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Movies / On DVD / Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

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Reviews Counted:40

Fresh:36

Rotten:4

Average Rating:7.8/10

Consensus: Considered by many fans to be the best of the Star Trek movies, Khan features a strong plot, increased tension, and a sharp supporting performance from Ricardo Montalban.

Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: Khan, a genetically engineered "superman" prone to megalomaniacal delusions, was exiled years ago to the barren planet Ceti Alpha 5. He blames Admiral Kirk for his hard fate, as well as for his... Khan, a genetically engineered "superman" prone to megalomaniacal delusions, was exiled years ago to the barren planet Ceti Alpha 5. He blames Admiral Kirk for his hard fate, as well as for his son's death, and vows revenge. When Commander Chekov mistakenly beams down to Khan's lair, the villain finally has a means of escape. Using a parasitic creature that allows him to control the minds of his victims, Khan seizes command of the Starship Reliant. From there he hopes to lure Kirk to his death, using equipment stolen from an experimental research project. These devices allow him to trigger something known as the "Genesis Effect" -- a means of generating new life from existing matter. Khan plans to use the creation machines as weapons, because the same fire of life that creates new worlds must destroy what existed before. Kirk and crew need all the courage and cunning they can muster in order to save their friend and silence Khan forever. [More]

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, DeForest Kelley

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Bibi Besch, Merritt Butrick, Paul Winfield, Kirstie Alley, Judson Scott

Director: Nicholas Meyer

Director: Nicholas Meyer
Composer: James Horner

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Reviews for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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It's not Shakespeare, but it's certainly fun.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/19/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The film plays on the TV series' perceived strengths; strong character interaction, a credible science fiction future, and intelligent plotting.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
09/11/01
Nick Cramp
Nick Cramp
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

probably the best-ever trek movie

comment Comment
07/11/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

The net effect, between embarrassed guffaws, is incredulity: a movie at once post-TV and pre-DW Griffith.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment 6 Comments
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ricardo Montalban plays the badass Khan in one of the most commanding performances of his career.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/01/03
Austin Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This is one of the most popular in the series, thanks to a high action quotient (including a tensely staged space battle), a suitably campy turn by Montalban, and the shock value of Spock's 'death.'

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
06/05/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Masterful... classic.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
07/28/02
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
03/08/08
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Arguably the best of the Star Trek movies.

comment Comment
12/26/02
Dan Lybarger
Dan Lybarger
Lawrence Journal-World

No review available.

comment Comment
08/12/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan works as both a science fiction adventure story and as a thematically rich drama.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
02/04/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

comment Comment
01/08/04
Greg Maki
Greg Maki
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

Star Trek II added hefty doses of action, adventure, and suspense, injecting life into a concept that had been left moribund by its first big-screen feature.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

The best of the Star Trek film series, a gloriously operatic revenge tale full of sound and fury, violence and vengeance, humor and empathy.

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
07/30/02
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

The plot is a tad stronger and the characters not overshadowed by spectacular special effects (like in the first film).

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

Here comes a sequel that's worth its salt. The second Star Trek movie is swift, droll and adventurous, not to mention appealingly gadget-happy. It's everything the first one should have been and wasn't.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Many fans consider this the best of the series, and I like it very much.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

The one thing that continues to stand out is the big emotional scene that floods the waterworks of every Trek fan in the audience.

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
04/17/01
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a movie that transcends it’s genre, it’s format, it’s fan base to really get inside the hearts and heads of people across all barriers the world over. This is the way to make Star Trek movies RIGHT.

Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | comment Comment
12/16/02
Joshua Tyler
Joshua Tyler
CinemaBlend.com

Awesome Star Trek flick!

comment Comment
10/20/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

June 03, 2009: Where Will Star Trek Boldly Go Next?
With Star Trek entering popular culture not just as a franchise reboot but a cinematic moment in sci-fi history, talk has already turned to the sequel(s) and where the next... More...

April 24, 2009: Trekking With Tim, Day Two: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
My feeling is that movie adaptations should be able to appeal to both diehards and non-fans alike. They should maintain the spirit of their source material, but should not be... More...

January 14, 2009: Ricardo Montalbán: 1920-2009
Hollywood lost a pair of elder statesmen today, with the Ricardo Montalbán, the actor best-known for his appearance as the mysterious Mr. Roarke in Aaron Spelling's long-running... More...

February 28, 2007: New "Star Trek" Flick to Hit Theaters on Christmas (2008)
Pretty slow news week, so here's a really short one: Paramount's 11th "Star Trek" flick will hit theaters on Christmas Day 2008. As reported a few days back, J.J.... More...

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