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38 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
More Special Features For This Final Collectors Edition, August 14, 2005
It was just a couple of years ago that Star Trek Nemesis, featuring the final journey of the next generation crew was released on DVD. Featuring the music of the late veteran composer Jerry Goldsmith, it tells the story of how the Enterprise-E, led by Captain Picard is invited by the Romulans to commence final peace negotiations. Unfortunately it is all a ploy by a younger clone of Captain Picard to not only cripple the Federation but exterminate Earth altogether using their new weapon. The weapon is stored aboard Shinzon's ultra-predator-battleship that carries enough photon torpedoes to take out entire fleets of starships, and a perfect cloaking device making it possible to fire in perfect invisibility- unlike the klingon ship from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country that had a flaw. Complicating circumstances is the discovery of a prototype android of the Enterprise's Lt Commander Data.
There is definitely a sense of goodbye with this film, and although Star Trek Nemesis may not be the final Star Trek movie, it is most likely the final next generation movie. Partings in this film, as well as the loss of a beloved member of our senior crew, include Dr Beverly Crusher who is transferring to Starfleet Medical (as she did in Season 2 of Star Trek The Next Generation), Riker who at last has accepted his promotion to Captain and is taking command of another starship, and Counselor Deanna Troi who is going with him as his wife. In this final next generation movie we also get to see Lt Commander Worf who though leaving to be an ambassador at the end of Star Trek Deep Space Nine has returned to the Enterprise crew. Other minor appearances include Janeway who was promoted to Admiral after leading the crew from Star Trek Voyager home, Guinan who was last seen in Star Trek Generations and Wesley Crusher who we haven't seen since the final season of Star Trek The Next Generation.
As for my summary of the whole movie itself- I like it. Quite a few fans have berated it but I like it very much. Despite not being the most original story (just one ship battle really), the dark atmosphere (the darkest for a Star Trek movie to date) really takes our characters into genuine unknown territory. I'm also glad that some of the cheap jokes aimed at the very oldest of Star Trek fans is kept to a minimum here. A negative and a positive about Star Trek Nemesis is the realization of how old our crew have been getting, and indeed how Star Trek itself is. I think the biggest mistake was when the villain of Star Trek Insurrection referred to the Federation as being old. Star Trek is the Federation, and that reference makes Star Trek seem tired. I think that whole thought has connected with viewers, and quite possibly affected the success of Star Trek Nemesis, as well as the final season of Star Trek Deep Space Nine, the last three seasons of Star Trek Voyager, and most definitely the whole of Star Trek Enterprise. I hope that one day the producers of Star Trek move even further along in the Star Trek timeline to an all-new more positive future.
So now we have the new 2 Disc collectors edition of Star Trek Nemesis. New special features exclusive to this edition include the movie in more impactful DTS sound, an audio commentary by the man who has continued Star Trek within the 24th Century- Producer Rick Berman and a text commentary- regular to the collectors edition DVDs. New Production featurettes include Nemesis Revisited, Storyboarding the action, Build and rebuild, Four-Wheeling in the Final Frontier, Shinzon screen test. There are new Star Trek Universe featurettes including A Bold Vision of the Final Frontier, and The Enterprise-E. We also have featurettes studying the Romulan Empire including Romulan Lore, Shinzon & the Viceroy, Romulan Design, The Romulan Senate, The Scimitar. Other special features include new deleted scenes and trailers.
Special features from the first Star Trek Nemesis DVD are also included.
In conclusion, this is a fitting end for the next generation crew. Some may love this movie, some may not, but either way, it's time to end the journey of the next generation and this is indeed, the end.
