“Khan!!!”
“Star Trek” gets a spit polish Friday with J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the exhausted franchise. It remains to be seen if the new flick will have its own “Khan” moment, a snippet which works its way into pop culture lore.
If not, let’s at least savor the following five “Star Trek” movie moments we won’t soon forget.
- “The needs of the many …” Spock saves the Enterprise at the cost of his own life at the end of “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” It’s a poignant moment, beautifully rendered, and a moment which encapsulated much of what the franchise is all about.
- LDS - Who knew Spock was the perfect straight man? A bewildered scientist (Catherine Hicks) hears that poor Spock took too much LDS during the ’60s in one of the better comic scenes from “Star Trek IV: The Yoyage Home.”
- “You Klingon bastard …” In “The Search for Spock,” Kirk loses his son at the hands of a twisted Klingon. The fiery captain breaks down … and we feel the heartache.
- Boombox Neck Pinch: “Star Trek: The Yoyage Home” remains the most accessible – and funniest “Trek” adventure. The highlight? Spock puts a pinch on a punk rocker whose boombox is on a mite too loud.
- Closing credits: What a relief … the credits finally roll after the interminable bore that was the first “Star Trek” feature.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Star Trek VI: Kirk escaped the ice planet. Why? Because in the Star Trek universe, no one changes clothes, and no one takes off the tracer Spock put on Kirk’s back.
Star Trek VI: Klingon quotes Shakespeare, and gets a quick retort from Kirk on Hitler.
Star Trek V (don’t shoot me): “Don’t you know a bloody jail break when you see one?”
Star Trek II: Khan faces Kirk for the first time on the big screen (I don’t know what the hell Star Trek people call it).
Star Trek IV: When Catherine Hicks is launched out a torpedo tube after two hours of whining on camera.
Star Trek IV: Everytime the word “colorful metaphor” is mentioned.
Just an aside, I never watched the movies until Sept. 11. I had viewed some old marathons of the original series with my Dad, but was never a Trekkie and never watched the movies until the attacks. With terror coverage drowning everything out, TNN (now Spike TV) was running the Star Trek movies almost non stop and it allowed me a few hours of escape (a fun time to be working in an air freight warehouse, let me tell you). For that, I salute you Gene Rodenberry.
My favorite Star Trek moment is when Khan quotes Moby Dick as he starts the Genesis device.
I know it’s not exactly a snippet of cinematic genius, but the scene in II where Khan puts the bug in Chekov’s ear STILL gives me the (wet) willies.
I second Christian’s nominations for Spock’s death in Wrath of Khan and the dinner scene in The Undiscovered Country.
I would also add:
-The scene in First Contact where Alfre Woodard confronts Captain Picard about going all Ahab against the Borg. Brilliant work by both actors, and anyone who saw the TNG episodes where Picard was kidnapped and “assimilated” by the Borg can undertand his uncharacteristic rage in this scene.
-The scene in IV where Kirk and McCoy sneak Chekov out of the 20th century hospital. A perfect combination of funny and exciting.
-The battle between Kirk and Kruge at the end of III. The planet may be blowing up around them, but by God they’re going to settle their dispute here and now. And boy, do they.
“Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” the escape from Genesis- Kirk reveals how he beat the Kobayashi Maru to the horror of the spiritually pompous young’uns, “You never faced death!”
Kirk responds in the greatest manly retort of the last 40 years, “I don’t like to lose.”