ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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The Spike reviews three very different movies, one of which is from the Star Trek franchise, and the other two are lesser efforts from Great Britain.
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)



"A no-win situation is a possibility every commander may face."

Admiral James T. Kirk is starting to feel his age. With his old ship Enterprise now being used as a Starfleet Academy training ship, his birthday is greeted by the news he's to travel aboard it on a two week cadet improvement course — something that isn't making the Admiral any happier about his middle age blues. But what starts out as routine becomes far more deadlier when an old foe turns up with the power of creation in his grasp.

Released three years after the lukewarm and soulless Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Wrath of Khan reignited the fans' fire and proved that Star Trek had a place on the big screen.

Directed knowingly by Nicholas Meyer, Wrath Of Khan is a sequel to the TV Episode "Space Speed", which first aired back in Febuary 1967, in which tyrannical villain Khan Noonien Singh first made an appearance.

Meyer, perhaps knowing that his take on things could either make-or-break the fledgling movie franchise, got the two main components right.

First, the character dynamic was back. Interplay on the Enterprise, be it camp, comic or serious, is crucial to making Star Trek work, and Meyer, along with Jack B. Sowards, filled the screenplay with magical Trek exchanges.

Secondly was perhaps the most important thing, to bring piratical villainy back into the fold. Khan {a superb Ricardo Montalban reprising the role} is back from his exile, with a newly commandeered ship, a band of followers, and fueled by an uncontrollable need for vengeance against all on the Enterprise — especially Kirk.

Thus this shakes not only the franchise from its stupor, but also Kirk from his, forcing him one might say, to boldly go once more.

Having got Trek substance right, Meyer then added the other ingredients to make it an appealing blockbuster to those outside of fandom.

Funny and tender moments are many, and add heart to proceedings. And of course there's the explosions and light shows to bring entertainment value to those in need of such with their sci-fi intake.

Then there's also the finale — a truly bold move in itself. Something that actually now gains more emotional impact if one has viewed J.J. Abrams excellent 2009 prequel reboot, Star Trek.

Those after clever sci-fi shenanigans are catered for with the plot instrument that is The Genesis Device. Something our charismatic tyrant is all very keen to utilize, of course. While logical Trekkie musings are inserted with care and consideration, none more so than with the brave ending that is as astutely poignant as it is shocking.

The fashion items remain colorfully dubious. But this is a fan favorite for many reasons, and all of them have viable arguments for this being one of the best films of the 11 big screen Star Trek entries thus far. It's nearly two hours long and not a minute is wasted for the discerning observer. 8/10
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The Frozen Dead (1966)



Ice Reich Baby!

This is a British sci-fier which is, at time, both utterly mad . . . . and quite awful.

And yet, for fans of "B" movie schlockers from days of yore, there's enough boldness and charm to warrant a look.

In short order, the plot entails a nutty scientist planning to revive frozen Nazis to kick start a new world order. Dana Andrews is the name actor in the lead role, complete with bad German accent.

Kathleen Breck is the star performer playing a head in a box; a victim of the mad scientists moving throughout the madness.

It's all very silly, and the fact that Andrews and company are taking it seriously further induces the mirth factor.

The effects work is a very mixed bag, but it's always fun, while there are some genuinely great scenes involving the frozen corpses, a wall of moving arms, along with every scene in which Breck's head is involved — none more so with the latter for the truly haunting ending! 2/10
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The Trollenberg Terror (1958) aka The Crawling Eye



This is the film adaptation of a 1956 UK TV serial of the same name, The Trollenberg Terror is a whole bunch of fun and not deserving of the stinker reputation it has in some sci-fi loving circles.

The action is set in Trollenberg, Switzerland, and it concerns alien creatures who have taken residence in a radioactive cloud atop of the Trollenberg mountain. These creatures rip the heads off several mountain climbers who venture into their lofty domain!

As the bodies start to pile up, and various climbers go missing on the mountain, the United Nations sends a boffin to help the local scientists solve the mystery.

The effects work has been the source of some disdain — and in truth it's poor. But it's not the worst from the 1950s pantheon of "B" schlockers. The back projection scenes are crude, but again in keeping with the fun aspects of the genre of this era.

However, Jimmy Sangster's screenplay is tight and produces brainy conversations and strong sequences.

Horror comes by way of headless bodies turning up. On the normal human side, the narrative is given a boost by Janet Munro's (excellent) telepathic darling, something which troubles the visitors greatly and puts her in grave danger.

The psychological aspects of the story mark this out as a genre piece of worth.

Elsewhere, director Quentin Lawrence does a study job with what is available to him, Forest Tucker is the hero in waiting, playing it reserved like, and Warren Mitchell proves to be a good foil for Tucker and the Terror!

It's not a great film, but it is a good one — let down in some tech departments for sure, but strengths elsewhere make up for its flaws. 7/10
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)