Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

So The Wrath of Khan is the Empire Strikes Back of the Star Trek Franchise; simply the best.

I wonder what someone who knew nothing of Star Trek would think if they saw this film in complete Trekkie ignorance. I feel like this film can almost stand in isolation. There is enough investment in storytelling and patient dialogue that I THINK it could stand alone.

The film never seems rushed and never seems to drag. The battle and gamesmanship between Kirk and Khan is more like galactic chess than a frantic game of space invaders. There are probably fewer than 5 minutes in the whole film of weapons being fired or control panels exploding in ensigns' faces but the action is nearly always preceded by well but subtly crafted tension and dramatic irony, as well placed and timed as each phase fire and photon torpedo.

At the heart of The Wrath of Khan is a story of dueling hubris, not just between one another (Kirk and Khan) but within themselves, more so with Kirk than Khan as Khan's ego and pride is embraced while Kirk's seems to be obscured in a veneer of charm and humility. Yet even Kirk's humility is born of an inability to admit a mistake, the mistake of giving up command of a ship in exchange for admiralty. So perhaps his humility is simply arrogance after all.

Khan's hubris is fueled by revenge. Which raises an interesting thought about hubris. Hubris is kinetic. It purposeful and directional but its velocity and power must be fueled by something that pushes action and judgment from consideration to confidence to blind arrogance. Revenge, selfishness, greed, anger, fear?

Perhaps also the objective or goal itself immediately calls for hubris even for pursuit to commence. Khan could have left for anywhere in the galaxy once he had a ship yet the desire for revenge and the certainty he had that he could exact it was irresistible. Sadly like so many villains before him, his desire to gloat is his undoing.

Hubris clouds judgment. Hubris implies impatience and imprudence. Hubris also implies ultimate failure.

In The Wrath of Khan the one who is more humbled (Kirk) by their own arrogance seems to win in the end; or at least lives.

In actuality by the end of the film there are no winners only survivors. There is no party, no fanfare, surviving is its own bitter sweet reward. And it is bitter indeed.

Yeah, yeah there is the glimmer of hope at the very very end but this is for our eyes only but for the characters dead is dead.

From Wikipedia:

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise facing off against the genetically-engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), a character who first appeared in the 1967 Star Trek television series episode "Space Seed". When Khan escapes from a 15-year exile to exact revenge on Kirk, the crew of the Enterprise must stop him from acquiring a powerful terraforming device named Genesis. The film concludes with the death of Enterprise crewmember Spock (Leonard Nimoy), beginning a story arc that continues with the 1984 film Star Trek III: The Search For Spock and concludes with 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."