Review of STAR TREK - WRATH OF KAHN

STAR TREK - WRATH OF KAHN

The year is 2285. Lieutenant SAAVIK, a Vulcan woman, is trying to rescue traders under attack by Klingons. She fails and everyone is killed, but that's all right; it's just a simulation, one that all Starfleet officer trainees must take. Only one officer has ever passed--James T Kirk. Kirk is now an admiral, and hates it. He wants to go back to flying the Enterprise.

Meanwhile, Starship RELIANT is out searching for a totally lifeless planet on which to test GENESIS, a device to transform lifeless rocks into habitable planets by a process officially known as plausible bullshit. They find a suitable planet, Ceti Alpha VI--actually Ceti Alpha V, but never mind. Chekov and CAPTAIN CLARK beam down, only to be captured by genetically altered supersoldier KAHN (his last name is Singh, but think of his first name as Genghis.) Kahn and his comrades put a monster's larva into Chekov's brain (through his ear).  Kahn now controls Chekov's mind, and uses Chekov to take over the Reliant. 

After Saavik's test, Kirk and Spock, now captain of the Enterprise, take the trainees on a routine test drive. Soon after leaving dock, they get a distress call. Even though they haven't yet engaged the warp drive and must be near Earth and the fleet, no other ship is available to answer the call. So Kirk, Spock, and a group of green trainees must save the day.  With the help of mind-slave Chekov, Kahn ambushes and cripples the Enterprise, but fear not - SPOILER ALERT - Kirk has a few tricks of his own.

Spoiler alerts are meaningless in a movie this old and this popular.  For example - SPOILER ALERT - Spock dies in the end. However - SPOILER ALERT - he's resurrected in the next episode.

I watched this movie after seeing the prequel, INTO DARKNESS, and it was an absolute delight to see the real Kirk, Spock (especially Spock) and the others after those wannabees in the prequel. Kirk expounds, Spock reasons, Scotty sputters, and Kahn (Ricardo Montalban) is magnificent in his unbridled rage and desire for vengeance.

Having seen this film about thirty years ago, I remembered only a few scenes. Most of it was like watching for the first time.  Yes there are plot holes, but who cares? I consider this one of the best, with lots of action, drama (or melodrama) and characters who are as familiar as old friends.  As a workout movie, I give it +++++ - it will get your pulse up to a sprint.

The next sequel, SEARCH FOR SPOCK, shows Spock's resurrection, and also the destruction of the Enterprise. It has more slow scenes and too much melodrama. Why would super-logical creatures like Vulcans have so much ritual?  It's still worth seeing.  As a workout movie, I give it ++++ - it will get your pulse up to a run.

In number VI of the series, the UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, the Klingons say they want peace but Kirk doesn't trust them. This movie has some initially wonderful lines. "There is an old Vulcan saying; only Nixon could have gone to China," but after a while, attributing Earth quotations to alien cultures gets old. Also, the plot holes are unusually frequent and blatant. Still, it's a fun flick and a good workout movie - I give it ++++ - it will often get your pulse up to a run.