Though it looks like a sci-fi epic, Khan is much more seafarin' pirate movie than anything else … though it's dressed up with lasers, pseudo-techie dialogue, and pointy ears, it's really about two ships chasing each other around the oceans of space until one of them is sunk. This makes for a much more genuinely heart-pumpin' Trek film than you'd expect, since it departs from the brainy layers of the usual Roddenberry approach in favor of actual suspense and thrilling payoffs. It's so exciting, in fact, that you almost don't notice the campy acting, especially on Shatner's part. The film also makes some bold choices with the "Star Trek" universe, showing Kirk on a more personal level than ever before (or since), introducing some new characters (including Kirstie Alley as a Vulcan), and even killing Spock! (That didn't last, of course.) The tone is less warmly nostalgic than Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which got a lot of mileage out of simply re-introducing all the beloved characters from the old TV show. Khan ingeniously builds itself on a single nostalgic element (Montalban's appearance as Khan in the one of the original TV episodes), and twists it to assert that this film franchise is going to be about moving forward instead of just providing comfort-food for fans (this didn't last either). The grave tone has Kirk and crew struggling with reaching middle age and coping with the demons of their collective past, which include not only Khan's reappearance, but the revelation of Kirk's son! There's a lot to admire about this film, most of all that it is a totally wonderful piece of cinema on its own merits, as opposed to being just "a good Star Trek movie." The story is tight and focused, and the pace is fantastic. Great visuals, surprising story twists, and several moments that easily stand alongside the most memorable sci-fi movie scenes ever made. The mind-controlling ear-eels still made me shiver, 22 years after last seeing Khan. I sure wouldn't like to get any bugs in my ears! The writers and director clearly take cues from old sea-pirate movies, but they don't ignore the impact of then-current sci-fi films like Alien, and this helps the film retain its power instead of coming off like a creaky old throwback. If Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the series's 2001: A Space Odyssey (at least in terms of intent), The Wrath of Khan is its Blade Runner, delivering much more than it had to, and showing that Star Trek could be very, very cool. At least once.
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