Movie sequels don't often do better than the original. But here's one that just had to suck less, and does. Star Trek II - The Wrath of Kahn is a faster paced action-adventure movie. Ricardo Montalban reprises his role of Kahn, a 20th Century genetically-altered superman who moved to the 23rd Century via cryogenics. Kahn failed to take over the Earth and is now trying to take over the galaxy.

Enter also David Marcus, the bastard child of Kirk. (You know this had to happen with Kirk sleeping around the way he did in the series.) There's a lot of father/son tension that doesn't work here.

No, what makes this movie work at all are the space battles. They really are exciting, but ... That's not Star Trek! Star Trek was not about hardware and special effects. Strike Two to Paramount for still not realizing what the franchise really is.

Jammed Pipe!

Film Facts

Cast
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• James Doohan
• Walter Koenig
• George Takei
• Nichelle Nichols
• Bibi Besch
• Merritt Butrick
• Paul Winfield
• Kirstie Alley
• Ricardo Montalban
• Ike Eisenmann
• John Vargas
• John Winston
• Paul Kent
• Nicholas Guest
• Russell Takaki
• Kevin Rodney Sullivan
• Joel Marstan
• Teresa E. Victor
• Dianne Harper
• David Ruprecht
• Marcy Vosburgh
• Laura Banks
• Tim Culbertson
• James Horner
• Judson Earney Scott

Directed by Nicholas Meyer

Released in 1982

MPAA Rating: PG

Reviewed by Mongo