Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) | First Time Watching | Movie Reaction

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

Happy Sunday everyone! This film was an emotional rollercoaster. I was all over the place. I have posted a poll in the community tab related to how to move forward after Star Trek IV. Please feel free to participate. Obviously, I am going to watch all the films and TNG, but I wanted some more feedback. Live Long and Prosper 🖖

[@thesharpercoder]

Wrap up the films with the OG crew.

[@tombo1984]

Love your reactions Court. All the best from the UK. 🇬🇧

[@chake46]

Courtney, as you just viewed. There was sadness & outrage when Spock died!!! Everyone shed tears for him.

[@Dracounguis]

The original series movies have zero crossover with TNG. It's best just to finish them off before going to TNG.

[@RobGMun]

In the Directors cut, it turns out the young engineer that dies in sickbay was Scottys nephew. That's why everyone is so cur up about it

[@logandarklighter]

Let's all give credit to DeForest Kelley (Bones McCoy) for catching - and correcting before it was filmed - a serious mistake in the writing of Spock's death scene. You see - when the script came down and they started reading it, Kelley realized that the script called for him and Scotty to grab Kirk to prevent him from flooding the engine compartment with the still concentrated radiation in the chamber beyond. And it was SCOTTY who was to say "You'll flood the whole compartment!" and it was MCCOY who was to say "He's dead already Jim. It's too late." Kelley realized that it was WAY too similar to a line that had been REPEATEDLY used by him in the original series. "He's dead, Jim." He actually doesn't say it as often as many fans think, but it was enough to ascend to Star Trek Meme status. Kelley reasoned that if he said what the script said for him to say - it would distract the fans, and might even inject a moment of unwanted humor into the situation - and this moment needed to be DEADLY serious. If this wasn't corrected, it would ruin Nimoy and Shatner's upcoming scene. So - he got together with Jimmy Doohan, and they made a switcheroo! It's MCCOY that says "You'll flood the whole compartment!" And it's Scotty who responds to Kirk's plaintive "He'll die!" with "He's dead already!" And then back to McCoy for "It's too late, Jim." These are still reasonable lines for these two characters to say - McCoy is looking out for the health of everyone else that he can, including Kirk. And Scotty - as much as anyone, would know how deadly the radiation is and that Spock was a goner. Such a simple, but genius move. It saved the scene and the switch-up is never really noticed except by us old fans who have seen all the old interviews and know the trivia.

[@AtomicBuffalo]

Thanks for sharing this here.

[@5Gburn]

Brilliant!

[@chriscma1]

While filming Spock's death scene, director Nicholas Meyer was taken off guard when he realized some of the stage crew were weeping. That was the moment it hit him just how important these characters were.

[@EastPeakSlim]

Five years ago a dear friend of more than 40 years passed. He was a huge Trekkie and identified most closely with Spock. At his Celebration of Life, I spoke Kirk's words: "of my friend I can only say this. Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most human." RIP Mike!

[@Sephiroth144]

One thing to remember; the Enterprise was on a training mission with cadets- these were not even fully trained officers (not enlisted). They're not even rookies, they're essentially students.

[@andreabindolini7452]

Remains to be explained why a top-class Federation Heavy Cruiser, that has received a total reconstrution only a decade earlier and still is the fastest ship in the Fleet, was withdrawn from active service and downgraded to training ship.

[@Sephiroth144]

​@@andreabindolini7452 Not sure if a canon reason was given, but could think of a few; rotation among older (but still functional) fleet ships, so each one becomes a training vessel for X months for a Cadet Class to train on; a type of "in port" (or whatever the naval equivalent of being "in garrison" is) for the vessel (back to back to back Five Year Missions or the like might be problematic for crews and actually having a family or the like, so some time in the home port makes sense) Quite likely it wasn't so much retired/withdrawn, as its current mission was training near the home port. Likewise, we know the fleet was diversifying, with the Mirandas and Excelsiors, at a minimum, coming up...

[@martinbraun1211]

The "Genesis Device" video is the first FULLY CGI Rendered sequence in movie history!

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

I had no idea! That is cool.

[@revans18]

and the star field in that sequence is a recreation of what the stars would look like from an actual perspective ata distant point from Earth not just random stars

[@thesharpercoder]

I believe the scene was awarded a special Oscar.

[@maestro80smusic93]

This was the first CGI sequence. If you want to see the first use of CGI, watch the original Westworld film from 1973 if you haven't already...

[@dq405]

Actually, one of the earliest uses of CGI on film was in the opening credits of Hitchcock's VERTIGO. John Whitney used a computer to create its visuals, but not a digital computer; instead, he used an analogue targeting computer from the second world war. Much later, Douglas Trumbull created *fake* CGI screen read-outs for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. He built a mechanized animation stand to simulate computer graphics without actually using them. He did something similar for THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN, by using slit-scan photography to simulate CGI -- a striking visual effect. In 1973, WESTWORLD used digital image processing to alter photographic footage into a robotic perspective, but you could argue that this was not computer *generated* imagery.

[@peterschmidt4348]

Even though I've probably seen this film 30 times, I still get tears in my eyes at the end!

[@HawkGTboy]

YUP.

