Review of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) by Jim C — 05 Aug 2012

"Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" The genetically-juiced Khan (Ricardo Montalban) returns in this first Star Trek sequel, and with a vendetta. Khan seeks to track down and destroy one Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), who had stranded him on now barren wasteland of a planet during the Original Series. Khan also seeks a powerful weapon of mass destruction with which to hold the galaxy hostage, supreme hegemony having always been his prime directive. Kirk is thrust unwillingly back into the Captain's chair to once again save the day.

While it certainly has its campy moments and goofy effects by today's standards, "The Wrath of Khan" more than makes up for the failings of the previous film and puts the franchise back on course. Star Trek II returns to the original formula that made the Original Series work so well. The obsessive focus on scale and special effects in the first film turns here to the characters, script and action, where they belong.