Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Review

After watching the first film in the franchise, The Wrath of Khan feels like an immediate upgrade because you can tell that the characters came first in this story. Kirk had his own personal conflict of getting older and Khan wanted simple revenge. Finally a plot I can easily get behind. This one also felt much more like Star Wars with the desert planet and much of the production design looking like it belonged in Tomorrowland. So not only was I able to understand the plot this time around, I was also invested because there was actual excitement in this movie. The camera moved around, the characters had a sense of urgency, plus a bit of a death toll made this movie feel intense with actual stakes. This alone got me more invested than I was in the first film. Add that with another strong message, this was a very fun sci-fi adventure flick! Just some side notes though, I thought the actress who played Saavik was really good and even kind of cute. However, I found out that she was a young Kirstie Alley and she immediately became harder to watch. I have no idea why. Maybe because I have a dark soul. Who knows. Also, there is one certain side-plot that comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Cut it out! You don't need it. Lastly, why are our bad guys dressed like Mad Max characters? Again, who knows. One thing I do know though, is that Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a damn fun movie!