Review of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) by Turner E — 15 May 2013

Wrath of Khan:

****(Out of 5).

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.".

I've never been a huge Star Trek fan, but even I have to admit the second Star Trek film is a very impressive entry in the series and a well-made science fiction film.

Captain Kirk, now promoted to Admiral, is starting to feel depressed about growing old and losing his youthful pride. But it looks like he may want to be careful what he wished for, because an old enemy has returned to take revenge. The genetically advanced warrior Khan has escaped exile and plans to use the "Genesis" device, which can create life out of nothing, as a weapon. It's up to Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise crew.

The film, while having some very good action, also takes it's time to develop the characters and delves into some very poignant themes. The film explores the concept of death and how people often deal with it. The focus is mostly on Kirk, who, when presented with a no win situation, always found a way out. His match with Khan however, forces him to confront the idea that sometimes there is no third option and you will have to deal with your our mortality and the deaths of the people you love. This theme is really at the heart of the film, which makes it a cut above not just Star Trek films, but also most other films in it's genre. There are some slow moments and not everything has aged well for the film over the last thirty years. But even despite these flaws it remains one of the best Star Trek films.

The last few minutes of the film are some of the best moments of anything I've seen from the series. Even Shatner who usually hams it up (although he does a little in the film), delivers a truly moving performance. Excuse me; I might just have something in my eyes....