Soundtrack Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Posted by Jon Blough

April 26, 2009

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This is a review of the motion picture score Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by James Horner.

“Horner’s infectious energy and development proves too irresistible. Even if you find this score paling a bit in comparison to Goldsmith’s innovative masterpiece, there’s no real weak point”

We’re always on the lookout for the next breakout composer. That doesn’t mean we don’t respect greats of today, but we love hearing new ways to expand on our beloved genre of music. So I can somewhat understand how nuts score lovers went when James Horner was introduced to the mainstream with his score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Granted, after Goldsmith’s classic I’m sure there must have been an uproar he wasn’t brought back, but I can’t believe any of these complaints held up after everyone heard this masterful album (heck, TMP ranks amongst my five favorite scores, yet I still love this one too)

Thematic Surprises

Right off the bat we get two welcome thematic surprises. The first would be the use of Alexander Courage’s original fanfare for the series, absent from the first film but inspired as a bookend theme here, whether its noble trumpet opening or rousing finale amidst some of the more tolerable high trumpet notes you’ll ever hear. The second surprise is that Horner’s new main theme is almost as fine as Goldsmith’ for the first film, replacing the jubilant heroism with a grand seafaring sensibility. Vibrant strings and uplifting, powerful brass carry the majority of the theme’s performances, and it’s a testament both to Horner’s thematic development and the vigorous performance of the orchestra (something that would not be duplicated in Horner’s sequel score) that each take is still a marvel to hear even though the theme is dominant in almost every cue. Just as Goldmsith had “The Enterprise” and “Leaving Drydock”, Horner has “Enterprise Clears Moorings”, which mirrors the majestic buildup found in those two cues but unleashes its own rampant brass celebration at 1:37 before flying into as grand a statement as the series has ever heard.

In contrast, we have the hammering, barbaric music of Khan, defined by the “four note motif of doom” that would become a staple in Horner scores. Still, there’s no more energetic use of it than here, as it’s embedded against slightly dissonant strings, the welcome blaster beam anchoring us down, and a flurry of brass hits. The 8-beat cadence to the material in “Surprise Attack” and “Battle in the Mutara Nebula” is great in allowing the orchestral to build for 7 beats and then slamming home a brass note or percussive volley to close before unloading the whole fury all over ago. Truly commendable is how Horner balances this fierce menace against lighter, melodic statements of the main theme; you really feel as if a grand space duel is at hand. Also present is a repeating secondary motif mostly on piano, though its grand unleashing in “Genesis Countdown” keeps up the fantastic thrills.

Superb Material

Outside of the dominant thematic identities, the rest of the material is still superb there’s still plenty of fine material. The new theme for “Spock” may lose the intellectual groundings of Goldsmith’s take on the character, but Horner’s noble replacement is still fine, with an enticing glistening sound in “Spock” and a memorably soaring finish in the last two cues. “Kirk’s Explosive Reply” is notable for maintaining the heroism of the main theme amidst a bass line calling out for impending doom, plus that mammoth explosion of an ending that is deserving of its title. Only “Khan’s Pets” would take away the score’s thrilling energy, though I’m not one to complain if the score doesn’t take a breather. Still, it’s a fine, dissonant suspense cue and in its second half gains a little more string presence and (surprisingly for a suspense cue) a harp. A thrilling rising horn fanfare gives extra excitement to “Genesis Countdown.” And the final cue is one of the few times I’ll ever excuse dialogue in a soundtrack since Spock’s voice gives the airing of Courage’s fanfare a more epic and reflective feel. You need every cue to excel for an album this short to be a classic, and Horner’s vibrant effort delivers in spades.

Conclusion

What is truly remarkable about this score is that it succeeds with little familiarity to its predecessor. Gone are the blaster beam explosions (those would’ve been inappropriate though, and the device still serves as a bass enhancer), the classic fanfare, and the romantic and suspense styles that made so much of the TMP fascinating. Yet Horner’s infectious energy and development proves too irresistible, and the ballsy action is certainly a step up. Even if you find this score paling a bit in comparison to Goldsmith’s innovative masterpiece, there’s no real weak point you can pick at for purposes of degrading this fine alternate approach. In an age where some film music fans decry newer approaches on entrenched sagas (the Dark Knight debate rises again!), Horner’s score proves you can still teach an old franchise new, engaging tricks.

Original Album (44:54)
1. Main Title (3:03)
2. Surprise Attack (5:08)
3. Spock (1:13)
4. Kirk’s Explosive Reply (4:02)
5. Khan’s Pets (4:19)
6. Enterprise Clears Moorings (3:36)
7. Battle in the Mutara Nebula (8:05)
8. Genesis Countdown (6:36)
9. Epilogue/End Title (8:43)

Listen to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan by James Horner below: