'The Wrath of Khan' reinvigorated the franchise, but at what cost?
When Star Trek: The Original Series debuted in 1966, show creator Gene Roddenberry saw it as a means of delivering hope for the future, setting a goal for mankind to achieve by example. Mankind had learned from its errors, and disease, poverty and hunger were eliminated in favor of an altruistic universe.
What follows is a turn for the franchise, a thrilling action sequence set off by the Reliant's surprise attack. Khan begins raining the Reliant's phasers down on the now-crippled Enterprise and its crew, who turn the tables with a surprise of their own, disabling the Reliant's shields and taking out its photon control and warp power with a few phaser shots.
In allowing for more action sequences in the franchise, Star Trek proved that it could play with the big boys of sci-fi in delivering high-energy spectacle. Moviegoers and casual fans, those uninterested in the deeper aspects of Trek, were drawn in at the promise of seeing exciting visuals. It allowed for more creative uses of the Starfleet ships, over and above simply sailing across the stars.