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Generally unliked by hard-core Trek fans, Nemesis remains perhaps the second favourite Generations era film for me, behind only First Contact. Directed by Stuart Baird, who also helmed such successes as Executive Decision and US Marshals, Nemesis represents the closing of a chapter in Trek history, the final film in the Picard-era series. Now, a lot of criticism was levelled at the film for trying to urbanise it, to gritty it up a little for action-audiences, Nemesis is most definitely a slam-bang thrillride (in Trek style, of course) without being slavish to the conventions the franchise had, until then, become frustratingly thrown by. Baird managed to straddle the fine line between outright action, and a genuinely exciting (if somewhat baffling) Trek film, to give us the finale in the Next Generation‘s efforts on the big screen.

Picard toasted the Groom, but he kept the photos of the naked bride hidden... for now.

Click here to continue with our examination of Star Trek Nemesis….

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With the success of Star Trek: First Contact, it was only a matter of time before Paramount signed the Next Gen cast up for the inevitable sequel. Sure enough, along comes Insurrection, an almost-ran in the Trek pantheon, neither a great Trek film, nor a bad one. It’s a little bit of both.

Listen sunshine, just thank your lucky stars I ain't got Keanu Reeve's phone number!

The film tries to be slightly controversial in nature, the major story-point being the forced relocation of a group of people on a planet that is known for it’s rejuvenation properties: the planet itself is kind of like a fountain of youth. Trouble is, a group of greedy aliens known as the Son’a, want the planet for themselves, and have colluded with Starfleet to relocate the Ba’aku, the native population of the planet, elsewhere. When Commander Data, the Enterprise’s resident artificial life-form, goes haywire on the planet and spoils the Ba’ku’s peaceful existence, the plot begins to unravel. The Enterprise is called in to negotiate with the Ba’ku, although as Captain Picard digs a little deeper, he uncovers a sinister plot that threatens both the Son’a and the Ba’ku. A corrupt Starfleet official, Admiral Dougherty (Anthony Zerbe, who appeared in the Matrix sequels) keeps Picard at distance, until finally the Enterprise crew is forced to go against the orders of their superior officer and leave. It appears the Son’a are planning on destroying the planet by harvesting the mysterious life-giving particles that surround it, although the plan was to transport the Ba’ku off-world and into a holo-deck version of their community.The leader of the Son’a, Ru’afo (F Murray Abraham, best known for films like Amadeus and The Last Action Hero) is particularly violent and vicious, a fact that Admiral Dougherty doesn’t really take into account, considering he himself wants the secret to immortality as well.

To continue with Insurrection, click here!!

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Defining, momentous Trek entry, with the Next Generation crew going toe-to-toe against their sworn enemy, the Borg. After travelling for ages, a Borg cube has finally reached earth, and it seems that the entire Federation Starfleet is unable to thwart their plan to destroy the planet. Mind you, nobody said anything about them destroying the planet in the past, did they? Mind bogglingly cool, this Trek film still holds up under scrutiny today, even in the face of the modern re-think by JJ Abrams. While the first Generations film had little to redeem it overall, this entry, directed by co-star Jonathan Frakes, remains perhaps the best of the Picard-era Trek film, its slam bang action and sly, humorous screenplay ensuring it’s got the one thing a lot of “serious” sci-fi often fails to take into account: a sense of fun.

Don't look at me like that, you know it creeps me out!

To find out why we rated this film so highly, click here to read on!!!

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With the enormous success of re-defined franchise entry Star Trek: The Next Generation, giving us Captain Picard, Commander Riker, and Lt Commander Data, it would go without saying that eventually Paramount studios would get around to big-screening their largest property. In a kind of “pass the baton” affair, Generations is the initial foray onto the big screen for the Next Generation Trek crew, and while many had hoped it would revitalise the film side of the Trek franchise, it is ultimately regarded by many fans as a bit of a flop. Since the film was released in 1994, Generations became the defining moment in the career of the legendary Captain Kirk, in which he finally succumbed to undertake that last, great journey we all must eventually do; death. Yes, in Generations, Captain Kirk dies. Bites it. Buys the farm. Kicks the bucket. You’d expect nothing less of a fitting finale than for Kirk to be killed in combat, or flying the Enterprise into the heart of a supernova, somehow saving not only the Federation but the entire Universe with it. Unfortunately for those wishing for a heroic send-off, Kirk is slain by a no-name criminal in a canyon on some desolate moon, a far from inspiring moment that leaves a bitter, hollow, taste in your mouth.

That's always how Picard's stag nights started....

But I digress.

To continue reading this review of Star Trek: Generations, click here!

