Star Trek: Nemesis Movie
| Resolution | Size | Download | ||
|
1920x816 | 8134.29 MiB | 1080p | |
|
1280x544 | 4475.4 MiB | 720p | |
|
720x292 | 1276.26 MiB | hidivx | |
|
592x240 | 580.31 MiB | divx | |
|
320x132 | 251.94 MiB | hpc | |
Storyline
TAGLINES
A Generation's Final Journey... Begins
This December, a generation's final journey begins.
For Every Good in the Universe, There is an Evil
A Generation's Final Journey Begins
On December 13th, the battle for Earth begins.
On their way to Riker's and Troi's honeymoon, the Enterprise is sent near the neutral zone to Romulan space, and picks up a prototypic twin of android Data. Immediately they are further sent to Romulus, where a new praetor, Shinzon, a human cloned from Captain Picard who lives on the slave planet Remus, appears to want peace with the Federation. But then the crew detects a break-in on their computer systems, and Picard is captured by the Remans because Shinzon needs him as his only matching supplier of genetic material. Picard and the Enterprise can escape, only to find themselves battling Shinzon's completely cloaked Warbird, who is after the complete destruction of earth.
| Patrick Stewart | Captain Jean-Luc Picard |
| Jonathan Frakes | Commander/Captain William T. Riker |
| Brent Spiner | Lt. Commander Data/B-4 |
| LeVar Burton | Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge |
| Michael Dorn | Lt. Commander Worf |
| Marina Sirtis | Counselor Deanna Troi-Riker |
| Gates McFadden | Dr. Beverly Crusher |
| Linda Hardy | Praetor Shinzon |
| Ron Perlman | The Reman Viceroy |
| Shannon Cochran | Senator Tal'aura |
| Dina Meyer | Commander Donatra |
| Jude Ciccolella | Commander Suran |
| Alan Dale | Praetor Hiren |
| John Berg | Senator |
| Michael Owen | Helm Officer Branson |
| Stuart Baird |
6.40 out of 10 (17358 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Looking Forward to DVD
posted on 22 Aug 2009Never underestimate the power of low expectations. About 2/3 of the way through the movie, I turned to my friend and asked, "I wonder when this movie is going to start to suck?" I asked that question because most of the reviews I had read stated that it was a weak effort. It was right about then that the film's big battle started, and it was a good one -- far better than the joke of a battle that took place in "Insurrection." "Insurrection" was flawed because it conveyed the feeling that nothing was ever at risk -- it felt more like a TV movie than a theatrical release. I never got that feeling from this latest film. "Nemesis" definitely had a big movie feel to it, with great effects, some surprises, and good acting, especially from Patrick Stewart. My main criticism of the story is that it felt rushed to me. Maybe that feeling was pre-ordained because I had heard they'd cut over 45 minutes from it in order to bring it in under two hours. I'd really be enjoying a particular sequence, and then it would be over. I know you should always "leave them wanting more," but maybe the DVD will expand some of the scenes.Although films like "Wrath of Kahn" and "First Contact" were better (the pacing in both those movies were perfect, in my opinion), I would say that Nemesis maintained the even-odd/good-bad history of Trek films. I know I'm probably in the minority on this, but there it is.
Fabulous
posted on 22 Aug 2009Finally!!!After years of general mediocrity in their movie efforts, they FINALLY realized the correct formula for making the PERFECT film! At long last, they kept to what we love about the show; the characters acting like, and interacting like, they do on the series. They then wrapped that accomplishment around a GREAT new and unique story line that was not about special effects, but, rather, about our heroes and their adversaries. FABULOUS!!I left the theater so energized, so satisfied, so thrilled, it is hard to describe. I started to call all of my Trekker buddies who had not yet seen it; I totally forgot that it was 1 AM, and that many of them would be having the audacity to actually be sleeping. Oh well, not after I called them!! I told them to get out of bed and go see the 3 AM show, or the first one in the morning; see it ASAP !!!!!!I couldn't wait to go see the ratings here in the IMDb. I was wondering if any of the hacker types would have figured out how to give it a 12 when the max rating was a 10. I rushed to read what I expected would be unanimity of opinion in the reviews.To my astonishment, the early ratings were only "reasonable", and there were/are reviews finding flaws with various aspects of everything from the plot to the characters to the storyline. Well, I guess the old adage about not pleasing "all of the people all of the time" is correct.But, if you have a pulse, if you LOVE Trek, if you love the characters, if you crave entertainment, if you love the entire Star Trek experience, then rearrange whatever plans you have for today, get your tickets online, and get to the theater!!! I've been a Trekker since the first series debuted (am I dating myself?)(more than 35 years), and this movie has reinvigorated me like little else in the past two decades! IT IS FABULOUS !!!!!! IT IS A MAGNIFICENT TREK EXPERIENCE!!!! IT IS EVERYTHING ANY TREK (OR NON TREK) MOVIEGOER COULD EVER ASK FOR!!!!Drop anything and everything on your schedule, and GO SEE IT TODAY!!!
