Monday, January 18, 2016

THROWBACK REVIEW: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn


My journey through Trek filmdom goes on.  From what you may remember, the Motion Picture was not one I was easy on.  I had a lot of interesting feedback on my harshness towards it, so before I talk about the film's successor, let me just say this.  Back in the day, it may have wowed audiences, but there are many films that have wowed audiences from back in the day, that have aged very well and still stand out.  Star Trek: The Motion Picture is not one of those pictures.  As I said, it has some interesting concepts, but horrid pacing, and slow storytelling hurt the film...and with film such as the one I'm about to talk about now in the Star Trek filmography...it is one I will likely never care for.  Now that that's out of the way, let's go from bad to good, because the first film's successor is a vast improvement, and I don't think that needs to be said.

I'm honestly not sure where to begin with this review because I have a bad feeling that many hardcore Trek fans will not like where I stand on this film.  Now don't get the wrong idea.  This is NOT a bad film.  At all. It's entertaining, it's got good pacing, and it tells a fluent story that in many cases is very well told.  But this is. The film that many fans will call the quintessential best of the best in Star Trek filmography.  It's got quite a legacy, and it's got a lot of love from the fandom.  But...honestly....I don't think it's the best Star Trek film (put your guns away).  

The idea to reintroduce what is now Star Trek's most memorable villain I must say must have been a very fun idea.  Reading on the legacy this film had I found out that at one point, it was thought that this would be the final Star Trek film out there.  Maybe the last thing Star Trek related even.  So the idea of bringing Kahn into the picture, a villain who was only seen in one episode is a move I'm not sure I'll ever understand, but hey it does payoff.  Ricardo Montalbán returns to reprise the iconic role, and you can tell he is enjoying every last moment of it.  It's a great performance.  Kahn is introduced flawlessly to the audience...but being the fan I am...and a critic at the same time...I must point out the obvious plot hole that immediately popped up in this film.  Chekov should not have known who Kahn was, nor would Kahn know who Chekov was, as Chekov wasn't even on the show when Kahn had his episode.  I brought this up before and got all sorts of fan theories about how Chekov was likely on the Enterprise and bumped into him and whatnot, and you can bring up any theory you want.  The writers screwed up.  Accept it.

I'm gonna backtrack and bring up Kahn's introduction again, because it is easily one of my favorite parts of the film.  When we last saw Kahn, he was being given a second chance by Kirk to survive on a lush world after Kahn failed to take over the Enterprise.  We now see Kahn on a desert wasteland, ravaged after a nearby planet in the system unfortunetaly was destroyed, just giving off such a sinister vibe.  I'm gonna go as far as to say that his introduction rivals that of the first time we saw Darth Vader on screen.  Kahn gives off this deep and buried grudge of hatred for what happened over the past fifteen years, and we get just some of the most tormenting scenes we can think of when he puts these creatures in the ears of Chekov and his captain...it's a scene that still makes me cringe.  It was a perfect way of reintroducing Kahn to the audience.  But unfortunetaly, I kinda feel that Kahn's strength as the villain only goes downhill after that.

There's a lot of story in the middle of this movie that I feel just could have been executed better.  Personally, I never got enough reason to believe that Kahn would go on a bloodthirsty manhunt for Kirk in this movie.  That's not to say that it doesn't give us some really tense showdowns.  The first showdown of the Reliant and the Enterprise is perfectly paced and just as tense as it was thirty years ago. And the SECOND showdown between the Reliant and Enterprise?  The Nebula battle is just incredible shot.  I loved seeing the Reliant passing underneath the larger Enterprise in the nebula.  It's arguably one of the most memorable shots of the entire film.  But there are just some things such as Kahn's death, and the reveal of Kirk's son that I feel are just not pulled off as well as they could have been.  Heck, the creation of a planet from the Genesis device, which this plot centers itself on is kinda just glanced over.  For what it is...honestly, I feel that a lot of the story in the middle of this film just...is missing something. 

So let's talk about why this film is remembered so much.  And personally, I feel that this might be why so many fans will call it the best Star Trek film.  The ending of this film is arguably one of the strongest, if not the strongest ending I've seen in Star Trek, in which we get the iconic death of Spock, and his funeral.  And I gotta say watching it all these years later, I won't lie, I almost got a little emotional myself (and not just because last year we said goodbye to Mr. Nimoy).  Just thinking of Spock's decision to sacrifice himself to save the ship is pretty dang strong, but it's the funeral that really hits it, and as much fun as it is to poke fun at Shatner for his performances, he actually pulled the emotions his character is supposed to be feeling off incredibly well.  Hearing his voice beginning to break at the phrase "...his was the most human.", can be heartbreaking to hear for all the right reasons.  While we will always poke fun at Shatner screaming "KAAAHHHN!", it should be said that his performance is one of his strongest in the Trek franchise.

So there are certainly reasons I can see why so many would worship this film as being the best of the best in Star Trek...but for me personally, I've seen stronger films which we'll get to.  Despite some absolutely gorgeous shots, excellently paced action, and such an emotional ending, the middle of this movie I feel can be very non-existent.  While it kept my interest, I didn't feel the story could have been told well enough in certain areas it needed to be.  The reveal of certain facts seemed to be glossed over a little too simply, particularly that of the reveal of Kirk having a son.  Kirk's response to me seemed a little dry.  And I feel that the overall concepts of the Genesis device could have been executed better.  But for what we got, it really is an entertaining ride, and is rightfully called one of the stronger films for many reasons.  All of them holding water.

The Wrath of Kahn is a three and a half out of four stars for me.  With strong and memorable performances from both Ricardo and William in this film, alongside some of the most iconic moments of this franchise, it is a must see for any Star Trek fan.  While I may not worship the ground it walks on, it did start off a trend of strong films for the franchise.  Films we will eventually get to.  And yeah, while I will nitpick on certain things in this film, the fans shouldn't get the idea that I don't like this film.  I will say that there are a few things I laughed at, such as some obvious stock footage from the first film (being a fan of Godilla films, this is a thing I really don't care for too much).  But small criticisms aside, it's a strong film, and nothing's gonna change that.

Please feel free to share your opinions on the film down below.  Leave a comment for any film you'd wish for me to review.  See you next time on my journey through Star Trek's films, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3.5/4

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