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When word came down the pike that uber-director JJ Abrams (Mission: Impossible III, producer of Cloverfield) was going to take on the enormously popular (yet strangely uncool) Star Trek franchise, you could have heard the collective gasp from the Trekkies around the world in anticipation. Not since Daniel Craig was cast as James Bond has one group of fans had such a fervent and hyped change in their favourite film saga, be it for good or ill. It would be prudent to point out at this stage that the vast majority of the hype was predominantly positive, with only a few minor voices raising their disapproval at the mooted changes and ideas coming on board.

In the years since the very first Star Trek film, way back in the late 70′s (and reviewed on this website here) right up until the most recent release of Star Trek: Nemesis, which detailed the last cinematic voyage of Captain Picard and the crew from ST: The Next Generation, the franchise has, to be honest, sufferred a little from inadequate scripting and storytelling prowess, ranging at times from brilliant to cheesy puffery, little more than a shadow of the idea that Gene Roddenberry launched onto our screens in the 60′s, with Kirk & Co. Methinks that JJ Abrams realised that the best Trek was Original Series Trek, and decided to go that route and revisit the characters that launched the franchise in the first place.

Personally, I never got into the Original Series of Trek, which I have to admit makes me a little less than qualified to review this new take on the old characters given that comparisons between the two, for me, will be limited to what I’ve gleaned from internet scouring and general knowledge. I loved Next Generation, appreciated the ideas behind Deep Space Nine (the second spin-off series which debuted just after Next Generation had begun) and even enjoyed Voyager, although by now things were getting a little stale. I think I only ever watched about four episodes of the most recent TV incarnation, Enterprise, which did little to inspire me. Therefore, yet another Star Trek film wasn’t exactly going to rock my world, I figured, given the ending of Nemesis had pretty much concluded the Next Generation’s adventures which began with a whimper in the film Star Trek: Generations. However, upon learning that Abrahms was involved, and with his eye for action, wit and some brilliant dialogue, I thought that things might just turn out okay. Still, I’d never really embraced the Original Series stuff as much as I had the more recent material. The films were okay on their own, but I was dead keen to find out how Abrams was going to resurrect the franchise with his intended prequel… remake… reboot…. hmmm.

With that in mind, here’s what I think of Abrams take on Kirk, Spock et al.

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Quirky, off-beat adventure from the Star Trek crew, with Kirk and Co having to travel back through time to find a humpback whale in order to save Earth from certain destruction. A mysterious probe approaches Earth, emitting a strange signal that disrupts all communications and essentially blacks out the planet. Unable to counteract the probe, Starfleet quarantines Earth from outside help, since anything that approaches the planet is quickly affected by the power disruptions. However, the message of warning reaches Kirk and his crew, currently on Vulcan and about to return home to face the firing squad (figuratively speaking) for their actions in The Search For Spock. With a newly regenerated Spock on board the Klingon Bird Of Prey, obtained by Kirk in the previous film, the crew fly towards Earth, discovering that the only way to communicate with the probe is by whalesong. And, according to Mr Spock, not just any whale, a humpback whale, which at the the stardate the film begins, is no longer a creature in existence.

The crew of the Enterprise get a tan.

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Picking up almost immediately after the conclusion of Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III begins in a dramatic fashion. Kirk, bereft of Spocks guidance, is approached by the dead Vulcan’s father, Sarek, and informed that Spocks essence is buried inside the mind of Dr McCoy, who appears to be going slightly mad. Sarek tells Kirk to locate Spocks body, so that his mind can be returned to it and the man can be resurrected. With the Enterprise due to be decommissioned, and no other ship sitting about spare, Starfleet won’t let him conduct a search. So, what is a Kirk to do? Simple, really. Steal the Enterprise, and take off to the stars searching the newly formed Genesis Planet for the casket containing Spock’s body. This really annoys Starfleet. Meanwhile, Kirk’s son, David, has returned to the Genesis Planet and the orbiting science platform with Lieutenant Saavik, and learned of the resurrection of a young Spock. Without his mind, though, Spock behaves simply, almost by rote. And as the Genesis planet undergoes it’s birthing throes, Spock, linked to the planet somehow, grows with it, aging before David and Saavik’s eyes.

Parking was never a problem for Kirk.

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Classic return to form for the Star Trek crew, after their initial outing theatrically had bombed with the critics. This time round, Kirk and Co must face off against a vengeful enemy they’ve previously encountered, Kahn, a superhuman from Earth who, at one time, had been exiled for his tyrannous behaviour. In a pivotal event, Kirk meets his previously unknown son, David, who it turns out is a scientist developing something known only as the Genesis Project. Khan, seeking revenge against Kirk for what he perceives as the Captain’s responsibility for the death of his own wife, pursues the Enterprise crew across the galaxy in a power play that will have lasting impact on Kirk and the crew of the famed ship.

