Star Trek Generations

Rating:
Summary: It Took A Generation
Review: First off, when you review a Star Trek movie, or for that matter make one, you have to carefully consider your audience, which unfortunately causes enough compromises and plot/astronomical improbababilties to rival "stars in the sky or grains of sand on a beach." Generations has its galaxy full of rerouted couplinks and left their intended audiences bewildered to the point that they couldn't figure out who would like it. In other words we have a very difficult compromise to deal with, making this tough to recommend to both casual fans and Trekkies. Infact after several times viewing it, it's taken 10 years for me to "get it" enough to review it. The plot, and especially subplot concerning Lt. Com. Data's (Brett Spiner's) emotion chip has all too subtle jabs at the trek world; rather suprising given that the writers and director labored over the series for so long (or perhaps that's why both Data and the films villians are given their fair share to demean it throughout). Not suprisingly, few trek fans embraced Spiner's spastic comedic turns as did the non-trek action movie fans. That leaves the casual trek moviegoer imagining that Spiner is a frustrated fan invading the ship to twist things up and poke fun at everything from the psuedo technoillogical interstellar whatchamacallit orders like doing tricorder readings to scanning for lifeforms. The casual fan like myself has been thouroughly engaged by Spiner's antics enough to finally conclude that it was refreshing to see his cut-ups burst out in such an alarming fashion. It's also fun to see the Klingon sisters rip on Laforge's(Levar Burton) role as chief engineer as though they too questioned the TNG series' flaws.
At first viewing, the cinematography and over the top score added an extra intensity that even the TV series finale didn't match and it still holds up today. The action sequences too are top notch even if some were recycled from the series. Most of us loved the crash sequence and gag at the fact that the evacuation sequence was silly (was the entire crew comprised of children and housed near a nuclear type reactor core?)
All technological effects and cosmic swashbuckling aside, the trek fans were looking for the kind of character interaction that blossomed since the 60s and anticipated a triumphant over- the-top egomanical return of the Kirk (William Shatner) character. He's here and handles his role as you'd expect even if his ultimate fate is deliriously underplayed. The most satisfying moments view after view is the unceasing menace that Malcolm McDowell brings to his what-would've-been stock "tortured obsessed villian" character Soren. In a mere shift of an eyebrow he is gloriously disturbing and simulaneously easy to empathize with, trademark casual sadism and all. Many trekkies have warmed up to his performance too; often quoting McDowell's best lines as they would with Ricardo Montalban's Khan in Star Trek II, Alan Rickman's villains in Robin Hood and Die Hard, and of course, McDowell's many classic villains that made him legend.
The rest of the cast have adequate performances and react consistently with Data's new found emotions as you'd expect and with the many "gasious anomoly" gobbledygook that occurs in the trek universe, including the entire cast going through the what-if-time-continuum anarchy that the intially confusing Nexus plot brings about. You will find this film quite engaging in the end even if it takes a generation to figure out the convoluted as the Original Motion Picture plot nexus thing. Thank the actors for making the best of their script. Hopefully the often ballyhooed deleted scenes featuring the Soren-Laforge interrigation and the extra Shatner bits will show up. Otherwise it's a highly satisfying rental even if it took me 10 years to finally recomend it.

Rating:
Summary: Where two generations finally meet
Review: This was the movie in which Picard met Kirk. The Star Trek film that everyone was so excited about. While it was a decent offering it wouldnt go down as one of the best ST films. Although it keeps you engrossed in some parts the plot fails to thicken. Basically Picard and crew have to stop a madman named Dr. Soran (played by Malcom McDowell) from creating a nexus that will enable him to travel back in time. The nexus has the ability to destroy time and space as we know it so our heroes have to stop it. In the process Picard meets Kirk in the nexus and they try and stop Soran. I dont want to ruin the ending but its a watchable film with lots of time-traveling and good special affects.Watch out for Data. He is hilarious in this one.

