A Generations Final Journey
Rating: 4/10
Running Time: 116 minutes
UK Certificate: 12a
I was expecting big things from Nemesis. The director wanted to pull the heart strings of the audience, and Nemesis makes no bones about that. From Picard's first speech, right until the final narrative, this movie attempts to make this a deeper, more emotive film.
And it fails on every level.
The story revolves around a Romulan plot to destroy the Federation (hey at least it's not time travel). While the Romulans have been underused in previous storylines, this one hardly shows them at their best. The Enterprise is summoned to Romulus to meet up with the mysterious Shinzon who claims to be Picard's clone. It's all a ploy to destroy the Federation, of course (although maybe someone should have told the scriptwriters that).
Contrived, unoriginal and quite frankly irritating, Nemesis is more a collection of almost totally unrelated fifteen minute episodes than a complete movie. Filled with plot holes, the dialogue is terrible, the acting even worse. At one point, Picard tells Data to 'Shut up', then comments that 'he's wanted to do that for fifteen years'. Having seen every episode of The Next Generation, this seems wholly inappropriate for the stoic captain that we came to know and love.
Nemesis is said to have been a remake of Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. If Shinzon is to Picard, what Khan was to Kirk then we should all worry. Overacting, pointless dialogue and foolish posturing make Shinzon seem less of a nemesis and more of an absent minded and vindictive moron. Indeed, Shinzon changes his mind halfway through the movie seemingly without reason.
The faithful bridge crew is barely in this movie. Crusher, Geordi and Worf are nothing but the most insignificant bit parts, and I can't help but feel insulted for them. Again, only Data and Picard have any real roles and even the climactic sacrifice at the movie's finale is lost to the director's 'let's play it safe' ending.
Star Trek is about fresh, bright colors, pushing back the boundaries and daring to be different. Nemesis is none of these things, it is a drab, dark and pointless attempt to be something it isn't. It tries to take themes from much darker movies, replacing bright colours with black leather and deep cowled robes. With appalling dialogue and uninspired special effects, I can't think of a more unceremonious ending for the crew of the Next Generation.
It's Got: Nice sets and costumes
It Needs: To actually be good
Summary
Dismal. It appears the even numbered Star Trek Magic failed on this occasion. There are faster and better movies to see at the moment than this ill-created sci-fi flick. If you're expecting a Star Trek action movie with phasers, explosions and starship battles, then you wont be unhappy. If youre looking for something deeper with any kind of substance, then you can look to almost any other film to find it.