Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Nicholas Meyer

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek)
Harve Bennett (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

At the end of the universe lies the beginning of vengeance.

Plot:

Admiral Kirk's midlife crisis is interrupted by the return of an old enemy looking for revenge and a potentially destructive device.

Plot Keywords:

Admiral | Space | Captain | Space Station | Cadet Training

Awards:

2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

William Shatner	...	Admiral James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Captain Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
James Doohan	...	Scotty
Walter Koenig	...	Mr. Chekov
George Takei	...	Mr. Sulu
Nichelle Nichols	...	Cmdr. Uhura
Bibi Besch	...	Dr. Carol Marcus
Merritt Butrick	...	Dr. David Marcus
Jeff McBride	...	Khan's Crewman
Paul Winfield	...	Capt. Clark Terrell
Kirstie Alley	...	Lt. Saavik
Ricardo Montalban	...	Khan
Ike Eisenmann	...	Midshipman Peter Preston
John Vargas	...	Jedda
John Winston	...	Cmdr. Kyle
Paul Kent	...	Lt. Cmdr. Beach
Nicholas Guest	...	Cadet
Russell Takaki	...	Madison
Kevin Rodney Sullivan	...	March (as Kevin Sullivan)
Joel Marstan	...	Crew Chief
Teresa E. Victor	...	Bridge (voice)
Dianne Harper	...	Radio (voice)
David Ruprecht	...	Radio (voice)
Marcy Vosburgh	...	Computer (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laura Banks	...	Khan's navigator (uncredited)
Steve Bond	...	Khan`s Crewman #1 (uncredited)
Brett Baxter Clark	...	Khan`s Crewman #2 (uncredited)
Tim Culbertson	...	Khan's henchman (uncredited)
John Gibson	...	Khan`s Crewman #4 (uncredited)
James Horner	...	Enterprise crewman (uncredited)
Dennis Landry	...	Khan`s Crewman #5 (uncredited)
Cristian Letelier	...	Khan`s Crewman #6 (uncredited)
Jeff McBride	...	Khan's Crewman (uncredited)
Roger Menache	...	Khan`s Crewman #7 (uncredited)
Judson Earney Scott	...	Joachim Weiss (uncredited)
Deney Terrio	...	Khan`s Crewman #11 (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicholas Meyer

Writing credits
Gene Roddenberry		(television series Star Trek)
Harve Bennett		(story) and
Jack B. Sowards		(story) and
Samuel A. Peeples		(story) uncredited
Jack B. Sowards		(screenplay) and
Nicholas Meyer		(screenplay) uncredited

Produced by
Harve Bennett	....	executive producer
William F. Phillips	....	associate producer
Robert Sallin	....	producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Gayne Rescher

Film Editing by
William Paul Dornisch		(as William P. Dornisch)

Casting by
Mary V. Buck

Production Design by
Joseph R. Jennings

Art Direction by
Michael Minor

Set Decoration by
Charles Graffeo		(as Charles M. Graffeo)

Costume Design by
Robert Fletcher

Makeup Department
Werner Keppler	....	makeup artist
James Lee McCoy	....	makeup artist (as James L. McCoy)
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Patricia Rose Duignan	....	production supervisor: ILM
Austen Jewell	....	unit production manager
Ralph Winter	....	post-production supervisor (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard Espinoza	....	second assistant director
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Lee Cole	....	graphic designer
Al DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator
Charles Equia	....	assistant property master
Michael Friedman	....	lead man
Michael C. Gian	....	swing gang
Daniel Gluck	....	set designer
John N. Graffeo	....	swing gang (as John Graffeo)
Thomas W. Lay Jr.	....	production illustrator
Joe Longo	....	property master
Daniel Maltese	....	set designer

