Star Trek II : The Wrath Of KhanandStar Trek IV : The Voyage Homehave battled it out over the last few decades for the title of the best classical Trek celluloid , and there ’s still no clear-cut master . It ’s not hard to imagine why , either . Both films are cinematic triumphs and sci - fi masterpieces , but for very unlike reasons . WhileWrath Of Khanwas fundamentally a nail - biting submarine activeness celluloid set in space , The Voyage Homewas a light-hearted clowning with potent societal electronic messaging .

Both films go on to be fan favourite , making them success in their own right , but that ’s no rationality to forbear from match these two Trek heavyweight against one another . There are 5 reasons whyWrath Of Khancould theoretically claim the poll , and 5 whyThe Voyage Homecan steal the winnings .

The Wrath Of Khan Had The Perfect Villain

It ’s hard to top Khan when it comes toStar Trekvillains . The character made his original visual aspect in the first season of theStar Trekoriginal serial , in 1967 . He would go on to remain one of the coolest , most charismatic and life-threatening foeman Kirk ever encounter . The final act of the episode see Kirk giving Khan and his hoi polloi a press fortune , by exiling them onto the planet Ceti Alpha Five .

This set the stage for his return inThe Wrath Of Khan , which expose that Ceti Alpha Five had been deform into an inhospitable wasteland following the destruction of its nearby babe satellite . It was the thoroughgoing justification for retribution against Kirk , whose determination regarding Khan ’s lot would emphatically come back to ghost him .

The Voyage Home Had The Perfect Message

BothStar Trek IIandStar Trek IIIhad assume the series in a dark focus . The event of the former led to the death of Spock and several crew members , not to mention the miss crew of the Reliant , and the slaughter of Regula 1 ’s scientific squad . Star Trek III : The Search For Spockwould obtain a bleak tonus throughout its integral running time , with only the death offering a inkling of hope .

The Voyage Homeneeded to lighten thing up a bit , and it did so by featuring a film with no fighting sequences , ship - to - ship battles or nefarious villains to vanquish . Instead , it was a lightheaded - hearted romp through metre , all for the sake of a noble cause - saving two Humpback Whales from death , who would afterwards go on to save the major planet Earth from annihilation by a mysterious alien probe .

The Wrath Of Khan Was A Combat Film

Khan ’s campaign of vengeance against Kirk and the Enterprise crew was the perfect accelerator for a deal of splendid action scenes . The initial exchange of weapons fire quickly handicapped both ship , allow director Nicholas Meyer to masterfully construct a serial of cagy and inventive battle sequences , admit a African tea and shiner game in the Mutara Nebula .

The picture took all the beneficial elements of submarine sandwich heroic poem , and changed the setting to verboten blank space . This resulted in white knuckle tension for hearing who enjoyed look on these two strategic mind outflank each other .

The Voyage Home Was A Comedy

Star Trekhad always incorporate comedic elements into its material , butThe Voyage Homewas the first time the franchise had embrace full - on comedy . It proved to be a monolithic yield , turning the movie into perhaps the most charmingTrekfilm ever made .

Whether it ’s watch Spock ’s disarray regarding precise alteration for the bus , or Kirk verbalize about " L.D.S. , " the laughs are plentiful and non - stop . TheEnterprisecrew are the ultimate Fish out of water as they clamber to figure out the hustle and hustle of 1980 ’s San Francisco , much to our use .

It was important forStar Trek IIto show some variety of consequence forKirk ’s determination to expatriate Khanto Ceti Alpha Five , and the death of Spock seems fitting . In fact , the transition between the original episode"Space Seed"andWrath Of Khanis so good , that one bugger off chills watch out the former .

The dying of Spock was opine to be permanent , but actor Leonard Nimoy was n’t quick to give the theatrical role up , taking up directorial duties for the next cinema which brought the fiber back . Nevertheless , Star Trekfans were in tumultuousness over the initial determination , which is just what the dealership call for .

WhileStar Trek III : The Search For Spockfocused on Kirk and the Enterprise crowd openly violating Starfleet to save the liveliness of a resurrected Spock , The Voyage Homewas forced to deal with the aftermath . Spock was basically force to re - learn everything all over again , and the issue was a much different Vulcan than the one audience remember .

This Spock was almost child - like , but no less an intellectual . It was his theory regarding Humpback Whales that set the storey in movement . Getting to watch him attempt to line up to life on Earth in the 1980s was but the icing on the bar .

The Wrath Of Khan Had A Bittersweet Ending

The ending ofStar Trek IIwasn’t completely bleak , but it was a crushing shock to fans who were forced to accept the possibleness that their belovedSpockhad finally been killed off . The motion picture did offer a common sense of optimism in the last scene , when Kirk and the crew marvel at the creation of the Genesis satellite , and Kirk ’s reconciliation with his son .

Both of these elements would be destroyed in the next film , but that ’s neither here nor there . The Wrath Of Khanwasn’t nihilistic , but it did show real - time event for the battle which just took billet .

The Voyage Home Had An Upbeat Ending

After two very sinister films featuring a number of mellow visibility death , and the demolition of the freshly formed Genesis planet , audiences were effectively soaked in downbeat vibe . Leonard Nimoy must have realized this when he decided to directThe Voyage Home , quickly switch the focal point to a blithesome story .

It would also prove to yield off in the end . Not only would the Humpback Whales survive and return with Kirk and gang to the future , but they would also repopulate the species , and economise Earth from certain doom . The dropping of charges against Kirk and his crew for their actions inStar Trek III , plus the demotion of Kirk to the social status of Captain ( something he wanted ) , were reasons for fan to celebrate . The crisis had been averted . Star Trekwas back !

The Wrath Of Khan Had Fantastic Action Sequences

Nicholas Meyer pull out all the stops when it come to generate some of the bestship - to - shipbattles inStar Trekhistory . next pic would race up this kind of fighting , which somehow detracted off from their impact . Nay , Wrath Of Khanwasn’t conk out to take the comfortable manner out !

The clever use of tense , exciting armed services - themed euphony , battle maneuver and Starfleet procedures would prove to be a perfect mix . This film was n’t about crew members pushing clitoris . It was about out - think one ’s adversary using strategy and intuition !

The Voyage Home Had A Fantastic Premise

Star Trek IVcould have taken the easy way out by continue the chronology of events in the same time period , but it did n’t . The total focus shifted to sentence change of location back to 1980 ’s San Francisco , to relieve two Humpback Whales so they could utter to an foreign investigation that was waste Earth in the future . It was , in a parole , brilliant .

Not only did it get to set up one of the most atrociously funnyTrekfilms of all metre , but it also allowed the film to make a social assertion to we , the hearing living in modern time , all without being offensive . ClassicTrekwas able to do this in a way that advanced - dayTrekhas completely give way , and it ’s a ignominy this proficiency has been lost over the years .

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Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Featured

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Villain

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Message

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Action

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Comedy

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Spock Death

Spock Takes Exams On Vulcan Star Trek IV.

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Bittersweet

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Upbeat

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Combat

Star Trek II vs. Star Trek IV - Premise