Rating:
Summary: Wait For The Special Edition
Review: Die Hard Trekkies are already collecting the Special Editions that Paramount has been dripping out (aka they're sure taking their time with this franchise). If your new to Star Trek wait for these 'special editions'. (Movies 1-6 are now available).
Even the 'crippled' 5th movie was better with a re-edit. And of course the extra's speak for themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing entry, and boo to Paramount
Review: "Star Trek: Generations" is one of my least favorite entries in the series. There are some great ideas here, but unfortunately there's not a whole lot to get excited about.

Patrick Stewart is a terrific actor, and this is mainly his film, so it's not all bad. He has a way of making even the dumbest lines of dialogue seem moving and important, and the scene where he deals with the death of his nephew is generally well done. He also interacts pretty well with William Shatner's Kirk, making their scenes together interesting; indeed, "Generations" only really does come to life when those two are together on the screen. Unfortunately, despite what the marketing would make you think, they're only together the final half hour of the film.

"Generations" does a lot more things wrong than right. For starters, it was directed by relative unknown David Carson (lesson to studio execs- a major film that has a rabid fanbase should not be a training ground for a new director), who is obviously in way over his head here. Any sense of pacing is thrown out of the window, making the few action scenes that are in "Generations" borderline lame. "The Next Generation" regulars are pretty much going through the motions- only Brent Spiner has a large role as Data, and unfortunately the filmakers decided to make him an idiot in this movie as he experiments with his new "emotion chip". The film's ending- which features the death of a major character- falls surprisingly flat, especially when compared to the ending of "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan".

The villains are among the worst ever in the franchise. Malcolm McDowell tries to make Soran a complex and conflicted character and does an adequate job, but unfortunately is no one to hiss at. He's more misguided than evil, and I can't recall him ever directly killing anyone. On the other hand, the Klingons that are assisting him are laughably one-dimensional. Only the female Klingon captains have any dialogue, and they're incredibly stupid- their henchmen just beat people up and grunt like animals. After the more complex view of the Klingons that "The Undiscovered Country" gave, this is an unwelcome step backward.

And so, "Generations"' pacing problems, inadequate direction, and lackluster ending causes me to rank it among the worst of the "Star Trek" films, just a knotch above "The Final Frontier". It's still worth a view if you're a hardcore Trek fan (as I consider myself), but more casual ones might want to avoid this one. Also, I want to say a special jeer to Paramount for releasing the "Star Trek" films with so few extras, and then making us Trek fans buy them over again for the "Special Editions". Don't buy this film yet if you must- wait for the Special Edition!

Rating:
Summary: Star Trek: Generations
Review: This is a great movie and launching point for TNG crew. It was the first Star Trek film I saw in the theater and I will never forget it. This is a great movie I just wish there were some special features on the disk. Thank God this is the next film coming to special edition DVD. Hopefully there will be some really good features and hopefully a directors edition of the movie with deleted scenes. This is a must have DVD!

Rating:
Summary: Wait for the next generation of DVDs...
Review: The intimate moments in Next Generation along with the crash of the Enterprise are amoung the highlights of this uneven first Next Gen film. Patrick Stewart brought an additional depth of Picard only hinted at in the series. The complexity of his character continued to grow here with the untimely passing of a family member. The continuing character development of Data is also of note. Brent Spiner continues to dig into the deeper recesses of his character. William Shatner brings a levity to Kirk and the film that works well in contrast to the tragic conclusion. Malcolm McDowell's character of Soren and his obsession with time is both a witty reference to his role in Time After Time and to his character of Alex from A Clockwork Orange.

The plot is pretty straight forward; Soren along with 300 or so refugees is rescued from a mysterious energy ribbon (the Nexus)by the recently relaunched Enterprise. Although Kirk isn't in command, his bravery during the crisis saves Soren. Kirk vanishes and is presumed dead when the Enterprise is struck by the energy ribbon.

