Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan D.E. DVD

[Beast]

Originally posted by Jacen Solo
Its just my humble opinion but come on Star Trek, in a Star Wars forum.

It's not just a Star Wars forum, that's why we have areas like this for other movies, as well as a General Discussion area, Toy Collecting - Other, etc. There are other things that we enjoy beyond Star Wars, it's not like that's the only thing we have any intrest in. It would be a pretty sad life, if that was true.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[JediTricks]

And besides, some of us have been Trek fans since before there WAS a Star Wars.

[pthfnder89]

Originally posted by JediTricks
And besides, some of us have been Trek fans since before there WAS a Star Wars.

Very true... well not for me, but for many others.

Although I had liked all of the movies, I didn't become a big fan of Star Trek until the Third season of TNG. After I had been forcing my father to watch it with me for a while, he turned to me one night and said, "You know, your grandpa and Gene Roddenberry are good friends. He's known him since way back."

Of course I jumped up all excited and started babbling "Really!?? Wow, can I meet him can I visit the set can I .... etc, etc"

My dad just looked at me and said "I doubt it. Roddenberry died about 6 months ago."

I know it's cold hearted but all I could think of was "DAMN! If I had become a fan a few months earlier I might have gotten to see the set." (what can I say, I was only 11 )

[Jayspawn]

I loved "The Undiscovered Country." Its up there with II I think. It has a plot, uses ALL the characters, and signs off the original cast pretty good.

I try to pretend that "The Final Frontier" never happened.

[JediTricks]

OUCH! Man, that is cold! Even worse, upon reflection, even though Gene had passed on, you probably could have gotten your gramps to talk to Majel about a set-tour.

[Beast]

This is a little off topic, but not really since it goes along with the theme of the thread, the Star Trek II: SE DVD. I was looking at my list for next month, and August 6th has to be like the biggest month ever for quality DVD releases.

• Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2-disc set)
• Clash of the Titans
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Director's Edition
• V: The Final Battle
• The Jeffersons: The Complete First Season

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[Beast]

DVDEmpire.Com has the first review of the DVD set up now. Sounds like a real winner, other then the "Star Trek Universe" feature that just talks about some of the novels that expand on the "Kobayashi Maru scenario" and "Khan's background". Without further ado, here is the review.

Well here it is Star Trek fans, the Star Trek DVD you've been waiting for - not just a special edition of the best Star Trek film ever made, but easily the best Star Trek DVD (and that includes the Next Generation box sets) to hit the market yet. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Director's Edition is everything I could have hoped it would be, and it's one of the best DVD releases I've seen this year.

For those of you who purchased the previous DVD version of Star Trek II and are not sure about buying the new one, let me assure you that you'll want to hang on to both versions! This is not just a director's cut with extra footage...it's a director's cut that uses alternate takes of certain scenes that only die-hard trekkers are going to be able to pick up on. This version of Star Trek II is essentially the same one that aired on ABC when the movie came to television, with the exception being that I believe that this is the first time ever the extended version has ever been seen in the widescreen format.

The major difference between this version and the original theatrical version is that this version makes clear that Peter Preston, a young cadet in engineering who has a small role in the film, is the nephew of Mr. Scott. But there are other editions as well, including additional lines of dialogue in certain scenes and (as mentioned before) altogether different takes of scenes.

In addition to the movie on disc one (which has a near flawless video and audio reproduction - with only a hint of the age of the film in certain segments), viewers get a full-length audio commentary track from director Nicholas Meyer where he talks about how he got the job, his experience filming the movie, and more than a few tidbits which fans have probably not heard before. The first DVD also includes text commentary (subtitles) from Michael Okuda which offer additional information about the film - although I don't recommend watching this and listing to the commentary during the same viewing, as you're bound to miss something interesting being said or flashing up on-screen!

The second disc in this set is the one that should have Star Trek fans really drooling. It is loaded with bonus material, most of it brand-new. But unlike the director's edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, where most of the info presented was designed for the first-time Star Trek viewer, the bonus material here is geared with the Star Trek fan in mind...not going into verbose explanations about the characters, but instead giving us the "scoop" on the production and behind the scenes stories from the making of the movie.

