▁Star ▁Tre k ▁as ▁we ▁know ▁it "; ▁it ▁is ▁now ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁films ▁in ▁the ▁series . ▁Paul ine ▁K ael ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York er ▁called ▁the ▁film ▁" w onder ful ▁d umb ▁fun ." ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁three - and - a - half ▁stars ▁out ▁of ▁four , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁flat - out ▁winner , ▁full ▁of ▁appe aling ▁characters ▁in ▁eng aging ▁relationships ▁in ▁a ▁fut ur istic ▁film ▁that ▁has ▁a ▁delight fully ▁old - f ashion ed ▁sense ▁of ▁maj esty ▁about ▁its ▁characters ▁and ▁the ▁pred ic aments ▁they ▁get ▁into ." ▁ ▁The ▁film ' s ▁p acing ▁was ▁pra ised ▁by ▁review ers ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁and ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁as ▁being ▁much ▁sw if ter ▁than ▁its ▁prede cess or ▁and ▁closer ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁television ▁series . ▁Jan et ▁Mas lin ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁cred ited ▁the ▁film ▁with ▁a ▁stronger ▁story ▁than ▁The ▁Mot ion ▁Picture ▁and ▁stated ▁the ▁sequ el ▁was ▁everything ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁should ▁have ▁been . ▁Vari ety ▁agreed ▁that ▁The ▁W r ath ▁of ▁Khan ▁was ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁original ▁spirit ▁of ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁than ▁its ▁prede cess or . ▁Str ong ▁character ▁interaction ▁was ▁c ited ▁as ▁a ▁strong ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁as ▁was ▁Mont al b án ' s ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Khan . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Play boy ▁ranked