Star Trek [2]: Wrath of Khan [1982] // Sci-Fi

Star Trek [2]: Wrath of Khan [1982] // Sci-Fi
8.5/10

This is hailed as the best Star Trek flick (of the old ones) by many of the 'experts'. It just now occurred to me that I qualify as just that. I've quite literally scene every episode of the old Trek and TNG. I might not be as read into the lore as some trekkies, but I do know what makes a good film.

THIS *IS* A GOOD FILM!

It has just about every element you could as for down the smallest details. It's fun, it's a bit brooding, it's creepy, and unlike other films this one has both plot and characters. The next film, "Search For Spock [3]" is just trivial compared to this one. Like many of the Star Trek plots, there really isn't much to it, but this one draws on some heavy back-story, the way "The Undiscovered Country [5]" does.

Khan, who is a pretty brilliant character in his own rite, is a super human. Him and his rag-tag (almost Mad Max) gang of exiles/renegades escape their exile and seek revenge. This is one enemy that Kirk can't just giggle at or defeat with a two handed punch to the lower back. What sets this movie apart is that it feels real.

Fan of Trek will enjoy the Enterprise display, which I honestly think is unrivaled in any of the films, including the new 2009 and subsequent films. There is just something so perfect about the way the lights flick on and display the symbols of Starfleet. It's just awesome.

What amounts to little more than a cold war (I mean...duh) ship battle actually felt real. People die. There is blood (something distinctly lacking in other Trek episodes and films), there is death and it feels real. Things explode and it's not just a shaking camera. Characters get hurt. Characters, the ones that really matter, ACTUALLY DIE.

I'm not going to say much more about it other than it's worth watching, even if you're not at all a fan of the classic heroes. You don't have to be able to pick out every homage and fan-service (whatever it's called) scene thrown in to be able to appreciate this film as a whole.

I'm a huge star trek nerd apparently.