Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
"Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" (original title)

I'm not a Star Trek fan. I have watched the show a few times, and I don't dislike it; but it's not the sort of thing that I would find myself watching week after week. Basically what I'm saying is: I'm not a Trekkie. I did, however, find lots to enjoy about this movie. The plot revolves around Captain Kirk, who has now been promoted to Admiral Kirk and is going through a mid-life crisis. However, his crisis couldn't have come at a worse time; as it has come on the eve of the testing for a new creation, known as 'Genesis', and not only that but a man named Khan has just been found on a planet that Kirk exiled him on, and he doesn't just want to give Kirk a friendly hug.

The acting in the film isn't great, actually, it's about the standard that you would expect from a TV show (which is no coincidence, I'm sure). I'm not sure if all the cast of the shows is present, because I didn't watch it often, but most of the main ones seem to be here; Spock, Kirk, Scottie, Sulu etc. Also joining them is Kirstie Alley, in the role of a young Vulcan commander and Ricardo Montalban who camps it up and dons a silly costume for the title role of Kirk's opposite number; Khan. His performance was the standout of the film for me; he's deliciously over the top, but despite that he comes across as believable as his mannerisms fit the character profile that he is portraying. Unfortunately, non of the show's best known baddies, the Klingons make an appearance. In fact, aside from the Vulcans, there are no aliens in the movie.

One thing that surprised me about the film is the meatiness of the characters. As it's a film of a TV show, I wasn't expecting any development or for the characters to step out of their character arks, but they are surprisingly well done. Some characters also go through a change during the movie (some more than others), which is nice to see. The pace is also a good thing about the movie, as it doesn't let up and manages to stay interesting all the way through. One thing that worried me before watching the movie is that I would get bored as I don't know the show, but that didn't become a problem at any point.

I am proof that you don't have to be a Trekkie to enjoy this movie. There's more than enough for the casual movie fan to enjoy about it, it's an entertaining romp and overall I give this Star Trek film a 'G' for 'good' rating.