Oh Dear
posted on 22 Aug 2009spoilersFirstly I am a fan. Secondly to all those who gushed "10 out of 10 - it's wonderful" what are you on? is star trek all you watch?the worst thing about this film was troi and the lines assigned to her:"it was... it was a violation."and spoiling the potentially poignant moment at the end:"it's data"the script kinda phased between almost witty (Shinzon: are you still alive? Picard:tapping at keypad oh yes i'm still here) and awful.the idea would have been interesting if it'd been explored so much more - cloning is a contemporary topic. also there were loads of continuity errors. glaringly i don't see how the enterprise lasted so long against the scimatar when two perfectly good and nippy romulan warbirds got caned in about two minutes.on the plus side there were some good moments and the CGI was very good - i don't know how people can fault that. the collision was particularly spectacular.it seems like the story was dumbed down from a possibly thought - provoking theme to "lets have a protracted space battle."wanted to like it. tried to like it. but sadly left insatiated. and HATE Troi for spoiling the emotional ending. there was no need to tell Riker. he would have worked it out ("duh... who's not here?"5/10 sorry
A Major Disappointment
posted on 20 Aug 2009I really wanted to like this film. I really did. That's why it hurts so much to have to write this. But I must warn others. Do not see this film. I remember the excitement I felt when I discovered this film was going to be released. Alas.There are possible spoilers below, so beware.The film starts pleasantly enough, with Riker's wedding to Troi after showing trouble in the midst of the Romulan government. Wesley Crusher is finally given his due screen appearance. He is as gorgeous as always. I know that they cut out an entire 45 minute segment featuring him, which I was unhappy to hear.Next, the Trek crew finds scans indicating posotronic activity on a planet, so they go to investigate, finding parts to an android almost identical to Data. They land on a desert planet and Picard acts completely unlike his character. The reserved French captain is now a high testosterone mini-dimensional fun lovin' bad cop kind of guy roving through the desert in a Jeep/Hummer-esque vehichle. I can't quite grasp how Data could locate this new android if only the brain is posotronic, which has been hammered into our heads since the series began. But forget all the rules made so far. To quote the Fantasticks, this movies "defies logic and achieves ignorance!" In the desert the crew meets nasty creatures that look like copies of Max Shreck's 1922 Nosferatu. Of course the vehichles are equipped with laser cannons and such and much F/X money was spent making loud booms.After this lame adventure, the new android is but together. It is Data's mentally disabled brother. Blah blah blah. We already did this. It would have been much more interesting to do exploration with the Lor character. Hmm.. imagine doing battle with Lor. At least THAT would be a match for the Trek crew. Anyway, the new android is called B4. How tacky. A very uninteresting subplot altogether.The "story" continues, if you can call it that. We learn the Romulan senate has a new praetor, Shinzon. Jean Luc gets an awesome cameo from a woman who could have been the wife of my state's governor, but the evil republicans made sure that didn't happen. *grumble grumble*Anyway, the Enterprise-E visits Romulus, and of course war breaks out, blah blah blah.