A Look Back: Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country
One of the interesting things about the cinematic Star Trek universe is that it’s considered all the even-numbered movies are good movies, and all the odd-numbered movies are considered shockers. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) was deemed a bore, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) so-so (although, as I wrote, I think this movie is under-appreciated), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) a mess. But Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) is still considered unparalled for Trek and science-fiction movies, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) was the biggest grossing Trek movie to that time. So what did the sixth installment…
A Look Back: Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan
After Star Trek: The Motion Picture’s (1979) modest reception, Paramount handed the franchise’s reins to writer/director Nicholas Meyer. Among Meyer’s successes to that point had been the best-selling novel and screenplay adaptation The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), and writing/directing the time-travel thriller Time After Time (1979). Meyer had not seen any of Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969), and proceeded to watch it all. Imagine that! He watched it to familiarise himself with the universe, the characters, and the stories they were telling. I seriously can’t imagine that the brainstrust behind the current incarnations of Star Trek – Star Trek: Discovery (2017 – please let it end) and Star…