79 years later Soren (McDowell) is developing a weapon that can stop the fusion in a star. He hopes that his can somehow return him to the comfort of the Nexus where time has no meaning and all your wishes come true. Picard and crew save Soren from an enemy attack only to become his victims. Picard beams to the planet in hopes of stopping him but fails. He's swept into the Nexus and finds a comrad in arms that could help him possibly undo what has occurred.

There's a number of continuity errors (including Picard's starfleet embelm mysteriously reappearing when, in fact, he removed it in an earlier scene)and holes in the logic of the plot (why can't Soren simply beam into the Nexus instead of putting others in peril? Because it wouldn't be as dramatic and we wouldn't have a story). On the whole, though, the performances and optical effects carry the film.

The DVD has good picture quality and good sound. It doesn't suffer from many of the compression issues that surround many other movies released to DVD around the same time. On the other hand, there's absolutely no extras here. The widescreen presentation is appreciated but the original theatrical release was presented in anamorphic widescreen. The transfer looks solid but lacks the detail that have occurred with better transfers. The sound lacks the dynamic range I would have expected in a exceptional DVD transfer.

My advice--wait for the March re-release of this film as a two DVD set. Hopefully we'll see the variety of extras we've come to expect including the original "death" of Kirk's character. I'd give the film 3 stars and 1 star for extras (it is presented in widescreen and 5.1 dolby digital after all). It's a pretty poor presentation all told that needs to be revamped.

Rating:
Summary: The most under-rated Star Trek Movie ever.
Review: This was the first Star Trek movie I saw in the theaters as a very young Trekker in 1994. I was saddenned deeply to see Kirk die then, but now, having lived more life, that scene always brings me to tears.
Anywho, back to my point. This movie has to be the most underrated Star Trek movie of them all. Yes, there are some plot weaknesses, most notably how the Enterprise gets destroyed by an old Klingon Bird of Prey and doesn't really fight, Captain John Harriman being portrayed like an 8th Grade Student Government President, but whatever. This movie deals with so much of the human spirit it is unbelievable. Captain Kirk and Captain Picard sacrificing paradise to save lives says something about their characters to me. Data taking another step towards humanity through emotions has to be one of the most interesting themes Star Trek has touched on. This movie also is a commentary to me on how we deal with death and loss. In Soran's case, he doesn't deal with it and it drives him to madness. In Capt. Picard's case, he realizes the consequences of the deaths of his brother and nephew and slowly comes to terms with it. I do wish though we had seen more of Picard dealing with Kirk's death, but like I said, I won't bash the movie. And scenes like Kirk going to the Deflector Room, the Crash, and Kirk and Picard grappling with Soran are some of the best scenes in the history of Star Trek. I love this movie, it should be required watching for anybody grieving and for seniors in High School.
"Sounds like fun"- Capt. Kirk.

Rating:
Summary: A good start
Review: For the first movie featuring the TNG crew, it wasn't bad. Though it many ways, it was like an extra long episode. For people like me, that's ok. But for some of the less hardcore Star Trek fans, it may not have been quite as appealing...

Rating:
Summary: Two Captains, One Destiny....and a pretty good movie....
Review: Star Trek Generations, the seventh of 10 feature films based on the two series created by Gene Roddenberry, is the final passing of the torch from the Original Series to the Next Generation crew as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his crew takes the Enterprise-D on its continuining trek across the stars.

It is also William Shatner's final appearance as Capt. James Tiberius Kirk and, as Spock would say, a logical exit in what amounts to a guest role in an ambitious Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, albeit one made for the movies. It is an appearance fans had hoped for, since the rest of the "Enterprise Four" (Dr. McCoy, Scotty, Spock) had already made either cameos or appeared in major episodes ("Unification Parts I and II" and "Relics") set in the 24th Century.

Writers Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore (who is also involved in the Sci-Fi Channel's "reimagined" Battlestar Galactica miniseries) and Rick Berman came up with a creative way to bring Kirk and Picard together without using time travel or technological "cheats" like a transporter feedback loop (which is how Scotty had managed to enter the 24th Century). They would start the film in the 23rd Century, with Kirk doing something typically Kirk-heroic, then go forward in time to Picard's time and have the two captains join forces to face a common foe.

