Thought it would be fun to re-watch these, since I finally picked up a copy of Star Trek - Into Darkness from the cheapie bin, which means I now have copies of all of them.
So, on into space, the filmic frontier...
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I've watched it with commentary and I think they did say it was all done before cgi. I think they were trying to really take advantage of the big screen.
This might be jumping the phaser but the last "real" ST film, Star Trek: Nemesis also was released in December, 2002, just five days before Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
What were they thinking?
The Baron said:
It was definitely a December release, I'm fairly certain,
Yes, yes, I'm quite old.
Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Directed by Nicholas Meyer
Screenplay by Jack B. Sowards / Story by Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards
I would have been about 19 when I first saw this - Star Trek is one of the few properties where I always go to see the picture in the cinema as soon as possible after it comes out. I thought it was a great improvement over the first picture, much better-written,that's for sure!
Rqandom thoughts below:
Overall: This is my favorite of the Star Trek movies, I don't think they ever quite equaled this picture. Of course, we'll be revisiting this film later on, when we get to Into Darkness...
Again this is where the book by Vonda MacYntire fills in a lot of the blanks. Saavik was actually the product of a Romulan/Vulcan rape, she and many like her were left on a planet to die and found by a vulcan ship. It was Spock who had to convince the vulcans to Saavick and the other half breeds. She also had a relationship with Scotty's nephew, he had a crush on her and she wasn't used to having friends. The reason that Scotty showed up on the bridge with his nephew was that due to battle damage the lift shafts were all messed up.
I didn't like David either and I didn't get his anger toward starfleet or why his mother kept his existence a secret. A lot left out there.
It was also mentioned in the book that Khan bumped into Checkov as one was leaving the turbo lift and one was getting on. Sort of thing he'd remember with his perfect memory.
I liked this too, it had just the right mix of action and emotion.
Regarding the perceived “plot reset,” the generally accepted timeline has it that 10 years passed sinc ST:TMP, leaving an opening for Kirk to have commanded another five year mission (perhaps two) between films. When you get to “Generations” and Kirk describes his failed love affair with Antonia, there break-up occurred just prior to the events of this movie. Sulu’s daughter was also born during this gap.
Mark beat me to the punch regarding Saavik’s Romulan/Vulcan heritage. As Mark indicated, Peter Preston is developed far more in the novelization, and that development continues into the next installment, when Scotty returns his nephew’s body to his sister. We also learn that… no, don’t want to get too far ahead of the discussion.
“Of all the souls I have encountered on my journey, his was the most… (choke) human.” I can’t help but feel Spock would have been insulted… or at least feigned insult.
Even tho we haven't gotten to Into Darkness yet, enough of us must have seen it to make me wonder if the comment about the need to cast an Indian actor as Khan today was meant to be ironic.
Why Indian? I thought Khan was an advanced human from Austrailia?
Not to mention:
Khan's full name was Khan Noonian Singh. Sounds Indian to me.
David Warren said:
Why Indian? I thought Khan was an advanced human from Austrailia?
Speaking of “Remember” reminds me of all the fan speculation and conversations about what that actually meant. Similarly, Yoda’s “There is another… Skywalker” revelation prompted similar debate. A friend of mine said, “I know! I’ll bet it’s Leia!” to which I replied, “No, that would be stupid.”
In Space Seed they said that he was a Sikh, which a religion that is mainly found in India. The name "Singh" is specifically a Sikh name. My veterinarian is a Sikh and also has that name. It is odd that a Sikh in both the TV series and both movies does not wear the turban required by his religion. (It is a religion, not a race.)
Philip Portelli said:
Khan's full name was Khan Noonian Singh. Sounds Indian to me.
David Warren said:Why Indian? I thought Khan was an advanced human from Austrailia?
Wasn't overwhelmed by Kirstie Alley as Saavik, but then I wasn't that overwhelmed by Saavik as a character. It's an interesting idea, Spock having a protege, I just felt like it wasn't carried off all that well.
A lot of people today are surprised that Kirstie Alley originated the role of Saavik. I enjoyed the character because she was the first young Vulcan woman who had dialogue. Up until then, if Vulcan women appeared at all (except for T'Pau) they were in the background in ST:TOS. The recasting of Saavik in the next two movies was, I think, because Alley was unavailable due to her being greatly involved in TV series and miniseries.
More implausible to me is the notion that Kirk dumped a notorious war criminal on a planet somewhere and no one checked up on him in fifteen years.
IIRC, Kirk made one of his famous unilateral, extra-legal decisions by colonizing the uninhabited planet with Kahn and his people, so Starfleet didn't know to check on them. Although I really love this movie, I thought Kahn's hatred was a little overplayed. It's not like Kirk knew the planet would be as drastically changed as it was.
I did like the red uniforms in this. A vast improvement over the ones in the previous picture.
They were an improvement but I can't imagine working all day in what looks to be a very hot, confining uniform. I also missed the branch-specific colors, which they brought back later.
I remember when I first saw this and it came to the reveal that David was Kirk's son, the woman sitting next to said, in a melodramaitc voice "Kirk was stunned!"
"You lied." "I exaggerated."
Kirk couldn't believe a son of his would have that much hair. ;-)