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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4k Blu-ray Review

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) was released to 4k Blu-ray Disc for the first time as part of the Star Trek The Original 4-Movie Collection (pictured below) on September 7, 2021. A year later, the film was released as a standalone 4k Blu-ray edition on September 6, 2022, to celebrate its 40th Anniversary. The 2-disc edition from Paramount Home Media includes a 4k Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and Digital Code with both the Director’s and Theatrical Cuts.

For the Original 4-Movie Collection, each Star Trek movie was remastered with HDR from original film elements for the 4k presentation, and the audio is provided in a Dolby TrueHD mix with up to 7.1 channels. The 6-disc set also includes 3 upgraded Blu-ray Discs from the new film restorations, as well as Digital Copies redeemable on iTunes or Vudu. The most popular film from the original four, ‘The Wrath of Khan’ is presented in both the Theatrical and Director’s Cut versions.

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The opening scene to ‘The Wrath of Khan’ starts with the Kobayashi Maru test exercise for Sarik (played by Kirstie Alley) which she fails miserably as the commander of the Enterprise. Later, we learn about Captain Kirk’s infamous outsmarting of the Kobayashi Maru test in which he rewrites the parameters in order to win. The story is later expressed in more detail in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek from 2009.

It’s a common filmmaking strategy to start with an explosive scene, even if it isn’t real, to grab the audience’s attention. In ‘The Wrath of Khan’ there are actual explosions on the bridge in which crewmembers including Chekov, McCoy, Spock, Sulu, and Uhura are thrown aside by the force. Why a test exercise would include real explosions and why the crew is acting as if deceased is a discussion for another time. (Unless the entire scene took place in a Holodeck, even though that technology was not explored until later Star Trek episodes and movies.) Nevertheless, mini-explosions on the deck of the Enterprise and other starships is one of the trademark Star Trek effects that is even used in the reboot movies from J.J. Abrams.

There are lots of retro topics to talk about with a film of this age, especially in a sci-fi movie that supposedly predicts the future of technology. Heck, we are actually using what Gene Rodenberry fantasized about in terms of communications back in the 60s — video calls on handheld devices in which you can see others in realtime. We also have handheld devices that can scan for illness and disease. We just haven’t invented transporter technology yet.

star trek the wrath of khan scotty 51-min 1920px

What’s funny about these older sci-fi movies is that they used analog disruptive video signals instead of what we know today as digital (or pixelated) interference. So, when there’s a problem with video communications the image looks like an old snowy analog TV (as seen in ‘The Wrath of Khan’s’ contemporary Poltergeist and other horror films), rather than the digital signals we know today.

Going further with the horror connection, the scene on Regula 1 (where the Genesis laboratory is housed) is reminiscent of Alien films and other sci-fi horror films in which another lifeform invades the human body. The horror of the “ear creatures” is not something we saw in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and may be one reason why ‘The Wrath of Khan’ is clearly a fan-favorite among the first four original films.

One could go on and on about ‘The Wrath of Khan’ in terms of filmmaking and how it relates and borrows from other films that were its contemporaries. And, much can be discussed about how this movie fits into the Star Trek universe. But we’re here to talk about the home theater presentation of the movie for the first time in 4k Ultra HD.

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan on 4k Blu-ray was reviewed on a 75” Sony Bravia LED 4k HDR TV with a Sony HT-ST5000 soundbar that supports Dolby Atmos audio. The disc player is the Sony UBP-X800M2 with support for Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG HDR formats.

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‘The Wrath of Khan’ is presented in 4K (2160p resolution) at 24 frames per second with Dolby Vision HDR and the BT.2020 color spec that enables up to 10 bits of color on 4K Blu-ray discs. The color depth improvements give this film an extra punch beyond what the 4k video resolution brings. Much of the disc content played at about 45 to 50 Mbps, jumping into the 60Mbps range on occasion.

At 48 minutes, when the Reliant attacks the enterprise and leaves it only with auxiliary power, the colors are saturated and vibrant. The red lighting on the bridge of the Enterprise during an alert status (a tradition in Star Trek battle scenes) looks great in HDR contrasting the blue aqua color of the panel lights in the background. On a 4K HDR TV playing a 4K Blu-ray disc, the displays that the crewmembers work on are extremely detailed — like never before.

What would a Star Trek film be without a docking sequence? At 36 minutes we have another scene in which crew members are taxied over to the Enterprise. In ‘The Motion Picture’ the docking seemed like an eternity as Kirk and Scotty taxi along the outside of the Enterprise. The video quality and sharpness of the image is good, although there are notable black outlines surrounding the superimposed ships and astronauts.

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The set designs only got better and better as Star Trek films evolved. A set that’s definitely worth looking at in detail is the Regula 1 lab (at 13:00 and 57:30). The space station Regula 1 lab looks incredibly colorful and sharp with a nice depth to the structure. The fact the production quality still holds up today is a testament to the movie crew who built the sets and models. There is good detail to both the exterior and interior of many ships in ‘The Wrath of Khan.”

A real nice detail can be found in the scenes on Regula 1 when the video images of Chekov and Uhura are shown through small monitors. Uhura, in particular, looks amazing in the small screens placed around the lab. The detail in the set design is also very apparent in 4K. For example, in one scene you can read the words “JBK SENSORS SYNTHOSTASIS” in very legible letters behind the video of her. This is around time code 1:00:00 when Kirk, Spock, and Sarik board the Regula 1. Text is generally sharp in all of the scenes in this higher-resolution print.

The colors in the Mutara Nebula at 1:22:00 are extraordinary. It’s a signature of Star Trek films to have sweeping celestial backdrops to the Enterprise that represent spatial environments, both known and unknown, that exist beyond Earth. On an HDR TV the colors are expressed substantially more than without HDR and certainly miles beyond what a typical computer screen could deliver.

One of the most memorable scenes in this movie and in the entire Star Trek archive is when Dr. Marcus introduces Kirk to the Genesis creation. This is at one hour and 18 minutes. The music is so fitting for the moment but the image (a painted scene of a freshly created paradise with lush forest and flowing waterfalls) does not hold up so well on a big screen in 4K.

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The four movies in the collection all play in English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD with options in French in 2.0 Dolby Digital and the isolated score in 2.0 Dolby Digital. Audio streamed at about 2.8 to 3 Mb per second and 48 kHz Dolby TrueHD with up to 7.1 channels. Audio is offered in several languages including English, Spanish, French and Japanese.

What’s great about the audio in these new presentations are all the noises from the starships that seem to surround and envelop you in the spaceship itself.

There’s a nice distant thunder in the Mutara Nebula around 1:22:00 that could have been exaggerated in its low-frequency range but nevertheless, it’s nice hearing the thunder sitting in the background as if from a distance.

What’s always been great about the soundtrack to Star Trek movies and other sci-fi movies is the music composition that changes according to the imagery. In ‘The Wrath of Khan,” for example, the sweeping orchestra sounds from composer James Horner change when they move to the enemy in this case Khan, just by adding strings or other types of instruments. Without even seeing the video image, you can usually tell what is happening in a Star Trek movie just by the music composition and sound design.

Bonus Material

Extras included with Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) on 4k Blu-ray include commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer on both the Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version, original interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán, and Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics in The Star Trek Universe bonus, among others. The extras are detailed below.

Special Features

Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version)
Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version)
Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Cut)
Library Computer (HD)
Captain’s Log
Designing Khan
Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
James Horner: Composing Genesis (HD)
Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics (HD)
A Novel Approach
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI (HD)
A Tribute to Ricardo Montalbán (HD)
Storyboards
Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Star Trek- The Original 4-Movie Collection 4k Blu-ray

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review

The lauded star trek sequel the wrath of khan makes its 4k debut in a wonderfully authentic remaster. here's our look at it..

The Bottom Line

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review 99

Despite a raft of production issues associated with bringing the series to the big screen, 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture proved that there was still life and a loyal fanbase in the franchise, which gave Paramount the confidence to progress with a sequel.

But to be successful, they knew they had to do two things - first, cut series creator Gene Roddenberry out of the scenario, and secondly, produce it for a budget almost three-quarters less than that of its predecessor. Could a sequel navigate these land mines and produce a film that resonated with fans and casuals alike?

When a Federation vessel is hijacked by the genetically enhanced super-villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) and set on a course to take on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) must reunite his crew to thwart his plans. But Kirk finds himself compromised and facing a threat that might lead to his undoing.

Universally acknowledged as the strongest entry in the Star Trek film franchise, series newcomer Nicholas Meyer grabs the franchise by the horns, offering an efficient and economical story with a brilliant villain, more action, and heightened emotional pull that makes the story relatable and believable. If Wrath of Khan wasn't the rollicking critical and financial success that it became, I doubt that Star Trek franchise would exist in any meaningful way today.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review 01

Video transfer

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with H.265 compression and graded for HDR-10 and Dolby Vision.

Having undergone a full 4K restoration in 2016, which has previously been released as a downscaled 1080p Blu-ray and as a digital 4K product, Paramount has now issued The Wrath of Khan to 4K disc for the very first time, with a new Dolby Vision pass to boot.

