Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

In anticipation of the new Star Trek movie I decided to go where many men have gone before... to embark on the final frontier... to watch star trek. Without having the dvds of the original series I started with what I have been told is the best film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan admiral James T. Kirk's nemesis, a genetically reproduced human named Khan, wants revenge for the death of his wife and the imprisonment on a foreign planet. He will stop at nothing to get it and as the Klingons say "revenge is a dish that is best served cold". And he delivers in an adventurous romp through the icy cold of space Khan enacts his revenge by assuming control of two of Kirk's men, imprisoning Kirk and having a photon battle between their respective ships. Though the hero of course wins the battle, it is not without some loss.
As a newbie to the Trek universe, I was unaware of the strength best friends and colleagues Kirk and Spock have but was relieved to discover that their depth of character strengthens the otherwise melodramatic script. Admiral James T. Kirk is the impulsive commander who works on instinct. While this strength is also his vulnerability he is smooth enough to make it seem flawless. His counter part is the Vulcan Spock. Not a human he lacks the emotion that makes Kirk so eruptive. He works on logic and will do anything to keep things cool and is full of wise aphorisms. These characters take us where no man has gone before by asking the question when does it best serve us to be cool and logical and when to be hot and emotional.
In exploring this question the film raises another through the Kobiyashi Maru test. Putting the taker between a rock and a hard place the test forces the taker to ask when is death an acceptable option and to realize how we face death is at least as important as how we face life.