Given that the Star Trek franchise's cinematic debut wasn't exactly critically-beloved, series creator Gene Roddenberry was forced out of its sequel's production, and the budget was greatly reduced compared to The Motion Picture. The writers, furthermore, looked to The Original Series for ideas on how to proceed with the sequel's plot, focusing on the episode "Space Seed," which featured the genetically-engineered superhuman Khan Noonien Singh, portrayed by the late Ricardo Montalbán, the final product focusing on what happened with him after the end of said episode. The first franchise film sequel, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, would release in 1982.
Rather than feature an unnecessary sequence where nothing happens like the first film, The Wrath of Khan cuts right to the opening credits, which from the get-go give a very positive first impression, given newcomer composer James Horner's bombastic but beautiful main theme that actually at moments brought tears to my eyes. Most the cast from the first film returns, including William Shatner as Admiral Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Captain Spock, and so forth. Another excellent first impression from the opening credits is "Introducing Kirstie Alley" as Lieutenant Saavik, a female Vulcan taking the Kobayashi Maru at the beginning, an unwinnable examination testing her savvy as a starship commander.
It's Admiral Kirk's birthday, although as he's getting old, he's not in the best of spirits, with Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy encouraging him to get a new command instead of becoming a desk jockey. Meanwhile, the starship Reliant is seeking a lifeless planet to test the Genesis Device, which can make worlds habitable, with its Captain, Clark Terrell, and first officer Pavel Chekov beaming down to evaluate a planet they incorrectly think is Ceti Alpha VI. Here, a group of superhumans lead by Khan captures them, explaining that Ceti Alpha VI exploded and that they're actually on Ceti Alpha V, which has consequentially become a deserted wasteland, Khan rightfully pissed at the disaster killing his followers and wife.
One major issue Trekkies have brought up is Chekov and Khan recognizing one another, with "Space Seed" having occurred before the former came aboard the original Enterprise, and this is legitimate. Anyhow, Khan possesses Chekov and Terrell with eel larvae to mind-control them, with Khan beginning his quest for vengeance against Kirk by first targeting the space station Regula I, where the Genesis Device is being developed. Khan makes the Enterprise his next target, with some good action culminating in an ending that probably traumatized Trekkies in the film's time.
All in all, The Wrath of Khan was a massive improvement over its predecessor, beginning the plot arc that encompasses the third and fourth films, with great casting and performances, not to mention intelligent, often beautiful dialogue spoken chiefly by Kirk and Khan. However, the visual effects and technology have aged somewhat poorly, especially in comparison to other science-fiction franchises such as Star Wars. Regardless, it's a major improvement over the first film, and actually did surprisingly well despite its reduced budget, and is worth a watch from Trekkies old and new.
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| The Bottom Line | |
| One of the strongest TOS films. | |
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