What Makes The Wrath of Khan Such A Great Film?

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I ask myself this question. What makes this film so great? Well, it's the story of course, but what really sticks out in my mind in this film is the death of Spock. Simply amazing scenes where we see a friendship come to an "end". Even now, even thought I have seen this movie many times, I still swell up with tears every time I these two friends saying goodbye. Watching Kirk not being able to finish his sentence because a lump grows in his throat at the thought his closest friend is gone. This is a truly amazing film with an ending that is one of the best in cinema history. To me, those last few moments make this movie. That's my opinion on why I personally like this film.

 

Why do you feel that this movie is so good, or do you?

[Kor37 9]

1) Great Villian

2) Excellently written story

3) Excellently directed.

4) Plenty of starship action

5) Eels in ears.......(You just CAN'T beat eels in ears...lol)

6) Great character development

[Bethlehem 7]

I felt it was the most like the TV series and took me back to the first time I had seen khan on TV :(

[Matt 0]

There were a lot of aspects that combined to make 'The Wrath of Khan' such a great film - the script, the plot, the characters, the acting. One of my favourite things was the return of Khan. It was great to see one of Star Trek's most beloved villans make a return.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

It was the first "Action" Trek we'd been given since 1969. The Motion Picture was great because it brought back Star Trek but it wasn't really a great story for a major movie. After all the "Bad Guy" was a machine.

 

The Wrath of Khan though gave us a real "Bad Guy", one that we could identify and could look back to "Space Seed" to see that he really was a true "bad guy", but it wasn't just that Khan was "bad". His quest was personal and he would do anything to gain his revenge. It made for a great movie and paved the way for TNG, DS9 and all the followed.

[Itchygomba69 0]

I think it has also some of the best acting in any of the original cast trek movies, thats why i like it the most

[penciledin 0]

One of my favorite things about the movie is Kirk's personal death and rebirth.

 

 

All throughout the movie, he is plagued by things that make him feel old:

a villain from decades past,

an ex-wife he hadn't talked to in years,

a son that he never knew,

eyes that are failing,

a desk job at the Academy where he was rotting and going nowhere.

 

It takes his best friend dying to snap him out of his rut, and to give him enough life and vitality to defy Starfleet in The Search for Spock.

 

I always felt that William Shatner's goal in The Final Frontier was to further explore this character's coming of age and acceptance of his enemies (the Klingon's) that ends up saving the day in the Undiscovered Country. Without the trials, the pain that Kirk needs, to keep him human, we wouldn't have had such an exciting first six movies.

[HRH The KING 0]

What makes it great? The same thing that makes any movie great.

 

Superb writing. a compelling story and rich characterisation.

[sea trooper 0]

The film was pretty good, but I wouldn't call it anywhere near the best.

Edited June 22, 2005 by sea trooper

[krysis 2]

Its the closest thing to a submarine war movie... especially the fight in the nebula. We don't get to see that kind of fight in any other Trek movie.

[Kor37 9]

Its the closest thing to a submarine war movie... especially the fight in the nebula. We don't get to see that kind of fight in any other Trek movie

 

We saw that kind of fight in "Balance Of Terror"

[Spike The Trill 0]

To me, WOK was a great movie not only because of good writing, great acting (even from Shatner ) and great visuals, but because in the 2 two hours or so that the movie runs, we are brought into the 23rd century. To me, no other Trek story, before or since, has done that. We feel Chekov's fear as he sees the name S.S. Botany Bay. We feel for the enterprise as she's attacked, and we feel Kirk's loss as Spock is taken from not only him, but us as well.

[krysis 2]

Its the closest thing to a submarine war movie... especially the fight in the nebula. We don't get to see that kind of fight in any other Trek movie

 

We saw that kind of fight in "Balance Of Terror"

333306[/snapback]

 

Oh and that one too... but I've not seen it yet. I have a feeling I'm going to like that one too.

[billy1981 0]

Great Vilian, Great Script, Great Battle Scenes

[Sam The Smuggler 1]

Hey, It's On One The Cinemaxs Right Now....OMAX Or Something

[zipkirk1966 0]

To me it is one great movie alot of action and a great story even with the mistake about chekov not being in space seed and then Khan remembering him lol, the directior in the commentary of the movie said it best HE MADE A MISTAKE LOL but at the time chekov was the best for the part and I see what he means he could have use someone else that was on the show but he used him and I don't have a problem with that. But the people who made the TV and Movies learn WE star trek fans have a sharp eye to things maybe because we watch so much of it and see thing they don't LOL anyway I got my DVD of TWOK and got it sign by the man himself walter so it's wrapped up and in my collection.