So Spock, seen any good films lately?

After the balls-up that was the first theatrical journey for the crew, Gene Roddenberry was removed from production on the sequel, as it was deemed his fault the first film fared so dismally. Whether this is a correct assumption or not is perhaps not the point, but I think the result of that decision was a good one for the franchise, considering Wrath of Khan’s standing within the fan-bases’ loyalty. Wrath turned out to be a grand adventure and dramatic improvement for the series, much more convincing than it’s immediate predecessor, and reinvigorated the franchise overall. While the film cannot be said to have no faults, the end result is a sharp improvement.

As the film begins, we see Kirk involved in training up and coming recruits in the famed Kobayashi Maru scenario in battle: what do you do in an un-winnable situation? Newcomer to the Trek pantheon, Lieutenant Saavik (Kirstie Alley in her film debut) seems unable to grasp the situation, and the scenario ends with her successfully killing all her fellow officers. Kirk, striding through the ship with the depressing sense of finality, bemoans to Spock that he’s just about over the whole adventure through space lark…. or is he? The theme of age and ability is shoehorned into the script here, with Kirk beginning to feel the onset of age and responsibility as he slowly loses command of his Enterprise to bureaucracy.

Look Who's Talking? Are you kidding?

Fortunately for Kirk and the crew, arch-nemesis Khan makes an appearance, capturing Chekov and a fellow officer who happen to be in command of the USS Reliant, which is involved in terraforming new planetoids, when they beam down to the surface of a susceptible entity. No amount of bargaining with Khan will dissuade him from his mission: to steal the Genesis Project and annihilate Kirk, no matter who or what gets in his way. Kirks former lover Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch) is working on the Genesis Project with her son, David (Merrit Butrick) when Khan shows up and steals it. her garbled message to Kirk, the only person she trusts to rescue her, spurs the newly promoted Admiral into action, and he takes the Enterprise off on a rescue mission.

This is, of course, all part of Khan’s plan. The Genesis Project is a newly made technology that is able to rapidly form, and habitate, new planets from old. Being able to form the very essence of life itself is a power Khan wants for his own ends, and most of all, they have nothing to do with preserving life. Khan and his cronies, all of whom are superhuman and more than a match physically for Kirk and Co, yet they still manage to underestimate the great man’s intelligence in battle. The scenario of potential catastrophe for the Enterprise is averted with the ultimate sacrifice from Spock, who manages to get the Enterprise’s warp engines on line after a prolonged battle, just before he expires.

I swear, if you say "Ze plane Boss" one more time...

Wrath Of Khan, and to some extent, the immediate sequel The Search For Spock, all deal quite heavily with the death of major characters in the series, or at least the apparent death of them. Spock’s death in particular hits Kirk hard, and we see this in the films final, poignant moments, where no doubt those who watched this at the time of it’s release were unaware of the impending resurrection in the next film. It’s a solid tear-jerker from Kirk and the crew, all upset at the loss of their valiant comrade.

Aww, who is he kidding? We'll never get decent lines.

While perhaps a little more conventional in it’s narrative than the previous film, Wrath Of Khan never feels like an extended TV episode, something I guess it had the potential to do since the filmmakers were essentially bringing back a previously defeated TV episode villain. Director Nicholas Meyer, who apparently rewrote the script in 12 days once he had signed on to direct, brings to the screen a fairly adequate sense of scale and adventure, although a largely bland opening stanza makes way for terrific, taut and exciting climax later on. What I enjoyed about Wrath of Khan was the lack of adherence to the expectations of the franchise’s conventions: the storytelling is first rate, developing the sense of increasing hatred of Khan, and the nonchalant arrogance of Kirk. Of course, this arrogance is tempered with a vast experience, and you just know that when he’s faced with Khan, Kirk will triumph regardless of the cost, both personally and physically. Kirk, of course, is Kirk. And we get to see something as yet unheralded in the series: Kirk with a serious relationship under his belt, in the form of his ex-lover Carol, and her son, David. David, who most people will know now as Kirks own son (although he is unaware of it until the films final act), becomes a crystallising force in Kirks motivations in both this film, and the next one. By giving Kirk a sense of purpose within the film, and within himself, Meyer and his team managed to bring something to the character that, as far as I know, never been managed before; a sense of empathy and depth. Kirk is truly human here, his soul laid bare as he contends with Khan and the fact that his own flesh and blood is now in peril. Until now, Kirk has never felt the icy touch of family members in peril, and how he deals with it is fascinating.

