10 Times Star Trek Rewarded Audiences For Sticking With It

6. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Star Trek II The Wrath Of Khan
Paramount Pictures

Fans of the Original Series delighted in the knowledge that Star Trek was finally coming back when The Motion Picture was confirmed for theatres in 1979. There was a huge marketing campaign around the movie, including the first-ever McDonald's happy meal tie-in. When the film actually released, there was a schism in the crowds.

It was undoubtedly a beautiful film, with sweeping imagery, and stunning music. However, it was extremely philosophical, which audiences struggled to engage with, in the era of Star Wars. The film made a tidy sum, but the inflated budget slightly offset this. It was, however, enough for a sequel.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was the film that audiences had been waiting for. Not only is it considered one of the best sequels of all time, but it is also one of the best sci fi movies of the eighties. It is also a direct sequel to the episode Space Seed, with Ricardo Montalban returning as Khan Noonian Singh. There is a reason why Khan is often voted the number one villain of the Star Trek universe.

The ship-to-ship face-off between Kirk and Khan is a battle of the ages, working only as these two men know each other so well. The movie was a triumph, effectively guaranteeing a sequel.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"