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Star Trek: Nemesis - A Review December 16, 2002
Here it is, the fourth - and possibly the last - of the movies featuring the cast from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, I said the last - one of the bylines touting this film is "A Generation's Final Journey Begins". If it is, then they are going out on a positive note. This film captures a good bit of the "TNG essence" with the return of all the major characters from the series, a decent script, some neat space battles and an intriguing - but not too menacing - villain.
Yes the gang's all here: Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard, Jonathan Frakes as Commander Ryker, Brent Spiner as Data, Marina Sirtis as Counselor Troi, Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf, LeVar Burton as Geordi and Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher. Consistency is good in some things, especially actors in sequels, and I've grown to like all the characters in the series. Director Stewart Baird gives us a decent solid film. Not a newcomer to Hollywood, he had previously helmed two good films, U.S. Marshalls and Executive Decision. He has worked as film editor on such titles as Maverick, Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon, The Omen and Tommy. As always with any Star Trek effort, it is a Warner Brothers presentation.
The Enterprise is on patrol and detects an emission of positronic energy from a planet close to the Romulan neutral zone. As this radation is exclusive to Data, the cyborg science officer and his siblings, they immediately go to investigate. While there, Picard and crew receive orders to proceed to Romulus to act as representatives for the Federation in order to meet the new Romulan leader. Once there, let's just say Picard finds out he "knows" the angry, ambitious, new Praetor.
Visually, this is a georgeous film. The color palette used is full and well, luscious. Scenes range from deep dark space, to dark indirectly lit council rooms, to well lit interiors on the Enterprise to an over-exposed monochromatic look on a planet's surface. The colors just seemed to leap out from the screen, or look like they were several feet deep - rich is too often used, but in this case it applies throughout the film with the one exception mentioned above which was deliberate. Special effects were very good - especially in the space battle scenes. Ships were whirling, swirling, firing lasers and torpedoes, being hit, being damaged and all through it all there was nothing sub-par to pull you out of the moment. If I had to be critical of anything it would be the gas clouds in space, but after seeing shots from the Hubble telescope, maybe they weren't so far off after all.
Sonically the presentation was compatible with the video in being quite good with good deep bass, clear dialog and lots of action in the surround channels.
The story itself is a decent effort with portions of it being more dialog driven than action/sci fi, but, ultimately the plot isn't terribly meaty, and the villian (played by Tom Hardy) doesn't come across as menacing, just angry and vengeful. Overall, it's a good Star Trek and not a great one, but one worthy of your efforts to see it. I give Star Trek: Nemesis :35: out of :5:.
David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker
Here it is, the fourth - and possibly the last - of the movies featuring the cast from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Yes, I said the last - one of the bylines touting this film is "A Generation's Final Journey Begins". If it is, then they are going out on a positive note. This film captures a good bit of the "TNG essence" with the return of all the major characters from the series, a decent script, some neat space battles and an intriguing - but not too menacing - villain.
Yes the gang's all here: Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard, Jonathan Frakes as Commander Ryker, Brent Spiner as Data, Marina Sirtis as Counselor Troi, Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf, LeVar Burton as Geordi and Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher. Consistency is good in some things, especially actors in sequels, and I've grown to like all the characters in the series. Director Stewart Baird gives us a decent solid film. Not a newcomer to Hollywood, he had previously helmed two good films, U.S. Marshalls and Executive Decision. He has worked as film editor on such titles as Maverick, Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon, The Omen and Tommy. As always with any Star Trek effort, it is a Warner Brothers presentation.
The Enterprise is on patrol and detects an emission of positronic energy from a planet close to the Romulan neutral zone. As this radation is exclusive to Data, the cyborg science officer and his siblings, they immediately go to investigate. While there, Picard and crew receive orders to proceed to Romulus to act as representatives for the Federation in order to meet the new Romulan leader. Once there, let's just say Picard finds out he "knows" the angry, ambitious, new Praetor.
Visually, this is a georgeous film. The color palette used is full and well, luscious. Scenes range from deep dark space, to dark indirectly lit council rooms, to well lit interiors on the Enterprise to an over-exposed monochromatic look on a planet's surface. The colors just seemed to leap out from the screen, or look like they were several feet deep - rich is too often used, but in this case it applies throughout the film with the one exception mentioned above which was deliberate. Special effects were very good - especially in the space battle scenes. Ships were whirling, swirling, firing lasers and torpedoes, being hit, being damaged and all through it all there was nothing sub-par to pull you out of the moment. If I had to be critical of anything it would be the gas clouds in space, but after seeing shots from the Hubble telescope, maybe they weren't so far off after all.
Sonically the presentation was compatible with the video in being quite good with good deep bass, clear dialog and lots of action in the surround channels.
The story itself is a decent effort with portions of it being more dialog driven than action/sci fi, but, ultimately the plot isn't terribly meaty, and the villian (played by Tom Hardy) doesn't come across as menacing, just angry and vengeful. Overall, it's a good Star Trek and not a great one, but one worthy of your efforts to see it. I give Star Trek: Nemesis :35: out of :5:.
David - HTGuide flunky
Our "Theater"
Our DVDs on DVD Tracker
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