Sound Department
James R. Alexander	....	sound mixer (as Jim Alexander)
Cliff Bell Jr.	....	loop editor
Patrick Clark	....	boom operator
Teresa Eckton	....	sound effects editor
Eugene Finley	....	additional sound
Cecelia Hall	....	sound editor
Michael Hilkene	....	sound effects editor
Alan Howarth	....	special sound effects
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack Keath	....	loop editor
John Kline	....	sound effects editor
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Curt Schulkey	....	sound effects editor
Mark Server	....	sound recordist (as Mark S. Server)
Jim Siracusa	....	sound effects editor
George Watters II	....	supervising sound editor
Ray West	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Edward A. Ayer	....	special effects
Martin Becker	....	special effects
Gary F. Bentley	....	special effects
Fred Brauer	....	special effects
Bob Dawson	....	special effects supervisor
Peter G. Evangelator	....	special effects
John McLeod	....	special effects technician
Thaine Morris	....	pyrotechnician
Kevin Pike	....	special effects
William Purcell	....	special effects
Harry Stewart	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Peter Amundson	....	effects editor
Darryl Anka	....	prop maker
Stewart Barbee	....	visual effects camera operator
Craig Barron	....	matte camera assistant
David Berry	....	optical printer operator
Marty Brenneis	....	model electronics
Loren Carpenter	....	computer graphics artist
Sean M. Casey	....	model maker (as Sean Casey)
Ed Catmull	....	computer graphics artist
Dave Childers	....	stage technician
Wade Childress	....	visual effects coordinator
Brian Chin	....	model maker
Bob Chrisoulis	....	optical lab technician
Donald Clark	....	optical printer operator
Harold Cole	....	stage technician
Pat Cole	....	computer graphics artist
Samuel Comstock	....	animation supervisor
Rob Cook	....	computer graphics artist
Bob Diepenbrock	....	model maker
Dick Dova	....	stage technician
Don Dow	....	visual effects cameraman
Tom Duff	....	computer graphics
Selwyn Eddy	....	assistant cameraperson (as Selwyn Eddy III)
John Ellis	....	optical printer operator
Christopher Evans	....	matte painting artist (as Chris Evans)
Scott Farrar	....	special visual effects cameraman
Bob Finley III	....	stage technician (as Bobby Finley III)
Pat Fitzsimmons	....	stage technician (as Patrick Fitzsimmons)
Warren Franklin	....	production coordinator
Michael Fulmer	....	model maker (as Mike Fulmer)
Steve Gawley	....	supervising model maker
Tim Geideman	....	optical lab technician
Bill George	....	model maker (as William George)
Ralph Gordon	....	optical lineup
David R. Hardberger	....	assistant cameraperson (as David Hardberger)
Edward Hirsh	....	stage technician
Ed Jones	....	optical lineup
Neil Krepela	....	matte photographer
Rob LaDuca	....	visual effects
Jeff Mann	....	model maker
Roberto McGrath	....	still lab technician
John McLeod	....	stage technician
Ted Moehnke	....	supervising stage technician (as T.E. Moehnke)
Thaine Morris	....	pyrotechnics
Duncan Myers	....	optical lab technician
Bruce Nicholson	....	optical photography supervisor
Kerry Nordquist	....	still lab technician
Frank Ordaz	....	matte painting artist
Michael Owens	....	assistant cameraperson (as Mike Owens)
Michael Pangrazio	....	matte artist supervisor
Robert D. Poor	....	computer graphics artist
Thomas Porter	....	computer graphics artist
Ken Ralston	....	visual effects supervisor
William Reeves	....	computer graphics artist
Arthur F. Repola	....	visual effects editor (as Arthur Repola)
Thomas Rosseter	....	optical lineup
Steve Sanders	....	model maker
Michael Santy	....	assistant cameraperson
Alvy Ray Smith	....	computer graphics artist
Kenneth Smith	....	optical printer operator
Thomas G. Smith	....	general manager: ILM (as Tom Smith)
Peter Stolz	....	stage technician
Larry Tan	....	model maker
Mark Vargo	....	optical printer operator
Jim Veilleux	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Steve Blalock	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts
Jim Burk	....	stunts (as James H. Burk)
Diane Carter	....	stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
Ann Chatterton	....	stunts
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts
Jim Connors	....	stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Bill Couch	....	stunts
Bill Couch Jr.	....	stunts
Eddy Donno	....	stunts
John Escobar	....	stunts (as John A. Eskobar)
Allan Graf	....	stunts
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Paula Marie Moody	....	stunts
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Beth Nufer	....	stunts
Mary Peters	....	stunts
Ernest Robinson	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts
Kym Washington	....	stunts (as Kim Washington)
Mike Washlake	....	stunts
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts
Lightning Bear	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Romolo Acquistapace	....	gaffer
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Tom Connole	....	second assistant camera
Catherine E. Coulson	....	first assistant camera
Craig Denault	....	camera operator
Ray Gilberti	....	assistant camera
Gene Griffith	....	key grip
David R. Hardberger	....	camera operator
Tommy James	....	second grip (as Tom James)
Gary J. Jensen	....	crane operator (as Gary Jensen)
Charles Langham	....	best boy
Don Whipple	....	dolly grip
Murphy Wiltz	....	best boy