[@davepalliaser4798]

I just got teary eyed watching Court watching this. Gets me every time and I was there opening night in the theatre where people were openly sobbing just sitting in their seats right through the credits too emotionally shocked to leave their seats. I think watching every episode of Star Trek 30-50 times before this film came out I and most of the crowd in the theatre had formed a love of the cast and Spock dying was like losing a family member. It was devastating then, and still emotionally impacting now.

[@jerrykessler2478]

To put it in perspective, Peter Preston was Scotty's nephew, his sister's son. I saw this movie in the theater and, when the Enterprise popped up behind the Reliant, a tremendous cheer rose from the audience. It was very emotional. When Spock died, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

[@76TomD]

That scene and several others were cut from many versions of the film. ABC aired a longer version which included alternate scenes and ones that were cut from the major releases. Peter's scene with Kirk in Engineering is one such scene

[@patricktilton5377]

I have an answer as to why Scotty brought his dying nephew to the Bridge first, before taking him to Sickbay. Peter had literally saved the ship by staying at his post while the other trainees ran from theirs, knowing he would be killed by the after-effects of breathing in the engine coolant gases that had ruptured. Peter knew he was a dead man -- but, having gone into Star Fleet because he idol-worshiped his uncle, he wanted to see with his own eyes that the sacrifice he had made -- which saved the ship -- had managed to keep the Enterprise in-the-fight. Peter Preston wanted to see the Bridge at least once before he gave up the ghost. Scotty was going to bring him to Sickbay right away, but Peter insisted on being brought to the Bridge, knowing Dr. McCoy couldn't save him. It was a kind of 'Make-a-Wish' request that Scotty didn't have the heart to deny his dying nephew. For years, James Doohan had to face the interminable question as to why he -- i.e. Scotty -- brought the dying lad to the Bridge instead of to Sickbay, and he -- from what I gather -- would wave the question away, as if it was staged that way just for dramatic effect, despite not making much sense. But it DOES make sense, if we grant that Scotty knew in his heart that it was hopeless -- that his nephew had mere minutes to live, and that his dying wish was to see the Bridge, to see that the ship was still in-the-fight. And it was Peter Preston's example that gave Spock the instant insight that the ONLY way to save the ship at the end, when Genesis was on a countdown to detonation, would be for someone -- for HIM -- to sacrifice his own life getting the Mains back online. Peter could have run away from his post during the initial attack, like the other trainees -- but then the ship would've been destroyed all-the-sooner, and they ALL would've died then. Peter was able to buy Kirk enough time to gamble on his use of the Reliant's PREFIX CODE (etc.) -- but at the cost of his own life. Spock, the Captain of the ship, closed his eyes in silent grief upon seeing the dying boy in Scotty's arms, knowing that at some level that boy was going to die because his and/or Kirk's command decisions had failed. Kirk colloquially referred to it as getting caught with his britches down. Had Kirk raised shields sooner -- heeding Saavik's quoting of the Regulations -- Khan's attack wouldn't have been as devastating . . . and Peter would not have been in the position where he had to sacrifice his own life to save the ship. Spock knew that . . . and, thus, knew what he had to do when the ship was crippled and unable to escape the blast-vicinity of the Ultimate Weapon. Still the greatest STAR TREK movie of them all -- hell, the best STAR TREK production of all time, including the entire run of TOS . . . of TAS, of TNG, DS9, VOY, DIS, SNW, of all of 'em. Magnificent film!

[@staceyward777]

Court, I'm a 57 year old man who's been a Trekkie since I was 4 years old. I saw this movie when it came out in the theater and have watched it, literally, hundreds of times since. I still get teary eyed, and I'm a 30 year, hardened military member. That devotion to duty and unhesitating willingness to sacrifice is what it's all about. I wish more people understood that. Something that may have missed your notice, the young Ensign, Peter Preston, that Scotty showed up carrying in the turbolift was his nephew "my sister's youngest", which made the "injuries" during the battle scenes all the more poignant. And if I may offer my opinion on your viewing, watch 3, 4, 5, and 6 but you can't watch 7 (Star Trek: Generations) until after you've watched all of The Next Generation. But you should watch 3 and 4 while this is still fresh in your mind. The rest can wait.

[@RaynorBear]

Totally agree.

[@rexmundi2986]

Meh, I'd advocate for just skipping 5.

[@logandarklighter]

@@rexmundi2986 I wouldn't. It's probably the worst of the classic 6 TOS Movies. But that STILL makes it far better than most things - and LIGHT YEARS better than any recent Trek or Star Wars dreck! For me - it's not the main plot that's the most interesting thing. Though it's passable. Their was - get this - a writers strike in Hollywood right when they needed the script to be polished by editors! The more things change, the more they stay the same. And the effects are slipshod because ILM was working on at least 2 other movies at the time and Paramount had to go with a cheaper alternative. It's the CHARACTER interactions that make Star Trek 5 work. It comes off more like a TV movie of the week than a full theatrical release. But if it had been that - it would've gotten EXCELLENT TV ratings. No - Star Trek 5 is nowhere NEAR as bad as people think. It's still a fun watch. You just have to accept it for what it is and what it isn't. Like I said - it's "the worst" of the 6 TOS movies. But it's still good entertainment!

[@tvdroid22]

IV gets me teary too. When Sarek compliments Spock near the end of the film, well, father and sons, you know.