**end of obvious spoilers you already figured out from the preview**The villain, Shinzon is underdeveloped. The story is too. It felt like echoes of Wrath of Khan were bubbling here. This is the first Star Trek I've seen that was simply a lame battle scenario. Half of the movie was spent at war. It felt felt Star Wars Episode II-esque to me. Star Trek has been great because each episode/movie dealt with a moral dilemma choice, well built characters and intriguing situations. This movie has none of that. It's just a big battle. If you like explosions and loud sound effects, this movie is for you. If not, beware. Characters are altered for no reason whatsoever. There is no emotion buildup, just constant fighting, so the climax is boring and uninteresting. It feels like this is the end of Trek, which truly saddens me. It feels like Star Trek is trying to reinvent itself. It was fine before, people! That's why there is still a fan base! Even the music felt similar to the hokey music from the first season of TNG - even with those crappy 80s synth sounds. I cannot say enough: avoid this movie.5 / 10
Star Trek: Now My Nemesis (Full of Spoilers)
posted on 16 Aug 2009*** FULL OF SPOILERS *** *** YOU ARE WARNED ***How to start? I don't want to be excessively spiteful, but my honest evaluation is: Here's the story: The Enterprise finds StupiData on a desert backwater world, (Why.. nobody could have placed him there for nefarious reasons. Just turn him on and let him roam freely!) Remans (Who are supposed to look like maybe.. disfigured Romulans), look like Mutated Fish, somehow assassinate the entire senate of the most paranoid race in the Star Trek Universe. The FishMen appoint as their head Fishman a Clone of Capt. Picard, the once regal, now reduced to Marrying People for money, and Dunebuggy racing captain of the Enterprise. They claim they want peace, but oh that's a -clever- ruse! Fast Forward through lots of "Hey, You're Me! I'm You!!" mental midgetry. Troi gets mind-raped by The Head Fishman and his Fishman adopted daddy. Captain Picard is captured (Maybe Security should stop watching camera footage of crewmen in the sonic showers) so all his DNA can be drained and placed in the Head Fishman-Clone! Picard and his cronies somehow manage to escape, and stop the crazy Head Fishman-Clone just in the nick of time (amidst yet ANOTHER countdown)... Data gets blown to bits amongst the self destruction of this huge new Fishman Spaceship, which begs the question.. Why not push the stop button, the self destruct button, then leave?The movie is at best Nonsensical. I would have preferred a movie about a day in the life of the Enterprise in which nothing happened at all. Perhaps Riker reading a good book, Picard Eating Fried Chicken for Dinner. Geordi gratifying himself in a dark corner of Engineering.To enjoy this movie is to see the subtle plotlines in Teletubbies.
A Generation's Final Journey... Period
posted on 16 Aug 2009It should not begin. It should be the final journey.It is a perfectly acceptable ending to the TNG saga. Some people may agree. Some people may not. In any case, it's an excellent movie. Star Trek Nemesis can easily rival Wrath of Kahn as the best damn Trek movie ever. You got a good story, superb special effects, an intense final battle, and no birds or joysticks involved (anyone who seen Star Trek Insurrection should know what I mean.) If it's the last movie, or it's the last movie with the TNG cast, it's the best way to go out.End it now while it's still great...
Lor? What about Lor?
posted on 10 Aug 2009Come on now, how can they see yet ANOTHER Data and not think of Lor? All they had to do was mention his name and they could be forgiven. Instead they take the position of: "Look, it's another Data! Let's turn him on and see what happens." Note that they don't concern themselves at all with who's shooting at them or why, or where B-4 originated or why B-4 wasn't called to his creator when Data and Lor were. FEH!Non trekkies can be forgiven for not knowing this stuff from previous TNG episodes, but for ...Berman (and Spiner)HAD to know this was going to p**s me off. It makes me want to cry...
