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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Director's Edition
Twenty years, seven movies, and four franchise TV series later, it's still the best Trek movie of them all. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a visually rich science fiction flick that's brisk and entertaining, constructed from a clever script that's smart as a whip without being "intellectual" (God forbid), that's moving or goofy or full-blown melodrama in proper measure, and is brimming with that wham-bam "Warp Factor 8!" vim. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must match wits and ships against exiled megalomaniac Khan (Ricardo Montalban) who acquires the planet-destroying Genesis Device but has killing Kirk at the top of his to-do list. Mind-control earwigs, Scotty's gung-ho nephew, the return of wild oats sown long ago, a newly created planet, and one salvation/tragedy involving Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) also enter the mix. Paramount's Director's Edition DVD offers a terrific anamorphic transfer (2.35.1) from a good print, fine Dolby Digital D 5.1 audio, and director Nicholas Meyer's preffered cut of the film. Also here are oodles of extras such as a splendid commentary track with Meyer, textual commentary by Michael Okuda, "The Captain's Log" production history featurette, "Designing Khan" featurette, "Original Interviews," "The Star Trek Universe: a Novel Approach," "Storyboard Archives," and the theatrical trailer. Dual keep-case.
—Mark Bourne