[@notmee2388]

@@logandarklighter Star Trek V = Rocky V. The worst of a great series is still pretty good, and worth watching.

[@kevinburton3948]

I saw this in the theatre back in 1982. People were walking out of the theatre openly sobbing all the way into the parking lot. I was 12 years old. I think I cried for a week!

[@woidonmiguel1]

I have seen this dozens of times, and when Kirk breaks saying "most....human" I tear up everytime

[@dirtyburd71]

I have watched this movie countless times. I still tear up at the end. I grew up watching these characters ever since the original series began. Although these are fictional characters, there is an emotional bond that is formed. People are a remarkable thing, huh? It's like seeing your friend die every time.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

The emotional bond is very strong.

[@jcortese3300]

This isn't just the best Trek movie, or SF movie, it's one of the best movies ever made. I saw it when it premiered -- the theater was packed and on the edge of their seats throughout, and the whole audience was crying at the end, unashamedly, with the wonderful, honest, and TOTAL LACK OF SNARK OR IRONY that the Trek universe enjoyed at that time. Nowdays, that's out of fashion and everything is about artsy gore and dank hopelessness, but the most wonderful thing about Trek is its optimism and honesty. This fandom wears -- or wore, at the time -- its heart on its sleeve. Please watch the next movies as well.

[@marvel22-mf1js]

I think the best star trek movie is first contact but some of the best star trek movies were tv movies and the best star trek movies were the most of the tv movies from deep space nine.

[@synaesthesia2010]

but skip the fifth one, it adds nothing to the franchise

[@w3-watchingwithwombat79]

@@synaesthesia2010 well it did do one thing. It reminded us that Nimoy was the best Trek director at that time and Shatner had no business sitting in the big chair. The director’s chair, I mean 😂

[@Rick-c5s]

"Of all the souls that I've encountered his was the most.... Human..." (Gets me every time)... Bravo William Shatner! I loved following you watch all of TOS before you watched this movie... A real joy! and I love how you always thank the military for their service! Thank you! ❤

[@shallowgal462]

Spock's ghost: "I do not believe it is within your prerogative as my superior officer to insult me at my eulogy."

[@Rick-c5s]

@@shallowgal462 LOL 😄

[@Capohanf1]

SECRET, DEEP DOWN ALL THINGS ARE HUMAN!

[@toddwalker4301]

Shatner used the exact amount of needed emotion delivering that line. Great acting!

[@mattx449]

The young trainee that died was Scotty’s nephew. The directors cut has a scene establishing that, not sure why it was removed.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

That should have stayed in! It makes more sense now why Scotty was so emotional.

[@davidfox5383]

​@@CourtReacts-zm9yvagreed. The longer directors cut is available on Blu-ray which includes the scene that establishes this.

[@FrancisXLord]

I'm pretty sure it was removed for pace - same reason the death of Ripley's child was removed from Aliens.

[@Otokichi786]

@@FrancisXLord "Pace must not be broken." Judy Garland's performance of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" broke the pace and was almost edited out of "The Wizard of Oz" (1939). Sometimes the studio heads are WRONG.

[@mattx449]

@@FrancisXLord​​⁠ they chose… poorly.

[@miguelbotelho2613]

Spock’s death was shocking, imagine those of us that saw this in theatres back in 82? I for one Was bawling my eyes out in disbelief.

[@BarronK-kb8td]

I was 9 years old when we was leaving I was crying and kicked and ash tray and garbage can over. I have seen this movie over a 100 times ,but only seen the 3 times being 51 still cant handle it!

[@miller-joel]

Spock's death was leaked before the movie came out, and fans were furious, so they "killed" the entire crew in the training exercise to keep it as a surprise.

[@miguelbotelho2613]

Well I certainly wasn’t aware of that, I learned my lesson from Star Wars TESB. When I read the marvel comics illustrated magazine. Which had that big revelation, so I tried to keep away from spoilers. But the rumours did fly around, and you’re right I thought that his supposed death at the beginning was it, no worries.boy what a punch to the gut.

[@kdrapertrucker]

At the time Lenard Nimoy had resented the spock character and made it a condition of his appearing in the film that spock die. After seeing audience reactions to Spock's death he realized that spock was a very important character that people really cared for. So when the studio came behind ng for him to do star trek 3 he was ready to come back, but demanded to direct it as well. Since he had always wanted to direct a film. This started a tradition in Star Trek productions of allowing cast to direct episodes. Tng basically set up a school for cast members to learn directing before directing episodes.

[@miller-joel]

30:50 Actually, Kirk did face a no-win scenario. Edith Keeler.

[@sarahfullerton6894]

Exactly!

[@fredklein3829]

Also Errand of Mercy (the Organians raided the game) and Devil in the Dark (death by asphixiation or by radiation poisoning). Maybe I could think of others.

[@Dracounguis]

I believe the initial training scene was created to be a cover for Spock's death. Rumors had gotten out that he dies, so of course they have him 'die' on the training simulator. 😉

[@texvor6949]

Strong acting performances in this one. Everyone plays their part well big and small. This is the movie that basically restored the star trek franchise, without it the franchise would be dead or vastly different.

[@silikon2]

Scotty's joke about having suffered a bit too much shore leave was actually a mild gag about James Doohan's real life heart attack.