While not as visually grand as its predecessor, The Wrath of Khan enjoys an excellent 4K restoration that presents the film in all its gritty glory. The image is clear and as detailed as the grainy film stock allows, free of the film artifacts that have littered almost every frame in previous laserdisc or DVD versions.

This isn't a film you're going to use to demonstrate your shiny new OLED, but fans who are more intimately familiar with how the film has looked over the last four decades have every reason to be pleased.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review 02

Audio transfer

The main audio track here is a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 mix, at 24 bits.

Originally released theatrically in Dolby stereo The Wrath of Khan was remixed in 5.1 for the 2001 DVD release in 2001, which was finessed into a 7.1 mix for the 2009 Blu-ray. This 4K presentation repurposes the latter, which, while it shows its age, is still perfectly acceptable today.

Similar to The Motion Picture demonstrated consistently strained sonic fidelity throughout its run time, which is partially due to being nearly 40 years old, but also quite likely due to the low budget origins. That caveat aside, The Wrath of Khan is a decent and engaging track that won't tax your system but does everything that it should and needs to do.

While remaining quite front-heavy, there are reasonable attempts to engage the rear surrounds, and the LFE track frequently offers some decent feedback, even if it remains rather general in nature. Paramount has likely done the best they can with the elements here, but it might be wise to set expectations too low.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review 03

Bonus materials

Unfortunately, unlike the U.S. release, Paramount has not included a copy of the standard Blu-ray in the Australian release, which means all the video-based features are completely missing in action. This is a super disappointing trend that shows no sign of abating.

However, the 4K disc does include two previously released audio commentaries , the first featuring Director Nicholas Meyer solo and a second featuring Director Nicholas Meyer alongside Star Trek: Enterprise Producer Manny Coto.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray Review 04

An iconic film in its own right, and a standout in the Star Trek franchise, The Wrath of Khan is certainly felt in a stunning 4K debut.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan [Director's Cut] [Blu-ray]

Ben Gourlay

Ben joined the TweakTown team in 2008 and has since reviewed 100s of movies. Ben is based in Australia and has covered entertainment news and reviews since 2002. A student of film, Ben brings a wide understanding of the medium to the latest happenings in entertainment circles and the latest blockbuster theatrical reviews.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K UHD Review

September 6, 2021

Star Trek’s first film lavished praise on and swooned over what humanity built with Starfleet. It was a progressive, endearing “what if” that assumed civilization could one day build a centralized force for good. Star Trek II shreds those ideals.

Inevitably, Starfleet will make controversial decisions. People will separate from this galactic monolith for the usual pitfalls, whether politics or bureaucracy. Kirk (William Shatner) isn’t only dealing with the direct assault of a space-faring threat in this sequel, but an attempt to bury and suppress past mistakes.

Star Trek II’s stellar tug-of-war on values and purpose is effectively flawless

There’s additional nuance too, as Kahn (Ricardo Montalban) sees himself as a religious deity, whose purpose is to eradicate Kirk. Where most universes war over weapons that destroy life, Star Trek II considers a technology which can create entire ecosystems; Kahn is its human-esque manifestation.

Often Star Trek populates its adventures with obvious villains, as in the visually evil, if not cultural. The Genesis project, which can bring life to dead planets, isn’t a cruel entity. Like Starfleet, the purpose is sound; its potential use is not. Science fiction often explored similar concepts, such as weather machines that can allow plant life to grow in deserts to end starvation. Those ideas lead to corruption, sometimes equivalent to nuclear bombs, even if the core idea promises to do right.

Star Trek II then surrounds itself with a looming moral catastrophe, one of logic and the greater good, centered on Kirk and Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) bond. It’s not as if Star Trek II delivers on the sci-fi elements, rather than it so intelligently embeds them among the key characters. Kirk’s steady command and willing heroism is always in consideration of his crew – by the book. Spock’s choices rely on the same, minus the needs of his own self.

It’s a perfect antithesis to Kahn, who cares little for others, and will use a life-creating machine to simultaneously end others. Spock reprimands Saavik (Kirstie Alley) as she can’t comprehend the human ego. That line defines much of Star Trek II’s action as Kahn believes he’s superior, and Kirk never thinks of a plan that puts himself amid a deadly radiation leak. Only Spock can, because Vulcans don’t suffer from ego or see themselves as important to the wider universe. Star Trek II’s stellar tug-of-war on values and purpose is effectively flawless because as the Starfleet test suggests, there is no solution.

A new 4K master raises suspicions. Worries surround the grain structure, which looks curiously artificial. Or, possibly filtered. It’s easy to see smearing as characters move, and minor glossiness on close-ups indicate a mild noise reduction. It’s faint, but apparent.

Those qualms aside, Star Trek II shows substantial gains from the Blu-ray. Fidelity boosts pick up texture on uniforms. Close-ups deliver fine detail. Encoding suffers a touch when trying to resolve haze or the sandstorm on an alien planet, but it’s otherwise capable in allowing definition through. The resolution boost can’t be denied.

Dolby Vision adds its own spark, black levels awesome, and stars piercing space’s void. It’s not an overly vibrant or unnatural, careful to preserve the film stock’s organic quality. A slight crush in spots barely matters, a small trade off for the exquisite dimensionality gained elsewhere. Color density gives Starfleet uniforms a brilliant, deep red. Primaries glow alongside the natural flesh tones.

While not the most intense in range, Star Trek II’s TrueHD 7.1 mix finds some bass worth celebrating. Explosions rumble a bit, as do ship engines. In that regard, the mix doesn’t sound like something from the 1980s. Only the dialog gives it away, since the score’s masterful treble doesn’t strain itself at all.

Extra rears drive heavy ambient winds around the soundstage. Ships pass by smoothly and naturally. Small touches like a crowd of trainees leaving a meeting and shuffling their feet into the stereos give the track small touches that bring it life.

Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Cotto provide the commentary, on both the theatrical and director’s cuts. The Blu-ray and 4K offer the same tracks, while the Blu-ray carries the additional extras, beginning with a pop-up feature on the theatrical cut. A making-of lasts 28-minutes. A five-part menu includes interviews, effects featurettes, and a piece on James Horner’s score, among others. Bits on Star Trek II’s legacy, including one that details props, are excellent. Ricardo Montalban earns a deserving tribute that lasts nearly five minutes. Storyboards and a trailer finish things.

Full disclosure : This Blu-ray was provided to us for review. This has not affected the editorial process. For information on how we handle review material, please visit our about us page to learn more.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

A powerful and morally complex sequel, Star Trek II is the epitome of the franchise as it delves into religious and life-affirming challenges.

User Review

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 57 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD:

Matt Paprocki

Matt Paprocki has critiqued home media and video games for 20 years across outlets like Washington Post, Variety, Rolling Stone, Forbes, IGN, Playboy, Polygon, Ars, and others. His current passion project is the technically minded DoBlu.com . You can read Matt's body of work via his personal WordPress blog, and follow him on Twitter @Matt_Paprocki .

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The best of the best – “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” on 4K

Updated: Jun 24, 2022

4K ULTRA HD REVIEW / HDR FRAME SHOTS

Ricardo Montalban is excellent as villain Khan Noonien Singh. He and his crew have commandeered the Enterprise’s sister ship, The USS Reliant.

(Click on an image to scroll through the larger versions)

“STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN”

4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital copy; 1982; PG for violence and profanity; streaming via Amazon Prime Video (4K), Apple TV (4K), Vudu (4K)

Best extra: Commentary with director Nicholas Meyer

NEARLY EVERY critic and fan agrees “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” from director Nicholas Meyer is the BEST of the 13 film franchise.

“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” launched in 1979, but it failed critically, suffering from an out-of-control budget from director Robert Wise (“West Side Story,” “The Sound of Music,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still”). But three years later, the character-driven “The Wrath of Khan” was highly praised by fans and critics alike, finishing at No. 8 in the 1982 U.S. box office totals and setting the course for a legitimate film franchise.

“Now this is more like it: after the colossal, big-budget bore that was “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” here comes a sequel that’s worth its salt… The movie is swift, droll, and adventurous, not to mention appealingly gadget-happy.” — Janet Maslin New York Times, film critic June 4, 1982

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of the September 8, 1966 airing of the first TV episode, CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount has given the first four films a new 4K remaster, releasing each one on high resolution 4K Ultra HD format, with the “Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection.”

The eight-disc set includes four 4K discs and four Blu-rays with hours of bonus features: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (2 edits), “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock” and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”

(1) “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” production had a $11.2 million budget and hit U.S. theaters on June 4, 1982. (2) After a failed training session Vulcan Starfleet officer Saavik (Kristie Alley) is quized by Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner). (3) USS Enterprise crew members Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and George Takei (Sulu). (4) Capt. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) gives Kirk a copy of the classic novel “A Tale of Two Cities” for his birthday. (5) Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy and Kirk enjoy a drink from a bottle of finely-aged Romulan ale, which Bones gave him for his birthday.

