Both Star Trek and Star Wars have the benefit of cinematic sequels that improve upon the legacy of their respective preceding films, expanding their universes and deepening the relationships between their various characters. Both 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1982's Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan are darker films than their predecessors, exploring the nature of consequences as the main characters endure tremendous setbacks in the face of obsessive antagonists. However, while both films are unquestionably excellent films, which of the two is just the better movie overall?
Here is a breakdown of what makes both The Empire Strikes Back and The Wrath of Khan so great, what each of their shortcomings are and which of the two films is the empirical best.
Helmed by Irvin Kershner, The Empire Strikes Back has Darth Vader scour the galaxy for Luke Skywalker, with the Rebel Alliance struggling to stay one step ahead of the full might of the Galactic Empire. While Luke continues his Jedi training on the swamp planet of Dagobah under Jedi Master Yoda, Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa grow closer as they flee from the Imperial fleet.
The Empire Strikes Back hits the ground running with a sweeping land battle as a hearty band of rebels mount a desperate defense to buy their fleeing comrades time to escape to safety. Kershner's cinematography is the best in the original Star Wars trilogy, from a surreal, imagined showdown on Dagobah to an atmospheric climax in the carbonite freezing chamber in the heart of Cloud City. The Empire Strikes Back also balances its narrative across dual narratives, a storytelling approach that would continue for the bulk of the Star Wars franchise.
Some of the areas of improvement for The Empire Strikes Back include its ending -- modern audiences take for granted there was a three-year gap between The Empire Strikes Back and its sequel Return of the Jedi. The Empire Strikes Back comes to a rather abrupt end; watching it without immediately following it up with Return of the Jedi makes the story feel incomplete. Luke's journey is also particularly uneven, with a confusing passage of time in relation to Leia and Han's story while Luke himself comes off as particularly petulant and impatient despite his hero's journey and personal growth in A New Hope.
Helmed by Nicholas Meyer, The Wrath of Khan has Admiral James T. Kirk grapple with middle age and his own mortality before being drawn from his desk job when his old enemy Khan Noonien Singh resurfaces. Stealing a Starfleet vessel and a top-secret weapon capable of destroying an entire planet, Kirk learns what true morality really is as he endures the vengeance of Khan and his genetically enhanced intellect.
Whereas 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a grandiose but unfocused and languid film, The Wrath of Khan is a tightly paced revenge story that shows a more nuanced side of the universe than fans were perhaps accustomed to in 1982. What really makes The Wrath of Khan work is the emotional focus on Kirk, a man undergoing his own existential crisis before relearning his sense of self-worth through his deadly cat-and-mouse game against Khan, albeit at a heavy cost.
The Wrath of Khan's effectiveness really depends on how much its audience is invested in the Star Trek mythos and its characters, as it's less accessible to casual viewers than The Empire Strikes Back. The space battles and some of the special effects are also visibly more dated than the Star Wars trilogy, with The Wrath of Khan's strengths really relegated to its performances and themes rather than a sense of spectacle.
In a way, The Empire Strikes Back and The Wrath of Khan best exemplify the tonal and stylistic divide between Star Wars and Star Trek, respectively. The Empire Strikes Back is space opera of the highest caliber, opening with a sweeping action set-piece and closing out with an uncomfortably intimate duel. The Wrath of Khan is a meditation on revenge and age, with the action more of an obligatory afterthought.
The Empire Strikes Back is definitely the more entertaining and engaging of the two films, though The Wrath of Khan perhaps has a more satisfyingly executed overall story. Both sequels are fantastic films in their own right, but there's a reason why The Empire Strikes Back is the National Film Registry and The Wrath of Khan is not -- The Empire Strikes Back raises the bar for both technical achievement and increasing an existing film universe's scope and stakes. The Wrath of Khan is good, but The Empire Strikes Back just edges it out, especially for more casual audiences.
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