Customer Reviews

Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan [VHS]

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I just bought this DVD..., and the verdict is in: It's a blast!!!

THE MOVIE: Certanily one of the best Star Trek movies. Although the main plot about revenge is a bit too basic, the sub-plots, including the addition of Kirk's ex-wife and son, makes the movie better. The action is well paced and the special effects are marevelous. Also, the "expanded director's edition" featured on this DVD adds about 5 extra minutes to the movie. The added footage does little to help the plot, but does a great deal to flesh out more of the minor characters, such as Kirk's son and Lt. Saavik. Also, the last 15 minutes of the film (some added dialogue was put in there to have a little bit more emotional impact at the end of the film) made me jump the grade of the film from a "B" to an "A+."

THE DVD: In addition to having a crisp, clear picture transfer of the film with oustanding sound, the first disc has a nice audio commentary from the director and an even nicer text commentary from Michael Okuda, co-author of the Star Trek Encyclopedia. (That guy knows EVERY SINGLE LITTLE DETAIL THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD NOT EVEN KNOW A THING ABOUT that regards to Star Trek.) The second disc contains the following:

1) The Captain's Log: A 27-minute documentary featuring brand new interviews with Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, director Nicholas Meyer, Ricardo Montalban, and others. They talk about how they originally intended to put the film together, how they eventually ended up completing that task, and other things.
2) Designing Khan: A 23-minute documentary that features interviews with director Nicholas Meyers, the costume designer, and the production designer. They discuss the transitions they made in costume and production design from the ST:TMP to ST2:TWOK.
3) Visual Effects: An 18-minute featurette that has interviews with the FX crew. They explain how they executed and completed the FX shots. (Big surprise there)
4) The Star Trek Universe: A 28-minute documetary that features interviews with two Star Trek novel writers. They discuss how they fill in the gaps between the movies with their books and where they get their ideas.
5) Original Interviews: Basically 10 minutes of interviews (from 1982) featuring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, and Deforest Kelley.
6) Archives: The archives feature 10 original storyboard sequences. (That sure beats the storyboard archives on the ST:TMP DVD, which features a mere 3 storyboard sequences.) There is also a thatrical trailer.

So, there you have it. A great movie with a packed DVD equals a great purchase. Buy as soon as possible.

1982; 116 minutes; Rated PG for mild obscenity, some sequences of sc-fi action/violence, and brief shots of the aftermaths of brutal murders.
(I DO think this movie should have been rated PG-13, but the rating didn't exist then. See and judge for yourself.)...

In the wake of Robert Wise's "director's edition" of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, it was only a matter of time before Nicholas Meyer's STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN was awarded the same treatment. Half a year later, KHAN does indeed get the royal treatment with a 2-disc set loaded with extras and fan tidbits galore. The package includes a slightly extended "director's cut" of KHAN that restores a critical plot point (namely, the young cadet who dies in Scotty's arms is actually Scotty's nephew) and a few brief clippings of dialogue (mostly back-and-forth exchanges among the main cast); a commentary by Meyer in which he discusses both the film and his approaches to filmmaking; a text commentary by STAR TREK's long-time technical point man Michael Okuda that's packed with more fanboy knowledge than a game of Trivial Pursuit; cast interviews from 1982 (in which Leonard Nimoy wears a pink and white striped suit that makes him look like a pimp); three documentaries covering the making of the film; "A Novel Approach," a documentary where TREK authors Julia Ecklar and Greg Cox discuss how KHAN's plot elements spun off into the TREK novels; the film's FX storyboards; and of course, the theatrical trailer. Let's look at each of these:

THE DIRECTOR'S CUT OF KHAN - the film makes a bit more sense now that the scenes establishing the doomed cadet as Scotty's nephew have been restored, and the restored dialogue adds a little extra kick to the proceedings (it's especially funny to hear Spock respond to Kirk's telling him about his son with a disinterested "Fascinating"). But the film is still as tightly structured and fast-paced as it's ever been; the added footage does nothing to slow the film down or to harm the story (although some nit-pickers will make the hilarious claim that the whopping THREE minutes restored to the film "butcher" it and ruin the pace-how can this be when the added three minutes are spread out over the whole film?). Rather, it gives it a bit more punch. As for the look of the film, it's certainly a lot cleaner and brighter than most other prints, but even with the digital re-mastering, there's still a lot of visible film grain. Like STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE before it, KHAN looks its age regardless of the print quality. But this is a minor detail. Overall the film looks pretty good.

