Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4613 in VHS
• Released on: 1998-12-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Inspired by the "Space Seed" episode of the original series, the classic swashbuckling scenario of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was much more of a success with fans than the somewhat turgid drama of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The film reunites newly promoted Admiral Kirk with his nemesis from the earlier episode--the genetically superior Khan (Ricardo Montalban)--who is now seeking revenge upon Kirk for having been imprisoned on a desolated planet. Their battle ensues over control of the Genesis device, a top-secret Starfleet project enabling entire planets to be transformed into life-supporting worlds, pioneered by the mother (Bibi Besch) of Kirk's estranged and now-adult son. While Mr. Spock mentors the young Vulcan Lt. Saavik (then-newcomer Kirstie Alley), Kirk must battle Khan to the bitter end, through a climactic starship chase and an unexpected crisis that will cost the life of Kirk's closest friend. This was the kind of character-based Trek that fans were waiting for, boosted by spectacular special effects, a great villain (thanks to Montalban's splendidly melodramatic performance), and a deft combination of humour, excitement, and wondrous imagination. Director Nicholas Meyer (who would play a substantial role in the success of future Trek features) treats the film as "Horatio Hornblower in space", and then adds lots of spicy seafaring Moby Dick references, plus a sprinkle of Shakespearean tragedy and World War II submarine thriller, all driven along by one of composer James Horner's finest scores. Wrath of Khan set the successful tone for the films that followed. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Synopsis
A top secret device code-named Project Genesis has fallen into the hands of Captain Kirk's old enemy Khan, who plans to use the device in a deadly game of revenge. Kirk must stop this renegade before he completes his mission, a mission that could bring the destruction of the Universe.

Customer Reviews

Wait forever and it's still not finished...
I love this film. It stands out as one of the best ST movies, well paced, well acted and with some beautiful special effects. The Wrath of Khan, however, pales next to my annoyance at the poor quality of this DVD, which seems to have taken forever to be released.

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.

With the death of Spock, Star Trek reaches its apex
"The Wrath of Khan" remains the best of the Star Trek movies. Yes, "The Voyage Home" was more fun, but the franchise is never going to be able to top the emotional impact of Spock's death. "The Wrath of Khan" is what we would have called a first-rate "B" movie in the old days. This is William Shatner's finest performance, helped by the fact that there is a telling subplot about Kirk worrying that he is growing old. Consequently, the character is given some significant depth whether he is dealing with having to put his spectacles on in front of the bridge crew or trying to come to terms with suddenly confronting a son who wants nothing to do with him. I also think Shatner's performance is helped by the fact that Kirk has to solve problems by thinking rather than by slugging anyone. In fact, Shatner won the Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA for his performance (director Nicholas Meyer won as well).

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.

Possibly the Best Trek Movie
This, the second of the Star Trek movies is very possibly the best of them. The Wrath of Khan and the first Trek film started a patter that has survived to this day. The first film was more of a psychological and dramatic nature. It was therefore decided that Star Trek 2 needed to be an action film. This pattern has followed through all ten Star Trek movies, a psychological followed by an action. The action ones have always proved to be much better than the psychological ones resulting in the saying that the even films are much better than the odds.

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!"