Animation Department
Scott Caple	....	animator
Jay Davis	....	animator
Judy Elkins	....	animator
James Keefer	....	animator
Kim Knowlton	....	animator
Kathryn Lenihan	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kimon Beazile	....	wardrober
Robin Michel Bush	....	costumer
Agnes G. Henry	....	wardrobe supervisor
James Linn	....	wardrobe supervisor
Joseph Markham	....	wardrober

Editorial Department
John Haggar	....	assistant editor (as John A. Haggar)
Christopher Koefoed	....	assistant editor (as Christopher L. Koefoed)
Vicky Witt	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Bob Badami	....	music editor
Jack Hayes	....	orchestrator
Tommy Johnson	....	musician: tuba soloist
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Howard Brady Davidson	....	transportation co-captain (as Howard Davidson)
Michael McDuffee	....	transportation coordinator (as Mike McDuffee)
Rick Vallencia	....	transportation captain (as Rick Valencia)

Other crew
Terry Ahern	....	craft service
Deborah Arakelian	....	assistant to producer
Malcolm Blanchard	....	computer database manager
Bundy Chanock	....	set medic
Mary Jane Ferguson	....	script supervisor
Dr. Richard Green	....	technical advisor
Rodger Johnson	....	title designer
Don Kracks	....	title designer
Alan Landaker	....	video displays
Hal Landaker	....	video displays
Sam Nicholson	....	special lightning
Marc Okrand	....	dialog consultant: Vulcan
Gene Roddenberry	....	executive consultant
Judy Burns	....	consultant (uncredited)
Samuel A. Peeples	....	additional writing material (uncredited)
Philip Weyland	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1982) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1985) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada) (2009) (Canada) (video) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• René Malo Vidéo-Malofilm Video (1992) (Canada) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
• Modern Film Effects (optical effects)

Other Companies

• Bruce Hill Productions  ultra high speed camera
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)  grateful acknowledgment
• Record Plant Scoring  scoring mixer
• Visual Concepts Engineering  additional animation

Also Known As:

Star Trek II: The Undiscovered Country (USA) (working title)
Star Trek II: The Vengeance of Khan (USA) (working title)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (new title)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Edition (USA) (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence and language.

Runtime:

113 min | USA:116 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Italy:T | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | New Zealand:PG | Canada:G (Régie du Cinéma Québec) | UK:15 (video rating) (1987) (cut) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1983) | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (DVD rating) (2002) (uncut) | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video re-rating) (1989) (uncut) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:12 (special edition DVD)

Filming Locations:

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

First Star Trek movie to feature the "red tunic" uniforms, used in every Original Series-based movie thereafter, and used on several occasions on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the debris falls on Joachim.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Saavik: Captain's log: Stardate 8130.3. Starship Enterprise on training mission to Gamma Hydra, section 14, coordinates 22-87-4. Approaching Neutral Zone; all systems normal and functioning.
Sulu: Leaving section 14 for section 15.
Saavik: Standby. Project parabolic course to avoid entering Neutral Zone.
Sulu: Aye, captain.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "ReBoot: System Crash (#3.15)" (1998)

In the genre, there is simply nothing better, and there never will be.

Wrath is based on one of the best episodes of The Original Series of Star Trek. The episode, Space Seed, introduced Kahn Noonian Singh, a genetically engineered super-warrior from the 20th century who survived in cryogenic freeze until the crew of the Enterprise found his derelict space ship and revived him. Alas, his instinct to conquer survived as well, and only after an epic struggle is Kirk able to deposit Kahn and his band of supermen in permanent exile on a garden planet.

Fifteen years later, a cataclysm has left that planet barren, and Kahn bitter about his plight, when along comes the Enterprise, not knowing they have returned to Kahn's home planet. Kahn escapes and the game is on.

This is undoubtedly the best of the Star Trek movies, and in fact, the best of everything that was best about Star Trek TOS. There is heroism, epic conflict, a fully satisfying story, and deliciously over the top acting by Shatner, Nimoy and, the main course, Ricardo Montalban, reprising his original role, with all the menace and drama of, say, Sir Anthony Hopkins' Oscar winning turn as Hannibal Lechter.

The writing is great, and why not, it was by Harve Bennett, by way of Melville, and Roddenberry's unforgettable characters, as indelibly etched on our psyches as any fairy tale of our youth, were never brighter, more heroic, more magnificent. In the genre, there is simply nothing better, and there never will be. It took decades to hone and refine these characters, for us to come to love them, and for them to reach the point in their palpably real lives to reflect with self-doubt and angst on lives that we accept as being as real as our own. This isn't a movie, it's a documentary, and a time capsule, and a worthy monument to the best cast in the best Sci-Fi Western ever made.