STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN THE DIRECTOR'S EDITION DVD Image B+ Sound B Extras A-

Buy at Amazon USA Buy at Amazon Canada or Compare Prices August 4, 2002|This is not just a great Star Trek movie but a great movie, period; the question is, Does Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan get even better with approximately three minutes of additional footage in Paramount's new (2-disc) "Director's Edition" of the film? If it helps, this extended version, which director Nicholas Meyer calls his cut, is the one that aired during network TV showings of Star Trek II. What makes it longer is the reinstatement of a subplot involving Scotty's nephew that, while clarifying an anguished mid-film reaction shot from Scotty, unfortunately revives one of the most appalling performances in the Trek pantheon. (Though Meyer never understood the studio wanting the character deleted, one suspects that this was why.) Meyer's commentary for this DVD is pure gold, by the way, even if he spends more time contemplating the artist's responsibility than talking about Star Trek II; Michael Okuda's subtitle track of facts--some no doubt culled from his Star Trek Encyclopedia--makes the perfect complement in its attention to all things Star Trek II, including the tale's philosophical underpinnings. (At one point, "Nicholas Meyer can quotes passages from 'Moby Dick' at length" pops up, followed by: "Ask him!") That's disc one in a nutshell; disc two contains several featurettes, all in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. In "Captain's Log" (27 mins.), Shatner (interviewed with a Star Trek V poster behind him), producer Harve Bennett, Nimoy, Montalban, and Meyer retrace the development of the project from its speedy script revisions to Janet Maslin's rave review of the finished product. "Designing Khan" (24 mins.) finds various production crew muffing Meyer's name, though they do praise his contribution to the franchise, and we learn that the Reliant is an upside-down Enterprise because Bennett signed off on the design without turning it over to face the right way. "The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (18 mins.) repeats the Reliant anecdote but the rest is fresh as visual effects supervisor Ken Ralston remembers the good old days of miniatures, matte paintings, and using saltwater to simulate a nebula, something that would now be accomplished via CGI. "The Star Trek Universe" (29 mins.) is soul-sucking torture as "Trek" novelists Greg Cox and Julia Ecklar (introduced in a whooshing-credits take-off on the original series) drone on about Khan's past and the Kobayashi Maru test whilst serving as the worst endorsements for their respective texts that one can imagine. An eight-minute montage of interviews with Shatner, Nimoy, Kelly, and Montalban circa 1982 (followed by three minutes of animated production stills--one depicts an on-set "Fantasy Island" prank), storyboard archives for thirteen sequences (on one such panel is scribbled the directive "This must be gorgeous!"), and the theatrical trailer for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan round out the second platter. I found the 2.35:1, 16x9-enhanced video for this "Director's Edition" of Star Trek II to be superior to that of the previous DVD: it's clearer and brighter, with stronger whites, in particular. Audio--in 5.1 Dolby Digital and barely distinguishable Dolby Surround options--is on a par with the last release. Packaged in the grey dual-keepcase along with the discs is a "STARTREK.NET" CD-ROM and an advertisement for the books by Cox and Ecklar.-Bill Chambers Running Time 116 minutes Aspect Ratio(s) 2.35:1 ONLY, 16x9-enhanced; Languages English DD 5.1, English Dolby Surround, French Stereo; CC Yes; Subtitles English; 2 DVD-9s; Region One; Paramount

In response to perceptions of the first film as lethargic and overwrought, the Trek team mined one of the series' more exciting and open-ended episodes, "Space Seed," for inspiration. Ricardo Montalban returns as Khan, the genetically-engineered warrior with superior strength and intellect (and slowed aging) who has a score to settle with Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his Enterprise crew; upon foiling Khan's attempt to steal his starship, Kirk left Khan and his companions on a planet which was blossoming at the close of the television episode but which ultimately grew desolate after the explosion of a neighboring planet. Khan, who blames Kirk's lack of interest in his progress for the death of his wife and comrades, is inadvertently rescued by former Enterprise crewman Lieutenant Chekhov (Walter Koenig), whose starship Reliant is searching for a suitably dead planet as the testing site of the Genesis Project.

With the aid of a mind control-inducing creature, Khan learns of Genesis and its presumed ability to bring life to barren planets. Recognizing its potential as a weapon, Khan hijacks Reliant and baits Kirk by telegraphing that Reliant's new orders to recover the device have come from the Admiral himself. Kirk, currently overseeing Captain Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) Academy training mission aboard the Enterprise, predictably steers the inexperienced crew toward Regula 1 (the Genesis facility) when he learns of the bogus orders, unwittingly initiating a collision-course with his old foe.

One of the many virtues of The Wrath of Khan is its portrayal of Admiral Kirk, the most layered depiction of the character in the entire Trek canon and enhanced by a uniquely fine performance by Shatner. This characterization is neatly informed by the film's many themes, its development affected by that of the plot. Kirk, it seems, is grimly resigned to growing old, to ending his days in the administrative capacity of Admiral while his friends annoyingly encourage him to regain his command and pursue his "first, best destiny," as captain of a starship. (Even the film's one-liners, which would grow increasingly hollow in later sequels, have resonance, as when Kirk snorts that "galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young.") Yet, as Kirk renews old acquaintances (Khan's everlasting youthfulness is a fine counterpoint to Kirk's dilemma) and long-lost relationships (conveniently, but also integrally, Genesis' creators are Kirk's estranged lover and son), Kirk experiences a "genesis" of his own.