VIDEO/AUDIO

The original 35mm film elements captured on Panavision cameras were scanned in 4K (2.39:1 aspect ratio). The results are impressive with organic, natural film grain; excellent clarity from wide shots to close-ups, plus HDR10 and Dolby Vision grading with expanded colors and contrast levels – that are true and accurate. The color palette is not oversaturated but balanced with deep blacks, detailed mid-tones, and controlled highlights for a cinematic experience.

Over the last year, Paramount has become a leader in post-production 4K remastering with recent catalog titles on 4K – “Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Ten Commandments” – and the Paramount Presents Series on Blu-ray. Hats off!

An eight-channel Dolby TrueHD soundtrack without Atmos coding has been added to each film, a remix from the original Dolby stereo soundtrack. Overall fidelity is very good from dialogue to James Horner's (“Titanic,” “Apollo 13,” “Braveheart”) score, but the bass response will match today's more bass-driven soundtracks. A nice bonus feature on my Denon AV receiver, it will upmix the TrueHD soundtrack with Dolby's Surround Mode and send effects and music cues to height speakers. The mode provides a more vertical and 3D soundstage environment. Or, if you’re so inclined, you can keep it in native Dolby TrueHD.

(1-3) Space Lab Regula 1 orbits a planetoid. Dr. Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) and her Genesis crew are onboard. She has a video conference with Captain Terrell (Paul Winfield) and Commander Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) before they investigate Ceti Alpha VI as a possible site for the Genesis experiment. (4&5) Inside a crashed derelict vessel, Terrell and Chekov are confronted by Khan Noonien Singh and his crew, who have been exiled on Ceti Alpha VI for the past 15 years. (6) Khan places juvenile Ceti eels inside Terrell’s and Chekov’s helmets. The creatures enter their ears, rendering them subservient to Khan’s every command.

Each 4K disc includes a commentary track or two as “The Wrath of Khan” director Nicholas Meyer (“Time After Time,” “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”) provides two commentaries for the theatrical version and his highly desired three-minute longer ‘Director’s Cut,’ which is insightful and thorough as he examines his career and composition.

After Paramount’s trademark mountaintop, Horner’s score starts playing over the rolling titles and Meyer introduces himself. “I’m the director…I’ve been writing since I was five years old.” His career took off after his novel “The Seven-Per-Cent Solution” (1974), which he wrote during the Writers Guild strike of the early 1970s. The book explored the notion that Sigmund Freud helped Sherlock Holmes recover from cocaine addiction, and was on the New York Times bestseller list for 40 weeks. He said, “I was, as they say, lifted out of obscurity.”

After his directing début with the sci-fi fantasy “Time After Time,” he crossed paths with friend producer Karen Moore (“Breaking Bad”), who was working at Paramount at the time. She suggested he connect with producer Harve Bennett who had worked on the successful TV series “Six Million Dollar Man,” “Bionic Woman,” and “The Mod Squad,” and had been assigned the next Star Trek movie. “I think you’d get along with him,” she said.

Five different scripts were being considered as Meyer and Bennett started with a list, highlighting the best elements from the five different stories. “I didn’t care if it’s a character, a plot, a subplot, a scene, a line of dialogue,” said Meyer. From their lists, the following elements surfaced: Kirk meets his son, the Genesis Planet, the death of Spock, and characters Khan and Saavik. Their mission was to weave the best elements together.

(1) Admiral Kirk inspects Mr. Scott’s Engineering crew, where he meets Midshipman, First Class, Peter Preston (Ike Eisenmann). (2&3) Lt. Saavik pilots the Enterprise out of the space dock. (4) USS Enterprise advances to warp speed. (5) Khan and his crew have overtaken USS Reliant. (6) Khan and his son, second in command Joachim (Judson Scott), disagree during their confrontation with Admiral Kirk and the Enterprise. (7) Mr. Scott appears on the bridge holding the badly burned body of Peter Preston, mortally wounded during the battle with Khan.

As the script began to materialize, word leaked that Spock was going to die. Devote followers weren’t happy and Meyer received threatening letters. “If Spock dies, you die,” he said. Star William Shatner was also shocked and stormed into Bennett’s office, “God, this is terrible. This is a disaster,” as Meyer recalls. Shatner threatened to not do the film, but after an overnight script revision from Meyer, the director received an “ecstatic message” on his answering machine the next day. “You’re a genius. I don’t know how you did this,” the iconic Captain said. To this day Meyer has kept the taped message. And, during the production, anytime Shatner gave him “stick” he would play the tape and say, “Bill? Genius.”

In the plot, sixteen years after Gene Roddenberry’s TV series first aired on NBC, the voyages of the starship USS Enterprise continue as the cast reunites with Shatner (now promoted to Admiral James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), DeForest Kelley (Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy), James Doohan (Scotty), George Takei (Sulu), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), and the rest of the crew. Spock is now the commander of the Enterprise, with a younger crew in training including fellow Vulcan Saavik (Kristie Alley). Kirk has retired to an administrative post at Federation headquarters on Earth, but eventually, he's thrust back into action. A showdown-space opera mushrooms between him and the great villain Khan Noonien Singh, exceptionally performed by Ricardo Montalban. Driven by hate, Khan wants revenge for being sent to exile on Ceti Alpha V. He and his crew have commandeered the Enterprise’s sister ship, The USS Reliant, and are ready to annihilate Kirk, the Enterprise and its crew, and take down the United Federation of Planets.

“I’ve never been very interested in what the public wants, so I made the Star Trek movie that I wanted to see, on the assumption that if I liked it, other people would like it.” — Nicholas Meyer, director

(1) Onboard Regula 1, Adm. Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Lt. Saavik discover murdered personnel, and the semi-conscious and weakened Terrell and Chekov. (2&3) Khan takes control of Capt. Terrell again, ordering him to kill Kirk. (4&5) Carol Marcus shows Kirk the Genesis cave, created in just one day with a device she created.

The enclosed “Wrath of Khan” Blu-ray disc and digital copy includes the remaining extras including the excellent 28-minute “The Genesis Effect: Engineering the Wrath of Khan” providing a complete insider’s view of the production. It features interviews with producer Robert S. Sallin, who originally wanted young director Ron Howard to helm, post-production executive Ralph Winter, and Mark A. Altman, former editor of Cinefantastique Magazine, who says “Wrath of Khan” was a movie that “almost never got made.”

Paramount executive Michael Eisner – who eventually took over Disney – gave the green light for a second Star Trek, but with a much smaller budget. The project would be developed through the TV division and Bennett running the production. “That meant the keys had been taken from Roddenberry who had spent all of the ‘70s trying to get his show back on the air,” says Larry Nemecek, former editor of Star Trek Communicator Magazine. Bennett watched all of the TV episodes and showed the episode “Space Seed” to Meyer, featuring the character Khan. Meyer said they had less than two weeks to come up with a script, if not George Lucas’ ILM special effects house couldn’t guarantee delivery of the FX shots in time. To his surprise, Paramount executives had already booked “Wrath of Khan” into theaters for June 1982, without having a movie script. Meyer told Bennett and Sallin, he could deliver a workable script in 12 days. “He did a page one rewrite and literally saved the film,” says Sallin.

“I was making a movie about friendship, old age, and death,” says Meyer. And, thank goodness he got it right.

— Bill Kelley III, High-Def Watch producer

(1) The crippled Reliant drifts inside a nebula, while the badly injured Khan quotes from the novel “Moby Dick": “No… no, you can’t get away. From hell’s heart, I stab at thee. For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee.” (2) Spock saves the Enterprise, receiving fatal radiation exposure. McCoy and Scotty hold Kirk back as he passes. (3) Kirk bids farewell to his friend. "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most … human.” (4) “He’s really not dead … as long as we remember him.”

Frame Shots

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Review: ‘Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection’ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Is A Big Upgrade

| September 7, 2021 | By: Matt Wright 68 comments so far

The first four original series movies have been newly restored and released in Ultra High Definition; here’s our review of the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray boxed set.

The classic Trek movies hold a special place in the hearts of many Trekkies—this was the only Star Trek we had until 1987, when The Next Generation premiered. This boxed set features the theatrical editions of The Motion Picture , The Search For Spock, and The Voyage Home . The Wrath Of Khan disc follows the blueprint of the excellent 2016 standard Blu-ray of the Director’s Cut , and includes both the theatrical and director’s cut on the disc, thanks to seamless branching.

The Wrath of Khan , Search for Spock , and The Voyage Home making an unofficial “Genesis Trilogy,” are considered by many to be fan favorites. From the return of Khan to the loss of Spock, the crew stealing the Enterprise and getting Spock back, and finally redeeming themselves by saving the future by going to the past to get a pair of humpback whales, the three movies are filled with action, adventure, and a lot of heart, which helped the films cross over to include mainstream audiences.

