Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

[Pieter Boelen 633]

Every few days I will post a thread on a random score from my collection that we can discuss and rate. I made a playlist on my computer with one track of each score I've got, so by using the random play option, I'll be able to post a truly random score each time. Hopefully this will allow us to discuss some scores that would otherwise never be discussed. Also we can record the rating so that we can create a full list of the ratings given to scores by JWFan.com.

Today's score is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. You can rate both the score by James Horner and the film as per indy4's request.

Are you familiar with it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? How do do you think it works in the film? What are your favourite tracks?

So far JWFan has rated:

See Soundtrack Ratings by JWFan.com.

This web page contains the ratings from all my previous polls as well as those of Blumenkohl's.

Final ratings are converted to a 1-10 rating for both rating systems so that they can be compared.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

5 and 5

[Neimoidian 13]

5 and I'll tell you next Monday when I watch the movie.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

i've always wondered who came up with the idea of putting the entire movie's story on the CD booklet though

[Neimoidian 13]

i've always wondered who came up with the idea of putting the entire movie's story on the CD booklet though

I believe they wanted to remind/tell people who bought the soundtrack what the movie was about and what exactly the tracks were illustrating.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

In that case it should have been broken down into track by track paragraphs. As it is now its the whole friggin story in reasonable detail.

[Neimoidian 13]

I think they have learnt their lesson by now.

[Richard Penna 2,082]

Haven't seen or heard this one.

[Ollie 859]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

[Pieter Boelen 633]

I'll give the score a 4 and the film a 4,5. The film is really quite good, but I don't like the little monster things. Too creepy. As for the score, it's certainly good, but I never was truly impressed by it.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

4.5 for both film and score.

Indeed.

[stewdog1 50]

5 and 5 for me.

However, I would love for this score to be expanded and remastered.

[John Crichton 4]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

Yes...yes.

[Bryant Burnette 451]

Score = 5

Film = 4

It's still one of my favorite scores. And really, it's one of my favorite movies, too.

[John Crichton 4]

Trek II also benifits from having a great "highlights" OST. Everything on there is gold, and the only unreleased cues of note are the last parts of Khan's Pets (approaching spacedock) and Battle in the Mutara Nebula (the fanfare when Reliant is pretty much destroyed). Everything else is pretty general underscore.

[indy4 152]

Alright, 4.5 for score, 3.5 for film. The score is my favorite by JH, and the film was pretty good.

[Henry B 49]

4 for the score... I mean... it's a little boring, that's all.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Buck....have you lost your mind?

[Romão 1,931]

4 stars for the score and movie. The movie is the only Star Trek feature I've enjoyed.

[Morlock 9]

I guess 4 for both.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

Trek II also benifits from having a great "highlights" OST. Everything on there is gold, and the only unreleased cues of note are the last parts of Khan's Pets (approaching spacedock) and Battle in the Mutara Nebula (the fanfare when Reliant is pretty much destroyed). Everything else is pretty general underscore.

The wonderful Amazing Grace rendition is sorely missed on the CD, regardless of whether Horner disliked it or not.

[John Crichton 4]

Oh yes, you're quite right. Shame on me for not remembering that.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

5 for the movie, 4 for the score. Or should that be a four for WOLFEN?

All jokes aside, lovely score. It seems amazing that the original fanfare was only used from the second picture onwards.

[Hitch 55]

10 for the score

10 for the movie

Hard to believe Horner was only 29 when he composed this score.

[Lurker 5]

Score = 4.5

Movie = 5

Neil

[indy4 152]

Hard to believe Horner was only 29 when he composed this score.

Whoa, I didn't know that!

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

It seems amazing that the original fanfare was only used from the second picture onwards.

That Goldsmith fella was an idiot I tell ya...

[Dean1700 4]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

This is to all the "Nay Sayers" out there

See....James Horner CAN write good music!

[Ollie 859]

I think if you pay attention you would see quite a bit of praise for Horner's earlier works.

It's mostly the post Braveheart music that's boring and bland.

