I was actively annoyed by how bad this was, and I knew it was bad going in! A massive TV episode with not a whit of subtext.
It's just such a thin film. I kept thinking of little obvious ways to improve it. There are ideas there, yet they aren't executed with panache and the script never seems to leave surface level. Disappointing after Wrath of Khan was so dense with themes and subtext.
That said, there are a handful…
It's about impossible to really do a good TV spinoff movie, but Wrath of Khan feels about like the best one could possibly do. It's smart and self-contained, while feeling like an organic outgrowth of the original show's essence. It does rely on intertextual memories from the show but feels standalone. Nailing the characterizations of two of the main three is pretty impressive after all those years, and while Movie Spock is more grim and serious than TV Spock, it's…
Evil Atheist Professor standing in rain.
*thunder*
Dad: "Haha maybe he'll get hit by lightning."
*Car slams into professor*
Dad: "Oh."
Still one of the best, tightest period dramas ever made - certainly the best Austen adaptation. While the series shot Colin Firth to fame and fortune, it's Jennifer Ehle's performance as Elizabeth that really does the heavy lifting.
Elizabeth is in nearly every scene, in situations requiring a wide range of responses, as compared to Firth's two settings: snobby and friendly. Of course, Firth's restraint is part of the magic of his performance. His dignity and disinterest offer a perfect…
