Following the critical disappointment of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the franchise’s fate was up in the air. Legend has it that after attending the premiere, William Shatner said, “That’s it. We gave it our best shot, but there’ll be no more Star Trek movies.”
But that was back when movie studios would still take the occasional gamble on a property with potential, despite starting off on the wrong foot. And Paramount Studios gave the challenge of redeeming the Trek film franchise to veteran television producer Harve Bennett.
Bennett’s first step was to go back and watch the original Star Trek TV series from start to finish. Convinced that the first movie lacked a compelling villain, he combed through each episode with an eye to finding just the right bad guy to drive the sequel.
Upon seeing the 1967 episode “Space Seed,” Bennett was intrigued by the story’s antagonist. A deposed superman exiled in space and rescued by the Enterprise, only to be left on a remote planet after trying to hijack the ship, cut a compelling figure. And so, Star Trek II found its heart in the passionate but ruthless Khan Noonien Singh.
The Wrath of Khan was Bennett’s first movie production. And rolling the dice on a TV producer who decided to take an even bigger risk by making the first-ever feature film sequel to a TV episode paid off in spades.
There’s an old saying: “Victory has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan.” The Star Trek movie franchise as of 1982 embodied that proverb. Roddenberry was blamed for the first film’s mixed reception and cost overruns. For the sequel he was demoted to a production role and effectively removed from the project. Meanwhile, Harve Bennett, Samuel A. Peeples, and director Nicholas Meyer all wrote drafts of the script. on-set suggestions from the actors, as well as pre-screening feedback from fans, helped shape the finished movie.
And what a movie!
I’ll spare you the affected objectivity here. In my informed opinion, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is the best
- entry in the canonical Star Trek franchise
- science fiction movie sequel
- hard SF/military SF movie
and in the running for best sequel to any first film in any genre.
Praising this movie’s manifold virtues is gilding the lily, but since you came here for a substantive review, here are some highlights:
- The pacing – They fixed it. Each scene is necessary and leads into the next with not a second wasted. And the story holds viewers’ attention, because of …
- The characters – Our beloved Enterprise crew were MIA in the first movie, during which they were replaced by weird wooden robots. But in Wrath of Khan, they’re back and more compellingly motivated than ever. Kirk wants to resolve his midlife crisis by proving he’s still got what it takes. Spock wants to help his protĂ©gĂ© rise to one day fill his shoes. Scotty wants the same for his nephew. And of course, Khan wants revenge. That’s just for starters, since characters’ arcs intersect throughout the film, creating new motives and tensions with mounting stakes – the Kirk/David conflict being a high point. Even secondary characters always have important things to do. Authors take note: This is how you write an ensemble cast.
- The action – This is where they figured out the submarine-warfare-in-space formula of Star Trek combat. And Wrath of Khan features this kind of action at its best. No other original cast Trek film takes advantage of the Z axis in ship-to-ship battles. And it’s particularly well-served by …
- The effects – With Wrath of Khan, we have arrived at Peak Practical Effects. You never see real, solid models getting battered and blown apart on the big screen anymore, and our culture is the poorer for it. CG just can’t pick up the slack. If it could, it would have by now.
- The music – The crown jewel of Star Trek: The Motion Picture was Jerry Goldsmith’s iconic score. To call TMP’s soundtrack a tough act to follow is a massive understatement. The challenge of topping it is akin to outdoing John Williams’ original Star Wars score. Yet relative newcomer James Horner beat the odds and crafted a spacy, swashbuckling score you can throw on and write operatic space battles to. I know I do.
Bonus: WoK gives us a number of Star Trek firsts:
- First female Vulcan whose name starts with an “S”
- First- and only – time Bones says “Damn it, Jim”
- Frist mid-beam-up conversation
But the one element that cemented this film’s legacy is the spoiler that was spoiled by the studio before the movie even came out.
And it’s a now-clichĂ© plot point that almost no other IP gets right.
But Star Trek did, and we’ll discuss how in the next review.
Until then, check out the mil-SF series I wrote some scenes for while grooving to the Wrath of Khan soundtrack:
For the longest time, “Wrath of Khan” was my favorite Star Trek film and it’s still one of my top 3. “Undiscovered Country,” surpasses it in my book for a few reasons, but Khan is still one my favorite examples of how excellent Star Trek can be.