 

Brian

[Sam The Smuggler 1]

But the people who made the TV and Movies learn WE star trek fans have a sharp eye to things maybe because we watch so much of it and see thing they don't LOL

Brian

339274[/snapback]

 

Reminds Me Of What Michael Shanks Said On One Of The Stargate Lowdowns (I Believe)

 

Not An Exact Quote, But I'll do My Best.

"Science-Fiction Fans Pay More Attention To The Product Than The People That Make It."

 

Its So True! :P

[Validus 0]

I ask myself this question. What makes this film so great? Well, it's the story of course, but what really sticks out in my mind in this film is the death of Spock. Simply amazing scenes where we see a friendship come to an "end". Even now, even thought I have seen this movie many times, I still swell up with tears every time I these two friends saying goodbye. Watching Kirk not being able to finish his sentence because a lump grows in his throat at the thought his closest friend is gone. This is a truly amazing film with an ending that is one of the best in cinema history. To me, those last few moments make this movie. That's my opinion on why I personally like this film.

 

Why do you feel that this movie is so good, or do you?

332695[/snapback]

 

I tend to agree with you. The film also has elements that remind one of such films as Master and Commander and other old seafaring stories. That Khan is modeled after Ahab is not a coincidence. The death of Spock is also very poignant, and my reaction was the same as yours. I can think of few moments in science fiction that touched me as deeply (the end of Babylon-5 and the last episode of LEXX).

 

This is also why I loathed Star Trek III as much as I did. They should have allowed Spock to remain dead. For me, bringing him back was anti-climactic in the extreme...like all the times Marvel has killed off a hero and then managed through cloning/time-travel/magic to bring them back. It just makes death itself seem meaningless from a story-telling standpoint.

 

I also liked the few minor touches that were added to ST2 on the DVD...espeically Kirks acknowledgement that he only beat Khan because he knew more about star ships then he did...

[peggy 0]

I think The Wrath of Khan is classic William Shatner, a little over acted but emotional and a great movie. :(

[What_username? 0]

I like The Wrath of Khan...good acting, good writing, awesome villain...

[zipkirk1966 0]

I love this movie enough said LOL oh now I want to get a higer rank I'm up to Lieutenant JG trying to get to Capt LOL

 

 

Brian

[What_username? 0]

LOL, I want a higher rank too! And I love The Wrath of Khan.

[krysis 2]

I'd like to add one more thing that makes me like this show... Its the raw emotion that Shatner displayed when he said,"KHAAAAAN!!!"

[Dark Reality 0]

Um... the nebula battle scene exclusive to TWOK? See Insurrection. I don't mean to compare it to TWOK movie-wise, but when I think of nebula battle, Insurrection's first in my mind... but I've seen it more. I do not think it is the better film, because it isn't.

 

I wasn't aware Kahn had been used in TOS, but I haven't seen TOS. I just figured, with the TNG movies being "limited" to the command crew (and Guinan, in Generations); that is, no Q; the TOS movies would have been mostly independent of elements from the series and stood on their own as much as possible. As such, I didn't realize Chekov's part was a mistake, and I enjoyed it more for having not seen the TOS episode.

 

I agree with many of the points made about TWOK. I think of it like I think of the original Star Wars. I don't like ST1:TMP at all... I thought it was dull and boring. When I think of the Star Trek film saga, I think of II-VI. (The TNG movies don't count - they all stood on their own.) II leads into III, III leads into IV, IV weakly leads into V with the introduction of the Ent-A, and I can't remember the connection between V and VI; if I remember correctly, VI is connected to the events in III...? Kirk set up by the Klingons, because they want justice for what happened in III? I've only seen VI once, but will see it again shortly, as my girlfriend and I are watching the ST films, and we just watched V last night. So II-VI sort of make a saga, but like the original Star Wars, ST2:TWOK stands on its own. It didn't really need a sequel, or even ST1... if ST2:TWOK was the only Trek film they made about Kirk's crew before Generations, it would have been just as effective, just as good. You can't say that about any of the others in the saga; they all kind of depended on the others.

 

Honestly I like all of them, including III and V. I don't understand why these are commonly rated lower than the others, but that's for another post.

[LoveMalePecs1 0]

1.Great Villain Khan (see what happended to him after he was left on Ceti Alpha 5- 15 years later)alot older and showing some Male cleavage lol

 

2.Very Great Starship action (more like Moby Richard or a Underwater Sub Marine Battle between 2 Ships)

 

3.The Mutara Nebula

 

4.The Eels that are put into Captain Terrels and Checkov's ears to control them (Khan's Pets)

 

5.Saavik taking the Ship out of Spacedock while sitting in the Captain's Chair (much like Valeris in ST:VI did while still staying in the Helm seat).

 

:P :)

Edited December 2, 2005 by LoveMalePecs1