1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
An enigmatic villain. Tense, naval style battles with wounded star-ships slowly circling each other seeking a killing blow. A captain dealing with his (and his friends) mortality and decreasing relevance in the world. The no-win situation. The Wrath of Khan set the template for whats makes a great Star Trek movie with a credible threat (with ties to the protagonists past), Shakespearean quotes and believable action that didn’t require an ageing cast to pretend to be action stars (I’m looking at you Star Trek: First Contact).
Ricardo Montalban returned to portray the charismatic genetic superman Khan Noonien Singh from the original series episode Space Seed, bringing some impressive pecs and a thirst for revenge along for the ride, and the nightmare inducing Ceti eels that will have you afraid of earwigs for the rest of your days.
It’s no wonder that of all the older movies, Khan is the one Abrams plundered from most liberally for his reboots.
The magnificent soundtrack by James Horner flits from menace to majesty, with the music, effects and cast all coming together for the magnificently tense Mutara Nebula sequence.
