Paramount included a DD 2.0 surround English track (recommended for those of you without true DD 5.1 set-ups) and a DD 2.0 surround French dub. Optional English subtitles and closed captions support the audio.
Extras:
In order to provide the film with as much digital space as possible for maximum video/audio quality, most of the bonus materials have been placed on Disc 2 of this 2-DVD set.
--Disc 1--
Director Nicholas Meyer provided an audio commentary for the film. When he was given the reins to the movie, he was actually not at all familiar with the "Star Trek" universe. Therefore, he has many interesting anecdotes to share about the production. Meyer does not shy away from discussing on-set disagreements, including little incidents created by Leonard Nimoy. (Despite the fact that Spock the half-Vulcan had no ego to massage, Nimoy the human did. :-P) This is a great commentary, more informative and enjoyable than the one found on Disc 1 of "The Motion Picture" DVD set.
As with Disc 1 of the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" DVD set, "Star Trek II" Disc 1 uses a subtitle stream as a "text commentary" of the film. Similar to New Line´s "Fact Track" on its infinifilm DVDs and written by Michael Okuda (co-author of "The Star Trek Encyclopedia"), the text commentary provides a wealth of information about the production as well as "Star Trek" lore. For a challenge, try watching the movie with both the audio and text commentary running at the same time. :-)
--Disc 2--
"The Captain´s Log" is a half-hour featurette about the making of the movie. This is one of the best "making-of" featurettes that I´ve seen because all of the participants--including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and executive producer Harve Bennett--candidly describe how they felt about "Star Trek II". For instance, Shatner explains why he thinks that Nimoy´s desire NOT to appear in the movie was a great negotiating ploy, and Bennett relates how he had to use several storylines in order to finally convince Nimoy to participate in the project. I´m happy that the participants realized that in discussing some of the not-so-smooth background details of the production, they manage to give viewers a greater appreciation of their efforts.
Next up is the "Designing ´Khan´" featurette, a half-hour look at the creation of the movie´s production design. As the text commentary on Disc 1 already states, director Nicholas Meyer managed to use his budget for other purposes by re-using sets and props that had been made for "The Motion Picture" and the TV show. Therefore, a lot of the sights in the film are echoes of scenes from the first movie and the TV series.
"The Visual Effects of ´Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan´" basically complements the "Designing ´Khan´" featurette. It gives viewers a brief overview of how visual effects specialists had to find creative methods to produce a space epic without the benefit of the powerful computers available to today´s crews.
There are about 10-minutes-worth of original 1982 promotional interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalban. You´ll be ROFLYAO when you see the interviewees wearing some seriously outdated duds. Surprisingly, William Shatner--known for his cheerily campy behavior--wears the least-dated clothes of the bunch.
In the "The Star Trek Universe: A Novel Approach" featurette, two authors talk about their book-based relation to the "Star Trek" universe. Greg Cox, writer of "The Eugenics Wars: A History of Khan Noonien Singh", explains his creation of a complex backstory for the Khan character. Julia Ecklar, writer of "A Test of Character: The Kobayashi Maru Scenario", discusses the infamous test that puts Starfleet cadets in a no-win situation.
Under the "Storyboard Archives" umbrella, you´ll find storyboards for 13 of the film´s sequences.
Finally, there is the film´s theatrical trailer.
--Miscellaneous--
A glossy booklet provides a list of the DVD set´s features, chapter listings, and a photograph of the assembled Enterprise crew. You´ll also find an insert ad for "Star Trek" books as well as a CD-ROM that lets you join www.StarTrek.net, an Internet Service Provider. Yes, "Star Trek" fans now have the chance to have their own "Star Trek"-based e-mail addresses.
Entertainment Value:
Undoubtedly, fans will rush to get "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan--The Director´s Edition" in their hands as soon as possible. They shouldn´t be the only ones buying this DVD release, though. "Star Trek II" is a remarkably accessible movie. My sister, Shing-yao Sandra Feng, enjoyed it even though she´s not usually a fan of science-fiction. Given the fact that the single-disc releases of the "Star Trek" movies originally listed for $29.99, Paramount´s 2-disc revamps, also listing for $29.99, are more than bargains--they are steals. The new "Star Trek" DVD sets reflect the studio´s obvious pride in its beloved franchise. Fans should be extremely pleased. Well done, Paramount!