The Motion Picture of course started it all in 1979, and while it’s cerebral style and more quiet pacing make it stand apart from the three Genesis Trilogy movies, it also has its admirers, myself included. And due to the grand scale and scope of Robert Wise’s film, it probably benefits the most from this new 4K transfer. It should be noted again that this set includes only the theatrical edition of TMP. There’s a separate project by Paramount+ and the folks who worked with Wise back in 2001 to make a new 4K version of the Director’s Edition that is expected to be released for streaming in 2022.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray set

The boxed set comes with two 4-disc cases inside of it. One has the Ultra HD Blu-ray versions of the movies, and one has standard HD Blu-ray discs. The Blu-ray discs feature the same newly restored versions of the films, just in 1080p. These new versions of the 1080p Blu-ray movies will also be sold separately for those who haven’t made the leap to 4K/HDR.

Video Quality

The short version: These four movies look amazing. They look like films again, far less processed than the previous releases, and that alone makes the set worth getting. The wider color gamut of Ultra HD allows for richer colors; for example, the “monster maroons” are a shade of rich deep red. The films also benefit from a restrained HDR grade that helps retain details in the brighter scenes.

Nitty-gritty details: Without a doubt the films look much better than they ever have on home video. The previous versions of the films which were released back in 2009 and then repackaged ever since had a number of shortcomings. They were overly processed, which meant the natural look of film was often scrubbed out. The biggest symptom of this over-processing is that faces looked waxy: The Voyage Home was one of the worst offenders. So these new versions of the films may at first appear “soft,” but that’s not correct; what this new scan of the movies did was restore a natural filmic look to the movies (film grain), and finer details are more visible now.

The crew looking waxy in 1986 from the 2009 Blu-ray

The crew looks much more natural in 1986 from the 2021 release

2009 zoom, notice how Uhura’s and Sulu’s face are especially “etched” looking.

Zoom on the 2021 version, shadows blend naturally on the faces and everyone’s jaw lines aren’t traced out like a bad drawing.

NOTE: The screenshots included in this article are from the standard Blu-ray 1080p release. The 4k HDR versions look even better. Staring at still frames of a motion picture isn’t exactly how a film is intended to be watched, so take these as general demonstration of the changes.

Another noticeable aspect that has been corrected with this new set is that the 2009 versions fell prey to the popular style at the time of making everything more steely blue (or teal). This has been corrected, and the films now look much like they used to (on DVD releases, theatrical prints, etc.).

The 2009 version of the transporter room scene in TMP has everyone looking very lavender.

Now in 2021, skins tones are more natural and the walls and Kirk’s uniform are blue.

Another flaw the 2009 releases had was that bright scenes were blown out, which was never supposed to be the case. This is fixed in this new release.

The Enterprise bridge explodes in TSFS, 2009 version.

The Enterprise bridge explodes in the 2021 version. Notice the details behind the Klingons can be seen, including smoke, sparks, and parts of the bridge.

There is one notable oddity with TMP and it must be called out: The drydock sequence appears to have been sloppily edited to try and “fix” something that really didn’t need fixing. There is a support arm for the Enterprise model that is briefly seen. It was covered in black fabric and quite frankly is hard to see, I’ve never once found it distracting in all my years of watching TMP and TWOK (where the footage is reused); it didn’t need fixing. The “fix” has been detailed by the Twitter account TMP Visual Comparisons for readers who want more details and includes a video. What may be most irksome is that this is the theatrical version and should be preserved as-is; any changes should be left to the Director’s Edition team that’s working on a new version right now. Ultimately, this amounts of about five seconds of the movie, so it can be overlooked, but one wonders why it was done at all.

The TMP blurry shot with small “fix” errors in the left of the drydock and deflector dish of the Enterprise.

The same footage is reused in TWOK without digital tinkering.

Audio Quality

The audio mixes are the same excellent lossless 7.1 Dolby TrueHD mixes released with the Blu-rays previously. I will say I’m slightly disappointed they didn’t remix the movies in Dolby Atmos, but that isn’t a deal killer by any means. The mixes are great and sound really good on a modern surround system. I’m going to quote myself from previous reviews.

From the 2009 boxed set review:

The Motion Picture benefits the most from a new mix. Finally TMP feels like the big epic movie it is. The dialogue intelligibility is good and is better than any other version. Surround use is plentiful: the excellent Jerry Goldsmith musical score fills the room, transporter sound effects swirl around you, the engine room throbs with power, etc.

And from The Wrath of Khan DC:

This time around I have a Dolby Atmos enabled setup (5.1.4 for those interested), so I was able to hear how the standard surround mix was “up-mixed” into a pseudo-Atmos height enhanced version. The results are generally quite good, the classic James Horner soundtrack swells to fill all around as expected. Other atmospheric noise (ex: bridge noises, ships warping by, and the stormy Mutara nebula) is often heard from the heights giving a bigger more natural/fuller sense of the environments.

Special Features

As is common practice, the Ultra HD Blu-ray discs have minimal special features to allow maximum space for the 4K video. The majority of the extras are found on the standard Blu-ray discs.

This set carries over pretty much all of the special features from the 2009 versions of the movies, which in turn carried over most of the DVD features from before. I recommend you check out our review for more .

Rather than recap all the extras, I’m going to point out what’s new and what’s missing from this set.

What’s new

The only new feature for this set is for The Motion Picture , both the UHD and standard Blu-ray feature an isolated score track in stereo. Goldsmith’s music is iconic, so it seems fitting to offer this as a new option.

What’s missing

There are two features worth mentioning that aren’t included. The first is “The Captain’s Summit,” made for the original 2009 boxed set and not released again. We can hope that since the summit includes the Next Generation cast, this might re-appear in a hypothetical future boxed set of 4K TNG movies.

The other feature that would have been great to see is the multi-part documentary by Roger Lay Jr. (who did the excellent documentaries on the TNG-R and ENT Blu-ray sets) commissioned for the 50th anniversary boxed set in 2016.

It’s understandable why these two features aren’t there, as they were separate documentaries that were included as a separate disc in their respective boxed sets, but it would be nice to get them into a new set at some point.

Full list of features:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture 4K Ultra HD

Isolated score in Dolby 2.0—NEW
Commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens and Daren Dochterman

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Blu-ray

Library Computer (HD)
The Longest Trek: Writing the Motion Picture (HD)
Special Star Trek Reunion (HD)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 001: The Mystery Behind V’ger
Deleted Scenes
Storyboards
Trailers (HD)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer (Director’s Cut and Theatrical Version)
Commentary by Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version)

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Blu-ray

Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Cut)
Captain’s Log
Designing Khan
Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
James Horner: Composing Genesis (HD)
Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics (HD)
A Novel Approach
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI (HD)
A Tribute to Ricardo Montalbán (HD)
Theatrical Trailer (HD)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by director Leonard Nimoy, writer/producer Harve Bennett, director of photography Charles Correll and Robin Curtis
Commentary by Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock Blu-ray

Terraforming and the Prime Directive
Industry Light & Magic: The Visual Effects of Star Trek
Spock: The Early Years (HD)
Space Docks and Birds of Prey
Speaking Klingon
Klingon and Vulcan Costumes
Star Trek and the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (HD)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 003: Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 4K Ultra HD

Commentary by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy
Commentary by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Blu-ray

Future’s Past: A Look Back
On Location
Dailies Deconstruction
Below-the-Line: Sound Design
Pavel Chekov’s Screen Moments (HD)
Time Travel: The Art of the Possible
The Language of Whales
A Vulcan Primer
Kirk’s Women
The Three-Picture Saga (HD)
Star Trek for a Cause (HD)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 004: The Whale Probe (HD)
From Outer Space to the Ocean
The Bird of Prey
Leonard Nimoy
William Shatner
DeForest Kelley
Roddenberry Scrapbook
Featured Artist: Mark Lenard
Production Gallery

Final thoughts

The first four movies have never looked better. Is this set perfect? No. But it’s pretty darn close. As fans who enjoy these films and want to have them in the best possible format, this is a must buy . Fans need to vote with their wallets. Remember, there’s more at stake here than just these four movies. If we want the rest of the Trek movie franchise available on disc, the studio needs proof that there’s a demand for it.

Releasing the movies only to digital is relatively easy and low cost for Paramount, but physical media requires time and effort since it is a physical product. Many of us are anxiously awaiting the new 4K version of The Motion Picture: Director’s Edition , but as of right now it has only been announced for streaming on Paramount+ next year. There’s no word yet on if or when there will be a release on disc. So showing the studio that fans want Trek movies on physical media is important.

If people don’t buy these on disc, it sends the message that streaming-only is okay. Streaming rights come and go and vary by region, so the only surefire way to collect these movies in 4K to keep as your own is on disc. And at least for the US version of the set, it comes with a code for a digital copy of each movie, so you can have your handy digital version while also showing your support for the disc format.

Available now in the USA (and Canada)

Individual standard Blu-ray movies

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Available soon in Europe

International dates seem to have slipped a week. From what we can know currently, it will be released Monday, September 13 in the UK, and it should also be available around that time in Germany and France as well.