[@tulinfirenze1990]

7:08 The officer trying to contact Captain Terrell and Chekov is actually Mr. Kyle - one of the transporter officers from the Original Series.

[@benjauron5873]

Kirstie Alley was so beautiful. She would have been so great if she was just, you know, like, _sane._ Rest in peace, gorgeous... Geez, more people in this cast are dead than alive! Now I feel old...

[@fyreflye100]

This is why we have reaction channels -- to see genuine, heartfelt, unspoiled reactions like you gave us here. So please don't apologize for being all over the place. Your reaction was perfect... Also when did you start calling Checkov "punkin"? LOL, somehow it fits. That may be my new favorite nickname for Checkov.

[@ztomas1]

Sad that so many of them are gone.... RIP Leonard Nimoy, Kirstie Alley, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, Ricardo Montalban, Merritt Butrick (Kirk's son) and James Doohan

[@RETNASCANZ]

Yes, please wacth Star Trek V and VI before starting TNG. Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country is another Great one!!!

[@RobXHEphotosPs37.29]

Best space battles ever in a film, superb practical effects, as well as James Horner's fantastic music score. Enjoyed your reaction Courtney!

[@marvel22-mf1js]

There were other better space battles in film(tv movies an big screen) but this one of the best for the original star trek crew.

[@vincentsaia6545]

In WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE Gary Mitchell reminds Kirk about "a little blonde lab technician" whom he fixed Kirk up with while at Starfleet Academy whom Kirk "almost married". The rumor in STAR TREK lore is that the lab technician was Carolyn Marcus.

[@kennethlee494]

In the months before this was released it got out that Spock dies in the movie, then in the training simulator when he "dies" we all breathed a sigh of relief. Then came the gut punch of his actual death at the end that left us in tears. The way I see it the events on Ceti Alpha V broke Khan's mind, one by one the people around him were lost, including his wife, that drove him insane. That is why all he thinks about is getting revenge against Kirk at all costs.

[@treetopjones737]

His wife was the Enterprise crew girl who betrayed Kirk, and decided she wanted to be with Khan.

[@w3-watchingwithwombat79]

It has only occurred to me now that Kirk really REALLY f’d up by never checking in on Khan’s status during those fifteen years

[@Nopcode42]

There is no sadder music for me than James Horners music when Kirk runs to engineering from the moment he looks at Spocks empty chair 😭😭😭

[@s.kusmeti]

Yes. Finish the films. I think you really want to watch Star Trek 3 next. It picks up right where this leaves off. We are not done yet with Genesis or the character arcs for David and Saavik.

[@Dracounguis]

Now imagine waiting TWO YEARS for the next movie! 😭

[@hippusmaximus9319]

And remember, this was the year 1982. There were only THREE TV networks, no streaming or internet. This was all people had of Star Trek at the time. The sad thing is that fans have died between this and the next film, without knowing there was a resolution or not.

[@tulinfirenze1990]

Court: "There are always alternatives." Spock: "The are always possibilities."

[@lawrenceschuman5354]

Years ago, my daughter calls me: "Dad, what's the PIN to your computer?" Me: "It's Reliant's prefix code." Her: "Dad, I've only see it once."

[@BPond7]

Ha! Love it! 🖖😀

[@thesharpercoder]

That near ship collision gave me goose bumps the first time I watched this movie. This is arguable the best film in the series.

[@AlanCanon2222]

I had a stroke at age 13 the same weekend the movie premiered, so I had to wait (in hospital) ten days to see it. It was my first outing after I was released from hospital, one of the many reasons it's personally special to me. "Always in groups of three...." that shot was recycled from ST:The Motion Picture, to save money.

[@BedsitBob]

Ricardo Montalban played Khan brilliantly. The controlled anger (which became uncontrolled just once) was a great way to portray his hatred of Kirk.

[@JMUDoc]

Not just the best Star Trek film, but one of the best science fiction films ever made. Nick Meyer (director) knew _nothing_ about Trek coming into this, but by god, he did his due diligence.

[@rmccombs66]

I wish they would have had someone that knew Star Trek read the script. In TOS they never called the engines "the Energizers". The warp engines were never called "The Mains" They never said "Comm pick". Subspace radio was never called "Hyper Channel."

[@WmTRiker]

The reason for them killing off Spock was because Leonard Nimoy had tired of playing the character and refused to return for this movie...until producer Harve Bennett made him an offer he couldn't refuse: a glorious death scene. With that, Nimoy was on board.

[@marcharkness6101]

And in doing so, Nimoy found he was having too much fun and by the end, wanted a way back in.

[@WmTRiker]

@@marcharkness6101 And that was enhanced by his position _behind_ the camera for the next two films!

[@PJAvenger]

Hi Courtney - Spock is dead! A lot of people were annoyed that he bumped into the wall. He was blinded by the radiation. Live Long and Prosper :)

[@roykassinger6903]

They also almost deleted the moment when Spock adjusts his uniform, thinking that it might provoke laughter, until someone explained to Myer that that was defiantly what Spock would do.

[@actioncom2748]

Congratulations! You just watched the greatest film ever made.

[@Bfdidc]

Definitely the best Star Trek film.

