Star Trek Nemesis: Beam Me Up!
Star Trek Nemesis: Beam Me Up!
Here is a statistic I recently read that I thought was just extraordinary. One Star Trek book is sold in this country every 60 seconds. Every minute! As the world's biggest Star Wars fan, I tip my hat to the 35-plus-year tradition that has resulted from the original five-year mission of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and the Starship Enterprise. I'm not one of those fans who indulges in "Star Wars versus Star Trek" nonsense. What's the point? When it comes down to it, all I love is good storytelling, and the "Trek" universe has had that in abundance for decades now.
That said, I've been an on-again, off-again fan of this universe for much of my life. The original "Trek" was a bit too low-tech for my tastes. I liked the characters, LOVED the costumes the women would wear. But it wasn't until Shatner and Co. got into the movies that I sat up and took notice. I really liked Deep Space Nine during the Dominion War years, but I have seen only a dozen or so episodes of Voyager and UPN's new Enterprise combined. Just doesn't resonate with me.
No, my Star Trek has always been The Next Generation. It debuted in syndication in 1987 during my senior year of high school. I watched it and liked it. But when I got to college a year later, EVERYONE in the dorm seemed to be watching the show. My sophomore year, I joined the student newspaper, and most of my pals on that rag were fans, too. "Next Gen" really was in its glory years then, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew tangled with the Borg, quarreled with the Q entity, and generally flew around in their giant, well-armed cruise ship and got into all sorts of interstellar mysteries and adventures. It became my favorite show of the late '80s and early '90s (OK, Cheers, Knot's Landing, and Quantum Leap were cool, too).
So with each "Next Gen" movie, I get a little stoked. Picard, Riker,
Data, Geordi, Worf, Dr. Crusher, and Counselor Troi are like old friends to
me. So, I tend to cut 'em a little slack when reviewing. Now, we have Star
Trek Nemesis. Touted as the possible final journey for the Enterprise-E,
this is quite simply the best of the four Next Generation films thus
far, a whiz-bang mix of action, drama, humor, and ultimately tragedy. Two things
make this film stand above other recent big-screen "Treks." First,
there is a palpable sense of danger in the film, of a foe possibly stronger
and more daring than the good guys yet not entirely evil. Second, the "Next
Gen" creators finally acknowledge the passage of time with these characters.
Directed by Stuart Baird, the film begins with the Alaskan wedding of
Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis),
and with Riker FINALLY being promoted to captain and given his own ship. The
plot unfolds as the Enterprise seeks to deliver the happy couple to Troi's home
planet for a traditional Betazoid wedding (in the nude ... no worries, Frakes
doesn't strip). On the way, though, Data finds an earlier model of himself on
a distant planet just prior to the Enterprise being summoned to the Neutral
Zone following a takeover of the Romulan Senate. The Romulans have been longtime
enemies of the Federation. A new race, one with vampire-like characteristics
who have been used by the Romulans for decades as slave labor, has seized power
under the leadership of a human named Shinzon (Tom Hardy of Black
Hawk Down). What begins as a diplomatic mission for the Enterprise soon
turns into a fight for survival, as Picard must face down Shinzon, who turns
out to be a clone of his younger self.
Star Trek Nemesis overcomes some very silly moments early on (Data sings,
Picard drives a souped-up dune buggy) to become a dark, moody, and rather gripping
sci-fi yarn that really moves. There are at least two spectacular escapes designed
to have audiences cheering, and Nemesis features perhaps the nastiest,
most exhausting space battle ever depicted in a "Trek" film.
Of the main characters, Picard and Data (Brent Spiner) have the most
screen time. Stewart--the best actor "Trek" has ever had--gets some
choice moments in his verbal sparring sessions with Hardy, who does a good job
evoking a younger Stewart (the script acknowledges and adequately explains why
they don't look EXACTLY alike). Shinzon is both curious of the life and family
he never had, yet determined to best Picard and then use a dreadful new weapon
to conquer Earth and alter the balance of power in the Quadrant. Less successful
are Data's moments with his android predecessor, known as B-4. Spiner is as
charming as ever, but the Data twin plotline was done better with the Lore episodes
years ago and never really gels with the Picard/Shinzon dynamic.
I mentioned the writing. The Most Valuable Player of Nemesis is scripter
John Logan, who was nominated for an Oscar two years ago for his Gladiator
screenplay. Logan is a self-described Star Trek nut, and his affinity
for the characters and knowledge of their history serves this tenth film in
the series well. While Crusher (Gates McFadden) and Worf (Michael
Dorn) have less to do than in previous films, Logan gives the other characters
some fine moments to resonate.
And as the film takes some rather courageous turns late, Logan wisely subscribes
to the theory of "less is more." For instance, he writes Riker a really
touching moment late in which Picard's now-former first officer recalls a scene
from the very first Next Generation episode 15 years ago. The short speech
is so much more poignant than if Frakes had been given two pages of overdone
dialogue to bawl out. Similarly, I also liked a scene with Geordi (LeVar
Burton) and Data where a look between the two said a LOT more than any words.
Some longtime fans may want more (and the Trekkers will CERTAINLY have volumes
of nitpicks once the final credits roll). But I thought Logan's script stayed
true to the characters as far as I have always seen them.
Star Trek Nemesis will draw the most comparisons to Star Trek II:
The Wrath of Khan. It's not THAT good. Shinzon is a force to be reckoned,
but there's nothing like the bloody, scarred Ricardo Montalban spitting
Melville quotes at the retreating Enterprise ("To the last I will grapple
with thee!") as he gasps his last breaths. But Star Trek Nemesis
ultimately has its own strengths and its own payoffs that are uniquely "Next
Gen." Is it the last one to feature Picard's Enterprise? Difficult to say.
I doubt it.
It doesn't quite have the finality Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
had for the original crew. But I will say this. Nothing in the Next Generation
universe will ever be the same after what happens in Nemesis."
Star Trek Nemesis is rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence and
peril, and a scene of sexual content.
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