Keep up with all the home video and streaming news, reviews, and analysis at TrekMovie.com.

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Can’t wait!

I agree with Matt — restorations of films shouldn’t concern themselves with fixing “bloopers” in the SFX — they should be concerned with restoring the film as it was shot. Save that kind of thing for Director’s Editions, etc.

I’m curious as to why Kirk and Spock are wearing the TMP uniforms and McCoy is wearing the TWOK-and-after uniform.

There’s also a Phase II Enterprise in there and the background is the primary hull of the 1701-A, so clearly not a whole lot of research was done.

I like the more character based collage, I am just glad they are starting to release the films in 4K and I hope the content outweighs the aesthetics when it comes to getting the rest of the movies, I want the rest in 4 K as well.

Has Sulu’s Kobayashi Maru scene been corrected in the TWOK DE? Or does he still face front the whole time?

That was fixed right away in 2016. https://trekmovie.com/2016/06/22/wrath-of-khan-directors-edition-recall-information/

Tons of stock of the uncorrected version are still out there. The only thing that was different was a sticker on it to tell them apart. They had the same cover.

And one of those landed at my house.

Thank you for the link. I was not aware.

Edit: never mind!

Regarding TMP, I’m wondering if they went to the original 65mm VFX elements as the source material as opposed to upscaling a print of the movie. I was reading a July ’21 interview with Doug Trumbull where he says he was involved with 2001’s and Blade Runner’s transfers as he knew where they were (the 65mm vfx elements) having worked on them.

My memory of the theatrical release in theaters was the vibrant burnt orange fabric material used in the crew corridor scene and the sparking blue eyes Stephen Collins had when he had his close ups. Vulcan had a hue to it that gave it a hell-ish appearance. In my mind, it was like a visualization of Jupiter’s Io moon’s surface(sans active volcanos). The color vibrancy and scene contrasts, for me anyway, made the movie special and memorable.

I’m recalling Michele Small’s comments in the recent TMP Making of book where she claims much detail in the Vger cloud drawings done with 70mm in mind but diminished in the final print.

As many times I have seen the movie, I can’t believe I found something ‘new’ or didn’t realize before. On a recent tv viewings and in one of the later scenes, the Alien Boy, was in a corner shot that I didn’t remember from before. It could’ve been the way the movie was cropped for tv but it definitely wasn’t pan and scan.

For the Director Edition 4K release, I hope they get the surviving cast for NEW reflections on this movie while they are still around. Although, I’m hearing Nichelle Nichols may be suffering from dementia. All we have left are Shatner, Takei, Koenig, Nichols and Collins. I say, get them now before they’re gone. :)

I doubt anyone will be offering an interview invite to Collins, but agree – our time with these people is brief. We need to be capturing their thoughts and recollections while we can!

I did an interview with Trumbull a couple of years ago where he talks about the 65mm elements. https://trekmovie.com/2019/07/26/interview-vfx-pioneer-douglas-trumbull-on-how-it-took-a-miracle-to-complete-star-trek-the-motion-picture/

Yeah he was very vague. He never mentioned if what he wanted to do was recomposite the original 65mm negative, which of course would now be done digitally. But it still would be crossing into Star Wars Special Edition territory. You would get much sharper images from the larger size negative. But you’d also get more grain. I’d still like to see it.

I reread your article. Great job. I found I made the same comments back then. I guess we need to hear from the current restoration production team as to how they are proceeding for the 4K DE. I would hope for some kind of Trumbull consultation. Trumbull is right to ask if Paramount kept the original source material. It would be horrible if they didn’t.

As an aside, Trumbull reportedly underbid for the VFX for TWOK but Paramount chose ILM. While not to detract from ILM, one would think Paramount really owed it to Trumbull for helping the production make TMP and deliver it on time. TWOK done by Trumbull would’ve maintained consistency with its visuals and look far superior in 70mm assuming they used the 65mm elements in the final print without reducing and blowing it up again. Having seen TWOK in 70mm its original theatrical run, I can remember detractable grain in the print but the soundtrack was quite spatial, full and dramatic!

The shot of the Enterprise approaching Spacedock is better, the composite plates were visible on the 2009 blu rays but not on these new transfers. It was great to see this thing fixed up.

There’s a weird black dot crawling leftward across the neck of the Enterprise from about 1:17 to 1:29. I’ve never noticed that before on this movie.

Can I ask why it’s the first four and not all six? What’s the point??

It takes time to do the remasters for one, so putting them out in sets as they are done allows the initial ones to be released. The other reason given is that putting them all out in one massive set would have been an expensive box for folks to buy all at once. By splitting them up (3 sets total I believe plus the separate TMP DE) it makes it affordable to buy over time.

Nicely explained.

Because they can sell you the rest separately…. and then release them as a set yet again of all 6 in 2023 with a bonus collector’s pin or some crap. For sale again, and again and again.

It was fun buying each TNG season re-release at $70 each… and then all 7 seasons were released as a box set 2 years later for 1/10th the price.

Since you’re the first person to make this kind of comment, I’ll reply to you. Hopefully others read this too.

What you’re referring to is the behavior of companies at the height of the DVD format (which as it turned out was also the height of all home video discs). DVD was a gold mine. This is not the case today. Physical media sales have been in slow decline for about 10 years. The realities of that have taken quite a toll on the home video departments of the studios. The home entertainment division of most studios exists in name only. A skeleton staff is usually folded up into a marketing department. There is now a single replication plant (the factory that stamps out the optical discs for all studios/labels) for all of North America. Discs have to be scheduled out well in advance and there’s still often stock issues. For example, many people are getting shipment delayed messages for this TOS movies set because of the limited disc production capacity.

Today studios are much more inclined to do fewer, but significant, releases, knowing that this may very well be the final disc version. So yes, these four movies may eventually get re-packaged into a new boxed set in a few years, but it also may not. If these initial waves of movies don’t sell well enough, you won’t see the rest of the Trek films released on disc to make that hypothetical “double-dip” boxed set.

I’m well aware of the changes on the media landscape, likely the same as everyone else here. My snarky comment stands.

Paramount has double dipped ten fold with these movies. And now there is the balls to suggest that consumers purchased a *substandard* visual release on Blu-Ray ten years ago due to trendy colour timing and over-zealous grain reduction?

This is not to suggest a 4K release isn’t welcome. It’s going back to the well over and over in a way to soak every last cent out of paying fans. And that’s capitalism, and that’s fine. But it’s not being done as a “favour” to fans or consumers.

Your comments suggest that consumers should be taking *pity* on the home video departments? The studios have cannabalized themselves in favour of embracing streaming.

Studios have bent over backwards competing to make streaming services as lucrative to consumers as possible…. and consumers should feel BAD that physical media sales take massive hits? Ridiculous.

“So yes, these four movies may eventually get re-packaged into a new boxed set in a few years, but it also may not.”

Would you like to make a friendly bet that they absolutely… without question… will be re-packaged together as a complete set? We’ll both obviously be here in the next 36 months.

And why physical media releases at all? Why not 4K with direct access only through Paramount+ like the upcoming TMP release?

fans waiting to buy the TNG seasons in one cheap box set is why Deep Space Nine and Voyager will never be in HD.

But whose fault is that? The consumer? No. The producer? Yes. If media companies spend the last 40 years keeping consumers accustomed to that type of product release, what is expected to happen?

That’s completely unsubstantiated since it’s not 2014 anymore.

The tired argument parroted from many years ago that VOY and DS9 won’t be updated to HD because of sales of TNG BD which ENDED in 2014, does not hold water in 2021.

Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ has proven that sales of physical media has no bearing on future projects directed for streaming services only.

The 4K releases of pre-existing Star Wars and Marvel content on Disney+ would clearly suggest their is a huge financial model to investigate (or clearly already being investigated) for projects like VOY and DS9 being revitalized for the new world of streaming.

Fixing vfx is not changing the creators intent, so it’s absolutely ok with me. I even love it, because every time I see mistakes in vfx/movies in general, it takes me out and destroys the “in-movie-realism”. I ordered the box first day! Can’t wait to get the TNG movies on 4k Blu-ray!!!!

It also depends on if people could see these mistakes on original 35mm prints. I don’t think the wires holding Superman up were as visible on general release prints, or you could see the Cowardly Lions tail where it was sewn or pinned on. But when you do an HD scan every little thing you never noticed is very visible like Qui Gon’s fake pasted on beard. Every little stitch in clothes is revealed, every pore on a person’s face. There is removing something that isn’t intended to be seen like the matte lines and garbage mattes in Star Wars, or complete revisionism where does one draw a line.

I still can’t begin to care about TMP. Rewatched it again after nearly 20 years for my grand rewatch and can wait for another 20 years to watch it again. Maybe it will be 16000 K by then…but still just as dull and bland for me.

I agree Tiger. I will use the disc as a coaster when I get around buying this set lol

The next set based on the rumors we have to buy the coasters Final Frontier and Generations to get Star Trek VI. And finally for the last one two more coasters to get First Contact we have to buy Insurrection and Nemesis.