Highly logical to assume I will direct the next one, Captain.

William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban are both terrific in their roles, Shatner especially so, thanks to a great script to work with. Montalban gives it his all, his ferocious Khan a truly behemoth villain for the Enterprise crew to triumph over. The rest of the cast, including Kirstie Alley, are good, solid support in their roles, and you cannot fault the performances in this regard. The film is, as mentioned earlier, a little flat in the opening stanza, a sense of overawed ponderousness almost capitulating to the franchise’s massive legacy, yet Meyer brings it up a notch when the plot starts to thicken, and Khan’s plans begin to unravel to their dramatic conclusion. The action is fairly solid in the end, and you’ll be cheering for Kirk and Co by the time Khan learns that he’s about to fail his mission.

Special mention must be made of the then-revolutionary special computer effects used in the film, when the Genesis Probe is unleashed to generate the first planet in it’s history. The effects may look dated by today’s standards, but for their time were cutting edge. The rest of the films general effects, from model shots to rotoscoping to hand-drawn animation, are typically good for a film of this era (1982) and again, may have dated by comparison to stuff Hollywood produces today.

Hey Bill, this game of charades just ain't working for me, you know?

For me, though, it’s the films tragic denouement that requires the most attention. Regardless of your affiliation for Trek, be you a casual fan, a non-believer, or a die-hard Trekkie (“Trekker” can kiss my warp drive ass!) you cannot help but be touched by the friendship between Kirk and Spock, achieved over decades of television reruns to the point that it’s permeated the very consciousness of our culture. To see Kirk watching his friend die, in such a helpless fashion, is heart-rending, and I can only imagine how it must have been for fan’s witnessing this for the first time. Kirks face, so dramatically performed by Shatner, is filled with sorrow and sadness, a sadness so profound it echoes back to the beginnings of the original series, these men have been friends for almost their entire lives, and now, Kirk can do nothing as Spock collapses and dies from the Enterprises radiation. The wall of glass (at least, I think it’s glass.. It could be some kind of pseudo-scientific protective alloy) is all that separates Kirk from the Vulcan, the famous split-fingered gesture of Spock’s slowly, slowly, disappearing from view as the man dies.

There is a sense of devastation about the event, the post-Khan defeat resolution that ends the film, on what has to be said is a fairly sombre note. Yet not all is lost: for as his body is shot out into space onto the newly formed Genesis planet, Leonard Nimoy’s distinctive voice comes over the soundtrack, and finally, before the credits, we get the sense that he is not totally gone. Reciting the famous lines “..to boldly go where no man etc etc..” is enough to make us think that, perhaps, he’s not lost to us. Only time would tell if our thoughts were well founded.

In the end, they wrote it off as a car-parking accident.

Taking over music duties with Wrath of Khan is James Horner, who has some serious shoes to fill after Jerry Goldsmiths sterling effort in the original film. Horner produces some wonderful score here, his lavish, full blooded action music perfectly counterpointed by some truly tender, moving motifs during the quieter moments. The Trek themes are present, and used well, and as far as dynamic scores go for films, this would be right up there among the best of them. Horner may be lambasted by modern audiences for his “anvil clanking” style (see the score for Aliens as an example of that) but here, he’s managed to not only take Goldsmiths themes and run with them, but perhaps even improve upon them as well. And that’s no mean feat.

Putting in the new sunroof was a mite destructive.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is a great Trek film, one of the better ones in the long history of the franchise. It’s easy to enjoy, filled with genuine pathos and drama, and above all, character development, and even if you don’t understand the whole Trek “thing”, this is still a thoroughly enjoyable cinematic ride.

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The first in the long running series of Star Trek films is a tedious, long, leisurely paced exploration of what made the original series so popular: Kirk and Co encounter a strange alien force that managed to destroy three Klingon warships, as Starfleet send them on a dangerous mission into the far reaches of space.

Yes, it’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, or, if you want to be pedantic, Star Trek I. Directed by Robert Wise (who also directed The Sound Of Music, The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), West Side Story, and Run Silent, Run Deep) and starring the complete original cast, Star Trek I is a galactic triumph of style and expectation over substance, with a script devoid of heart and a cast almost overawed by the fact that they’re in a film rather than a TV show. There’s a sense of achievement with this film, using state of the art effects (for it’s time) and trying to transform a relatively new TV show concept into a larger than life theatrical movie. Alien scribe Alan Dead Foster developed the story, which was turned into a screenplay by Harold Livingston, and what takes place on screen is a leaden, stumbling affair riddled with the overarching sense of “we have to get this right”. In other words, the film is so busy trying to cater to the fans, and to ensure canonical accuracy, that it forgets where it’s going narratively and ends up becoming a dire mess, taking even the most hardcore fans down with it.

