Improves on the first one in almost every way with a return to the TV form of the adventure and action and characterization. It's the Kirk and Spock show here, but there's loads of meat and a fun villain to boot. Right up there with the best sequels of all time.

This is the first Star Trek thing I have ever watched; I haven't watched the original series, the first movie (because that isn't supposed to be too good) or the reboots. This is ultimately a movie about friendship (more details on that soon) and the film was much darker than I expected, nothing really campy here. The first movie was really all about the effects and action whereas this one focuses more on the story which I like. The original creator of the series was disapproving of this movie because of the darker tone. I'm glad they chose Nicholas Meyer to direct because he was opting for a more interesting story rather than cheesy over-the-top stuff because movies had moved on since then while still keeping the original essence in there. I think if someone else directed then this probably would've just been another bland forgettable Star Trek movie. Khan was a good villain, he connects with Kirk as they used to be friends and now they're enemies (adding to the friendship theme of this movie). His motivation was also clear and just wanted revenge, rather than power. The characters were likable enough. There wasn't't much background on them however I'll let it off because it is a sequel to a film which was linked to a TV show and stuff could've easily been explained there. It was just great to see their presence on screen. The effects were quite bright and colourful which didn't really fit with the dark theme of the movie, however they aren't used much and thankfully they aren't the main focus. I'm glad that this movie wasn't't just cheesy and did have a proper interesting story. I really liked the ending. I think this movie definitely sounded a lot better on paper, as the final product didn't have too much of interest in it to fill in the gaps of the story if you understand what I'm saying and it wasn't'y really as exciting or involving as I wanted it to be. Overall, I did like this movie. It wasn't't as good as I expected but it was still pretty decent. If you've never seen a Star Trek movie before this could be a good place to start or for a better experience watch the TV series first and then watch this, skip the first film. 7.4/10

I'll admit I'm no fan of JJ Abrams and his lazy, re-interpretations of the Star Trek franchise. Silly characters, bad acting and too much reliance on CGI action doesn't make up for poor script writing. For me, Star Treks II, III and IV comprise one of the best movie story-arcs in Sci-Fi. And Star Trek II: WRATH OF KHAN is the BEST chapter and best ST movie ever made. All the crew favorites were there - Kirk, Spock, Bones, Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and even Checkov - along with the best ST villain in Khan Noonien Singh, played with gusto by the late Ricardo Mantalban. The story is classic Star Trek, the pacing excellent and the space battles are epic. I have seen this movie many, many times since it was first made in the early 80's and it holds up with time. No CGI but the effects are good all the same. They made this movie back when blockbusters took time, effort and skill, not just lots of blinding CGI and "winging it" attitudes in acting. I encourage anyone who has never seen a Trek movie to pick ST II as your first venture into the Starfleet Universe. This is the quintessential Star Trek movie of all time. Still the best and still great to watch!

When I first saw Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, my expectations weren't too high. The first movie had been such a letdown for me, and I knew sequels better than the original to be a very rare thing. So, I was quite surprised when the end credits started to roll; I had just witnessed an entertaining, thrilling, memorable and all- around awesome movie. Most Trek fans seem to consider this to be the best movie in the entire franchise, and while it only reaches fourth place on my list, I do understand why this is the #1 favorite for so many. There is so much that this film does right, and so little to complain about.The movie is a sequel, not only to The Motion Picture, but also to Space Seed, an episode from the original series. It continues the story left open in that episode, as the villain Khan returns - with a plan of vengeance against Captain Kirk and his crew. The film begins with members of the original crew overseeing the Kobayashi Maru test, after which we see some surprisingly deep character development from Kirk's part. With these very moments, the movie establishes that it has an exciting and creative story element in it, as well as good character writing with a sense of humanity - two things very much missing in the first Trek film. As the story progresses, the audience is treated to several iconic scenes: from Khan's epic return, through Kirk's powerful scream of rage, all the way to Spock's heartbreaking death - more on that one later. The movie is extremely well-written, as the story keeps fresh and engaging while offering many sides to the characters and events, as well as avoiding any dull moments.Nicholas Meyer does a great job directing. Everything in the movie, from the sets and lighting all the way to the camera-work and soundtrack, just feels much more natural and well-made than in the previous installment. And I won't just compare this film to its predecessor which I didn't like, as that doesn't say much; I also think that this movie does a far better job as a production and as a work of art than most of the sci-fi films I have seen, certainly most of the other Star Trek films. It's great that they got the original cast to return once again, as the acting is also top notch. But as good as the main Enterprise crew is, the perhaps greatest performance is given by Ricardo Montalban, who plays the character Khan to perfection.To this day, Khan is the best Star Trek villain, in the opinion of me and many others. The battle of wits between him and Kirk remains at the center of the stage for most of the movie, and gets more and more exhilarating as the run time progresses. But the single greatest part of this film, to me at least, is Spock's sacrifice at the end. Not very often do I find an individual scene to be the absolutely best thing in a feature film, but that is the case with The Wrath Of Khan. Everything about that moment is perfect - the pure emotional impact it has on the viewer, the incredible acting from Shatner and Nimoy, the pitch perfect dialogue between Spock and Kirk in his final moments, and the overall effect that is has on the story - not only the story of this movie, but of the franchise in general. Kirk's line about Spock's soul being the most human he ever knew is possibly the most emotionally powerful line I have ever seen in a movie - something that I definitely didn't expect from a Star Trek sequel. The way they bring the movie to an end is absolutely beautiful.All in all, I find this to be one of the best Star Trek films. It definitely deserves its acclaim as a science fiction landmark and a turning point for the franchise. I don't regard it to be the 'best sci-fi film of all time' or 'a flawless masterpiece' like many do, as there are better films in the genre - even in the franchise. But while this movie isn't perfect, it certainly is a groundbreaking and awesome film worth watching quite a few times. I definitely believe that the legacy of this movie will live long and prosper.