Not a life-or-death issue
posted on 08 Aug 2009With all the hardcore hissy fits over this above-average film, it's painfully obvious that Trekkies have too much invested in a very small part of life.In the theatre during the Nemesis screening, there were scores of Geeks all unnaturally braying and hooting too hard and too long at the tiniest of in-jokes in order to bare their credentials (why?). You'd think the crack about Guinan's husbands was a lost collaboration by Mel Brooks and Billy Connolly ("She's really old! I know this louder than that guy! Fantastic!").It's obvious the same punters couldn't wait to get online for as early and as vicious a supercilious swipe as they could manage. This is why Nemesis fails at the box office while ponderous drek like The Matrix Reloaded thrives. The same punters who knife modern Trek for putting entertainment before imbicilic sociology lectures are breaking a sweat congratulating themselves on their comprehension of Adolescent Philosophy 101 (the "message"-mongers apparently don't realise that no adult outside the choir who needs to learn Sesame Street values from a man pretending to be an android is in any way capable of absorbing them from a movie anyway). These expectations from a series that gave the first televised inter-racial kiss, yet has been ever too terrified of its own ridiculous fanbase to even acknowledge homosexuality (oh, wasn't Beverly's self-discovery with the female Trill a joy to watch? It won't even "boldly" go where Buffy or Dawson's Creek have gone before) or ongoing physical impairment (you think Geordie's enhancements "count"? Wrong!). What do we get at the end of this? Cloning? I don't pay money to be patronised.Treks 3, 5 and 9 are infinitely, painfully worse than this movie. If it's the last, then Picard's expression at the end was all the bittersweet closure the series needed. Nemesis is pretty, it's dramatic and it's well-played - not bad, not an all-time great but certainly worth a rental. Pity those who crave offense and couldn't enjoy it for the movie it was, spending two hours and the ticket price dismantling every line for a way to bash it.If you think Trek should be preaching to others on your behalf, hey: you can always become a teacher; and never forget there are people who abhor Trek but can read a real newspaper cover to cover all by themselves. It's true.
IT SUCK!!!!!
posted on 06 Aug 2009I have seen a lot of Star Trek Movies and most if them are really good but this one... OH MY GOD I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!! The acting Sucks, the movie was slow as Hell ,and it put me to sleep. Some part of the movie make no sense at all. The end was really really really bad. IT SUCKS!!!
A Last Hurrah of Great Magnitude of The Next Generation
posted on 04 Aug 2009Although the movie was not perfect in many respects, Star Trek: Nemesis succeeds where one would not think such a movie could. The movie starts out with the marriage of Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Troi (Marina Sirtis), a relationship long overdue. However, much of the start of the film may be lost to people for whom this is their first experience with the Next Generation characters. The film does develop rather quickly with the finding of a new android that looks remarkably like Data. Then the real meat of the story begins with the a message from Admiral Janeway(Kate Mulgrew) informing Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart) that the Romulans, long time enemies of the Federation, have requested a meeting to discuss peace after a coup took place that removed the former Romulan government. Again, a little complicated for those who have not had experience with the Trek series. But, those people probably won't be seeing this movie anyways.(I will not reveal any more of the story from here, still not having revealed nearly as much as the newspaper reviews.) This movie had the most potential of any Star Trek film in years, with the producers already having decided to call this the end of TNG movies. Being the last movie, any character could potentially die off. Sure, they could have before, but we all knew that they wanted to leave the possibility open for more sequels. Having said all that, the movie truly performs well above my expectations for the film. It displayed none of the signs of a series well past its peak, as did Insurrection. It has neither too linear a plot, nor an overly ambitious complicated one. The movie is a last hurrah for the members of TNG, and will almost certainly be remembered as one of the best Star Trek movies ever made. I recommend this movie to anyone who has ever enjoyed anything Star Trek related, because such a person is almost guaranteed to like this film. If you didn't like First Contact, then you almost certainly won't like this film. Although I am saying this is a great film, it's not for everybody; no film is. I do believe that this will be enjoyed by anyone who decides to see this film of their own free will.
Wow people sure are critical
posted on 02 Aug 2009There seems to be some consensus that Nemesis was the best TNG movie made, and I agree wholeheartedly. As for those who keep comparing Star Trek (all the series) to Star Wars, at least we can be reasonably certain that they're not going to go back to the older Trek movies and digitally insert Data into all of them, or perhaps replace everyone's phasers with walkie talkies. Someone's comment mentioned that the dichotomy between Picard and Shinzon was a rip from Star Wars, and I must say that doesn't really seem fair since it was WAY WAY WAY before Star Wars that such archetypes were around; all the way back to Greek/Roman mythology if I recall.** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ** I thought this was a respectable finale for the Star Trek TNG crew. Really, it's about time that Riker gets his own darn ship; can you imagine if someone in the army or air force denied promotions for as long as he did? As for Data's actions at the end of the movie, I felt that while tragic, it was necessary for concluding the TNG franchise without copping out. Certainly they left it open for B4 to "become" another data, but if they did that it really would cheapen the whole thing, don't you think? Especially after Data's whole speech to Picard about being unique and all. The effects were very well done; certainly better than in the series. It'll be interesting to see how it'll translate to smaller screens when it comes out on DVD/VHS. I must ask, however, what the heck is up with Wesley? I can't remember exactly what happened to him by the end of the series, I just know that there was something funny about him being there.This will be the only TNG movie I'll want to own. My final recommendation is that it can be an enjoyable film not only for trek fans, but also for sci-fi fans in general.
