We are just past the 40th anniversary of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It's been now 42 years since the film came out and captivated audiences everywhere. It brought back an iconic Star Trek villain in Khan Noonien Singh and showcased one of the most impressive hero/villain dynamics in franchise history with Khan and James T. Kirk.
The performances of Ricardo Montalban and William Shatner captivated a generation and so much of the modern Star Trek trend follows the model that Wrath of Khan created. Even after 42 years the fans still flock to the film. In many ways, it's the touchtone of Star Trek's creativity.
This is why it was picked, alongside 24 other films, to be added to the National Film Registry for Preservation. The selections for the class of 2024 range from 1895's "Annabelle Serpentine Dance all the way to 2010's The Social Network. And no, the '1895' wasn't a typo.
Star Trek joins some pretty iconic sci-fi movies as well, that will go in with the famed franchise. The sci-fi classic, Invaders from Mars, and the most shocking option but delightful selection nonetheless; Spy Kids, join Star Trek this year.
Here is a lists of all of the films going in, list via the Library of Congress newsroom website;
- Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
- KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)
- Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
- Pride of the Yankees (1942)
- Invaders from Mars (1953)
- The Miracle Worker (1962)
- The Chelsea Girls (1966)
- Ganja and Hess (1973)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
- Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
- Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)
- Up in Smoke (1978)
- Will (1981)
- Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
- Powwow Highway (1989)
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)
- American Me (1992)
- Mi Familia (1995)
- Compensation (1999)
- Spy Kids (2001)
- No Country for Old Men (2007)
- The Social Network (2010)
The Wrath of Khan makes it the first Star Trek film to be entered. It's an impressive piece of work from the franchise but it may not be the only one to go in. Depending on the criteria, both Star Trek The Motion Picture and Star Trek Generations have a shot due to their impact on the medium and the overall pop culture zeitgeist at the time.
For quality of product, Star Trek's First Contact and the 2009 remake have a strong shot as well. Both films are held in high regard by the fandom, and may even broach the threshold of quality that Wrath of Khan meets, if not surpasses it.