Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Director:

Nicholas Meyer

Writers:

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

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

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:

The original subtitle was to be "The Revenge of Khan", but this was changed because of Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), then subtitled "Revenge of the Jedi", was to be released near the same time. In the end both films titles were changed.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the discussion in Regula 1's transporter room before beaming down to Regula, Saavik is mouthing Kirk's and McCoy's lines in the foreground.

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:

Featured in In der Arche ist der Wurm drin (1988)

One of the better "Trek"s....

I've always held a special place in my heart and mind for this second installment in the "Star Trek" movie series. Mostly, because this is a movie that appeals to both places.

Not only is this movie loaded with the original characters from the series, it also touches on such subjects as revenge, family, duty, age and, of course, sacrifice. That was the best thing about the series - that it touched on topics that were (pardon the expression) universal, no matter the species.

Everyone is uniformly fine right down the line, especially Montalban's Khan (returned from the "Space Seed" episode of the original series); all hatred, vengeance and single-minded of desire to see his enemy laid out before him. Namely, Kirk.

Alley is rather fetching as Saavik and it's a shame she wasn't carried over to the next film. I can't help but, seeing her on TV anymore, to expect her to raise an eyebrow in contemplation. Buttrick makes a complex character out of David, the son Kirk never knew he had. Hurt feelings and resentment meld somewhat explosively with a new-found father/son relationship.

And what can one say about Spock, Bones, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and Scotty? They are characters all of us grew up with and, pivotal to the plot at hand or not, it's always good to see them.

For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, I won't discuss it in great detail. The story is simple enough (scientists find way to rejuvenate life on dead planets; Khan finds escape from prison planet, vows revenge on Kirk), but there is one plot point that will, if you are unfamiliar with it, blow you away. Suffice it to say, never has friendship been elocuted so well in this or any movie before or since.

Ten stars and a special Kobuyashi Maru simulation for "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan". Watch it: it'll make you feel young again.