Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The eternal battle between “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” will likely rage on until the end of time. For years, fans of George Lucas’ space opera had an upper handed over Gene Rodenberry’s more philosophical space adventures, namely in that, while Lucas and his filmmakers hadn’t gone wrong on the big screen, “Trek” had been all over the map.
Boy have times changed. Lucas’ prequel trilogy (and the subsequent “Clone Wars” excursion on Cartoon Network) have made “Star Wars” vulnerable, and if the buzz is to be believed, J.J. Abrams’ reboot of “Trek”- opening this week- is looking to show that there’s still a lot of juice left in the franchise.
Hopefully, Abrams’ flick will be “Trek” at its’ best, which leads me to the current “best” in the movie franchise, “The Wrath of Khan.” Without really being overly familiar with the TV shows- from “Original Series” to “Enterprise”- the movies are my only really familiarity with the franchise. It’s taken some time, but I can see where the fandom comes from.
“Khan” was a film I’ve never really appreciated as much as my fellow Yahoos Ron and Dave (hear the commentary below). But time changes perspectives, and it’s hard not to include “Khan” with not just the best of “Trek” but in sci-fi in general. All of the ingredients are there- music (James Horner’s score still rates as one of his best), visual effects (ILM’s early use of CG in the Genesis sequence is a marvel, as are the visuals in particular), and- most important- story.
“Khan’s” story- developed by Jack B. Sowards and Harve Bennett- is derived from the classic “Original Series” episode “Space Seed,” where James Kirk (William Shatner) maroons genetically-enhanced criminal Khan (Ricardo Montalban, in one of the great villain performances of all-time) and his wife on the desolate planet Ceti Alpha V for dead. His wife dies, but Khan- and a band of criminals whose loyalty is absolute- lives on, waiting for the chance to take his vengeance on Kirk.
Khan’s opportunity arises when Captain Terrell (Paul Winfield) and Commander Chekov (Walter Koenig) of the starship Reliant are scouting the planet- seemingly bereft of life- for possible use in Project Genesis, a civilian project run by Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and her son David (Merritt Butrick) in an attempt to create a life-sustaining planet out of one devoid of life. Needless to say, if Genesis were to fall into the wrong hands, the project could be used as a dangerous weapon.
Meanwhile, Admiral Kirk has now been promoted out of being a starship captain, which would seem great, but Kirk- a born leader and captain- starts to feel as though life is passing him by. His friends Spock (Leonard Nimoy- I can’t wait to see him in the new film) and Bones (the late Deforest Kelly) see it in Kirk’s eyes, but soon the three will be thrust right back into the uncertain adventure of space when a training flight with some of Spock’s cadets turns into a game of cat-and-mouse from the newly liberated Khan, who’s taken over Reliant.
Though chiefly one of the best revenge stories ever told in film, “Khan” also has a deep exploration when it comes to the nature of character and leadership. The opening sequence- with Spock’s cadets training on the Kobayashi Maru simulator- sets that tone early on, and it resonates throughout the film as Kirk is faced with possible “no-win scenarios” like it throughout. Kirk, by the way, is the only person to successfully navigate the Kobayashi Maru- which seems an odd test to give cadets at first, since no matter what happens, they will lose the ship. But the point is a test of character, not win-lose. How Kirk beat the “no-win scenario” is more a window into his leadership qualities than his character, although those are just as important in a situation like what they’re going to be up against with Khan.
Director Nicholas Meyer (who also directed “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,” and whose commentaries for “Khan” and the original “The Day the Earth Stood Still” with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” director Robert Wise- who also directed that seminal 1951 film- are indispensable listening) brings all of the thematic elements together with a keen intelligence to go with the film’s suspense and surprise, which includes a game of chicken within a Nebula that shows how keen of opponents Kirk and Khan are. And then, there’s the end, which resonates as the true bonds of friendship and character are put to the ultimate test, and Kirk finally finds a scenario he cannot win without sacrifice. Fans know there’s further adventures ahead for the full crew of the Enterprise, but that doesn’t make the scene any less emotional to watch. It’s unlikely Abrams will top this film right out of the gate, but it’s hard not to see him coming close by watching the trailers.
To listen to the Yahoos With a Microphone Commentary on “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, go here to download the tracks.
