Movie
Review | Star Trek: Nemesis
Reviewed by: Brian
Orndorf
It’s been four years since the last “Star Trek” adventure,
1998’s “Star Trek : Insurrection,” and the extended break (the
longest in “Trek” film history) has allowed the filmmakers to step
back and address the problems that surfaced the last time around. The
result is “Nemesis,” and while the effective parts of the film are
old news, the picture as a whole brings back the excitement of this
once dying franchise. This is the tenth installment of the series, and
“Nemesis” feels like a long overdue second wind.
The crew of the starship Enterprise, lead by Captain Picard
(Patrick Stewart), is breaking up. Crew members are getting married,
accepting their own commands, and dealing with aging. On a routine
mission before they part ways, Enterprise is sent into dangerous
Romulan territory to meet with their new leader, the shadowy Shinzon
(Tom Hardy, “Black Hawk Down”), and discuss a long-sought peace
treaty between the warring nations. Once Picard meets with Shinzon, it
is revealed that the young “Praetor” has more on his mind than
peace. In fact he plans to unleash a torrent of secrets, deception,
and fire power to bring down the Enterprise, and his final target,
Earth, for good.
It’s obvious from the very opening of the film that the template
for “Nemesis” is the rip-roaring Kirk and Spock 1982 opus “The
Wrath Of Khan.” And there’s nothing wrong with that, as “Kahn”
is the very best “Trek” film of them all. Moving at warp 9 away
from the Broadway tunes and goo-goo eyes of the dreadful
“Insurrection,” the filmmakers have made it a point of keeping
this “Trek” a straight forward adventure, complete with one super
villain, a revenge plot, and many land and space battles to keep the
eyes busy. They’ve also cleaned house behind the cameras as well,
bringing in screenwriter John Logan (“Gladiator”) to spruce up the
story, and new director Stuart Baird (“U.S. Marshals”) to takes
the reins.
Bringing in Baird to replace cast member Jonathan Frakes as
director (“Insurrection,” “First Contact”) was the best move
“Nemesis” could make. Taking away Frakes’s often awkward
staging, and his penchant for allowing his fellow cast mates
insufferable vanity moments (again, those pesky Broadway tunes, which
return here, but to a more appropriate effect), “Nemesis” isn’t
weighed down by any extra fat. It’s lean, mean action adventure that
benefits from Baird’s streamlined instincts, and his lack of any
previous incestuous relationship with the franchise. That’s not to
say Baird is the ideal visionary for the series, but the brand new
take on the Enterprise’s endeavors here is satisfying and
appreciated.
In the villain role is British actor Tom Hardy, and in this
continually revealing performance, Hardy acquits himself nicely
against formidable opponent Patrick Stewart and the “Trek”
universe. It’s no secret that Shinzon is supposed to be a modern
Kahn, complete with a death wish and insatiable appetite for revenge.
The film plays out like a carbon copy of “Kahn,” down to the space
dogfights, comfortable cast interplay, and the tragic, unexpected
ending. I don’t knock the filmmakers for taking this idea around the
block for another spin, but those expecting great leaps in the
development of certain characters or subplots will be disappointed. As
fun and welcoming as “Nemesis” is, there is an aftertaste of
frustration that the production couldn’t find anything more
innovative to work with.
For the “Trek” purists, there are plenty of cameos and
surprises sprinkled throughout, including one whopper that came as a
complete shock to me. It was also nice to see this crew back in one
place, working together to battle Shinzon. The camaraderie between
these actors is at an all time best, with “Nemesis” setting aside
moments for each actor to have their time in the sun (with the
possible exception of Michael Dorn’s Worf, who doesn’t have much
to do this installment). “Nemesis” returns “Star Trek” to past
glories, and since the film is billed as the final voyage for the
“Next Generation” crew, this is a fine film to send them off on a
high note.
Grade: 8/10
COMMENTS
Date/Time of Posting: Dec 14 2002 / 07:46:01
IP Address: 130.13.128.57
name = Salvatore Bono
Email = uncaged@qwest.net
comments = Star Trek: Nemesis had the potential to completely overtake
any of the previous Star Trek movies; however, it's slow plot
development and and generally dragging execution really weigh down the
first half of the movie. The wedding scenes were adequate
enough, but highly remeniscent of Star Trek Insurrection. At
times, the actors appeared to look older than they actually are.
Patrick Stewart's acting and dialogue are masterful during the
stressful action scenes, but he appears extremely reserved otherwise.
While the movie implies much influence from Star Trek: The Wrath of
Khan, the character of Shinzon is masterfully played and is perhaps
the most interesting character in the entire movie. Seeing Worf
(Michael Dorn) completely omitted from the movie after the Enterprise
Crew / Remus battle scene, lends even more discontinuity to the story
than any other portion of the movie. Finally, Nemesis makes up
for it's long, drawn out execution in the first half of the movie by
showing by far the best special effects and action sequences seen in
any Star Trek film to date. The space battle scenes and
character performances from the Next Generation crew that we are so
acustom to seeing are worth the price of admission. Very high
potential to be a great movie, but it falls short because of Paramount
Pictures' inability to follow through with true Star Trek lore.
Date/Time of Posting: Dec 16 2002 / 02:24:08
IP Address: 203.134.139.186
name = MouseNo4
Email = mouseno4@yahoo.com
comments = Well i for one hope your notes hold true and this is a good
send off for all the years the trekkers have been flying about in
space.
Date/Time of Posting: Dec 16 2002 / 11:12:46
IP Address: 209.192.19.82
name = sam
Email = snowdensmantha@hotmail.com
comments = SHINZON OF REMUS IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOT !
LOVE
SAM
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