Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Blistering performances.

10: the themes(oh god the themes) 9: the dialouge 8: it's a sequel to an actual star trek episode 7: the allusions to literature 6: the characters 5: the scenery 4: the music 3: the performances 2: the story 1: it is a masterpiece of cinema. seriously; watch this movie.

Having been one of the shows that was part of my childhood and growing up, the original 'Star Trek' still holds up as great and ground-breaking, even if not perfect.'Star Trek: The Motion Picture', to me, is a better film than its reputation but was also a disappointment and could have been much better. Every film franchise has to start somewhere, and 'The Motion Picture' paved the way to better films. Of which the second film 'The Wrath of Khan' is among the best, a strong contender for the best. Much appreciated its darker tone, emotional wallop and that it was much better paced and action-oriented than 'The Motion Picture'.It may not be as visually stunning as 'The Motion Picture' (the production values is one of only two areas that is done better in that film to here), and William Shatner still goes overboard in his acting. Then again Shatner was never known for subtlety and when he was restrained (like 1958's 'The Brothers Karamazov') those instances were rare.'The Wrath of Khan' is hardly cheap-looking though, having better production values generally than the original series. The sets are more elaborate, the photography is moody and stylish and the special effects are hardly hokey. While Jerry Goldsmith's music is missed a little, James Horner is more than up to the plate, not as rousing but typically beautifully orchestrated and high in the thrills factor. The sound effects are suitably eerie.Writing is an improvement, getting to the point more and less talk heavy, it is very intelligent and thought-provoking without being overly serious. The story has no pacing issues, being much tighter and with much more going on. Credit is due too for exploring (beautifully) dark and universal themes. Nicholas Meyer is a more than welcome replacement, showing more of a sense of loyalty to the original series while bringing his own style without being too ambitious.Acting, with the exception of Shatner, is good. Leonard Nimoy has rarely been more moving, with a truly powerful final scene, and Riccardo Montalban rarely so deliciously campy (without ever hurting the film's tone and still being entertaining) and also menacing. No pointless or underwritten characters here.Overall, great and one of the best 'Star Trek' films. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Sequels. The final frontier. This is the continuing voyage of the starship Enterprise. To reintroduce familiar characters to the next generation. To seek out new twists on old story lines. To boldly go where no critic or fanboy expected them to go before.This time, it was to glory.On what is supposed to be a routine training mission, the Enterprise receives a disrupted communication from a space station where a mysterious project known as Genesis is being prepared. As senior officer, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) reluctantly takes command to investigate. He's 50 now, and feels like the antiques he spends his days collecting. But space has a surprise in store, a blast from his past that will either reinvigorate Kirk...or kill him.There is a term for films like this, which revisit old franchises with loyal support networks: "Fan service." Usually it's a pejorative for unoriginal thinking and lazy catch-phrase recycling. "Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan" transforms fan service into high art, and good fun.The acting by the cast of the 1960s TV series has a freshness about it. Kirk is older than we've seen him, and Shatner makes use of the challenge by playing him in a low-key, tired way, not the cocky bantam we knew before. Leonard Nimoy's Spock is logical as ever, but a bit cagier. DeForest Kelley's Dr. McCoy is cranked-up and cranky, in a humorous way that enlivens every scene he's in. And so on.Then there's the title character, another carryover from the TV series. Ricardo Montalbán's performance was a revelation; in a film featuring Shatner, he's the actor chewing the scenery as the villainous Khan, and doing it wonderfully:"Do you know the Klingon proverb, 'Revenge is a dish best served cold?' It is very cold in space."Director Nicholas Meyer joins in as the new kid in the franchise. Approaching "Star Trek" not as scripture but a space-age Horatio Hornblower update proved a smart touch. Watching Kirk v. Khan culminate inside the clouds of the Mutara Nebula is like seeing battle on a three-dimensional ocean, aided by James Horner's stirring score, a standout throughout the film.I first saw this movie at a benefit showing in Stamford, CT, the day before its big premiere in 1982. Many hard-core Trekkies were in attendance. Their cheers and laughter building throughout is something I recall every time I watch this again. I was at best a tepid fan, but by the end of that premiere, I was cheering, too.The film lacks in some details. My favorite series character, Scotty, is a marginal presence. Khan's soldiers look like "Road Warrior" rejects, and minor shortcuts are taken to move us from setpiece to setpiece. But even quibbles others have strike me as positives.Shatner has only one outsized acting scene, yelling "Khan" after being taunted by Montalbán's voice on his communicator. People say it's too much, but I think it's marvelous, baiting the hook not only for an audience worried our doddering hero has finally lost it, but for the wrathful Khan who, now having tasted Kirk's pain, has his appetite whetted for what proves to be a ruinous chase. It's another of the tricks up Kirk's sleeve, whether he meant it or not.The film also presents a gripping ending, which you may already know, but remains unspoilable. As prichards12345 noted in his February 2015 review: "I was cut up in 1982 when I first saw the movie, and I still get cut up now."Me, too. That's the magic of this film. Like Kirk says at the end, it makes what was old seem new again. And for those coming to this new to begin with, it's like you didn't miss a thing.

This is the first Star Trek thing I have ever watched; I haven't watched the original series, the first movie (because that isn't supposed to be too good) or the reboots. This is ultimately a movie about friendship (more details on that soon) and the film was much darker than I expected, nothing really campy here. The first movie was really all about the effects and action whereas this one focuses more on the story which I like. The original creator of the series was disapproving of this movie because of the darker tone. I'm glad they chose Nicholas Meyer to direct because he was opting for a more interesting story rather than cheesy over-the-top stuff because movies had moved on since then while still keeping the original essence in there. I think if someone else directed then this probably would've just been another bland forgettable Star Trek movie. Khan was a good villain, he connects with Kirk as they used to be friends and now they're enemies (adding to the friendship theme of this movie). His motivation was also clear and just wanted revenge, rather than power. The characters were likable enough. There wasn't't much background on them however I'll let it off because it is a sequel to a film which was linked to a TV show and stuff could've easily been explained there. It was just great to see their presence on screen. The effects were quite bright and colourful which didn't really fit with the dark theme of the movie, however they aren't used much and thankfully they aren't the main focus. I'm glad that this movie wasn't't just cheesy and did have a proper interesting story. I really liked the ending. I think this movie definitely sounded a lot better on paper, as the final product didn't have too much of interest in it to fill in the gaps of the story if you understand what I'm saying and it wasn't'y really as exciting or involving as I wanted it to be. Overall, I did like this movie. It wasn't't as good as I expected but it was still pretty decent. If you've never seen a Star Trek movie before this could be a good place to start or for a better experience watch the TV series first and then watch this, skip the first film. 7.4/10