budget of $11 million.
Despite the setbacks and limitations, the film was a smash success when it was released
on June 4, 1982, breaking the world-record for an opening-day gross.
To keep costs down, director Nicholas Meyer liberally re-uses footage and sets from "The
Motion Picture".
And when marathoning the films back-to-back, these examples are quite obvious.
The first time a movie was made as a direct sequel to a specific TV episode, the 113 minute
story is a direct follow-up to season one's "Space Seed" - and has no continuation of
the earlier movie.
When Khan, a genetically superior human, escapes from exile, he seeks revenge on the man who
put him there; Admiral Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise.
But once again, the script pulls out the tired "only ship in the quadrant" nonsense as some
thinly-veiled excuse to reunite our aging protagonists.
William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and all the rest return - and are given far more to say
and do, including Shatner's iconic, guttural scream, "Khan!"
But the two newcomers are definitely the highlights of the ensemble group.
Ricardo Montalbán is perfect as the titular villain, so consume by rage and vengeance
he's willing to sacrifice everything to get it.
He's far more frightening and relentless than when we last saw him in the original television
series.
But despite the well-matched adversity between him and Shatner, the two actors unfortunately
never share a single scene together - communicating only by view-screen or communicator.
Making her feature debut as a Vulcan trainee is Kirstie Alley; balancing steadfast logic
with hints of emotional distress.
The young actress has an undefinable spark about her - making it easy to see why she
became such a huge star over the next decade.
Which makes her decision not to return for her character's next two appearances all the
more disappointing.
Imparting wisdom to this protégé, Kirk remarks, "How we deal with death is at least as important
as how we deal with life."
- a great encapsulation of the film's themes regarding death and re-birth.
The PG rated narrative draws heavy inspiration from militaristic ideas and operating procedure
- setting the tone for all future adaptations in the series.
Like the addition of new red-tunic uniforms, which would be come a fan-favorite, and main-stay
of the next five films.
To that end, the climactic space fight - set amidst a colorful nebula - is a great example
of a strategic naval battle.
"The Wrath Of Khan" has the notable distinction of being the first feature film to contain
a complete sequence created entirely with computer-generated graphics...
even though it includes a rather embarrassing gaffe involving a virtual probe flying through
a mountain.
Apparently the computer took so long to render this virtual landscape, that when the mistake
was finally noticed, it was deemed far too costly to bother fixing correctly, so a narrow
little valley was clumsily added instead.
And it's the kind of mistake I notice every time I watch.
Reinforcing the film's swashbuckling atmosphere is a entirely new score from up-and-coming
composer James Horner; in his break-out production.
His decision not to reuse any of Jerry Goldsmith's incredible work from the previous film was
a bold play that actually pays off, as the new themes and instruments give the picture
a unique, almost regal feel.
Not only is this picture the best of the original six, its story directly feeds into the next
two movies; making this a must-watch for all Trekkies - especially if you're able to overlook
inconsistencies in the continuity.
Well-paced, packed with tense action, and loaded with dramatic character moments - "The
Wrath Of Khan" is a thrilling duel in an exciting universe that single-handedly saved the entire
"Star Trek" franchise.
And here are some of your YouTube reviews.
Everyone agreed, this is the best of the original six films - and an AWESOME movie.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!