Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
by Nicholas Meyer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, Walter Koenig, William ShatnerDirector: Nicholas Meyer
Brand: Paramount
Writer: Nicholas Meyer
Producer: Harve Bennett
Writer: Harve Bennett
Producer: Robert Sallin
Writer: Gene Roddenberry
Writer: Jack B. Sowards
Writer: Samuel A. Peeples
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Director's Cut, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-08-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Paramount
Product features:
- Test item DO NOT BUY!
Movie Reviews of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Movie Review: Trek retrospective: the last of the great epics.
Summary: 5 Stars
There are only two space battles in this film: the brief, vicious exchange of fire when the Enterprise first engages the Reliant, and the more drawn-out sequence in the nebula at the end. Only a few shots are fired in each battle. Most of the time is spent explaining the strategy of the opponents. The pacing in The Wrath Of Khan is masterful. Especially when compared to the horrible new Trek film, which contains so many cuts that it is impossible to process what is going on in each shot.
When the starships do fire on each other, a single shot inflicts a lot of damage. This is the only Star Trek film where starships look convincingly dangerous. Later films have a video-game quality in which ships can take many direct hits and still remain more or less fully operational. However, in the short first skirmish of The Wrath Of Khan, both ships are nearly crippled. Because of this, they have to spend the rest of the film warily circling around each other. There is a sense that their captains are thinking hard. Cunning replaces firepower. Of course, this adds to the suspense.
There are also no fist-fights. Kirk and Khan never meet face-to-face. This is perfect. Shatner was already too old here to punch people in the face convincingly anymore. But as a starship captain, he's terrific. During the first encounter with Khan, you can feel that Kirk's mind is racing to try to get ahead of Khan, as Kirk charmingly stalls for time.
Khan himself is the best of all Star Trek villains, and that's a list that includes Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, F. Murray Abraham and Marc Alaimo. Ricardo Montalban adopts an old-fashioned style of acting, with obviously theatrical diction and intonation, as well as aristocratic mannerisms. But, fake though this style may be, it is riveting -- it is the style of Greek tragedy. Around the time this film was made, the Star Trek franchise became the only remaining popular outlet for this old-fashioned style, and so Star Trek attracted the style's best actors. In my opinion, that's the best thing about the first six Trek films.
Even aside from Khan's performance, there is a certain old-fashioned strain running through the film -- it is clear that it was written by people who at least knew how to steal from the best. The first half boasts elegant, distinctive writing reminiscent of an older generation of Hollywood films ("Prayer, Mr. Saavik -- Klingons don't take prisoners," "except, of course, happy birthday, surely the best of times," "do you remember the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?" and so on). Even the uniforms are sly throwbacks, designed to give just a hint of historical romance, a subliminal association with adventure stories about life on the high seas. No wonder this proved to be Trek's most enduring and popular uniform design.
The subplot with Kirk's midlife crisis is well-drawn. They say that Shatner is a bad actor, but in fact, he is an excellent actor, it's just that he's only capable of playing a single role. But in that one role, he is perfect. Here he poignantly shows his character's feelings of loneliness and regret over the fact that his heroic career caused him to pass up a chance for a normal family life. The film ends on a note of touching optimism; it is shown that, although Kirk will probably never settle down, at least he has a family waiting for him somewhere, similar to Odysseus. (Too bad Star Trek III trampled all over that message.) Kirk is also given a jolt when his willful negligence of regulations leads to a severe miscalculation that claims the lives of many crew members. His ensuing regret is palpable.
Meanwhile, Spock completes his transformation into a very human, if very reserved figure. His tone in the conversation when he surrenders his command to Kirk -- not what he says, but his voice itself -- reveals how well they know each other and how comfortable they are talking together. As for McCoy, he usually doesn't get much to do in Trek films, but he is fairly prominent here. He gets a few good moments with Kirk in the beginning, showing that his friendship with Kirk is just as deep, and maybe closer, than Kirk's friendship with Spock. The conflict gives him a few opportunities (especially on the station) to show his selfless nature and willingness to risk his life to save somebody else.
The minor characters pretty much just do their usual duties (and Chekov gets hurt, yet again), but the original series was never an ensemble show. It's all about the friendship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. That theme comes through here, although McCoy is a bit too harsh when he snaps at Spock. It would have been fine if they had other scenes together, but they don't. The new character, Saavik, has a small but memorable role, though it becomes more memorable once you've seen her whole character arc through Star Trek IV.
There are other great Star Trek films -- personally, I'd even give a slight edge to Star Trek VI. But in terms of pure storytelling, The Wrath Of Khan is brilliant. The phaser beams might look a bit simplistic now, but the film's taut, gripping tension still makes it vastly superior to any present-day special effects extravaganza. And it has some of the most archetypal characters of American culture. It is a film that everyone should see.
More Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) reviews:
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Summary of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, it is the 23rd century and aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) seems resigned to the fact that this may well be his last space mission. But Khan (Ricardo Montalban), a brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth, is back, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for this old enemy Kirk - with the threat of universal Armageddon. The Director's Cut 2-Disc Edition includes commentaries, interviews, featurettes, and more.Similar DVD Movies
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