Hello, all!
It’s maybe a little apropos that something from the Star Trek franchise made the cut here given the recent passing of Nichelle Nichols, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN is really a great film that far outshines the original film. It’s been said that every odd-numbered installment in the first set of STAR TREK films paled in comparison to the even-numbered films, and, having watched them all, I’d say that’s accurate. It kind of applies to the The Next Generation movies, too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the Khan-oriented sequel in the rebooted franchise was also substantially better than its predecessor.
Enough Trekkie [or Trekker, if you’re really a purist] history, though…
Honestly, I didn’t really mind STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. It was an okay enough film, and that “Oh, crap, the transporter malfunctioned” scene still manages to be the stuff of nightmares. A self-aware, super-powerful robot isn’t a bad antagonist, either [*cough, cough* Skynet *cough, cough*]. Still, the only other thing that really stands out to me years after having seen the original is essentially “Bald lady becomes V-Ger cyborg thing.”
But… THE WRATH OF KHAN. You’ve got funky ear parasites, rich Corinthian leather, real personal stakes that would get carried out at least two-fold in the next entry… and, of course…
A movie like this lives and dies on the strength of its antagonist, and Montalban’s Khan carries just the right amount of charm and menace. When he’s quoting Melville toward the end, it’s about the best literary stuff to make its way into the STAR TREK films apart from Christopher Plummer quoting Shakespeare in the sixth iteration.
Which, as you probably guessed, follows the “even-numbered STAR TREK flick equals good” rule.
At any rate, the first in the series to have followed that rule is [obviously] the one that established it, and it did so with aplomb. Even if you’re not especially fond of the series or its myriad of spin-offs and films, this one is worth watching… more so than the original. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX]
It’s maybe a little apropos that something from the Star Trek franchise made the cut here given the recent passing of Nichelle Nichols, but maybe it has something to do with the fact that STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN is really a great film that far outshines the original film. It’s been said that every odd-numbered installment in the first set of STAR TREK films paled in comparison to the even-numbered films, and, having watched them all, I’d say that’s accurate. It kind of applies to the The Next Generation movies, too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the Khan-oriented sequel in the rebooted franchise was also substantially better than its predecessor.
Enough Trekkie [or Trekker, if you’re really a purist] history, though…
Honestly, I didn’t really mind STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE. It was an okay enough film, and that “Oh, crap, the transporter malfunctioned” scene still manages to be the stuff of nightmares. A self-aware, super-powerful robot isn’t a bad antagonist, either [*cough, cough* Skynet *cough, cough*]. Still, the only other thing that really stands out to me years after having seen the original is essentially “Bald lady becomes V-Ger cyborg thing.”
But… THE WRATH OF KHAN. You’ve got funky ear parasites, rich Corinthian leather, real personal stakes that would get carried out at least two-fold in the next entry… and, of course…
A movie like this lives and dies on the strength of its antagonist, and Montalban’s Khan carries just the right amount of charm and menace. When he’s quoting Melville toward the end, it’s about the best literary stuff to make its way into the STAR TREK films apart from Christopher Plummer quoting Shakespeare in the sixth iteration.
Which, as you probably guessed, follows the “even-numbered STAR TREK flick equals good” rule.
At any rate, the first in the series to have followed that rule is [obviously] the one that established it, and it did so with aplomb. Even if you’re not especially fond of the series or its myriad of spin-offs and films, this one is worth watching… more so than the original. Enjoy!
Other films recommended:
[Day 1 - THE DARK KNIGHT; Day 2 - DESPERADO; Day 3 - THE ROAD WARRIOR; Day 4 - X2: X-MEN UNITED; Day 5 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY; Day 6 - DAWN OF THE DEAD; Day 7 - DEADPOOL 2; Day 8 - HOT SHOTS! PART DEUX]