[@revans18]

the mood on the set for 'The Motion Picture' was dour and people did not have fun. It was widely reported that Nimoy wanted out of the series because of that. This set was fun and people reported that it said it felt like being back on the show. After the release several articles reported that late in filming Shatner asked Nimor why he wanted to leave when it was so fun and Nimor reportedly replied that maybe he'd come back. It was at this point that the producer (Harve Bennet) conjured up the 'mind meld and remember' bit to leave the door open a crack.

[@FosterTravis1071]

Nimoy was pissed, and walked out on Star Trek at the series as it was canceled. It took a lot of talking to get him back to the Motion Picture, it took until 1983 for him to accept the character again.

[@chriscma1]

I've heard at the cast party, Nimoy got up and said how much fun he had making the film and was looking forward to the next one. Harve Bennett has said he almost had a stroke at that comment.

[@SentinelGiga]

As a young kid, I was very much obsessed with Star Wars, and Star Trek wasn't really on my radar. The odd rerun would get shown on TV but I just couldn't get into it, I wanted film, not television. My dad took me to see The Motion Picture just because it was a space movie and apparently I was entranced but was too young to really understand or remember much of it. But fast forward a few years and my dad's in California and we fly over to see him on a long ass flight. And one of the films on the plane was The Wrath of Khan. With nothing else to do I watched it and adored it, and it was also probably the first time I truly understood the gravity of death, and it hit me like a truck. First death of any kind to make me cry, and even all these years later, that final 10 minutes gets me every time. Spock's sacrifice is just a beautiful, loving moment, though he would of course maintain it was simply the logical thing to do. As the years went on, my love for the film only grew. Its themes resonate much stronger now, feeling old and worn out at times myself, Kirk is all too relatable in it. It's just a wonderful bit of filmmaking, one I can watch endlessly. Anyway, glad you enjoyed it Courtney.

[@VegetaLF7]

I love that there isn't just mindless action in this. Every single shot that Reliant and Enterprise took was important to the story.

[@BPond7]

Yes, very true! Every exchange of fire drastically changed the circumstances for each ship. It was very well thought out. 🖖😀

[@KevinLockamy]

Yes, Ricardo Montalbán simply could do nothing else but dominate any scene he was in. Truly a magnificent actor and physical specimen even at the age of 62.

[@Pentarax]

Me every time I see this movie: I won't cry. I will get through this without crying. Me every time Kirk's voice breaks during the eulogy: *reaching for tissues*

[@jeffgay4290]

When I watched it in theaters when it first came out, I was thrilled at the storyline and the action, drama, and suspense. But I remember being stunned when I left...how could they kill off Spock?! I have watched this many times since then and a few times in theatres. But over time, I tear up as soon as Kirk looks over and see's Spock's empty chair. Then the look of dread on his face.

[@Otokichi786]

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan": Ricardo Montalban, between seasons of "Fantasy Island," created one of "Star Trek's" most memorable villains. Kirstie Alley's first major movie role. The unimpressed "Star Trek the motionless picture" audience found "The Kobayashi Maru" aspect far more interesting. So many firsts in this "Star Trek' reboot."

[@treetopjones737]

Kirstie was in the scientology cult and loved Trump. Sad what she became at the end.

[@nisto1518]

The thing I love most with this movie is the idea that Dr. Marcus is akin to Oppenheimer with her creation of something so profound - the biggest difference being the Genesis device is meant to create something as opposed to the atomic weapon being commandeered and used for destruction. This movie highlights the evolved sensibilities of people during the 23rd century and is why I love Star Trek so much. It oozes hope.

[@dwmadroxxide5090]

This is when we get the classic uniforms that youll be seeing a lot of on your trek journey

[@Faroutamazingadventures]

I was told by my mom and dad when they saw this movie when it first came out , that people were in tears leaving the theater when they knew Spock died!

[@MusicHandsAbrupt]

I love your reactions so much. The part that gets me every time is not only Spock’s death, but when David tells Kirk that he is proud to be his son. It’s so powerful.

[@TechyMantis]

Bit of trivia for you Chekov wasn't actually in the episode space seed, which has led many questions as to how khan knew him. Some speculated that chekov was on the ship but wasn't seen. Also khan's wife/original actress was going to be in the film as she was up for it but unfortunately died before filming started, so they decided not to recast her role and make it part of khan's anger towards Kirk. Yes Savik is half Vulcan and half Romulan which was mentioned in a deleted scene. It also explains how Savik appeared to show emotions when asked to pilot the ship out of space dock. Also the actor who plays Captain Terrell also plays the police captain in The Terminator.

[@HawkGTboy]

That ending hits hard doesn’t it? I tear up a little every time. Audiences in theaters were sobbing. Back in ‘82 Star Trek was as big a deal in the pop culture. Interestingly, news of Spock dying leaked before the movie was released. So they added the Kobayashi Maru bit (with Spock “dying”) at the beginning to throw the audience off.

[@BammerD]

I was not even a year old when this movie came out. Mom and dad went to see it and said that everybody in the theater was crying when Spock died. I was fortunate enough to be able to see this in theaters twice when Fandango Events played it in theaters for it's 35th anniversary in 2017.

[@darthparadigmsilluminatedb1461]

My father took me to see this back in the day. When Spock died, as a total dedicated Star Trek fan... I was crushed. However, I didn't expect that this would be the first time that I saw my father get emotional, and he shed some tears. This movie is an indelible part of me. It warms my heart that you were able to experience and enjoy a movie that means so much to many. Live long, and prosper!