Makes Insurrection look good.
posted on 02 Aug 2009(SPOILERS!!)Got a chance to see this and it turned out slightly better than I thought it would be.The movie has alot of action and I must say the best part was seeing the Enterprise slamming into our Reman friends.However, there's so much more negatives in the movie. Paramount (though many star trek fans say otherwise) continue's to help destroy the series. Once upon a time, Star Trek was about exploration. Today, it's all war. Sure First Contact was a breath of fresh air. But 3 movies in a row is beginning to get stale.The fact that this is supposed to be the final Next Gen movie perhaps turned alot of folks away. The original Trek movies did it gradually. So that by the time Generations came by,we didn't mind so much.I've never liked the new bridge. It's too cramped for this particular crew. In Insurrection, there was alot of character development. We got to know the crew alot more. But Nemesis, there is virtually no character development. Our characters come off stale. I could read a star trek book and get more enjoyment out of it.The movie is obviously missing sections. The plot is utterly vague. There is plot holes and half finished ideas. My only thought is to fire rick berman.The entire Data thing is mishandled. They originally made the mistake of killing Kirk off and alienating fans that way, so in a fit of sheer stupidity, they try to alienate even more fans. I will be very surprised if this series makes a come back of any sort. All I can say is that I hope some author creates a book where Data wasn't destroyed after all. (like william shatner did with kirk) I'll gladly pick that book up. Star Trek books are normally fun to read.So as a fairly good Trek fan (I don't consider myself a trekkie. I don't go to conventions) I'd say go watch this. It isn't the end of the world. However make sure you send a rather bad email to rick or paramount requesting a much better storyline.(Kudos to the somewhat radical score. a bit better than Insurrection in that dept.)5/10Quality: 2/10 Entertainment: 9/10 Replayable: 5/10
An excellent addition to the Star Trek saga
posted on 31 Jul 2009Seeing all the previews and reading many reviews for this movie, I was anxious to see it, however a little skeptical about how good it is. After the prior Star Trek movie, Star Trek Insurrection was a total bomb, I hoped this one would be at least decent.The way the movie was beginning, it seemed that there was not going to be such a great story. It opened up like a movie that should have just been condensed to an episode of the show. At the very open we could see two of the crew members (I will not say who) getting married. Gradually over the first 20 minutes, the story progressed to become extremely interesting.Surprisingly enough, the movie became far better than I could have guessed. It was so exciting and so full of action. What was great is that you could not really predict what was going to happen, which was a theme stated in the movie. One of the most incredible scenes was where the Enterprise was so damaged, having no shields left, with minimal power, and a hull breach on the bridge, and Captain Picard orders the enterprise to smash into the enemy vessel. I thought it was a death sentence for the crew on the bridge. During a few minute period of watching this movie, my heart was actually racing, it became so exciting. The way the movie ended was totally unexpected, just keep in mind "A Generation's Final Journey, Begins."There was also a change of heart of the Romulan people, which was nice to see. What was fantastic was to see Cameos of so many passed characters. Captain Janeway, Guinan, Wesley Crusher, it was nice to see them once again. Overall this movie really deserves a 10/10. It is one of the two last good movies of 2002 for the holiday season, and it is a must see.
