Where does Wrath of Khan land?
The Wrath of Khan is still one of the most talked-about and well-reviewed movies in the franchise, but its Tomatometer score is far lower than the 2009 reboot's. Sources that look at its Rotten Tomatoes score say it's in the upper 80s, which is good by any standard, but not good enough to knock Star Trek (2009) off the top of the list of best-reviewed movies.
Many fans are surprised and even angry over this gap, since Wrath of Khan is still often called the best Star Trek movie for its story, characters, and cultural impact. For many Trekkies, the idea that Khan isn’t number one feels like a mismatch between data and lived experience, but Rotten Tomatoes measures critical approval percentages, not long-term cultural consensus. (Continued...)