You’re absolutely right about the pacing in this film. Star Trek can indulge in too much navel gazing when it examines deep themes, and it loses everything that makes it Trek when it’s gets too deep into the action. Khan struck a perfect balance between the two. It’s a master class on how to make good Trek.
I’m looking forward to your review of “Search for Spock.” It’s an underappreciated film, warts and all. It doesn’t get nearly as much love as it deserves.
We are firmly on the same page.
Fun fact: The Undiscovered Country was an early title for Wrath of Khan.
I’m looking forward to getting to that one.
I didn’t know that! I guess their penchant for using discarded ideas extended well into the production of TNG era of Trek.
I’m really looking forward to your treatment of The Undiscovered Country. Make haste! lol
“I guess their penchant for using discarded ideas extended well into the production of TNG era of Trek.”
Longer than that. Adapting unproduced scripts from earlier projects for later installments is a Trek tradition.
>TMP reused concepts from Phase II.
>TNG seasons 1 and 2 featured unused TOS scripts.
>DS9 seasons 1 and 2 had episodes adapted from unproduced TNG scripts.
And I’m pretty sure a number of Voyager episodes were based on TNG and DS9 scripts with the serial numbers filed off.
Voyager’s Season 6 episode “Barge of the Dead” was recycled, at least in concept, from a DS9 proposal.
It’s a brilliant movie. I rank it as about equal with “Empire Strikes Back”. If somebody tells me “I’m not a Star Trek fan” I respond “Neither am I. I’m a Wrath of Khan fan.”
I always thought and still think that the film’s one flaw – Minor! – is that they telegraph very hard that Spock is coming back. His death and Kirk’s response is absolutely masterfully done but it would hit even harder if we didn’t know for sure he was coming back.
But it’s an outstanding movie.
100% cosigned.
The handling of Spock’s death as it stands was the result of a complex and winding process. First, the only reason Spock’s death was written into the script to begin with was to induce Leonard Nimoy to reprise the role. But Nimoy enjoyed making Wrath of Khan so much that he changed his mind about retiring the character. So it was decided – and announced – that Spock would be resurrected before WoK’s release.
Then you have the original cut of the movie missing Spock’s mind meld with Bones and the final shot of the coffin torpedo on Genesis. Both scenes were added later due to fan backlash over a leaked script. And both aroused a fair share of controversy among the cast.
I knew Nimoy had changed his mind about coming back, but did not know about those scenes being cut out then put back in. Interesting. The version of the film I saw had them and would have been better without them, I think.
The death scene itself was so masterfully handled I want to emphasize this amounts as a nitpick. If all of Star Trek were like Wrath of Khan this would be a much easier to recommend franchise.
As I said previously, because of the first film being so bad ( sorry, guys, it was) it took me around two decades to actually watch the second movie. I was glad when I did.
Wrath of Khan is a perfectly paced classic adventure adventure flick with great characterization, involving special effects, and even religious allegories. It is fascinating watch and got me to jump right into III and IV right after (I had the old, cheap 3 in 1 DVD pack at the time), which is saying something from a person who never really liked the franchise to begin with. It’s very easy to see why this movie revived interest in the property and saved it from death.
And all they had to do was shelve Roddenberry to make it happen. Really makes you think!
It was also one of the first big VHS home video releases. At a time when every other distributor was charging almost $80 for new VHS releases, Paramount took yet another gamble and offered Wrath of Khan for a then-unheard-of $39.95.
That was the first big VHS price cut, and it led to the abandonment of the rental pricing model.
WoK’s slow naval battle really differentiated itself from other sci fi space battles, which resembled fast dogfights in space. I find it puzzling that despite WoK’s acclaim, the franchise didn’t continue with WoK’s style of space battle. In the TNG movies, the Enterprise was doing barrel rolls, and in DS9’s Dominion War there were hundreds of huge spaceships engaged in dogfights. Felt like I was watching Star Wars, not a fleet engagement.
They know that WoK’s space battles are the Trek gold standard. But they don’t get why. You can tell because they keep trying and failing to remake it. First Contact and Into Darkness are just the most obvious examples.
