9. Honest Terribleness
Look, Wrath of Khan doesnt feature any Oscar-winning performances. Its not a political allegory. Its not written with an eye towards a wider mythology because the mythology of Star Trek was at the time quite limited. And the writing is not lyrical or sophisticated. Its a science fiction adventure film about growing older, but the film is self-conscious enough not to demand the audience take everything seriously. The proof of this attitude is in Kirks infamously hammy KHANNN line. The line is triggered by Khan explaining that hes marooned Kirk, helpless, in the core of a giant space rock, for the rest of time. Khan thinks hes won (although Kirk has a backup plan) so Kirk just screams helplessly KHANNN. Its impossible to take seriously, and given its placement thats really okay. But compare that to Into Darkness, where the line is delivered by Spock and is expected to be taken seriously by the audience as an emotional breaking point for Spock. But the line remains super hammy. Its still rather ridiculous. Its just not honestly ridiculous anymore.