It's 2295. The Enterprise-A has been decommissioned, her crew disbanded and her senior officers retired or reassigned. Above Earth, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B is being launched, and Kirk, Scotty (James Doohan) and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are guests of honor at her commissioning ceremony. But the brief PR-friendly cruise to "Pluto and back" is cut short by a distress signal from two El-Aurian refugee vessels caught in a strange energy ribbon. Under the command of Capt. John Harriman (Alan Ruck), the woefully undermanned and underequipped Enterprise-B mounts a risky rescue mission, beaming a handful of El-Aurians aboard, including Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell) and future Enterprise-D bartender Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg).

But before the Enterprise-B can escape the effects of the energy ribbon, a tendril strikes the starship and causes damage. Kirk and Scotty find a way to get the starship out of harm's way...and the former captain of the original Enterprise heads down to the Engineering section to implement their plan. It works, but not before the energy ribbon's lightning-like rays lash out at the Enterprise and open a gash in the great ship's hull...right where James T. Kirk is standing...and the legendary captain vanishes and is presumed dead.

Fast forward 78 years into the 24th Century: The Galaxy-class Starship Enterprise-D is on the seventh year of its exploration-defense-diplomatic mission under the command of Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart). It's a time of celebration as the crew celebrates Worf's (Michael Dorn) promotion to lieutenant commander, and everyone is enjoying the ceremony in the holodeck. After a light moment highlighting first officer William Riker's (Jonathan Frakes) penchant for practical jokes and Lt. Cmdr. Data's (Brent Spiner) inability to understand humor, the mood darkens when Picard receives a message from Earth that leaves him stunned with grief.

To make matters worse, an unknown force has brutally attacked the Amargosa Observatory, leaving only one survivor, Dr. Tolian Soran....the same man rescued from the energy ribbon nearly 80 years before by the Enterprise-B. Picard assigns his senior officers to investigate. After all, who would attack a scientific outpost...and why?

Soon Picard is forced to put his feelings of grief and guilt aside to confront the mystery at the Amargosa station and to find out why an obsessed genius seeks to destroy an entire star system and cause the strange energy ribbon -- known as the Nexus -- to change course. And in order to stop his unexpected new antagonist, Picard must enlist the aid of another legendary captain of the Starship Enterprise.....

Director David Carson, making his debut as a feature film director here, keeps things moving at a fast, steady pace, making Star Trek Generations an above-average entry in the movie series. Although Star Trek: First Contact is by far more exciting and interesting, Generations still has a good premise, stunning special effects and serves as a launching point for three more Star Trek films starring the Next Generation cast.

Rating:
Summary: The Movie that has been a burden to Paramount ever since...
Review: By this time, there have been hundereds of e-mails, fan articles, and press stories on the decline of Star Trek's popularity. Among the causes have been weak writing, too many Tv shows and not enough work on the movies, and the death of Kirk in this movie. It end up splat on a mountain side really angered so many Trek fans, that they abandoned Star Trek and Paramount in large numbers. Even William Shatner has admitted that he was wrong in agreeing to have his character die in the movie and how it hurt the fans. Now in the last two years, there has been serious efforts at trying to repair the damage that this movie caused Star Trek. William Shatner has written some Trek books that deal with Kirk's return. Rick berman has made announcements that maybe on one of the shows, they will try to bring the Enterprise Captain back in some way. There have even been active campains by the fans to have Paramount declare this movie as "no longer in continunity", thus preserving Kirk's farewell apperance in Star Trek VI. But to many (including this amazon reviewer) there will be no Star Trek, until Berman and his production team leave, and someone who really cares about Star Trek takes over and restores the hope and optismisim of Gene Roddenberry's origianl vision of Star Trek. Then this movie and all the Berman stories really will be "Null and void."
Paramount Pictures now should be called "Patheic Pictures."