It’s clear that later Trek directors didn’t get why WoK’s space battles worked. Spock’s line about “two-dimensional thinking” gives the game away, yet throughout the rest of the original cast films, as well as TNG and Voyager, starship battles take place on the same plane.
I remember seeing this in the theater and when Kirk gets the drop on Khan and starts blasting his ship, the audience exploded into a standing ovation. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen that happen at a movie. Doesn’t really make sense since they’re applauding a screen, not the cast and crew in person, and in retrospect a lot of them were probably Trekkies, but it happened.
That scene epitomizes the “stand up and cheer” moment that action writers aspire to. It packs a massive punch due to being a highly cathartic turning point in multiple intersecting character arcs.
I hate Star Trek. I’ve never enjoyed a TV series iteration of it. And yet, Wrath of Khan is one of my top five favorite movies of all time. I watch it regularly. That’s how well made it is, for all of the reasons you give, and also this one: When I first watched it, I knew almost nothing of the Star Trek show besides the names of Kirk, Spock and the theme song, and none of that mattered.
We were visiting a family who we used to stay with every few months so dad’s and mom’s could drink and hang out. They were fairly well off and were the first people we knew to have a VCR. They used it as a babysitter while they partied. I watched Wrath of Khan on VHS with my siblings and all three of their children, who were girls. All told, kids between the ages of 7 and 13. We were absolutely enthralled, even the young girls. We all cried like babies when Spock died.
Amazing movie. I watch it every chance I get.
Another note about the music. This was one of James Horner’s best pieces of music he ever composed, along with Krull and Willow. And Horner knew it because he frequently robbed all three movies-repeatedly-and reused themes and sounds from those 3 movies. Of course, it was his music and he could do what he wanted with it. I’m a huge fan of Krull and Willow as well, and I imagine, a lot of that has to do with Horner’s scores.
“When I first watched it, I knew almost nothing of the Star Trek show besides the names of Kirk, Spock and the theme song, and none of that mattered.”
That right there is a hallmark of Grade A writing. The only contemporary writer I can think of who can accomplish the same feat is Jim Butcher.
A central reason why WoK appeals to viewers of both sexes is Lt. Saavik. The studio kept pressuring the crew to objectify her to give male audience members some cheap thrills. The producers and directors steadfastly refused and presented her as a feminine yet professional officer. She’s still one of the most popular characters introduced after the original series, despite only appearing in two films (3 if you count The Undiscovered Country, which I do).
Just as I finished reading this, my phone received an update from a local news app that Kirstie Alley has passed away. She was 71.
Eternal memory
Brian,
I enjoyed Wrath of Khan. It was such a counterintuitive movie which its rollicking adventure with high stakes and consequences.
One aspect that struck me was Khan legitmate bitterness towards Kirk when he broke his promise to keep an eye on the former.
It would’ve been an interesting subplot for Khan to acidly remark, Kirk and the Federation had absorbed the Genetic wars’ legacy despite protests to the contrary.
xavier
Agree with all of the above, and have to add that WoK had the best underlying story, since it was substantially a remake of the movie “Moby Dick”.
With spaceships.
And THAT movie had a screenplay by Ray Bradbury, with better lines in it than the novel had – the best of which found their way into Kahn’s mouth
Great review and comments
I was not aware of that.
Every Khan line was iconic. It takes a great actor to go ham-to-ham with Bill Shatner. They were never even on set together.
I was reading a recent history of the Pacific war by Jeffrey Cox. In the second of 3 volumes, he made several references to a navy not being “one big happy fleet.” Also several references to the Spanish Inquisition gag. Wrath of Khan and Monty Python. I’m sure without looking him up that he’s Gen X.
Moby Dick is a head-fake by the screenwriters. Khan has a copy of the book and quotes it, but that’s a smokescreen. The real inspiration for WoK’s plot is C.S. Forester’s first Captain Hornblower novel, _Beat to Quarters_ (which has been reprinted and collected under a dizzying variety of alternate titles: The Happy Return, Captain Horatio Hornblower, etc.). It’s almost beat-for-beat the same story: the villain is a mad tyrant, the ship gets severely damaged and has to improvise repairs, and others. It’s also a great book and you all should read it.
The movie is also shockingly Christian.
Like the ending where the defeated Khan effectively accepts the role of Satan, giving up any humanity he may have had, determined simply to cause suffering for suffering’s sake before he dies.