You are repeating yourself dude, you said this in another thread.

I’m with you. The last 15 minutes are when the movie really gets into gear when they discover the true nature of Vger. It’s a long slog until that point though.

Revisionist critics praise the film as a visionary cerebral film on the level of 2001. No.

Reivisionists Time Travellers?

“The Enterprise, perhaps deliberately, looks a lot like other spaceships we’ve seen in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Silent Running,” “Star Wars,” and “Alien.” Kubrick’s space odyssey set a visual style for the genre that still seems to be serviceable. But the look of the other spaceship in “Star Trek” is more awesome and original. It seems to reach indefinitely in all directions, the Enterprise is a mere speck inside of it, and the contents of the alien vessel include images of the stars and planets it has passed en route, as well as enormous rooms or spaces that seem to be states of a computer-mind. This is terrific stuff. … Such reservations aside, STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE is probably about as good as we could have expected. It lacks the dazzling brilliance and originality of 2001 (which was an extraordinary one-of-a-kind film). But on its own terms it’s a very well-made piece of work, with an interesting premise. The alien spaceship turns out to come from a mechanical or computer civilization, one produced by artificial intelligence and yet poignantly “human” in the sense that it has come all this way to seek out the secrets of its own origins, as we might.

There is, I suspect, a sense in which you can be too sophisticated for your own good when you see a movie like this. Some of the early reviews seemed pretty blase, as if the critics didn’t allow themselves to relish the film before racing out to pigeonhole it. My inclination, as I slid down in my seat and the stereo sound surrounded me, was to relax and let the movie give me a good time. I did and it did.” — Roger Ebert, December 7,1979

I’m still happy with my DVD Special Collectors Edition. But, interesting review.

I wish Star Trek VI had been remastered but i’ll take the first 4 films. Its better than nothing. Just wish it had the original theatrical audio. Where someone else wants an Atmos mix i want the original stereo audio track that was seen in the general theatrical release. TMP stereo mix hasn’t been available since Laserdisc and VHS. Since the first dvd was the directors cut which was a remix and the theatrical dvd also a 5.1 remix of allegedly the 70mm mix, but i can’t speak if that is accurate.

Trek VI will be in the next set. Hang in there.

Thanks for the review , Matt Wright . The extras look impressive . And I’m sure the Original Movie Series latter 5+ Set will be coming soon enough too . Hopefully something in there for the stereophiles as well ? Not everyone can run an expensive 5.1 + sound system , without losing household power . To run these sound systems ($3000-$10K+) , you need to put in a $30K-$50K Solar backup ?!

These are actually only the same extras that have been available for years , only the isolated score is new.

Thanks DataLore ! It looked new , maybe I’m wrong .

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but for TVH photos shown here, I actually find the 2009 comparisons looking like a sharper, better picture. For example, look at the better details on the background office buildings. But thanks for the work on this article.

Yeah. I agree. It’s weird though isn’t? I don’t understand why that would be the case.

At the end of the day I suppose It’s best to see the film in motion for a definite conclusion.

I actually agree with this to a certain degree, I will say watching the actual movies makes it slightly different, these are cases where the latest transfer looks better and then other times where 2009 looks more impressive.

Is the new release od TWOK the same master as the 2016 release? I’m sticking with standard Blu ray and have ordered the standalone discs for the others.

Its the same transfer only available in 4K UHD disc for the first time with HDR. The blu ray will be the same transfer as the 2016 corrected disc. The ones that are new are Star Trek I which is the theatrical only, Star Trek III and IV.

Thanks bud.

For the Trek II Blu-ray, that’d be not just the same transfer, but the same whole actual disc, right (with the same menus, extras, etc.), differing only in the packaging and the label printed on the disc?

It’s not exactly the same disc. The menus are different. And the 2016 version includes part of the Roger Lay documentary I mentioned in my review titled “The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan”, this new version drops that.

So there is not the Directors Cut of the 1st Movie included?

No. That is going to be reserved for Paramount+ in 2022. I’m deeply disappointed that there will be no 4K relase of that to 4k dvd.

As I mentioned in my review, keep voting with your wallet. Show Paramount you want physical copies on disc. It’s likely that after an exclusive window on Paramount+ the new Director’s Edition will be released on disc, but fans have to demonstrate they want it.

I wonder if the 4K release is a good opportunity to do the original Home video edit of Star Trek VI that had always been released up till the DVD release, which included Rene Auberjonois as Colonel West as well as a few other extra scenes along with the original theatrical version. Given the aspect ratio difference prob not as easy for seamless branching but if both cuts of Wrath of Khan are available, then maybe they can do both for The Undiscovered Country, is it possible?

I ordered this from Amazon, but it hasn’t shipped and seems to be in some kind of limbo. Must be selling well!

Its backordered everywhere i’ve tried to get it from two different retailers and no dice. Even had it preordered on Amazon for months. Its a travesty they shouldn’t allow a preorder if they don’t have the actual item.

I ordered a new one through Walmart. They say I will have it by 9/15. We’ll see!

Personally – didn’t want to wait for a shipment. Drove down to my local BestBuy today – 11 copies on the shelf. Any big box stores near you?

Yeah, and I’m thinking I might shoulda done that same thing — no sign of this thing shipping. But I don’t even have a 4K television yet (that’ll change next week), so I’m not in that big a rush.

Have been watching these, often they look really good , other times there are cases where the 2009 looks better.

Personally II-IV look fantastic, The Motion Picture , I really love The Motion Picture by the way, the effects, sets, and costumes look really great but it is too dark at several points.

Thanks for the review. Does TVH set contain the “International Prolog” that was attached to the film outside of the US and appears just before the dedication to the Challenger crew? I’m sure most will have seen it; a collection of clips from TWOK and TSS with narration from William Shatner. This is the version that played in UK cinemas and later on home video and for me, the movie always seems incomplete without it.

As far as I know, no. It’s the US theatrical version. They stopped including that prolog with the 2009 Blu-ray version.

Thanks Matt. I had hoped it might have been included in the extras.

no dolby atmos? which penny pinching exec made this stupid decision? what a wasted opportunity. Im so disappointed. Wont be buying this set after all. Having gone to all the effort of upgrading to 4k and not upgrading the sound to the latest and best format is just a travesty imho.

Sadly, shipping is taking a hit right now. Don’t know when I’ll receive my pre-order.

Star Trek Genesis Arc = Star Trek looking its best, at its best. For those who love that series check out the DC comics at the time with lots of movie era adventures. Will make you long for ST:TNG to have been a movie era series.

Not me. But I do love those movies.

Not yet available in Canada. Or in scarce quantitites if any.

I finally had a chance to drive to my local BestBuy – they had multiple copies on the shelf.

That said, I hope you were able to find yourself a copy!

It be cool if the next set was out for Christmas, but will probably be early next year.

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The peculiar thing about Spock is that, being half human and half Vulcan and therefore possessing about half the usual quota of human emotions, he consistently, if dispassionately, behaves as if he possessed very heroic human emotions indeed. He makes a choice in “Star Trek II” that would be made only by a hero, a fool, or a Vulcan. And when he makes his decision, the movie rises to one of its best scenes, because the " Star Trek " stories have always been best when they centered around their characters. Although I liked the special effects in the first movie, they were probably not the point; fans of the TV series wanted to see their favorite characters again, and “Trek II” understood that desire and acted on it.

Time has passed since the last episode. Kirk has retired to an administrative post. Spock is commanding the Enterprise, with a lot of new faces in the crew. The ship is on a mission concerning the Genesis device, a new invention which, if I understand it correctly, is capable of seeding a barren planet with luxuriant life. A sister ship, the USS Reliant, is scouting for lifeless planets and finds one that seems to be dead, but its instruments pick up a small speck of life. Crew members investigate, and find the planet inhabited by an outlaw named Khan, who was exiled there years ago by Kirk, and has brooded of vengeance ever since.

Khan is played as a cauldron of resentment by Ricardo Montalban , and his performance is so strong that he helps illustrate a general principle involving not only Star Trek but “ Star Wars ” (1977) and all the epic serials, especially the “James Bond” movies: Each film is only as good as its villain. Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat from film to film, only a great villain can transform a good try into a triumph. In a curious way, Khan captures our sympathy, even though he is an evil man who introduces loathsome creatures into the ear canals of two Enterprise crew members. Montalban doesn't overact. He plays the character as a man of deeply wounded pride, whose bond of hatred with Admiral Kirk is stronger even than his traditional villain's desire to rule the universe.

There is a battle in outer space in this movie, a particularly inept one that owes more to "Captain Video" than to state-of-the-art special effects. I always love it when they give us spaceships capable of leaping across the universe, and then arm them with weapons so puny that a direct hit merely blows up a few control boards and knocks people off their feet. Somehow, though, I don't much care if the battles aren't that amazing, because the story doesn't depend on them. It's about a sacrifice made by Spock, and it draws on the sentiment and audience identification developed over the years by the TV series.