[@karlsmith2570]

23:26 Hey, Courtney, the reason why Scotty was so upset about Preston's death was explained in the Director's Cut of this movie, where during the scene when Kirk first meets with the trainees and Preston introduced himself, Scotty informed Kirk that Preston was his nephew

[@Serai3]

David: You've never faced death. Kirk: Not like this. Sam Kirk: Gee, thanks a LOT, Jimmy! For gods's sakes, _he saw his brother's corpse._ 😂 I saw this in the theater. The cheer that went up when Kirk whipped out his communicator and said, "It's two hours, are you ready?" Oh man, it was MASSIVE. And yes, those bagpipes. I didn't cry when Spock died, but when Scotty started up that hymn, I just fell apart. What a great movie.

[@michaelhall2709]

Not to mention **literally causing the death of the great love of his life**. But then, Nicholas Meyer knew very little about Trek, or its history. That happens to be this film’s greatest strength, and its greatest weakness.

[@tigqc]

If you freeze frame right before Chekov sees "Botany Bay" you'll notice the titles of the book inspirations for this film on the shelf, among them King Lear, Paradise Lost, and Moby Dick.

[@dq405]

I can see thematic connections with PARADISE LOST and MOBY DICK, but with KING LEAR? Really? I must be blind to them!

[@josiahslack8720]

Khan quotes Ahab as he's dying, so they're not being coy about the influences.

[@tigqc]

@@josiahslack8720 yes and in a previous scene as well.

[@ninjabearpress2574]

Throughout the movie Khan quoted Captain Ahab, as if that was a good example. I was stunned by the end of this movie, I sat through the end credits because I couldn't move but yeah, fan outrage got us ST-III. Movies two, three and four make an epic tale.

[@ajgoodwinaviation]

Before Spock died, he was blind, so he couldn't see.

[@treetopjones737]

Why he bumps into the glass.

[@AtomicBuffalo]

Kirk's very small "no" is one of the loneliest moments I've ever seen on screen, brilliantly played by Shatner.

[@blacktronlego]

This refers back to the TOS episode 'Space Seed' which was in season 1 before Chekov appeared, but we ignore that. This film along with III an IV form a continuous story.

[@SG-js2qn]

I would say YES, definitely wrap up the "old generation" before moving to the "next generation."

[@benjaminjones9981]

Don't worry about the outro. I'm 47 yrs old & probably seen Spock's death scene 50+ times... and it STILL messes me up & gets me teary-eyed every single time.

[@ViridisAmbrosia]

What i kinda love about this movie is Kirk is finally truly confronted with the loss of life - that the idealism he fights for costs people their lives. He wants scenarios in which it will be good for everyone, but that isn't always possible. It's like this Peter Pan quality he has. But Spock was able to recognize the no-win scenario (that unless someone chooses to sacrifice themselves everyone is going to die) and took responsibility for it. Because that's what Spock does. He also wants ideal outcomes - I'd even say Spock is an idealist himself - but he knows where the rubber hits the road. He looks out for Kirk's blind spots. This was kinda the worst way for Kirk to finally understand what the Kobiyashi Maru test was meant to teach - when the person he loves the most had to pick up the slack. Maybe it's kinda also a story about hubris. Kirk hangs out on the edge often, not too far from being lost to his own hubris. Khan has lost his way in part because of his hubris.

[@warlock415]

I was a year old, so I can't testify to this on record, but I'm told that when my parents went to see this in the theater, very close to a military base, during the funeral scene people began to stand to attention, in twos and threes, and then in a wave, until everyone was on their feet; and when Takei called for honors, "every right arm in the place came up in salute and held it" as the coffin proceeded down the launch tube, as Amazing Grace played....

[@emilmlodnicki3835]

Savik being half Romulan is something hidden in the movie production and is never mentioned on screen anywhere, so it's not canon. Vulcan are not emotionless, they just have extreme control over their emotions. But emotions run very deep in Vulcans. Savik being young, might not have quite mastered it, and it was her mentor and almost father figure that just died.

[@socalpaul487]

I saw this the night it was released, in Hollywood, CA. Engineer's Mate, Peter Preston, was Scotty's nephew. The word is given. Leonard Nimoy went through several times where he no longer wanted to portray Spock. He only agreed to do this movie if Spock died.

[@chadsheldon6470]

What I've always loved about this movie are the emotions you feel after Spock and Kirk talk through the glass after Spock saves the Enterprise. For Spock, you feel bad, but you know he made his life mean something by giving his for everyone else's to save them. For Kirk, you feel extreme sadness, but also the feeling that you lost your best friend who also paid a debt that you'll never be able to repay to him. It's so gut-wrenching and so beautifully acted and directed. I'm glad you liked it, Court! As far as how to watch the movies, I would watch Star Trek IV (my favorite), Star Trek V, and Star Trek V1, and then start watching the Next Generation TV show. When you get done with the show, you'll get to see Star Trek: Generations which features Kirk in it. I'll enjoy watching you react to everything along this journey!

[@RichardM1366]

The scene where the Enterprise orders the Reliant to drop it's Shields is hilarious! So much for Khan's superior intellect.