Well, at least the music isn't bad
posted on 27 Jul 2009It has always been easy to level criticism at Star Trek films, for either being too slow, to action-packed, too Trekkie, not Trekkie enough, or whatever. The fact of the matter is, is that none of them are classics, except for the people who know and love the characters in them: namely, Trekkies.It has been said that Stuart Baird was brought on board to try and open up Trek to a wider audience, but that simply insults the viewers Trek already has. Voyager tried, and failed, and Enterprise is rapidly going the same route.The better Trek films are those that revolve around the character-dynamics, and seeing those people work as a team. In those films, such as Wrath of Khan, The Undiscovered Country, or First Contact, the comradeship of the protagonists is evident.Not so in Nemesis, which is ironic, especially considering the entire film is purportedly about such relationships. None of the characters have been drastically altered, as many might suggest, but there is very little interaction between them, there's no moment where the viewer would think "only Picard/Data/whoever" would get them out of this situation. It's all a bit [for lack of a better word] bleh. There's no adventure, something that has been missing from Trek since First Contact.Shinzon is a powerful character, a wonderful character, but sorely underused. It's almost as if he's never really serious about what he's doing, and as such, never seems to pose much of a threat. This is emphasized through the cliched dramatic countdown timer sequence (used excessively in Trek, but here lacks substance, especially since it is entirely and utterly pointless).Nemesis starts off well, full of hope and joy, and the prospect of Troi and Riker's wedding, and the viewer too, is led into a false sense of hope at the prospect of the film. But Stuart Baird lets us down harshly. He was the wrong director for the job: the script (if you listen to the dialogue, watch the cut scenes, etc) is not an action script, but a character-driven one, with a few action elements.Baird has turned that on its head, and produced an action film, with very little character involvement.As a plus point, it must be noted that Goldsmith has outdone himself - the music (although in parts evidently synthesized rather than orchestrated) is a delight. Buy the CD, and forget the film.
Not the best, not the worst...
posted on 25 Jul 2009While this one has been wildly panned by so many "fans" and critics, it falls within the "enjoyable if you ignore the nit-picky errors" category. One of the glaring errors was the lack of any reference to the character Lore when another Data-like android is discovered.Also, there is a stronger emphasis on dialog rather than action in this episode. That's not to say there's a dearth of action. The Argo scene (among others) is great fun.By-and-large it's a keeper, just not a "watch many times" type keeper.
Not as bad as they say: it's Picard and Data's movie
posted on 17 Jul 2009First off, I had this movie spoiled by several big reviewers who gave away the ending with the most obvious hints ever. And I still thought the movie was great. Basically, this movie is a story about the crew of the Enterprise, but the spotlight is on Picard and Data. They are the ones who face their doubles, and they get most of the screen time. Most importantly though, their characters have roles that really show how much they have matured and developed. If you've watched much of Star Trek: the Next Generation, then you would clearly see this. Even if you didn't, the ship to ship battles were exciting and fun to watch. It's not Wrath of Khan, but it is still gripping, evocative, and satisfying.
So nearly 10/10
posted on 15 Jul 2009Some excellent action scenes, funny, poignant and as alluded to in the publicity, has an element of 'closure' (which is both sad and satisfying).All the cast are on top form, though I didn't find the principal villain entirely satisfactory - more Dr. Tolian Soran than Khan Noonien Singh.There were wormholes in the plot big enough to fit a starbase in, but I can forgive these simply because it is Star Trek.Sounded very punchy indeed, and with some excellent visual effects too.With a better actor as the principal villain, and a couple of the plot holes closed off this would have been a contender for the best film so far. It just feels as though completion was a little rushed.
A Trek to end all Treks
posted on 11 Jul 2009WARNING: SPOILERS.I was not sure what to expect from "Star Trek: Nemesis," especially after reading a number of negative reviews. However, being a longtime fan of the franchise, I am accustomed to seeing "Trek" get crapped on -- sometimes deservedly, as in the cases of "Star Trek V" and "Insurrection" -- so I went into the theater with an open mind.When I came out, two words kept going through my mind: Holy (expletive)!I sincerely hope that this is the end for "Next Generation," because there is no way they can top this movie. "Nemesis" admittedly is not the best Trek film -- that distinction still belongs to "The Wrath of Khan," which this film at times resembles -- but it certainly is on equal footing with "First Contact" or "The Undiscovered Country" as a close second (and frankly, I think it is better than either of those two).What makes the film so good? Well, it has an energy that Trek has lacked for some time. The franchise has had a tendency to fall back on the same writers and filmmakers again and again (note