As I cant spare the time I'd like, I'm taking an extended leave of absence from CIAO. Hope to return...
As I cant spare the time I'd like, I'm taking an extended leave of absence from CIAO. Hope to return some day. All the best.
Member since:26.09.2000
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And so the Star Trek movie franchise trundles on with the 10th instalment and 4th for the Next Generation cast; Nemesis.
I wasn’t really expecting too much from the movie having read quite a fair few negative reviews but what the hey! If you’re paying £10 a month for a UGC Unlimited card, you might as well use it!
And it turned out to be quite a good choice. Perhaps it was because my expectations were rock-bottom or perhaps I was in a very forgiving mood, but I have to admit to rather enjoying the film. Utterly unremarkable in almost every way it still manages to entertain, in a very superficial way, providing a few thrills, a smattering of laughs and a couple of bangs for your buck.
Having said that the story, smacking of post 9/11 resonances, is as slight as the come, looking like it had probably been dreamt up by a couple of assistant Star Trek writers in their coffee break and is in reality no more than a TV episode, stretched against it’s
will into a 2 hour movie.
I got the impression it had something to do with a revolt in the senate of the Romulan Empire, led by the Remulian, Shinzon (Tom Hardy). Well I say Remulian, however there must be a reason that Shinzon doesn’t share the bulldog chewing a wasp look of his contemporaries but rather sports a vaguely familiar big nose and bald bonce? Mustn’t there?
Travelling thru the galaxy to deliver the newly-weds Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troy (Marina Sirtis) to their honeymoon destination, Captian Jean Luc-Picard (Patrick Stewart) is ordered to divert Enterprise to Romulus. You see, the Romulians, long time cold war enemies of the Federation have signalled that they wish to forge closer ties and as Captain Picard is in the area it’s decided he’s the man to for the job.
And so it comes to pass that the crew of Enterprise come face to very familiar face with Shinzon, who has a remarkable story to tell them. He indicates that he is looking for peace to exist between the Romulan Empire and the Galactic Federation. However it soon becomes apparent that Things Aren’t What They Seem ™ and it’s soon time to save the world again.
As I said, plotting isn’t this movies strong point. Many of the characters and plot points seem to ultimately have virtually no relevance by the beginning of the movies rather thrilling, post 9/11 inspired, climax. Rather, the movie works as a triumph of style over substance. It has a couple of good set pieces executed with a knowing nod at their own ridiculousness.
In the Remulians, the writers have come up with good looking and interesting baddies. They look like the stewards at the Goth branch of the Rubber Fetishists Society, all creaky cat suits and a ton of pledge polish. The main Remulian, Shinzon is extremely well played by the relative unknown Tom Hardy. He has a striking appearance and his performance managed to imbue his character with the necessary charm and ambiguity to make to work. Altho occasionally slipping into a slightly camp voice, he still managed to convince.
The strongest point of Generations has always been Patrick Stewart as Picard, and so it continues in Nemesis. Hs presence has always lent the proceedings the necessary class and gravitas that keeps the potential silliness of the whole affair solidly grounded. He puts in another solid performance that worked especially well in the scenes where he shares with Tim Hardy. Like a fine French wine he seems to get better (or at least no worse!) with age. I mean the guy hardly seems to have aged since Generations started.
Pity the same can’t be said about the rest of the cast. They have a little bit to go before they start looking as ridiculous as the original cast, however not far. Worst of all is Jonathan Fraikes as Riker. I recall he was a wee slip of a lad when Generations started now he looks like he approaching the size were he’ll start generating his own gravitational field.
I’d reckon that the Generation crew have no more than one movie left in them.
Anyways, you will see better movies this year, much better movies, but, aside from the gripes about plotting, the movie still has enough going for it to pass a couple of hours on a cold January night.
The movie has a 12A rating, for reasons which escape me. No language, the usual Star Trek sci-fi violence, a little bit of sex ( I know! Sex in Star Trek).
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Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
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Advantages: Good plot, not like an ordinary episode, good graphics, keeps you interested Disadvantages: everything's really dark, the ending's quite abrupt and doesn't finish properly, too complicated for non-Trekkies
GentleGiant 19.01.2003 (01.02.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Star Trek - Nemesis (DVD)
Advantages: Good plot, not like an ordinary episode, good graphics, keeps you interested Disadvantages: everything's really dark, the ending's quite abrupt and doesn't finish properly, too complicated for non-Trekkies
GentleGiant 19.01.2003 (01.02.2003)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Star Trek - Nemesis (DVD)
![Star Trek: Nemesis [DVD] [2003]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78537759.jpg "Star Trek: Nemesis [DVD] [2003]")
Jan 11th, 2003
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