COMMENTARIES - both interesting and enjoyable. Meyer's regular guy vibe and insights into the making of the film are engaging, and Okuda's trivia-heavy text comments are a joy for anyone who thrives on knowing useless fanboy tidbits.

CAST INTERVIEWS - a unusual time capsule in which the film's leads plug the film. But let's face it; the coolest thing about this insert is seeing Leonard Nimoy dressed like a pimp. Spock in a pink suit is perhaps the greatest source of laughs you'll ever find.

DOCUMENTARIES - by far, the coolest of these is "Where No Man Has Gone Before," which covers the stylish FX work ILM did on the film. The giddiness with which the film's FX crew recalls their work on the film is enormously contagious. "Designing KHAN," about the film's costume and set designs, is pretty good, too. "Captain's Log," about the overall making of the film, is uneven though. Where Meyer, producer Harve Bennett, and Ricardo Montalban are discussing what went into the making of the film, William Shatner spends his time being a total wiseacre, either mercilessly razzing his pal Nimoy ("I think the death scene would have been better if we DIDN'T see him thru the glass!" and "Oh, he knew he was coming back, he set me up to think he was leaving...I'll get him one day!") or joking about how he used women's cosmetics to look younger. And Nimoy is no better, cracking wise about how much older Shatner is than he. (For those of you wondering, this is how they act around each other all the time.) The insight/clowning-around mixture simply doesn't jell. But to be fair, at least Nicholas Meyer is finally acknowledged as the author of KHAN's shooting script, not Jack Sowards as has been erroneously credited. "A Novel Approach" is interesting, but dry; it bogs down when the authors recite passages from the novels. The moments where they discuss how KHAN formed the backbone of their work and display their fan knowledge are the most enjoyable, even if the supertitles used during the film clips steer too much into jokiness.

STORYBOARDS - mind-blowing. We're treated to the conceptual sketches of the film's FX shots (including the combat sequences, which match those in the finished film almost exactly), as well as some terrific concepts for the opening title sequence and the "Spock monologue" finale that really should have been used in the film. Illustrated by the late Mike Minor, these storyboards read like a really good comic book.

THEATRICAL TRAILER - pretty dramatic for a teaser, and it gives a good idea of what the film was going to be.

Despite a couple of rocky patches, the "director's edition" of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN is a worthy package to a really good film. Highly recommended.

Considered the best Star Trek film to date. The film is a virtual Horatio Hornblower in outer space. Wrath Of Khan is a gripping adventure reminisent of a 1957 WWII film "The Enemy Below." Ricardo Montalban is superb at Khan Noonan Singh, genetically modified super madman from the late 20th century. Awoken on a sleeper ship in the 23rd century by Capt Kirk and crew, only to be exiled on unstable planet. Khan seeks revenge on Kirk in the worst way, as he hijacks a Federation starship as well as a device that could literally destroy the galaxy. The best line in the film:

Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan, you bloodsucker! You're gonna have to do your own dirty work now, do you hear me? Do you? Khan: Kirk! You're still alive, old friend! Admiral James T. Kirk: Still, "old friend!" You've managed to kill everyone else but like a poor marksman, you keep missing the target. Khan: Perhaps I no longer need to try, Admiral. [beams the Genesis device away] Admiral James T. Kirk: Khan... Khan, you've got Genesis, but you don't have me. You were going to kill me, Khan. You're gonna have to come down here. You're gonna have to come down here. Khan: I've done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I've hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her: marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet, buried alive. Buried alive. Kirk: KHAAANNNN! KHAAANNNN!

Wrath Of Khan also stars Kristie Alley (of Cheers, and Veronica's Closet). It was Krisitie's 1st roll on the big screen, playing Lt. Saavik, Spock's protegee. Great acting by Montalban and terrific over-acting by Shatner. Star Trek II is a tour de force. A must have for the Trekkie and sci-fi collector.

A classic line in a classic movie. This is undoubtedly classic Trek.

For most fans of the Star Trek series, Star Trek II is the movie which set the standard for all the following films in the series. Nicholas Meyer's direction is a welcome change from ST:TMP, which plodded along, even for die-hard Trek fans. Ricardo Montalban's portrayal of Khan is what really steals the show, though. His single-minded purpose of destroying Adm. Kirk is both chilling and convincing. Besides Star Trek 6 (also directed by Meyer), this is the only Trek movie that feels we've "Boldly gone where no one has gone before."

