Is Wrath of Khan Overrated

[M.A.C.O.]

So I've been pondering this for weeks. I tried watching and rewatching Wrath of Khan and Space Seed, and I just couldn't get in to them like I used to. I know a majority of people inside and outside the fandom consider TWOK to be the best Star Trek movie of the 11 but is it really? While I do enjoy it I can't help but feel that it may be oversold on it's amazingness.

This may be unrelated but part of it stems from Search For Spock, Everything TWOK set up is ripped away in TSFS. Kirk's mid-life crisis, career as an admiral, Kirk finds his son and loses him just as fast, Spock dies but is revived just as fast as Kirk's son was introduced and killed off. By Voyage home the only thing that remains is the Genesis Torpedo.

 

[C.E. Evans]

It's the nature of folks to question anything that's popular as being overrated, IMO. But I loved "The Genesis Trilogy" and thought all three films comprised a pretty epic Trek story.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I prefer Space Seed.

TWOK is way down on my list of favorite movies, so yes I think it is over rated. I think it's rather clunky.

 

[Maurice]

It's a good film but its supposed excellence has been overinflated.

 

[R. Star]

While there comes a point where there's only so many times you can watch any given movie, Wrath of Khan aways remains my favorite. While on the surface it's a simple story, there is a subtle level of depth to it. For me it's the little things that enhnace the movie, like Khan's book collection all of them having a theme of revenge, damnation or both and the secondary plot points of age and usefulness.

 

[controlfreak]

It is duly rated. Fan favourite, generally regarded as a good film, recapturing the spirit of the original show and the dynamic of the characters. If people want to take issue with minor bits and pieces, it's certainly their choice, but it won't diminish the quality of the film or how much it hit it right out of the park.

 

[lurok]

No.

But most of the other movies are.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Nah, it's great, though it's not without niggles and problems - I actually just it again last week and had to go "WTF?" when they mention Reliant being 4000km away and there's a shot of the Enterprise pulling away from it, and Reliant looks about one quarter the size of the Big E from that perspective. Which means it must be pretty fucking big if it's already 2500 fucking miles behind!

I'd never noticed that before...

 

[Admiral Bear]

I've seen it far too many times to enjoy it in the same way I used to, but it's still a great film, and it's not got a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes for nothing.

I do prefer the director's cut though as it gives far more emotional depth to Scotty's reaction to Peter Preston's death.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

It's not overrated—especially when you compare it with all the other Star Trek films.

It easily blows away any NextGen film, and crushes TFF and TUC. That leaves only TMP, III, TVH, and XI in or approaching its class. I find it superior to TMP, III, and TVH, for different respective reasons, so that places it in my top two.

Not overrated.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Yes, I think Wrath of Khan is overrated. It's not a bad film, but I don't think it's as good as people say.

I preferred the fun and adventure of III. Even if the Vulcan katra stuff was pure magic mumbo jumbo.

 

[NrobbieC]

I think it's overrated, it's dull and slow, but had I been around when it was brand new I imagine my opinion would be different. I could see someone who was my age now when that came out probably considering it their favourite.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Would you have to consider TWOK overrated, if you don't consider it your personal #1 favorite Trek film? To me, it seems like that's a bit extreme.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

No, not overrated at all! Whenever I screen Star Trek movies for friends and family outside of fandom it is by far the biggest "crowd pleaser" as it were.

 

[NrobbieC]

Would you have to consider TWOK overrated, if you don't consider it your personal #1 favorite Trek film? To me, it seems like that's a bit extreme.

Of course not, I'm just saying I can understand why some older fans consider it as good as they do despite the fact I feel it's a massive clunker.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Apologies, NrobbieC, mine was a general question. I should have said "one" instead of "you".

Really, there's no right or wrong answer to the question of whether TWOK is good or bad. I was just trying to get a handle on exactly how much lower than #1 one would have to consider it, before it would have to be called "overrated".

 

[sonak]

no, it's the film that pretty much saved the movie series for Trek after the poorly received TMP. There are some problems to it(Sulu and Uhura are neglected, Khan's "genius" is talked about but never displayed, how is a planet misplaced, etc.) but it is overall a very good movie.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

I'm just saying I can understand why some older fans consider it as good as they do despite the fact I feel it's a massive clunker.

Your opinion is as valid as the next guy of course, but, age notwithstanding, it's quite a surprise to see TWOK described as "a massive clunker"!

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

I'll echo everyone else who says it's a good film, but the adulation of fans and discussions in a Trek only context have caused it to be over rated in certain circles.

Enjoyable, but if it wasn't preserved by the US Library of Congress for future generations, I would be neither surprised nor perturbed.

 

[JarodRussell]

It's the best Star Trek film, but not a very good film by itself. Says a lot about Trek films as a whole.