Tying in with the release of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, Paramount is offering a number of home-video Trek products. One of them is the Motion Picture Trilogy DVD collection that offers Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in digitally remastered editions with all-new special features.
The Wrath of Khan, directed by Nicholas Meyer, who also performed an uncredited rewrite of the script, is a sequel to the original series episode “Space Seed,” which ended with Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) and his people being marooned on Ceti Alpha V. They escape the planet by commandeering a science expedition looking for an uninhabited planet to test the terraforming Genesis Device, and Khan strives to exact revenge against his former rival Kirk (William Shatner), an obsession that mirrors Captain Ahab’s obsession with the whale Moby Dick.
Wrath remains the best film of the Trek franchise to date. Not only is the story filled with intrigue, humor, and emotion, but it also takes into account the hero Kirk has aged, making his character more human, more believable, and in turn more heroic. The effects and execution of the space battles are exciting. James Horner’s score is also evocative and masterful.
The Search for Spock finds the Enterprise crew returning to the newly formed Genesis planet, against Starfleet Command’s orders, to reunite Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) body and katra (essence) and return them to Vulcan at the request of Spock’s father, Sarek (Mark Lenard). However, the presumed lifeless body won’t be as they expect it because the properties of the Genesis Device have caused Spock to be reborn and age at an accelerated rate. Another complication arises as Klingon Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) learns of the Genesis Device and wants to use it as a weapon.
Directed by Nimoy, Search is a fun adventure that continues the franchise, which had to be expected with the success of Wrath. However, it unfortunately diminishes the value of Spock’s sacrifice in the previous film, which was allegedly the reason Nimoy returned to the role. However, in part due to Nimoy enjoying the filming experience and wanting to continue it and because of test-audience reactions to the character’s death, Spock placed his katra within Dr. McCoy before dying.
Article comments
1 - Dan Carr
Why would you make a collection of DVD's without including the First movie doesn't make sense to me. But Marketing decision obviously.
A bit dissapointing that it did not include the first movie, Star Trek The Motion Picture, Otherwise great collection. Great price too.