The DVD edition is a flawless transfer. Its presentation is certainly the best transfer to date, though the sound fidelity sounds dated at times. However, even the sound is the best you've ever heard on this film. The only thing wanting in this edition is more supplemental material. Come on, Paramount, where's the beef! Though the theatrical trailer is a nice touch, the DVD could have had some added cast biographies and interviews. The sparse supplemental material keeps me from giving this DVD a full 5 stars.

Overall, I highly recommend this film to Sci-Fi/Action/Trek fans alike. If Hollywood invested more time in movies like this, a lot more people would be more satisfied in spending a day's pay at the theater.

This review is specific to the 2009 version. The good news here is the movie: still the same great film it has always been. The bad news is, this has the lamest special features I've ever seen on a dvd.

The audio overtrack is commentary by director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (who? I had to look him up on Wikipedia). The main reason I enjoy this type of commentary is to hear how things were done, background detail on the actors, how they approached their parts, and so on. Especially in a movie like this, full of legendary characters and on the cusp of cgi special effects, there is potential for lots of fascinating "backstage" drama and information. Not so here. I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times Nicholas and Manny referred to events in the film as they were happening. Most of their discussion centered around how honored Coto was to be in the presence of the great Meyer, and how awesome Meyer was and how great his work was. This is the sort of fact that only needs to be stated so many times, and after that it just generates vigorous eye-rolling. The rest of their chat dwelt on topics like how illiterate the general public is, how terrible television is, and other vague philosophical meanderings. It had the feel of a couple of guys in a bar well into their fourth beers.

The other special features were just as disappointing. The composer of the Genesis theme music has a brief and uninspiring talk to the camera; and there is a "Tribute to Richardo Montalban" which consists of a guy going on at length on how great an actor Montalban is. No cute pictures of him in his childhood, no background on his family or upbringing, no clips of previous work. Just a guy talking on and on about what a great man he is. The filmmakers tried to make it interesting by varying the camera angle on the narrator, but it didn't work.

There is also a short clip intended to be a training film from Starfleet Academy discussing the disaster to Ceti Alpha VI that had potential for being interesting and informative. Unfortunately it consisted of a young woman saying vague things like "It could have exploded...or perhaps there was an impact..." This could have been a scientifically accurate discussion on the forces that could result in the destruction of a planet or moon, but it had the appearance of a project for 7th grade science class.

The best special feature was a look at the market for Star Trek movie relics, which at least had the benefit of people who were clearly passionate about their achievements in this field. Though it was an interesting look at an unusual topic, the fact that this was the best feature on this dvd should tell you something.

Bottom line is, if all you're looking for is the movie, this disc is as good as any other. But if you're a fan of outstanding special features, look elsewhere.

Like most Star Trek fans, I believe "The Wrath of Khan" to be the greatest in the series of Star Trek feature films. The DVD does a wonderful job of enhancing the video and sound, but Paramount...where are the extra scenes? In the ABC televised version of the film, there are added scenes that really help the movie move along better and explain certain elements that are left out without these scenes. I'm tired of Paramount just adding a theatrical trailer or two and thinking that it is giving its fans "something extra." All-in-all, I would happily recommend this DVD to any Star Trek fan despite the lack of extras. Looking forward to the release of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" to complete my DVD collection of Star Trek feature films.

STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN (it didn't have the II in the title when it first came out) is far and away the best Trek film. William Shatner gives his best performance as Kirk, and Ricardo Montalban is incredible as the revenge obsessed Khan. The story is excellent and well paced, mixing small doses of humor in just the right places. The special effects are the best of the series up to INSURRECTION, and Nicholas Meyer's direction is excellent on all levels. The DVD transfer of the film is beautiful - by far the best version of the film visually. Sadly, however, the only extra we get is the original theatrical trailer (and it's not exactly a spectacular trailer - I seem to remember another trailer that was better...). They should have restored the film to include the footage seen on ABC when they broadcast the movie back in the 80's. That version has several extended scenes that help make certain angles in the story make more sense. They also should have done a documentary on the making of the film, like the documentaries on the James Bond DVD's. All that may yet happen, but until then this is still an excellent transfer of the original film, in it's original theatrical form. STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN is still most die-hard Trek fans' pick as best Trek film, and I would agree with that sentiment. Even though the lack of extras is disappointing, I would recommend this DVD to both Trek fans and non-Trek fans alike. One of the best Science Fiction films of all time.