And the perfectly logical Spock realizes they are in the no-win situation and in a moment of clarity understands the logic of Kirk’s illogical “I don’t believe in no-win situations”. It is a very human attitude to refuse to admit defeat even when logical and is part of what makes humanity so durable.
And in contrast to Khan Spock’s solution to the no-win situation is the most HUMAN thing he can possibly do: Self-sacrifice for the sake of those he loves.
And we know this was all intentional because Kirk specifically calls Spock the most human human being he’s ever known at the funeral.
It’s a film that rewards deeper analysis.
FYI, the novelization of this film, by the late Vonda McIntyre, includes some extra content that was excised from the script before filming, such as the fact that Saavik is half Romulan, and that she was friends with, and tutoring, Peter Preston (Scotty’s nephew).
McIntyre also wrote the books for the next two movies.
Also, the novel The Pandora Principle by Carolyn Clowes expands on Saavik’s backstory. One funny scene has Spock scolding her for swearing, so she learns to curse in 23 languages.
There were some later novels that had Spock and Saavik getting married after many decades had passed. The less said about those, the better.
It was established in the TNG episode “Sarek” that Spock had gotten married to someone, and for a lot of fandom, Saavik has been the … logical … choice.
When I saw it in the theater (yes, such is my age) I had heard the rumor that Spock dies in the film. In one of the cleverest little bits of red herring I have ever seen, before or since, Spock is blown head over heels during the opening sequence, killed immediately. Then when, as a plot twist at the end of the first five minutes, this turns out to be a training simulation, Kirk wanders over to the body of Spock, who is then getting to his feet, and Kirk jokingly says he heard a rumor Spock had died.
I think resurrecting the character in the third movie undermines the point and effect of the real death scene later, but taking on its own terms, as a movie, you are correct that this is the best sequel, and the best SF film, ever.
If it’s any consolation, I saw The Search for Spock in theaters.
And yes, Spock’s simulated death in the opening Kobayashi Maru sequence was a masterstroke of the kind we never see from Hollywood anymore. It disarmed audience members who’d heard the spoiler while foreshadowing Spock’s real death and introducing one of the movie’s main themes. A real triple threat.
“… [T]his is the best sequel, and the best SF film, ever.”
Now that a bona fide science fiction grand master has rendered his verdict, let all who would deny it be anathema.
Ah, the tragedy of being a GenX’er… So many masterstroke films were released in the 80’s. Pop Music was vibrant & strong. My older brother & I were into comics since the late 1970’s & were completely spoiled as they kept getting better into the 1980’s. We were also born at the perfect time to Grok the revolutionary entertainment medium of Video Games. My entire Generation also had the advantage of being young enough to embrace all the emerging computer technology, but old enough to know a life without Smartphones.
I was 11 when ST-WOK came out, my older brother 13. We were already huge Trek fans, grizzled veterans, due mainly to our Mother being a big fan & making viewing the TV shows an event for us.
Even at such a relatively young age, I recognized that as I got older, Star Trek had essentially grown with me. As I grew capable of appreciating more, releases like ST2 had so much more to appreciate. Then having such a magnificent film under my belt, I eagerly awaited the next installment.
I was horribly spoiled by that film & all the other great entertainment media coming out during those years. As a child it set my expectations. STIII, while a decent enough film, was a huge disappointment for me. However, there was still such a wealth of great media to experience, so the blow was softened. It really wasn’t until the early 1990’s when I realized that I had actually grown up in what I came to think of as ‘Peak Culture’. Morpheus was wrong, it was the *1980’s* that were the peak of our civilization.
Back in 2018, you remarked that 1997 was where the ‘fall’ really got going. For me this became true in a disasterously wagnerian fashion, as I had gotten engaged to an ardent feminist. Though that tale goes far beyond the scope of commenting about STII, I will say that I experienced a microcosm of what the entire West is going through now.
So I saw this crisis coming many years ago. I just hope it ends better than that relationship did.
The micro and macro levels you mention are related. The West’s deposit of cultural capital was a patrimony from the Church. When we turned our backs on Christ, it was only a matter of time before the culture exhausted itself.
Spring will come again, but only after Clown World burns itself down and the suffering turns people back to Jesus.