Editing Spock (section)

===Reaction to Spock's death===
''The Wrath of Khan'' had its first public screening at a science-fiction convention in Overland Park, Kansas on May 8, 1982, almost a month before general release. Although Paramount executives were concerned that Spock's death would set fans against the movie, the audience actually applauded after Spock's death scene. "It was sensational. I hate to be given to superlatives but it absolutely reached everything we wanted it to. I couldn't ask for anything better," said co-producer Robert Sallin of the advance audience's reaction.<ref>{{cite news|title='Star Trek' fans accept Spock death|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E4c1AAAAIBAJ&pg=6823,4616472&dq=spock+death+star+trek+wrath&hl=en|access-date=April 4, 2011|newspaper=The Montreal Gazette|date=May 10, 1982|agency=UPI|archive-date=April 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416023230/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=E4c1AAAAIBAJ&pg=6823,4616472&dq=spock+death+star+trek+wrath&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref>

Critical reaction to Spock's death was mixed. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] lauded Spock's death: "He makes a choice in ''Star Trek II'' that would be made only by a hero, a fool, or a Vulcan. And when he makes his decision, the movie rises to one of its best scenes, because the ''Star Trek'' stories have always been best when they centered on their characters."<ref name="ebert-rev">{{cite news|author=Ebert, Roger|date=January 1, 1982|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19820101/REVIEWS/201010345/1023|title=Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan|work=Chicago Sun-Times|access-date=September 13, 2008|archive-date=September 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916105635/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19820101%2FREVIEWS%2F201010345%2F1023|url-status=dead}}</ref> Conversely, ''The Washington Post''{{'}}s Gary Arnold states that Spock's death "feels like an unnecessary twist, and the filmmakers are obviously well-prepared to fudge in case the public demands another sequel."<ref name="wash-review">{{cite news|author=Arnold, Gary|date=June 4, 1982|title=Cashing in on the Spock market; 'Star Trek II' shows little enterprise|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=D1}}</ref>

Twenty-five years later, Spock's death in ''The Wrath of Khan'' ranks number 2 on [[Total Film]]'s list of 25 greatest ''Star Trek'' movie moments,<ref>{{cite web|last=White|first=James|title=The 25 Greatest Star Trek Movie Moments|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-25-greatest-star-trek-movie-moments/|access-date=July 29, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904054831/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-25-greatest-star-trek-movie-moments/|archive-date=September 4, 2015}}</ref> and number 1 on [[IGN|IGN Movie's]] top 10 ''Star Trek'' movie moments.<ref>{{cite web|last=Collura|first=Scott|title=Top 10 Star Trek Movie Moments|url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/979/979384p4.html|website=IGN|access-date=April 3, 2011|archive-date=May 7, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507235048/http://movies.ign.com/articles/979/979384p4.html|url-status=live}}</ref>