"The Captain's Log" is probably the most entertaining of the bonus features, as it includes new interview material from Nicholas Meyer, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and executive producer Harve Bennett. Particularly entertaining are Shatner's comments, in which he pokes fun at both Leonard and Harve (two very close friends) - but which may come off as rude and "egotistical" to the average viewer...so casual fans should be aware that Bill isn't being mean, he's just making some good humored jabs at his old friends. Also moving are Harve Bennett's comments as he almost comes to tears when recalling the initial fan reaction to the movie and his pride in knowing he was partially responsible for saving the Star Trek franchise. In fact, Harve has long been known among fans and colleagues alike as "The Man Who Saved Star Trek".

Also entertaining are some original interviews on various talk shows with some of the stars (including Shatner, Nimoy and DeForest Kelley) which I have never seen before, and probably haven't been aired since they initially ran. Other bonuses on disc two include a featurette on the designing of the film; a featurette on the special effects; a storyboard section; and the original theatrical trailer (which in hindsight is not put together very well, but I suppose was the standard for movie trailers in the early 80's).

The only really annoying bonus feature is entitled "The Star Trek Universe" and introduces us to two Star Trek writers, a female who has written books about the Kobayashi Maru scenario and a male who has been writing novels about Khan's background. This segment is obviously an attempt to get fans interested in the books, and while I don't want to discourage people from reading a good story, the two authors presented here are so obviously obsessed with Star Trek that they fit the stereotypical "Trekkie" label perfectly. I found myself hoping that Bill Shatner would interrupt the segment and kindly tell these two people to "get a life"!

But that one segment aside, Star Trek II: The Director's Edition is a near-perfect DVD set, nicely packaged (it even includes a CD-ROM to sign up for StarTrek.Net, should you be interested) and everything you could hope for in a Star Trek DVD. You'll definitely want to beam this one over into your shopping cart as soon as possible!

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[wedgeA]

JJB,

Alternate takes? Awesome. I think that the only other thing that this release should have done was replace some of the TMP stock footage (Kobayashi Maru, Enterprise) with new effect shots. Otherwise I will be there on Monday for the midnight release!!

[Beast]

DVDFile's Review is up now. I'll post it here as well, since it's easier then linking there. Another glowingly positive review, can't wait for August 6th. I'm gonna cut it into 2 posts though, cause it's really long.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:

When I first sat down to write this review, I originally planned to go on about the story and the plot, blah blah blah, of STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, but quickly realized that it would be rather useless as anyone reading this probably already knows it by heart anyway. After the big-screen opener STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE received mixed notices for its perceived slow pace and a lack of action, the filmmakers went back to the drawing board and retooled this next big screen adventure with more battle scenes and a quicker tempo. The experiment worked; KHAN is still widely regarded as the best of the franchise, and everything from the look of the TREK world, including the sets and costumes, to the more dramatic and action-oriented flavor have became a template for all subsequent entries in the series.

As for the plot of WRATH OF KHAN, like I said I was going to write the usual filler synopsis, but why bother? If you're a fan of the series then you know just what a treasured masterpiece THE WRATH OF KHAN is, or if you've never seen a TREK film, then this is the one that will definitely get you hooked. Ricardo Montalban commands the screen as the highly-quotable Khan, still the best of the Trek big-screen villains, and the cast plays off their gray hairs with considerable humor but not the cringe-inducing preciousness of the later chapters. Director Nicholas Meyer also wisely plays off the fans' familiarity with the characters and the backstory, but still makes it all accessible with none of the smarmy in-jokes that grated in future chapters. This is a fun, lively space adventure with heart and intelligence that just happens to be a Trek film, and not the other way around.

The film is 20 years old now, and watching it again I was struck by how the filmmakers did a remarkable job at creating a world that's far less dated than the "disco fever" set and costume designs of THE MOTION PICTURE. Just one look at Uhura's funky afro in the first film and you know exactly what I mean. That's not to say that TREK II is perfect, what with those leftover Solid Gold outfits that Khan and his gang sport, and you gotta love Kirk's sideburns. The effects are also a bit cheesy now, but all the models and mattes have an 80's charm that modern CGI still can't match. But that's just what makes the film so beloved. One of the few big-screen Trek adventures that can stand on its own, Khan remains, for my money, the one to beat.