[MrScratch 292]

4.5 for both

[Salacius 7]

5 & 4.5

I am not a super Star Trek fan but the film is great

[Erik Woods 384]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

I'll give both score and film a 5 but I agree with the rest of your post!

-Erik-

[Williamsfan301 11]

Ah yes, the score/film that launched James Horner's career!

What's great about this film is that you don't have to be a Star Trek nerd to get it. It's theme's of age, death, revenge, and birth are universal and everyone can understand them. Star Trek films that followed those ideas are the ones that are the most successful - shame Rick Berman never figured that out.

My only regret is that they never had a consistant composer for these films like for Star Wars, be it Goldsmith or Horner. Either one would have been great. They both wrote the most memorable of the Star Trek themes.

[Wesker 0]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

This is to all the "Nay Sayers" out there

See....James Horner CAN write good music!

People who would doubt his ability to do so are either ignorant of his body of work, or simply loathe his style.

What moron (Insert Vizzini yell) thinks this guy hasn't written good music. I would like to hear some of these "Nay Sayers" come forth saying that ST II is the only good thing he's done.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

I've come to doubt his ability to write good music nowadays. But he certainly has written some great stuff. TWOK included, although it's a bit flat on the orchestration (Krull suffers from that more... cool theme, lots of energy, but it never manages to maintain my interest until the end). The best of his earlier scores (those I know at least) is probably Brainstorm - now that's something!

[Bryant Burnette 451]

4.5 for both film and score.

Probably the best Star Trek film and the 2nd best Star Trek score.

This is to all the "Nay Sayers" out there

See....James Horner CAN write good music!

People who would doubt his ability to do so are either ignorant of his body of work, or simply loathe his style.

What moron (Insert Vizzini yell) thinks this guy hasn't written good music. I would like to hear some of these "Nay Sayers" come forth saying that ST II is the only good thing he's done.

ST II is the only good thing he's done.

[Charlie Brigden 5]

I disagree. ALIENS, WOLFEN, STAR TREK III. Sure, certain parts of them are interchangeable, but they're all pretty great. Hell, I even like COMMANDO and BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS. I'm not a fan of his later stuff though.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

Willow, when it's not blatant stealing (i.e. perhaps half of the time), is pretty cool. Sneakers is excellent and my favourite. Brainstorm, as I said above, is simply brilliant. And there are a few more.

[Ollie 859]

Horner was in his prime up to 1989.

With the exception of a few scores after 1989 he became a lazy, boring composer.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Surely you mean 1997?

[Ollie 859]

Nope.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,251]

Well, you are wrong then!

[JoeinAR 1,759]

So Stefan is still a Titanic score fan?

[John Crichton 4]

Star Trek III is also a quality score. Shockingly, a Horner seqel score that's not totally derivative of the original.

[Hitch 55]

Wouldn't it be great if FSM did a box set of all the ST scores...all complete and a deluxe booklet to go with it like the recent Superman blue box set???

[John Crichton 4]

Oh, that thought makes me drool a little. But I can't even afford the Blue Box, much less a potential 10 (and 11 come next year) score set.

[Marian Schedenig 5,520]

Wouldn't be great if FSM did a box set of all the ST scores...all complete and a deluxe booklet to go with it like the recent Superman blue box set???

A 20-disc set for $300+. Yay. And the horrible thing is, I'd probably buy it.

[Ollie 859]

Well since 3 of the 4 NG film's near complete scores have leaked I would rather they do an original series boxed set first. Then move on to a NG boxed set. But it's Paramount so the other versions will have to suffice for awhile I would imagine.

[JoeinAR 1,759]

When you listen to this score, and STTMP, I can't help but wonder the pressure Michael Giacchino is feeling, they were Star Trek re-invented #1 and #2. Now Giacchino has the task of Star Trek re-invented #3.

[John Crichton 4]

II, III, IV, V, and Generations are the ones that don't have a complete or near complete boot floating out there, so that'd be the best place to start.

I can't wait for Giacchino's score. He's shown how good he is at paying tribute to previous work while maintaining his own wonderful voice. A Giacchino-infused Trek score is a very exciting prospect.