Perhaps because of that bond, and the sense that an episode may be over but the Enterprise will carry on, the movie doesn't feel that it needs an ending in a conventional sense. The film closes with the usual "Star Trek" end narration, all about the ship's mission and its quest, and we are obviously being set up for a sequel. You could almost argue that the last few minutes of “Trek II” are a trailer for “Trek III”, but, no, that wouldn't be in the spirit of the Enterprise, would it?

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan movie poster

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

113 minutes

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At the center of Khan's revenge against William Shatner's Starfleet Admiral James T. Kirk is the terraforming initiative called Project Genesis and a powerful device that could be weaponized. The plot doesn't carry the same weighty, pressing subject matter of its predecessor, but the sequel's ideas about mortality, rebirth and the cycle of life and death are no less heady and substantial. From Khan grieving the death of his wife to the literal birth of a new planet, the theme is prevalent throughout, impacting characters in various ways, even in Kirk grappling with the end of his tenure as Captain of the Enterprise and reconciling with his estranged son. With Meyer all the while aptly focusing on the camaraderie of Kirk, McCoy and Spock, the story skillfully builds to that emotionally memorable climax that has become a piece of cinematic history. And revisiting the film after countless viewings, the impact of that ending has not waned in the least. Also, it's funny to think that after launching the first in the so-called "Genesis Arc" trilogy with The Wrath of Khan , Meyer would eventually become responsible for the two best installments of the entire franchise when he returned for The Undiscovered Country nearly ten years later.

For a more in-depth take on the film, check out Josh Zyber's review of the 2009 Blu-ray HERE . Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray Paramount Home Entertainment brings the Star Trek film series to 4K Ultra HD as an eight-disc combo pack dubbed the "4-Movie Collection" that includes a flyer with Digital Copy codes for each movie. Said code unlocks 4K UHD digital copies on services like iTunes and Vudu with Dolby Vision HDR video and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 audio. The first four dual-layered UHD66 discs are housed inside a slightly thicker black, eco-elite case with two center spindles. Meanwhile, the remaining four Region Free Blu-ray copies are packaged inside a separate thicker-than-normal blue, eco-elite case with two center spindles. The two packages come with a glossy, side-sliding slipcover. At startup, viewers are greeted with a static screen, the usual options along the bottom, and music playing in the background.

Video Review

The adventure continues on Ultra HD with another excellent HEVC H.265 encode that was also reportedly struck from a fresh remaster of the original elements.

Although the opening scenes during the simulation exercise at first don't appear very promising, the native 4K transfer is nonetheless a welcomed upgrade, showing a visible uptick in overall definition and clarity. The majority of the picture admittedly falls on the softer side, but it's important to keep in mind that it was intentionally shot in soft focus and is inherent to the elements. This creates a slightly smoother appearance in the faces of Enterprise 's older crew members. But in the scenes with Khan and his gang of young pirates, detailing is significantly sharper, revealing lifelike textures in the faces and Montalbán's chest while the threading in his crew's tattered clothes is distinct and the individual hairs are discrete. Many of the visual effects and composition shots stand out a bit more, which is to be expected, but they hold up remarkably well. Overall, this is a notable step-up from previous home video editions.

Awash in a very fine layer of natural gain, the Dolby Vision HDR presentation also furnishes the forty-year-old film with a cleaner, livelier contrast balance and brighter whites throughout. It may not look it, at first, considering the filmmaker's deliberately dark, toned-down creative intentions, but the contrast is an improvement. And mixed with the richer, truer black levels and the strong shadow details, the 2.35:1 image comes with an attractive cinematic appeal and appreciable dimensionality, particularly in those scenes with Khan aboard the starship Reliant . Likewise, the cinematography of Gayne Rescher favors a more earthy, natural palette, bathing the visuals in richly-saturated browns, animated ginger-amber tones and deep rust-orange marigolds. Primaries are nonetheless accurately rendered and bolder than its HD SDR counterparts, such as the ruby-burgundy reds of the uniforms and vibrant, electrifying cobalt blues in the starship's computer consoles.

All in all, this is a satisfying upgrade, and the film has never looked better. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 82/100)

Audio Review

As with the first movie, this Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack is identical to the one on the Blu-ray, which is not a bad thing though an object-based track would have made a welcomed addition.

Faithful to the original stereo design, the front-heavy presentation displays good channel balance with plenty of good background activity, especially during the action sequences to generate a relatively wide, broad soundstage. However, the mid-range isn't particularly dynamic or extensive, feeling more uniform and somewhat limited in the upper ranges, yet it maintains clarity and definition decently well in James Horner's score and during the loudest segments. The same can be said of the dialogue, but the conversations remain intelligible nonetheless. The low-end adds a bit of weight to the visuals but doesn't make much of an impression overall. There's little activity in the surrounds, mostly reserved for some mild bleeding and a few random ambient effects. The receiver's Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality does well in expanding some of these atmospherics into the top heights with satisfying effectiveness. All in all, it's an enjoyable lossless mix that does great to complement the on-screen visuals.

For a more in-depth take on the audio quality, you can read Josh Zyber's review of the Blu-ray HERE . (Audio Rating: 78/100)

Special Features

For this Ultra HD edition, Paramount beams up the same archival materials from past releases, but they are still well worth picking through if you haven't gone through them before.

Ultra HD Disc

Audio Commentary featuring Nicholas Meyer
Audio Commentary (Theatrical Cut Only) featuring Nicholas Meyer & Manny Coto

Remastered Blu-ray Disc

Text Commentary (Director’s Cut Only) featuring Michael and Denise Okuda
Library Computer Viewing Mode (Theatrical Cut)
The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan (HD, 28 min)
Production (SD, HD)
Captain’s Log (27 min)
Designing Khan (24 min)
Interviews (11 min) with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalbán
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (18 min)
James Horner: Composing Genesis (10 min)
The Star Trek Universe (HD, SD)
Collecting Star Trek’s Movie Relics (11 min)
A Novel Approach (29 min)
Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI (3 min)
Farewell: A Tribute to Ricardo Montalbán (HD, 5 min)
Storyboards (HD)
Trailer (HD)

Final Thoughts

Arguably, in the eyes of casual mainstream audiences, director Nicholas Meyer course-corrects the franchise with the sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan while simultaneously satisfying loyal fans of the original television series. Serving as both a sequel to the first movie and a follow-up to the episode "Space Seed," the film is a rousing naval adventure set in space with an emotional climax that remains just as impactful forty years later. The sci-fi classic boldly goes into 4K Ultra HD territory equipped with an attractive Dolby Vision HDR presentation, giving fans a notable upgrade over its Blu-ray counterpart, but it features the same Dolby TrueHD 7.1 soundtrack and pretty much the same set of supplements. As part of the Star Trek: The Original 4-Movie Collection set, the overall UHD package is R ecommended .

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

Audio Commentary : Director Nicholas Meyer.
Audio Commentary : Director Nicholas Meyer and Manny Coto (Theatrical Version).
Text Commentary : Michael and Denise Okuda (Director's Cut).
Library Computer (Theatrical Version)
The Genesis Effect: Engineering The Wrath of Khan
Captain's Log
Designing Khan
Original Interviews with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Ricardo Montalban
Where No Man Has Gone Before: The Visual Effects of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
James Horner: Composing Genesis
Collecting Star Trek 's Movie Relics
A Novel Approach
Starfleet Academy SciSec Brief 002: Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI
Farewell: A Tribute to Ricardo Montalban
Storyboards
Theatrical Trailer

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4K Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Other Editions

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Product Description

One of the most celebrated and essential adventures from the STAR TREK universe, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN comes to 4K UHD with HDR-10 and Dolby Vision, boldly remastered from the original film elements. On routine training maneuvers, Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned that this may be the last space mission of his career. But an adversary from the past has returned with a vengeance. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalban)—brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth—has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen the top-secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk… with the threat of a universal Armageddon. Both the original theatrical cut and the Director’s cut are included, alongside an array of special features.

Product details

Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ Unknown
MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.89 x 5.47 x 0.51 inches; 0.02 ounces
Media Format ‏ : ‎ 4K
Run time ‏ : ‎ 116 minutes
Release date ‏ : ‎ September 6, 2022
Actors ‏ : ‎ William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Kirstie Alley, James Doohan
Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ French, Portuguese, Spanish
Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French, German
Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), German (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Studio ‏ : ‎ PARAMOUNT
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B4G37JKG
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 2
#107 in Action & Adventure Blu-ray Discs

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10 Dumbest Things In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Posted: April 26, 2024 | Last updated: April 26, 2024

The Wrath of Khan is arguably the greatest Star Trek movie, but it's far from perfect.

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Review: Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors”

Star Trek: Discovery picks up immediately where “ Face the Strange ” left off, as our protagonists track their quarry’s ship to a hidden, interdimensional pocket of space that holds a few surprises for them and the audience.

Thanks to some sciencing from Paul Stamets ( Anthony Rapp ) and Sylvia Tilly ( Mary Wiseman ), Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) has a way to find where Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ) are. Apparently, there’s a wormhole hiding in plain sight near where Discovery lost track of the criminals’ warp signature.