Video: How Does The Disc Look?:

Released once already on DVD, this new Director's Edition features an extended cut of the film that runs about 3 minutes longer than the theatrical version, and thus necessitated a new transfer. Once again presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, based on direct A/B comparisons of both the old and new transfers, this new edition is on par with the last, but does boast some noticeable improvements.

Colors are generally solid and stable throughout, but the heavy concentration of various shades of red throughout really puts the disc to the ultimate test. A tad bit less blurry than the previous release, here hues are a bit smoother and robust, and fleshtones look slightly more accurate. Detail is favorable, although the film's photography lends itself to a relatively soft look overall. Perhaps the most impressive upgrade is that the blacks, which although quite good before, look even more rock solid. However, the transfer still looks dark, and the now-antiquated effects-heavy sequences - such as all the models and extensive use of mattes - still suffer from noticeable dirt and grain, with the big Mutara Nebula climax faring the worst.

One of the problems with the vintage TREK films, specifically II, III and IV, is that the photographic style of the time just doesn't really translate well on video. As is to be expected, this darker quality can also effect detail and shadow delineation. Darker hair coloring, for instance, seems to lack any refinement, but overall this is still just a tad bit brighter and "punchier" than the previous transfer, if only by a hair. But another plus less edginess to the image, which looks less "contrasty," and better compression, with far less of the pixel break up that marred the first DVD. Not a huge improvement, but this is still a step up from the previous release.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?:

Unlike the transfer, this appears to be the same English 5.1 Dolby surround track included on the previous release, albeit with the insertion of the new footage. Fidelity is understandably dated. Mono dialog emanates from the front three channels instead of being firmly anchored in the center. This gives it a less specific source than I would have liked as occasional poorly integrated looped dialog also rears its ugly head, but on the whole vocals sound clear and essentially natural without strain.

That lack of anchoring is also evident in the directional effects of the soundtrack. By and large this isn't as directional a soundtrack as I remembered or was expecting. There are strong sequences to be sure, such as the climatic battle in the Mutara Nebula, where the mix accurately tracks the onscreen action but for the most part the front soundstage only maintains any consistent stereo presence with the James Horner's majestic score. That score is also the primary active element of the split surrounds, which do feature some subtle discrete effects and and nice spatiality. Low bass is notably deficient, however, with a lack of the real deep low tones that were such a nice surprise on the TREK III remaster. The sub is given a few nice kicks, but it just doesn't have much work to do.

English 2.0 Dolby surround and French 2.0 stereo tracks are also included, along with English subtitles and Closed Captions.

[Beast]

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

At last! The most popular Trek film of them all finally gets the special edition treatment! Following the success of last year's two-disc Star Trek The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition, Paramount now has a nice template to work from, and this set is consistent in terms of presentation, packaging and the depth of supplemental content. The nicely animated menus are simple but effective, and don't stray from the iconography of the film. The packaging also matches the first film, although the only disappointment is the enclosed four-page foldout, which just replaces the back of the box and lacks any detailed information on the changes made to this new Director's Edition of the film. But that's about the only omission, because we do get new commentaries, featurettes and more, courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment and DVD producers Mark Rance and Jennifer Petersen.

Disc one includes two excellent commentaries, both newly-produced for this DVD. Despite director Nicholas Meyer's recent public comments that he wasn't too high on the idea of recording an audio commentary at all and only did it for the fans, you wouldn't know it by listing to this track. For a guy who acts like he doesn't have much to say, he sure won't shut up! He's highly entertaining throughout, and perhaps Star Trek II is so good because Meyer wasn't that big of a fan of the series or the first film when he took the job? This is one of the best commentaries I've heard in a long while, and everything from the initial conceptualization of the film to the effects, to working with Montalban and disagreements with Kirk and Spock are covered. Meyer is such an intelligent, natural filmmaker that one wonders why he only did one more Trek flick after Khan, Star Trek VI (the subtitle for which, The Undiscovered Country, was Meyer's original choice for Part II). While listening to Meyer's track, I also switched on Michael Okuda's text commentary, which is another treasure trove of Trek lore and factoids. Co-author of The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Okuda obviously knows this universe like few others, and writes in a thorough but accessible style. Perfectly paced, he covers it all, from Khan's history in the show to the additions to the new cut, and even comments on Meyer and his directorial style. These two are an unbeatable combination, and an absolute must-listen for fans.