[@MrGadfly772]

Thank you for the intelligent reaction. A lot of reactors just get so confused, but you catch every beat. You did far better at holding in your tears than I ever have, including now. I am 64 and have seen this movie multiple times but Spock's death scene and the funeral always makes me cry.

[@miamicool666]

There is no shame in expressing your feelings. It is what defines us as human beings.

[@izzonj]

Speak for yourself, HU-MAN!

[@miamicool666]

@@izzonj Speak for yourself, I.A.!

[@xheralt]

One wry observation from Walter Koenig, the actor who played Chekov -- "Never let them know you can scream."

[@Skyking67832]

I am and have been a Star Trek fan since I was 10. I first saw it on TV in 1966 (it came out only 3 days before my birthday, so I almost felt as if it was a Birthday gift just for me. A lot of people do not know that the end scene in the engine room was actually based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story called "The Long Watch" first published in 1949. That makes at least twice that Heinlein influenced a Star Trek story. The first time was the episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." It was inspired by a novel written in the 1950s called "The Rolling Stones." In it, the protagonists come across a lifeform they call flat cats that proceed to over-populate their ship. Of course, both stories owe a debt to Ellis Parker Butler and his humorous short story, "Pigs is Pigs," published in 1906.🙂🙃

[@ajgoodwinaviation]

This movie also has a Director's Cut, which includes additional scenes. The version you're watching is the theatrical one. You ought to watch the Director's Cut sometime. 🙂🖖

[@scgreek1114]

If only you could have been in the theatre when this film was first released. Life-long adult trekkies all bawling at the same time. Great acting by Ricardo Montalban.

[@moosiedoom1310]

I saw this in the theater when it came out and dozens of times since. I still cry at the end. So good.

[@leonardkirk3893]

There are two movies that have made me cry in the theater. This was one of them, when I was 15. The other was Snoopy Come Home, when I was 5.

[@Stephanie-likes-StarTrek]

Your reaction to this movie is very much like mine the first time I saw this film as a young girl when it came out. It really messed me up emotionally too. And I didn't know there would be any more films after this when it was released. So, I was one sad little girl at the end of this movie. But I still loved this film back then and still to this day. I think this is a lovely & very heartfelt review.

[@karlsmith2570]

7:36 "Ooh, Good Memory" Interestingly, in the TOS episode "Space Seed," Walter Koenig, who played Chekov, wasn't even cast as Chekov and, therefore, wasn't even in the episode. Though it's been retconned that Chekov was a lower decks officer during the timeline of when Space Seed aired

[@christopherjaskowiak9073]

I have likely watched this movie, which is not only my favorite Trek film, but also my in Top 3 All Time, over a thousand times since first seeing it in the theater since 1982. Spock’s death, Kirk’s eulogy, and Scotty playing “Amazing Grace”… I get choked up and my eyes sting EVERY time.

[@godzillalover2]

Ricardo Montalbán was an amazing actor in every film he was in.

[@MI-hz1cp]

When I first saw this in the movie theater. Every. One went in excited and everyone came out sobbing and crying.😢 It was as if we had lost a member of our family.

[@lazyperfectionist1]

16:37 "We are free. We have a ship and the means to go where we will." In order words, how far ahead is Khan willing to look? This band of augments that he commands has the means to travel to any one of a _number_ of habitable planets and start the _empire_ he has always wanted; the means to carry out plans that have had to spend the last fifteen years on hold, because of circumstances beyond Khan's control. Now, suddenly, they have that opportunity. They could settle this planet, they could start building this empire, and they have the technology of the _Reliant_ at their disposal which means, with a little thrift, their empire could start to reach out across _star_ systems, and in time, could go on to be a rival to the _Federation._ So the key question is how great is Khan's appetite for revenge?

[@scottjo63]

Well, you said for ST: TMP poor Chekov when he got burned, now he has a bug in his ear. No break for him yet.

[@bryanmacklem2654]

Don't forget about The Voyage Home where he gets a nasty knock on the head. 🤷

[@tofersiefken]

This is my favorite of the Star Trek movies, and perhaps one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, (at least the villain is one of the best). The sad goodbye between Spock & Kirk still devastates me.

[@BedsitBob]

Saavik is sitting in the Captain's chair, as they're leaving spacedock, but Sulu is actually piloting the Enterprise, so why is it scary?

[@stopgeorge]

That was a really wonderful reaction. Thank you. This film is very close to my heart. I saw it during it's original release and felt the same exact way -- except, I was a tad more emotional. People leaving the theater were absolutely stunned walking out of the theater. Everyone was speechless. As you say, it felt so surreal losing this beloved character. To get to experience this through you again is amazing. Thank you.

[@shallowgal462]

Always sad when Scotty's nephew dies. I love the half-Romulan fire Kirstie Alley brings to the half-Vulcan Saavik! They weren't counting down to zero. They were counting the four minutes they had to escape.

[@tofersiefken]

Oddly, Mr. Checkov never made an appearance in the TOS episode Space Seed, so we have to just trust that Khan met him off-camera at some point during his stay on board.

[@cashflowhustles]

It's actually just a glaring plot hole. Of course they could find a way to explain and wiggle their way out of it but it's just basically a goof and slip up.