This wormhole is too small for a Crossfield- class ship to fit through, so Burnham and Cleveland Booker ( David Ajala ) – the latter of whom is on a mission to rehabilitate Moll, if possible – take a shuttle and see what’s on the other side of the wormhole’s aperture. Find a surprise, they do indeed, as the I.S.S. Enterprise , the evil version of the heroic Starfleet ship, is nestled in the wormhole – albeit without its crew, which apparently evacuated the vessel at some point. It’s beaten to hell and serves as a refuge for Moll and L’ak, whose own ship was destroyed by the interdimensional pocket of space’s destructive environment.

Discovery writers sure can be sneaky! They’ve been foreshadowing the appearance of a Constitution -class for the last two episodes; remember when Gen Rhys ( Patrick Kwok-Choon ) and Commander Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ) both remarked the Connie was their favorite ship? As we’ll see, this isn’t the last bit of foreshadowing that comes true in this episode.

“How did it end up in interdimensional space?” “I don’t know. Must be one hell of a story.” – Book and Burnham upon seeing the I.S.S. Enterprise

Astute viewers will recognize an often-used cost-saving measure in the annals of Star Trek history: the reuse of sets from another concurrent show. (Seriously, rewatch TNG , DS9 , and Voyager and you’ll be surprised how often props and sets are reused between those shows.) As Burnham and Book explore various halls and rooms, including the bridge and sickbay, the familiar surroundings seen in Strange New Worlds are subtly transformed by Mirror Universe iconography. While nods to the iconic starship Enterprise are always appreciated, our initial reaction to this surprise location—admittedly tinged with pessimism—is that it’s of course it’s the Enterprise . A practical move, perhaps, to keep expenses in check. By Grabthar’s hammer… what a savings.

Finding the ship deserted sure is strange, and Burnham and Book ascertain Moll and L’ak are in sickbay, presumably with the next clue in the Progenitor puzzle. But first, the pair check out the transporter room, which holds some strange items, such as blankets, children’s toys, and a locket that holds a picture of two people, which Burnham inexplicably decides to take with her. Moreover, the dedication plaque of the I.S.S Enterprise tells the story of the ship and its crew: the Terran Universe emperor seemingly tried to make changes to the way things were done in that evil universe, and the Enterprise escaped and picked up refugees who were trying to flee the Terran Universe and enter the Prime Universe.

One of the leaders among those on the Enterprise was a Kelpien, who Burnham deduces must have been the Mirror Universe version of Saru, and that the crew must have fled the Enterprise once it got stuck in the interdimensional pocket of space. Is it just us, or does this sound like a potential episode of Strange New Worlds ?

Burnham, Book, Moll, and L’ak face off in sickbay, where Burnham makes a startling connection between L’ak and a particular dilemma he is facing. The criminal pair hope to use the Progenitor treasure to clear L’ak’s Breen blood bounty. Yes, L’ak is Breen, that enigmatic and masked species from Deep Space Nine . Neato!

The rest of the episode bounces between what’s happening on the Enterprise , and flashing back to how Moll and L’ak first met and became romantically involved. Moll, the courier, would do business on the Breen space station on which L’ak, a member of a royal Breen family, was posted. The two connected over L’ak’s recent demotion and efforts to fight the embarrassment that came with it.

Over some time, the two became nearly inseparable, and L’ak even took the bold step with Moll by showing her his face – a big deal in Breen culture, as keeping their masks on allows them to retain their true, semi-transparent form, and not the solidified appearance we’ve seen on L’ak. Their relationship is tested when L’ak’s superior (and uncle), Primarch Ruhn ( Tony Nappo ) decides to interrupt their courtship. L’ak doesn’t take kindly to being asked to kill Moll, so the Breen turns on his own people, earns a Breen blood bounty, and flees with Moll. The pair now share a goal: earn enough latinum to retire on an (unnamed) fabled planet somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant, free from the trials and hardships of the courier life.

Suffice it to say, “Mirrors” is most memorable because it casts a welcome light on the shadowed backstory of this season’s main villains. Moll and L’ak are now a relatable pair, star-crossed lovers who are hell-bent on earning themselves a happy ending. As much as we don’t want to see the Progenitors’ tech get into the wrong hands, who now doesn’t want to see everything work out for Moll and L’ak?

Anyway, the quartet still need to get off the Enterprise , but the shuttle on which Burnham and Book arrived is destroyed by the turbulent pocket of space. With mere minutes to spare before the Enterprise is destroyed by the wormhole’s tiny aperture, Book and Moll share some last-minute words about their shared relationship with the late Cleveland Booker, and how Book hopes Moll makes the right choices regarding her quest for the Progenitor tech. Burnham, meanwhile, engages in a melee with L’ak, and the Breen ends up injured and inadvertently relinquishes control to Burnham of the next map piece in the Progenitor puzzle. The courier and disgraced Breen end up escaping the ship in a convenient Terran warp pod, leaving the chase between our heroes and enemies for another day.

“If we hit it precisely with a sequential hexagonal pattern, it should stay open for approximately sixty seconds. But once it collapses, it’s gone for good.” “Why hexagonal?” “Doesn’t matter… it’ll work.” – Adira ( Blu del Barrio ), Rayner, and Stamets as the crew finds a way to get the wormhole aperture bigger. We think this line from Stamets is reflective of the evolving working relationship between the results-orientated Rayner and the crew, and how this relationship is getting better the longer Rayner is first officer.

Burnham devises a novel way to signal her first officer for help in getting the Enterprise through the aperture: a pulsing tractor beam emitting from the Enterprise , shot through the wormhole’s opening, in a numerical sequence featured in a famous play from Kellerun culture. Rayner is then able to lead his crew to devise a way to pull the Enterprise into normal space.

The sequence where Rayner is faced with command of a ship tasked with the near-impossible rescue of his captain is the best of the episode. It’s no secret Rayner was knocked down a few pegs after his demotion and reassignment to Discovery , but that lack of confidence and inner angst is demolished thanks to Rayner listening and working with his bridge crew to save the Enterprise . Plenty of lesser-known bridge officers get a say in how Discovery could help the Mirror ship, and lightning-fast decision-making shows Rayner back on his game.

The last element to note about this episode is some emotional trouble Doctor Hugh Culber ( Wilson Cruz ) is having. Tilly provides an outlet for this angst. Culber explains the experiences he’s had in the last few years – namely dying, coming back to life, and being a Trill host – really put into perspective the intellectual journey he is on in the face of the Progenitor’s quest. Tilly helps him realize he isn’t only experiencing an intellectual quest, but a spiritual one. This conversation is just another instance of Discovery setting up some wild expectations for what the crew might ultimately discover at the end of the season – something beyond the bounds of science, perhaps?

Even though their prey gets away again, Burnham and her crew have the next clue in the Progenitor puzzle, and it is hiding in the I.S.S. Enterprise ’s sickbay. Hidden in the map piece Burnham grabbed from L’ak is a vial, which Stamets will analyze soon. Burnham learns the crew who escaped from the I.S.S. Enterprise ended up in the Prime Universe and were able to start new lives. A Terran scientist aboard the Enterprise , Dr. Cho, ended up being a branch admiral, and we’re meant to assume she was one of the scientists on Dr. Vellek’s team hundreds of years ago as they studied the Progenitor tech. Dr. Cho then hid her piece of the Progenitor puzzle aboard her old ship as a symbolic gesture of her ability to find freedom in a new universe.

Discovery continues its final season with another thumbs-up episode that serves an important lore-building role in the franchise. Seeing the Breen again is a joy, especially since we were staring at one the whole time and never knew it. And how striking was that Breen space station where L’ak was based? Another important note for Star Trek historians is that now the Mirror Universe Enterprise is in the 32 nd century, and stationed near Earth thanks to Joann Owosekun and Keyla Detmer piloting the ship back to Federation space. Will we see that ship again this season?

As the Progenitor puzzle deepens, so do the emotional stakes for our crew, exemplified by Culber’s introspective journey, the subtle reignition of Book and Burnham’s relationship, and Rayner’s triumphant return to leadership. We’re now at the halfway point in this season, so there’s still plenty of time for surprises, emotional consequences, and expectation-setting for this eagerly awaited treasure.

Stray Thoughts:

Hopefully, you’re watching this episode with subtitles on, because goodness is it hard to hear what masked Breen says.
The Mirror Universe version of the U.S.S. Enterprise was last seen in the Original Series episode “Mirror, Mirror,” albeit this wasn’t the Strange New Worlds version of the ship. Likewise, the Terran version of Spock, whom Booker asks if Burnham ever met, was in that same episode.
How did Adira conclude they were the one who brought the time bug aboard Discovery ?
Why didn’t Burnham and Book try talking down Moll and L’ak before diving into the room with the holo-projected doubles?

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+ , this season stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Lower Decks , and more.

You can follow us on X , Facebook , and Instagram .

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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