Plop in disc two and it's off to Planet Genesis, complete a cute animated menu and plenty of new featurettes and other goodies. And in a very nice touch from Paramount, all the newly-produced video materials are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and include optional English or French subtitles.

First up is The Captain's Log, a rather bizarre 27-minute collection of new interviews. The key principals are here, including Meyer, producer Harve Bennett, actors William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Ricardo Montalban, but lacking is much in the way of behind the scenes footage or stills. Also odd is that the interviews of Nimoy and Bennett are shot in such tight close-ups that on my 65" screen, a gargantuan floating Nimoy head is a nightmare-inducing experience. But despite the dull pace this is certainly the first time that most of these participants have talked at any length about working on the film, and at long last we get the real story behind the numerous script rewrites and the controversy surrounding Spock's untimely demise. The highly personable Montalban ultimately steals the show just like he did in the movie, and Nimoy and Shatner come off as frosty, very frosty (especially Shatner, who always seemed like a prick). Can't wait to watch those interviews on Star Trek V!

Up next is another collection of interviews, all taken from EPK material produced at the time of the film's original 1982 theatrical release. Running 11 minutes and presented in full frame only, these are hysterical to watch, especially the terrible clothes and bad sets. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley and Ricardo Montalban are all featured, and who let Kelley wear that ridiculous green scarf? Also highlights are the smarmy Shatner trying to score with the interviewer, and a 3-minute closing montage of rare behind-the-scenes photos set to music.

New to this DVD are two more featurettes, Designing Khan (24 minutes) and Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II (18 minutes). Although still somewhat sluggishly paced, these two do benefit from more variety and a better integration of film clips, behind the scenes footage, rare conceptual art and costume designs, storyboards and cool special effects "before" footage. Once again Montalban charms with recollections of his Khan getup, and other highlights include those icky ear eels, a look at the Genesis video sequence, which at the time was a pioneering use of computer-generated special effects, and the first-ever Star Trek starship dogfight in the Mutara Nebula.

But what, there's more. The Star Trek Universe is a 19-minute, Trekkies-like look at fans Greg Cox and Julia Ecklar, who parlayed their love of the universe into successful careers as authors of numerous Trek-related books. Yes, these are "geeky fans," so the appeal of this one might be limited by just how much Star Trek you can stand. At first I wasn't sure why they picked these two to focus on, but then it is revealed that both have written extensively on Khan and the "Kobayashi Maru Scenario" that figures prominently in the movie. So if you're really into the character and the moral implications of the story this is your featurette. All others, be forewarned that this might be a bit too much to bear...

Rounding out the extras are a pretty extensive storyboard archive of no less than twelve sequences from the movie - "Main Title," "Kobayashi Maru," "Ceti Alpha V," "Regula 1," "Chekov and Terrell Find Khan," "Admiral's Inspection," "Khan's Revenge," "Kirk Strikes Back," "Find the Genesis Cave," "Mutara Nebula," "Sneak Attack," "Genesis," and "Honored Dead." Each segment allows for manual control, and the images are nicely presented although no descriptive text is included. Last but not least we have the film's theatrical trailer presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.

DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC?:

Strange for a Trek film, no ROM extras have been included. How about at least some integration with the official Trek website next time?

Parting Thoughts:

After a very long wait, fans are finally getting the special edition of Star Trek II they've always wanted. An upgraded transfer, tons of new supplements and a nice price of only $24.95 list make this a must-buy even for casual Trek fans. And if you have the previous movie-only release, it's worth selling it off and picking this one up. Can't wait for the next one!