The starship Enterprise, docked near Earth.

I’d like to have started by saying something positive about the film, because it was the original that launched the series from TV rerun into big-screen event blockbuster: and you’d be forgiven for asking how that happened. Released in the same year as Alien and the first Chris Reeve Superman movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is hardly a patch on those two classics, although it can hold it’s own in the canon of the original show. The finale of the film, with it’s slowly paced action sequences, makes for either enthralling viewing if you’re a fan, or utter boredom if you’re not.

Kirk and Co board the refitted Enterprise to discover the source of the mysterious power that has taken out three Klingon ships, and appears to be moving towards Earth. Kirk usurps the balance of power by demoting the newly appointed Captain of his beloved Enterprise, Captain Decker (Stephen Collins), to Commander, and First Officer, and this causes friction between the two men. Deckers romantic interest, Ilia, played by Persis Khambatta, an Indian model, is kidnapped by the alien force, which calls itself V’ger. To rescue her, Kirk and the Enterprise crew meet the alien probe half way, and discover that in actuality, it’s a long lost Human space probe, which has developed a kind of artificial intelligence.

Bones & Kirk grapple with a problem.

The main problem with Star Trek I is the lack of convincing dramatic tension on the part of the alien “villain”, although that nomenclature is actually inaccurate. V’ger is less a villain and more a misunderstood (and misunderstanding) newly formed life form, a concept overall that became a staple of the Star Trek serials that were made henceforth, including Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. And the lack of tension, disregarding that mounted by Kirk and Decker, is a major blow to a film filled with fine production values and wonderful themes. After all, with series creator Gene Roddenberry overseeing the whole thing, at least you know the shows themes of tolerance, understanding and exploration are intact. But it’s the lack of decent pacing, a languid development of the characters and the situation, that fatally hamstring the film. It moves at a snails pace (by comparison with later films) and by the end, you’re kinda glad it’s all over. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Bones, Chekov, Sulu, Scotty, and throw in Roddenberry’s wife Majel Barret as the Enterprise’s chief Doctor, as well as some of the best visual effects money could buy in 1979, and Star Trek is a fairly faithful cinematic rendition of what folks grew up with on the TV show.

I say Captain, how'd you get your hands on that snazzy blue outfit?

The actors all look like deer caught in the headlights. Kirk and Bones, as well as the rest of the cast to a lesser extent, look a little out of their depth in front of cinema cameras, although perhaps Leonard Nimoy can rest easy on this point, since he never looks fazed with anything. Persis Khambatta, the unfortunate female officer transformed into an alien probe by V’ger, is the least interesting of the characters in the film, which is a shame given she’s such a key component of it. Khambatta is as wooden as a fence post, her acting ability not that far off the level of Tom Greens. Which is NOT a compliment.

Idiot. Indian women have the red dot on their forehead... not their neck! What kind of cut rate production is this?!

Perhaps the greatest significant element to come out of Star Trek I is the magnificent Jerry Goldsmith score. The film is almost, almost I tell you, worth watching just to hear Goldmsith’s awesome score, which would eventually become a staple theme and recurring motif within all aspects of the Star Trek brand. The Klingon theme, the main titles, the action sequences, all would be reworked by Goldmsith throughout the rest of his life whenever he composed for the show. His scores for Star Trek V, as well as more recently First Contact, Insurrection and Nemesis were resounding successes, and repeatedly wrote variations on the themes presented in this first film: his music has become almost synonymous with the show.

However, I’d go as far as to say that were it not for the addition of Goldsmith to the soundtrack, this film would almost have been a disaster in every respect. Wise went back to the film, in 2001, to create the Director’s Edition on DVD, going as far as re-editing the film for pacing, and ensuring the sound remix was up to par, giving the film a 5.1 mix and a much needed kick in the narrative pants. While an improvement in the slightest degree, not even that kind of attention can dismiss the fact that the screenplay is simply dreary, waxing lyrical about just how cool it must be to live in the future at almost every turn, and giving the sense that the film is inadvertently self-aware and (dare I say it) self indulgent.

The final day of filming was on the set of Saturday Night Fever.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a generally displeasing film, filled with ideas never fulfilled, and themes never explored to the best advantage. While Robert Wise has since gone down in history as one of cinemas greatest directors, it’s perhaps one of the great disappointments that a director of his skill with actors, and a great visualist to boot, can turn out such a poorly devised cinematic debut for some of televisions most beloved characters.

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