[@DocMicrowave]

In my head cannon, Chekov was on board, just not assigned to the bridge yet. Khan, with his genetically enhanced mind which no doubt includes photographic memory, remembers Chekov (and every other crewmember at the time) from going through the crew profiles and bios when he was accessing the library computer from sickbay in TOS. It makes sense to assume he wanted to know all about the people he was dealing with for a tactical advantage. Fills that plot hole nicely.

[@travisboyle285]

Walter Koenig knew too but didn't want to pass up getting to do more in the movie than what he usually got. I just say he was a member of security at the time and guarded Khan at some point. Then moved up to the bridge later in season 2.

[@jryanp]

In Space Seed, they foolishly let Khan study the technical manual of the Enterprise. No doubt he accessed the crew roster

[@DocMicrowave]

@@jryanp No doubt. It was foolish to let someone they knew next to nothing about, have full access to their computer Library. Especially someone who would not even give his full name.

[@guaposneeze]

I happened to be talking to somebody about this film recently. A barista who always makes conversation by asking people about movies because he's incapable of paying attention to his work. He was annoying, and the coffee was bitter. But this was the film I told him about when he asked me. There's 50+ years of Star Trek trying various approaches to basically making exactly the same show and telling variations of the same story, and this was certainly one of the best attempts. It was when the franchise got some fresh eyes and a fresh coat of paint, and got really good modern-ish VFX and tense intense film making for the first time, but was still riffing on established stuff and not going too far from what worked about Trek. The actors were all "grown ups" who had years of experience on camera and were good at their craft. It strikes just the right balance of characters/story/cinematography/spectacle/scifi/tension/wonder/acting etc., without going too far into one part of it and missing some other important parts. Like, as much as we love the 60's TV show, it doesn't hold up un-ironically in the way TWOK does. And as fun as the recent films can be, the possibilities of modern VFX mean they tend to lean waaaay hard onto spectacle and action that TWOK already proved they didn't need.

[@gregdark5203]

I like your reaction to the film. I cried real tears when I saw this movie the week it came out in 1982. I'm 55 now and the ending still makes me tear up.

[@LesterManley-s9n]

Leaving the theater with my little brother in 1982 he had tears in his eyes. He believed it was all real and I had to explain about movies and tv shows and how a script works. I hated pulling back the curtain but I felt I had to. I told him to just wait until the next movie to see how the death of Spock effects Kirk and the others....

[@luminiferous1960]

Having watched Star Trek since it was originally aired in 1966 when I was 6 years old, and again many times when it was aired in syndication, and having admired the character of Spock from the beginning, the ending of this moving was emotionally devastating when I first saw it in a theater in 1982 and continues to be every time I see it. No matter how many times I see it nor how hard I try not to, I always lose it when Kirk says in his eulogy to Spock, "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human." For me, that is the most heart rending moment in all of Star Trek.

[@tideoftime]

36:10 They're counting *up* from his marked time (the moment he told them to start the clock) because they don't know precisely when the bomb will detonate, but the general timeframe (as noted by Kirk's son). So the time goes up, not down, with the closer they get to 4+ minutes, the closer they know they are to the likely detonation. 43:15 Saavik being half-romulan, half-vulcan (they can interbreed with no issues because they are actually the same species, just divergent from a number of centuries ago when the would-become-Romulans(tm) left Vulcan to spread out on their own) was a background element that was intended but never properly used in the franchise. (She wasn't raised as a vulcan in her early childhood but adopted culturally into that by Spock when she was an older child; hence, her emotions -- by vulcan standards -- being so close to the surface, such as when she cried, or flirted with Kirk in the turbolift, or said "Damn..." under her breath during the test, etc, as she didn't have the foundational aspects of Vulcan(tm) culture ingrained in her as a child.) As it shows that you've already watched SfS and know of Saavik being recast, they behind the scenes had abandoned her split heritage and later just made her full vulcan for purposes of streamlining her as a character.

[@raybarry4307]

That engineer that died was Scotty's nephew. They told you that in the theater version and the book but cut it from the DVD version.

[@raybernal6829]

Repeating what others have said a group of friends and I all ST fans went opening weekend to see it. As we left the theater not a word was said. The emotion we felt was beyond anything we likely had ever felt watching a movie. Still the same watching it today after hundreds of viewing. 😢💔

[@karlsmith2570]

1:02 "Alright, Outfit Change. We'll, Uniform Change" There's a reason why the design of the Starfleet uniforms was changed from what they were in TMP. According to George Takei (Sulu), the design of the uniforms in TMP made it impossible for the cast to get in or out of the costume without assistance from members of the costume department, and that they had to have a member of the costume department accompanying them whenever they had to use the restroom due to the difficulty in getting in and out of the costume in the first place. George also mentions that if the cast had to suffer that indignity again, there wouldn't have been any sequels to the Star Trek movie series

[@roddmatsui3554]

And indeed, Kirk did visit that place again, in the very entertaining “Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock”, a film directed by Leonard Nimoy a couple of years later, which jumps off from part 2 and introduces one of the most colorful villains of the Star Trek universe, while being uplifting and funny. And like this one, appropriately scary and cold when necessary. Good movies.

[@treetopjones737]

Yes, when it came out, people were shocked at Spock, the most popular character of TOS Trek, dying. Of course we had no idea what the next film would be, but the final scene hinted... and when ST 3 came out with the title "The Search For Spock", we had hope.