(Update: An extended edition of Star Trek II ended up released as part of the 2-Disc Star Trek special edition series that Paramount released a few years ago. It is a great set, and is definitely a, "Must have.")

Like most fans, I recommend STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN as the best of the Trek film franchise, including the Next Generation films. Despite the lackluster STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, Paramount knew it had a franchise to compete with STAR WARS on its hands, and put Nicholas Meyer at the helm of the series' comeback.

Originally conceived as STAR TREK: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (a tip to Spock's death -- the undiscovered country is the place where no traveler returns from -- and a title Meyer liked enough to resurrect for the sixth (and final) original cast Trek installment), the film had just about everything going for it: plot, acting (yes, I said acting), special effects, and an incredible sweeping musical score by James Horner.

The DVD is pretty much perfect, with some caveats. I agree with another reviewer about the lack of additional scenes on the DVD. What happened, Paramount? We know these additional scenes to exist (via network screenings of the film). One should note, however, the sound quality. It's stunning, especially in surround. Almost worth it for that alone.

It was also interesting to see the Trailer for the film again; I'd forgotten how cheesy it was. :)

Despite shortcomings (lack of additional scenes or any real extras on the DVD), this is one of the DVDs I've been waiting for a long time. A welcome addition to just about any DVD collection.

Clearly Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan is, in my opinion, one of the best Star Trek films. It certainly did a lot more to please long time fans and draw in new ones, than did The Motion Picture. Drawing on a very powerful character from the original episode, Khan Noonien Singh. Ricardo Montalban delivers a powerful performance. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForrest Kelly and all the other original characters do a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life in this film.

The Director's Edition is a true joy, containing everything that should've been put on this DVD when it was originally released. Being an avid fan of the Star Trek books, the feature with Greg Cox (one of the best trek authors) and Julia Ecklar (half of the LA Graf writing team) was a pure joy. Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan is a pure Sci-Fi, genre masterpiece and the Director's Edition DVD is a must for your collection!

Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan succeeds because it strikes the perfect balance of drama, action, humor, pathos, and depth. After the critical failure of the first Star Trek movie (which hit movie theaters before being properly completed), the producers took the trouble to view every episode of the original series to figure out what made it enduring. They replicated it successfully in The Wrath of Khan. Unlike the first film, the plot is driven by the actions and motivations of the characters. This is not a story about spatial anomalies or an excuse for technobabble and flashy special effects. This story is about the classic themes which have served drama well since ancient Greek theater: the quest for vengeance; lost loves; the alienation, anger and reconciliation of fathers and sons; and the realization of mortality. Of the many science fiction films I have seen, few have tugged at the heartstrings as deeply as The Wrath of Khan. The most powerful moments are the bittersweet reunion between Kirk and Carol Marcus, the death of Spock and Kirk's eulogy, and the long delayed embrace between Kirk and his estranged son David. These moments are so universal that any "science fiction" label for this film seems limiting.

The script is helped by what is undoubtedly William Shatner's finest performance as James T. Kirk. Shatner brings the perfect balance of bluster, brio, and vulnerability to the aging Admiral. Toward the end of the movie, Kirk, shattered by Spock's death, tears down his defenses and allows us to see the human being behind the uniform. Ricardo Montalban, in a blood thirsty, Ahab-like performance, proves that there is much more to his acting than what was seen on Fantasy Island.

The special effects, which are entirely at the service of the story, for the most part hold up remarkably well--two exceptions are the Ceti Eels and the Genesis Cave Waterfall, which look rather primitive by today's CGI standards. James Horner's crisp, vibrant score hints at the great things which were to follow from him--it's a pity he has not been used in more recent Star Trek fare.

This Director's Edition contains some additional footage which was not in the theatrical release. Among this are scenes which reveal why Scotty was so upset over the death of the Cadet in Engineering, as well as some minor additions. Unlike the DVD release of the first Star Trek movie, there have been no enhancements to the few dated visual effects, such as the Genesis Cave Waterfall. The bonus material features interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, Montalban, and Bennett, as well as several behind the scenes looks at the visual effects (this was the first film to make use of computer graphics) and production design. Less interesting is an extended look at the Trek universe as seen through various novelizations (which, as every Trekker knows, are not considered "canon.")

The picture and sound quality are identical to the earlier DVD release, a definite improvement over VHS and laserdisc, but not spectacular by DVD standards.