Extras:
In order to provide the film with as much digital space as possible for maximum video/audio quality, most of the bonus materials have been placed on Disc 2 of this 2-DVD set.
--Disc 1--
Director Nicholas Meyer provided an audio commentary for the film. When he was given the reins to the movie, he was actually not at all familiar with the "Star Trek" universe. Therefore, he has many interesting anecdotes to share about the production. Meyer does not shy away from discussing on-set disagreements, including little incidents created by Leonard Nimoy. (Despite the fact that Spock the half-Vulcan had no ego to massage, Nimoy the human did. :-P) This is a great commentary, more informative and enjoyable than the one found on Disc 1 of "The Motion Picture" DVD set.
As with Disc 1 of the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" DVD set, "Star Trek II" Disc 1 uses a subtitle stream as a "text commentary" of the film. Similar to New Line´s "Fact Track" on its infinifilm DVDs and written by Michael Okuda (co-author of "The Star Trek Encyclopedia"), the text commentary provides a wealth of information about the production as well as "Star Trek" lore. For a challenge, try watching the movie with both the audio and text commentary running at the same time. :-)
--Disc 2--
"The Captain´s Log" is a half-hour featurette about the making of the movie. This is one of the best "making-of" featurettes that I´ve seen because all of the participants--including William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and executive producer Harve Bennett--candidly describe how they felt about "Star Trek II". For instance, Shatner explains why he thinks that Nimoy´s desire NOT to appear in the movie was a great negotiating ploy, and Bennett relates how he had to use several storylines in order to finally convince Nimoy to participate in the project. I´m happy that the participants realized that in discussing some of the not-so-smooth background details of the production, they manage to give viewers a greater appreciation of their efforts.
Next up is the "Designing ´Khan´" featurette, a half-hour look at the creation of the movie´s production design. As the text commentary on Disc 1 already states, director Nicholas Meyer managed to use his budget for other purposes by re-using sets and props that had been made for "The Motion Picture" and the TV show. Therefore, a lot of the sights in the film are echoes of scenes from the first movie and the TV series.
"The Visual Effects of ´Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan´" basically complements the "Designing ´Khan´" featurette. It gives viewers a brief overview of how visual effects specialists had to find creative methods to produce a space epic without the benefit of the powerful computers available to today´s crews.
There are about 10-minutes-worth of original 1982 promotional interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalban. You´ll be ROFLYAO when you see the interviewees wearing some seriously outdated duds. Surprisingly, William Shatner--known for his cheerily campy behavior--wears the least-dated clothes of the bunch.
In the "The Star Trek Universe: A Novel Approach" featurette, two authors talk about their book-based relation to the "Star Trek" universe. Greg Cox, writer of "The Eugenics Wars: A History of Khan Noonien Singh", explains his creation of a complex backstory for the Khan character. Julia Ecklar, writer of "A Test of Character: The Kobayashi Maru Scenario", discusses the infamous test that puts Starfleet cadets in a no-win situation.
Under the "Storyboard Archives" umbrella, you´ll find storyboards for 13 of the film´s sequences.
Finally, there is the film´s theatrical trailer.
--Miscellaneous--
A glossy booklet provides a list of the DVD set´s features, chapter listings, and a photograph of the assembled Enterprise crew. You´ll also find an insert ad for "Star Trek" books as well as a CD-ROM that lets you join www.StarTrek.net, an Internet Service Provider. Yes, "Star Trek" fans now have the chance to have their own "Star Trek"-based e-mail addresses.
Entertainment Value:
Undoubtedly, fans will rush to get "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan--The Director´s Edition" in their hands as soon as possible. They shouldn´t be the only ones buying this DVD release, though. "Star Trek II" is a remarkably accessible movie. My sister, Shing-yao Sandra Feng, enjoyed it even though she´s not usually a fan of science-fiction. Given the fact that the single-disc releases of the "Star Trek" movies originally listed for $29.99, Paramount´s 2-disc revamps, also listing for $29.99, are more than bargains--they are steals. The new "Star Trek" DVD sets reflect the studio´s obvious pride in its beloved franchise. Fans should be extremely pleased. Well done, Paramount!
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[release]10491[/release]