“How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life”. A bit of intelligent fun today – for me, anyway. When “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” came out in 1979 it was seen as a disappointment. I love it, but it was considered slow and, you know, something that made you have to think.
Nicholas Meyer’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” was still as rich but it was much more entertaining. It took a character from the original series, Khan, and based the story on “Moby Dick” – Khan is Ahab and Captain Kirk is his great white whale. They even use lines from the book. Importantly, it addresses the fact that the characters are older, which they didn’t do so much in the first movie.
Almost everything in the film is about ageing, and rejuvenation. Doctor McCoy gives Kirk antique glasses for his birthday, for example. Everyone knows they are not as young as they used to be. The themes are totally on point throughout. We also have the fun of the Kobayashi Maru, which is now legendary – the unwinnable simulation that Kirk still beat. A further insight into his character and beautiful foreshadowing for the whole story.
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