the recurring appearances in the movie credits of names like Nicholas Meyer, Leonard Nimoy, Jonathan Frakes, Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, etc). While many of these folks have done great work in the past, for a long time I have wondered why they don't let someone with a fresh vision take a shot at Trek.Enter director Stuart Baird and writer John Logan -- the two primary reasons "Nemesis" is so good. As "Insurrection" so vividly demonstrated, Trek was getting rather dull and repetitive, and it was time for some new talent behind the scenes. And there was a good balance in the fact that Baird was a complete newcomer to Trek, while Logan is a longtime fan.As I have mentioned, the film seems to (consciously?) resemble "Trek II" -- and I know some people will use this to shoot holes in my argument about fresh ideas. OK, yes Shinzon is one of those archvillains in the Khan mold. Yes, there is a massive space battle set against a nebulous background, in which the Enterprise gets its ass handed to it (making the climax of "Star Trek VI" look tame). And yes, there is a tear-jerker ending.But this is not "Trek II" -- "Nemesis" works on its own terms, and has a great story to tell. It is unfair to simply write it off as a Khan "clone" (pardon the pun). Logan delivered a script that is moving, exciting and serves as a fitting sendoff to 15 years of "Next Generation." With so many SF movies being panned as nothing more than mind-numbing displays of special effects and explosions, I found the scenes involving Picard and Shinzon to be thought-provoking and indicative of a desire to get back to what has always made Trek great -- the times when man is challenged to rise above what he is and become something better, even at tremendous personal cost.And that brings us to Data's death.To the movie's credit, this is not a rehash of the ending of Trek II. But, like Spock's "death," Data's sacrifice made sense in terms of the story. The fact that there were so few words helped, in a way, to give it more of an emotional impact. I especially liked the way Picard is beamed away, not even able to hear Data's last word ... "Goodbye." That makes what follows, and the way the Enterprise crew reacts, all the more powerful.The film's pace works well, slowing down for some of the important exchanges (like the development of Shinzon in his scenes with Picard), but never dragging. One of my gripes is that some characters were really wasted this time. Gates McFadden, LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn were given nothing to do at all. Given that this is likely to be their last voyage, this seems a shame.On the other hand, Tom Hardy is impressive as Shinzon, especially given that this is his first major movie role and he has to try to hold his own against Patrick Stewart. He succeeds admirably, and is one of the best Trek villains. You feel the character's presence even before the scene in which he is introduced, and the way in which Hardy manages to capture Stewart's mannerisms is creepy.The shame of it is that the movie seems to be tanking at the box office. Perhaps this is due to the competition of "Lord of the Rings" and other films. Don't let the negative reviews fool you. This Trek is worth seeing.
To Boldly Go Where Everyone Has Been Before
posted on 09 Jul 2009I love Star Trek on the whole. STNG and DS9 were both great series that captured our imaginations. However with Nemesis I found myself wondering if this was really the best they could come up with as the final hooray for the crew of STNG. This film feels half baked at the best of times, the story is inconsistent and all the shoot out action in the second half could not hide the fact that this is one poor excuse for a story.A Picard clone sent to the slave mines on Remus somehow manages to take over the Romulan senate and sets out to destroy Earth for reasons that never really become clear. Partick Stewart is outstanding as always as Picard but I found myself thinking this film would have been so much grander if they had Steward playing a duel role instead of that other fellow. An evil Picard, played by such a great actor would have been a climax to a great series.Sadly the duel role went to the screen hogging Brent Spiner as Data who manages to ham it up like never before. The rest of the crew are given little to do but stand about and spout the usual jargon. It was sad that this was end to an otherwise great series. They could have done better, they should have done better.
Cheese Improves with Age [{(<spoilers>)}]
posted on 26 Aug 2009I'm not really a Trek fan, like FAN, and I knew nothing about this movie going into it. So maybe there's some intricate trekkie subtext that I missed.This movie was good for a laugh. Many. But few of them intended. The Striker/Troy romance was about as passionate as your average drive-thru cashier. The story of Mini-Picard, if you will, is the same old "white man makes nice in the ghetto" thing. Ruling the poor whatchacallems who can't rule themselves. Puhleeze. And Data, oh, Data, we will miss you. Well, at least we have you, Dumb-Data. <Wah-wah> Seemed to me that the sole, thinly-veiled purpose of this movie was to just go through the motions for the paycheck.But if you enjoy doing your own Mystery Science Theater 3000 thing with bad movies, this one's a real treat. In ten, twenty years, after the cheese has had time to mature, it will be an MST3k gold mine.So stay on the cutting edge of proto-vintage cheese and go see this movie!!