Star Trek: Generations

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frankes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Malcolm McDowell, William Shatner, Whoopi Goldberg, James Doohan, Walter Koenig
Directed by: David Carson
Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction
1994

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A mysterious energy force called The Nexus nearly destroys the U.S.S. Enterprise-B, saved only when Captain Kirk (William Shatner) sacrifices himself to save the ship. He is presumed dead. Decades later, a madman (Malcolm McDowell) tries to harness the power of the Nexus, caring little for the millions of lives he'd have to sacrifice to do it. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is determined to stop him. When he fails, falling into the Nexus, he meets Kirk. Now, both Captains must work together to stop the damage being done.

Review:

Tim: I just couldn't get past the fact that this movie felt purely like a transition film. The producers needed to shift the cast away from the old and to the new. But, how to do it? How can you explain it all? This film is the answer. It is greatly hurt because it feels like it pulls between the two different casts. This is supposed to be The Next Generation's cast, but William Shatner as Captain Kirk just draws too much energy to him. It never feels like this new cast has complete control of the movie, as we are just waiting anxiously for Shatner to reappear.

Transition movies are notoriously difficult to do, and this film is a perfect example of that. This is a clever way to pass the torch, but it never really works. Yes, I absolutely loved the scenes with both Captains- Kirk and Picard. These scenes feature William Shatner and Patrick Stewart, two excellent actors. I truly loved seeing these two men on screen together. However, these scenes are far too short, and don't do enough to make this movie great. I couldn't help it, but I felt like the Next Generation cast were imposters, taking up screen time away from the better, original cast. I had a difficult time making the switch in my mind that these characters would be the ones I boldly go with in the future.

The film's plot is decent. You have to give it credit for weaving both Kirk and the Next Generation cast into one coherent storyline. It doesn't work as a movie, but it was an excellent way to transition the casts. The movie has some halfway decent subplots- Data's emotion chip did account for some pretty good laughs. However, the plot as a whole is a bit weak and doesn't make tons of sense.

Star Trek: Generations had the difficult task of serving as a truly transitional movie. It has a few strong moments, including a fairly memorable death scene. However, the plot is one of the weaker ones, and as a whole, I just wasn't that impressed with the film. I had a hard time letting go of the original cast, and I worry this will continue for me.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest