"KHAAAAAN!" -James Tiberius Kirk
Paramount and Fox were the last two of the major studios to join the DVD revolution, and their first DVD products paled in comparison to the best discs in the marketplace. Both studios have gone to great lengths to improve their commitment to the DVD format, however, and they have created some sparkling gems. In particular, Paramount´s "Special Collector´s Edition" DVDs show how a wealth of well-organized and substantive bonus materials can provide hours of interactive entertainment.
Paramount released "Star Trek II" through "Star Trek: Insurrection" in reverse order (basically), and they were all lacking in noteworthy features. In some cases, the video and audio presentations could only be described as "lackluster". When the time came for the DVD release of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", the studio decided that an about-face was in order--Paramount would create a special edition to inaugurate a revamped philosophy towards its flagship series. The studio seems intent on working its way through the movie series again (this time in theatrical release order) with 2-disc sets offering a plethora of extras, and it´s also gotten around to releasing the TV shows on DVD. (Every episode of "Star Trek--The Original Series" is on DVD, and every season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" will be on DVD by the end of 2002. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" will be released in 2003, presumably to be followed by "Star Trek: Voyager".)
It has been almost 9 months since "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released on DVD, and now a spiffy new director´s cut of "Star Trek II" arrives in stores. (Fans won´t have to wait long for "Star Trek III"--it´ll be in stores on October 22). Dubbed "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan--The Director´s Edition", the new version includes about 3 or 4 minutes worth of footage not used during the film´s initial theatrical release. For the most part, the changes made to "Star Trek II" aren´t as extensive as the ones made to "The Motion Picture", so the film´s content, tone, pacing, and overall feel has barely been touched at all.
"Star Trek II" took its inspiration from an episode of the original TV series called "Space Seed". Basically, at the end of that episode, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) sent Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) into exile on Ceti Alpha V. In the movie, the genetically engineered, super-genius Khan manages to escape from Ceti Alpha V, and he commandeers the starship Reliant to destroy Kirk. Khan also manages to steal the Genesis device, developed by Kirk´s ex-flame Dr. Carol Marcus and their son, Dr. David Marcus. Genesis, designed to create life out of nothing, could be used as a weapon since it destroys pre-existing life in order to create its own "matrix". So, for the better part of 2 hours, Kirk and Khan chase each other across the galaxy. Admiral Kirk uses his experience with Starfleet ships while Khan uses his superior intellect in order to outwit one another.
Shatner and Montalban do their best to out-overact one another, and I have to say that they conclude with a draw. Although the two actors manage to chew up plenty of scenery, they don´t actually stand face-to-face, sparing the story from becoming a free-for-all wrestling match. The usual suspects also appear in the movie, including Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and "Bones" (a delightfully grumpy DeForest Kelley). Look for Kirstie Alley as Saavik, a Vulcan Starfleet cadet who learns a few things from Kirk and Spock about being "human".
A former DVD Town reviewer, Kevin Kaup, wrote about the first, single-disc DVD edition of "Star Trek II". (Star Trek II) In his review of the original release (the only way to get the theatrical cut of the movie), Kaup revealed that he likes "Star Trek II" more than any of the other "Trek" films. While I myself prefer "Star Trek VI", I agree with Kaup´s assessment of "Star Trek II"--it is fun, spirited, moving, and highly enjoyable. There are a couple of tense space dogfights between the Enterprise and the Reliant, and the script focuses on the deep bonds that have developed over the years between Kirk, Spock, and Bones. If you´ve followed the series at all, you already know that a major character passes away towards the end of "Star Trek II". Don´t worry--if you look at the title of the third movie, you´ll know right away that he comes back to life. Oops, was that a spoiler? Heehee...
Video:
Thankfully, the filmmakers shot "Star Trek II" using a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen ratio for its visual composition. The wide image imparts a sweeping visual grandeur to the story, and it looks great on DVD. Boldly-rendered colors look natural, and the stable, smooth, clear print is a welcome improvement over the transfer of "The Motion Picture". However, due to the technology available at the time of the film´s shooting, special effects shots suffer from heavy grain and dust problems.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 English mix used for the DVD sounds comfortably spacious but unspectacular. Music cues benefit the most from a 5.1 re-mix, and a couple of whooshes courtesy of the Enterprise jumping into warp will have you looking from your front speakers to your rear ones. For the most part, though, the sound design is front-heavy (again, due to technological limitations in place at the time of the production). Most low-frequency effects sound thin and hollow.
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