Khan Will Live On Forever in Film
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Now when most folks think of Ricardo Montalban, they will think of Fantasy Island if they’re old enough. More recent movie viewers might remember him from the Naked Gun or Spy Kids films.
But fans of sci-fi will instantly think of the following exchange:
Capt. Kirk: Khan, you’ve got Genesis, but you don’t have me. You were going to kill me, Khan. You’re going to have to come down here. You’re going to have to come down here!
Khan: I’ve done far worse than kill you, Admiral. I’ve hurt you. And I wish to go on hurting you. I shall leave you as you left me, as you left her; marooned for all eternity in the center of a dead planet.. buried alive! Buried alive!
Kirk: KHAAAN! KHAAAN!
It was a far cry from Fantasy Island. Even among those who aren’t fans of Star Trek, The Wrath of Khan is considered to be one of the greatest films in the genre’s history.
You’ve got Capt. Kirk at his Kirkiest, Spock’s heroic sacrifice and at the center of all, one of the most improbable returns ever. The second Star Trek movie is about cheating death, something Trek fans know a lot about. It was a well-loved but low-rated show that didn’t even get to finish its “five-year mission” on TV. But its fans kept the faith and Hollywood gave us more Trek.
When they looked for a villain that could truly be Kirk’s equal, it was Khan from the episode Space Seed that stood above all the rest. A brilliant tactician, a charismatic leader and of course, a way with the ladies. Kirk and Khan knocked it out of the park and every Trek film, every Trek villain since then has been measured by Khan. None have measured up.
In addition to being an excellent film, Wrath of Khan shows how the makers of sci-fi often get it right when others get it wrong. You see Montalban command the screen and wonder why the industry didn’t use him more often and more creatively.
But Khan Noonien Singh is always with us, reminding us that how we face death is as important as how we face life. As the Star Trek movie franchise prepares to reboot itself, a whole new generation of villains will have a lot to live up to.
You make it sound like he… ACK! wikipedia confirms! BWAAAAAAH!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Montalban
November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009
You might want to include that at the top of the article.. Don’t for get many of us only have contact with the outside world through SFUniverse.com!