Every so often, there comes a sequel that is significantly better than the film that came before it. It's a rare occurrence in the annals of cinema. Sometimes it's just really hard to come up with a follow-up film that equals what came before it. Not only did Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan manage to do the impossible, it may just be the best Star Trek film ever made.
While overseeing the newly refurbished Enterprise out on a three week test run, Admiral James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) receives a distress call from an old flame, Carol Marcus (played by Bibi Mesch), on Regula 1 where she is testing a revolutionary device called Genesis that can create new life on a dead and lifeless planet in a matter of minutes. Of course, such a device could also be used as a devastatingly lethal weapon in the wrong hands. Along with the fellow scientists is her son, David (played by Merritt Butrick). Kirk resumes command of the Enterprise at the instance of her current Captain, Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy). Among the crew are the usual mainstays, including Sulu (played by George Takei), Scotty (played by James Doohan), McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley), and Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols), as well as a new addition in the Vulcan Saavik (played by Kirstie Alley). Upon their arrival, they discover that another Starfleet ship, the Reliant has been hijacked by an old enemy, Khan Noonien Singh (played by Ricardo Montalban), who was left on a desolate planet by Kirk and his crew fifteen years prior. He left the crew of the Reliant on that same planet save for two, Captain Terrell (played by Paul Winfield) and Chekov (played by Walter Koenig), whom Khan has taken prisoner and implanted little alien slugs that allow Khan to control them to help set a trap for Kirk. For you see Khan has only one objective on his mind, Revenge served ice cold. With Khan as a cunning and worthy adversary, Kirk is going to have to use every trick he can think of to defeat him and save himself and his crew.
There is so much to love about Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This is where the film series really and truly kicks off. The film is wonderfully directed by Nicholas Meyer with a pitch perfect screenplay by Jack B Sowards, with contributions from Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer. They weave a fantastic tale with the battle of wits between Khan and Kirk, as well as mixing in some deeper themes about aging, life and death that make for a thoroughly fulfilling film. The film has a rousing score by James Horner that keeps the film thrilling and moving at a brisk pace.
The cast is great this time out and really given great moments of drama to play. The two that dominate the film of course are William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban, playing each of their parts with fire as each character makes their next move against the other. It's all the more impressive as neither character shares a single scene together in the same room. This was due to logistics of course due to Montalban's shooting schedule on the T.V show, Fantasy Island. But yet, you don't realize this until the film is over. Likewise, DeForest Kelly and James Doohan get a couple great scenes as well, whether it's sharing a drink with Kirk ruminating on growing older or dealing with the aftermath of one of Khan's attacks. There is also a great scene between Shatner and Nimoy where Spock gives command to the Enterprise, telling him he should never accepted the promotion to Admiral, that Captaining the Enterprise is where he belongs. The film builds on it's characters and it only adds to the richness of the film.
There are two different cuts of the film that are out and of the two I have always preferred the Director's Cut of the film. The changes to the film are subtle but it makes for a better and more fully realized film. One of the additions is a small expansion on young cadet Peter Preston (played by Ike Eisenmann), who briefly converses with Kirk during inspections before Scotty interjects and reveals the cadet is actually his nephew. It may not seem like much but it pays off better later in another scene I won't spoil. The other big addition is a short argument between McCoy, Spock and Kirk over the ethics of the Genesis project which I felt was another great thing to include in the film. These additions only strengthen an already great film and I can't help but wonder why they were ever cut in the first place.
Overall, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a benchmark in the series and stands as a fantastic film in it's own right. There is plenty to love for fans of the series but even if you've never seen a Star Trek episode or the previous film, it stands on it's own as a film that could be enjoyed by anyone. If that's not a ringing endorsement of the film, I don't know what is.
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