Kirk's rebirth (the film closes as he wistfully proclaims that he feels young) parallels that of the Genesis Planet, formed after the device is detonated in a last-ditch attempt by Khan to ensnare Kirk and the Enterprise. The film's wonderful script, however, is not content with merely providing such parallels; the Genesis Planet hints at yet a third rebirth as Spock, having sacrificed himself while enabling the ship to reach safety, is entombed and deposited on the planet's surface.

The moving sequence in which Spock and Kirk speak their farewells is the culmination of the film's exploration of its most profound theme, one that embodies all of the best philosophical tendencies of "Star Trek". Early on, Spock attempts to persuade Kirk to serve as Commander of the Enterprise when she is called into action by proclaiming that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few...or the one." The utter humanity of this statement characterizes the film as a whole and, in particular, Spock's final act of sacrifice. That this sentiment is so nobly embraced by Spock, a character frequently at odds with his Vulcan-Human duality, makes its expression all the more rich and compelling. (I defy anyone with a heart to maintain a dry eye when Kirk intones, at Spock's burial at "sea," that his friend's soul was the most human he'd ever encountered.) Of course, in another of the screenplay's many intricacies, this finale carefully echoes the opening of the film, during which Kirk encourages Lieutenant Saavik (a pre-"Cheers" Kirstie Alley) to consider whether the way in which one faces death is at least as important as the way in which one faces life.

Pensive themes aside, The Wrath of Khan is also a hell of a lot of fun. This is science-fiction in the grandest tradition, a truly operatic "space opera" in which vengeful rivalries are rekindled, innocence matures into heroism (witness the rapid growth of the Enterprise's crew of trainees), fathers and sons clash before gaining mutual respect, great military battles hinge on the slightest of mental maneuvers, the wisdom of past centuries resurface to inform the present, and our most revered protagonists achieve great victories while simultaneously suffering heretofore unthinkable losses.

The passion suggested by such content is reflected in the performances (particularly effective is Montalban, whose Khan is chillingly poetic yet barbaric), the immensely literary script, Nicholas Meyer's transcendent direction, James Horner's rousing score, and Industrial Light and Magic's flawless special effects. In short, The Wrath of Khan is that rare genre film which, through its unification of elements that are cinematic, literary and theatrical, rises above the conventions of its form, resulting in a masterpiece that easily stands on its own.

While Paramount's most recent Trek DVDs (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) exceeded expectations, this DVD falls short of them. It's a treat to be able to view The Wrath of Khan in all its 2.35:1 anamorphic glory, but the transfer itself is a bit weak, though not nearly as bad as other online reviews had led me to anticipate. My biggest complaint about the disc is its oversaturation of what were already particularly bold colors. Even with the benefits of a progressive-scan player and monitor, there are frequent instances of colours appearing too garish and occasionally dancing with too much chroma noise. Otherwise, the image is for the most part stable and solid, with the only other problems stemming from scratches and the like in the source print. I suppose it's unfair to quibble too much with Paramount since the studio has shown a commitment to anamorphic DVDs and to presenting sparkling transfers of films older than The Wrath of Khan (Chinatown and The Parallax View, to name two), but the relative recency of this film compared to those '70s efforts makes this disc's shortcomings all the more puzzling.

Likewise, the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track matches neither the clarity nor the punch of the previous two Trek film DVDs. Only Horner's score (the only one of his I can unequivocally enjoy) is justly served, while the dialog and sound effects are often lacking in fidelity and directionality. Paramount deserves credit, again, for its dedication to creating 5.1 remasters, but consistency is often an issue with their efforts. This is, for the most part, a serviceable mix, but it definitely leaves one wanting more.

Speaking of wanting more, the one area in which the disc is truly a failure is in the supplements. While the vintage 1982 trailer (anamorphic, Dolby 2.0) is fun, it's not in very good shape. The graphics which adorn the menus and keepcase cover, while reproducing the original artwork for the film, look ridiculous as displayed in this package. And, worst of all, the topside of the disc itself has the distinction of being the ugliest "picture disc" in my collection, sporting a barely legible depiction of the Enterprise and Genesis Planet awash in a truly hideous shade of yellow-orange. Ugh. I suppose it makes one grateful that these are the only supplements scrounged up for this otherwise magnificent film.-Vincent Suarez

© Film Freak Central; filmfreakcentral.net. This review may not be reprinted, in whole or in part, without the express consent of its author.

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DVD VITALS:
Running Time
113 minutes
MPAA
PG
Aspect Ratio(s)
2.35:1 ONLY, 16x9-enhanced
Languages
English DD 5.1,
English Dolby Surround,
French Dolby Surround
CC
Yes
Subtitles
English
DVD-9
Region One
Paramount

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Published: July, 2000