Star Trek: Nemesis
{3.5/5} “Will Riker, you have been my trusted right arm for fifteen years. You have kept my course true and steady. Deanna Troi, you’ve been my guide… and my conscience. You have helped me recognize the better parts of myself.”
Star Trek: Nemesis, released in 2002
The Enterprise-E detects a positronic signature and they head out to investigate. They find pieces of an android, and when they put them together they find they have Data’s until-now-unknown brother B-4. Meanwhile, there is a new praetor on Romulus — a human named Shinzon who turns out to be a clone of Captain Picard. Shinzon says he wants peace, but Picard is skeptical.
This was the last Next Generation movie.
Although it’s not quite up to par, it does have lots to like. It has themes of friendship and becoming better than you are.
The wedding reception scene is delightful. The familiar way that the main characters interact with each other will bring a smile to your face. Data’s use of the Vulcan neck pinch is glorious.
It had the wrong director, though, as Stuart Baird didn’t know anything about Star Trek and was interested in making a different kind of movie. When they’re on the planet where they find B-4 they fire on the aliens who are just upset they’ve invaded their territory. Both Picard and Riker beam over to the Scimitar on the first away team.
But the #1 question you have to ask here is this: did you believe Shinzon was Picard’s clone? The answer is no. Tom Hardy is probably a great actor, but the actor who should have played Shinzon was Patrick Stewart.
Written by John Logan (Rango), Rick Berman (Star Trek: Insurrection), and Brent Spiner (his only writing credit).
Whoopi Goldberg, Wil Wheaton, and Kate Mulgrew have nice cameos.
Stars Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Tom Hardy, and Ron Perlman. Directed by Stuart Baird (U.S. Marshals). The soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith is great but not as listenable out of context as his other ones — his brief incorporation of “Blue Skies” is sublime.
This is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve seen it. I previously reviewed Star Trek: Insurrection.
May 17th, 2020 at 8:29 pm
I would like to see a version with the deleted scenes edited back in. Unlike the other movies in the series, in this case the deleted scenes are significant — and would improve the movie.