Star Trek 2 - Wrath Of Khan Dvd [1982]

The picture quality is hardly better than VHS in places, whilst the sound is often decidedly ropey. Why do Star Trek fans have to tolerate such poor releases of their favourite films? Don't even ask about extra features - one trailer does not go a long way towards justifying the extra cost of buying the movie in DVD format.

I should be giving this film five stars - as a movie it deserves them - but the DVD transfer is so poor that it has to be three.

The emotional impact of the death of Spock is something that was set up from early on in the Star Trek television series where it became clear that despite their vast differences the Captain and his First Officer had become friends. This is a theme that has been touched upon by various television episodes as well as in some of the better Star Trek novels that have dealt with the formation of that friendship. The symbolism of the plastic shielding that separates them at the end, a physical manifestation of the psychological barriers required by the Vulcan part of Spock, is certainly not lost on us. With all the "Buddy" movies Hollywood has produced, I cannot think of a more emotional declaration that "I have been and always shall be your friend." Yes, it was something that was so well understood that it never needed to be said, but it was still worth hearing.

Both the direction and the score are first rate and I am especially fond of the sequences where the bridge crew is waiting helplessly for Genesis to detonate. The camera moves in on each character as they discuss their impending deaths and the music matches the pace only to turn ominously when the scene cuts back to the dying Khan. However, I must note that director Nicholas Meyer used the same series of jump cuts to pull away from the Reliant before Genesis detonates that he did with Kansas City when the nuclear missiles hit in "The Day After." I also think composer James Horner deserves credit for setting the tone with the marvelous opening fanfare and heroic theme. Even before we get to the Kobayashi Maru sequence, you know this is going to be a good flick.

The only thing that really bugs me about this movie is that Khan keeps quoting Ahab. Obviously his obsession is reminiscent of "Moby Dick," but if you were a super genius would you really want to have Ahab as your role model? I understand how the allusion fits from the perspective of the director/writer/audience, but not from the perspective of Khan's character. Then again, besides "Moby Dick" one of the other books that Khan had on Ceti Alpha VI was "King Lear," which also features a main character with mental problems. Remember, this is a guy who quoted Milton at the end of "Space Seed," so I do not think he should suddenly be going off the deep end with his literary references. Ricardo Montalban's flamboyant performance as Khan not only works as he chews up the scenery with such delight, but because I think it is another significant reason that Shatner toned down his performance, thereby creating a nice contrast between the two characters.

This film had quite a low budget, but this was good in that it meant concentration was put on the story and the action rather than on special effects. In the Story, Kirk and the Enterprise are the victims of a hugh and deadly surprise attack by the genetically enhanced Khan (the best bad character in all Trek history). Kirk then has to fight against all the odds to beat this mentally and physically superior human being and his crew. The fact that the enterprise is badly damaged from Khan's opening attack and that it only has a student crew onboard makes Kirks job seem almost impossible. It is this putting a great man in Admiral Kirk, into a seemingly no win situation and then watch him fight against impossibility and eventually snatch victory from the moment of sure defeat that makes this film so incredibly good.

Star Trek will never again produce a film so good as this. In two words "Buy It!"