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42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
STAR TREK NEMESIS is the best TNG film to date, by far., May 19, 2003
By A Customer
As for NEMESIS, I am going out on a limb here and going to state that even though the film is highly derivative from previous Trek films, it is by far the most rousing, kinetic and engrossing of all the TNG movies to date (hand to hand combat, phaser firing in corridors, space battles). It is miles ahead of FIRST CONTACT. From the opening of film, with the reversed "Star Trek" title on the screen to the climactic 4 ship battle, this film delivered the goods. It is the most action-packed of all the Trek films, including the TOS films and the special effects, mostly, are quite impressive. For once, the film LOOKS like it was made for the big screen, although more use of exterior, non-ship locales would have added another dimension. The film listed at 116 minutes, the film moved quite briskly, and I had a great time watching it, relishing every minute, every snippet of dialogue, every bit of throwaway humor (which thankfully this time, is not forced). I was sorry to see it end. All the regulars especially Patrick Stewart, this time giving a more emotional, more layered performance, is wonderful. The chemistry between Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis is great, and, contrary to what you may have heard, Worf is not reduced to a "drunken reservation Indian" (as referred to by prominent an online reviewer). He has a brief drunk, but quiet scene at the wedding, and his bad lines in the original script ("Well Romulan ale should be more illegal") are nowhere to be seen in the film. I am not going to focus on the smashing biological-like attack on the Senate, the THREE KINGS-like desert chase, Data's rescue of Picard from "The Scorpion," Troi's 'remember me' scene and the final, beautifully shot, edited and scored battle involving four ships. I love those scenes but there are other very enjoyable albeit more subtle ones in NEMESIS. There are some gems prevalent in NEMESIS, including an introductory sequence with Shinzon and his henchman the Viceroy coming down those steps, in the dimly lit room, was very atmospheric. Shinzon walks down quietly, like a hungry predator, examining the crew, notably especially Troi and Picard, while a stern Ryker looks on uncomfortably. I loved the darkness of that scene, both in image and in subtext. Another effective scenes features Picard's dinner with Shinzon, in a room off the Senate (a room which looks suspiciously medieval somehow) the sequences with the child are introduced but they are shot in hazy, blue monochrome (aided by a nice f/x shot of a pan into the mines). It is an effective scene but Stuart Baird does not wallow in it, so as not to give too unnecessary sympathy to Shinzon. For fans, like myself in the past, who always complained about the Picard-Data focus in the movies, Data has quite a lesser role in this film, as opposed to the previous ones. A memorable sequence features Data attempting to explain to B-4 (an android) why he has to turn him off (after the former downloads the ship's classified data banks). Brent Spiner - in ineffective yellow pancake makeup amplified by the large-screen - is annoyed at B-4 but not angry; he takes on the role of the older sibling who disapproves of the actions of the younger one, but just when you think you see an element of anger in Data, he calls B-4 "brother." The term "brother" coming from Data means he has come full circle. In a way he is looking at himself from "Encounter at Farpoint" and is now acting like the human he is not. I am not a fan of Data in general but loved the endearing, warm quality to that scene. For the first time in a TNG movie we also get an effective, ready room sequence where the Captain and his crew discuss Shinzon, and reunite again in it for a farewell toast to dead colleague. I loved the dark orange look of the interior of the space ship (the dark red doors, the panels etc) as well as the background graphics on the monitors and various screens across the ship. Indeed. Mathew Leonetti's (MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2, TOP GUN) cinematography is excellent, especially considering the confines of the ship. The Jerry Goldsmith score, somehow was much more effective onscreen with the action, than I remember it being when I heard it on the CD. Ultimately, it is one of his better TNG scores, and his ST: TMP fanfare at space dock, in the end, almost brought tears to my eyes - it's like all the ST movies had come full circle, beginning and ending in space dock. I love this film.
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109 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" goes out with a whimper, May 22, 2003
The plot of "Star Trek: Nemesis" comes down to three situations. First, and most importantly, Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) discovers that he not only has a clone (Tom Hardy) who was created by the Romulans by raised by the Remuseans, but that the enterprising Shinzon has become Praetor of the Romulan Empire, which has a weapon that can destroy all life on Earth. Second, in an obvious parallel, Data (Brent Spiner) discovers yet another of Dr. Soong's prototype androids, named B-4 (also Spiner). Third, and finally in more ways than one, Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) are finally getting married. This 10th Star Trek film, and four in the STNG part of the series, has its moments but is ultimately less than satisfying. Part of the problem is that even before the film's climatic death scene we are already aware that we have another Star Trek death that is not really death scene. Yes, this is certainly more plausible than the first one in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"/"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," but that it is at the expense of the shock and emotional impact the first time around. Consequently, the big payoff rings hollow, which is never a good sing for a major theatrical release. Another part of the problem is that the cast is so large that few of them have much of value to do. Geordi LaForge (LeVar Burton) has been standing by for several films mainly to ask Data what he is doing so the android can explain, Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) waits for casualties to show up in sick bay, and Worf (Michael Dorn) is at least good for a few laughs with the comments he makes in his cups while everyone is toasting Riker and Troi. As far as the movies go, STNG has boiled down to Picard and Data, and the rest are along for the ride, posing stiffly and formly in the background. That being said, "Nemesis" finally gives Counselor Troi the main supporting role and a couple of scenes when she proves she can give as well as receive. But overall there are two many cast members sitting around with little or nothing to do; compare this with the series finale "All Good Things..." Finally, there are just too many significant gaps in the thinking of the main characters. Picard and his clone think they understand each other as if in the future the nature versus nurture issue has gone the way of safety belts being required on alll chairs on spaceships. Yes, having a clone is creeping. Yes, having your clone serving in a Romulan slave pit is disturbing. But the idea that the result is a younger version of itself was never legitimated by novels/films like "The Boys From Brazil." This is supposed to be the future, but the "science" here is about on par with a 1950s film. If I, who know virtually nothing about science in general or cloning in particular can see the holes in this logic, than Picard's Starfleet Academy training should serve him in much better stead. Now that we are apparently here at the end of the road for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" it might be appropriate to conduct a post mortem and consider the question of why the theatrical films were never as good as any of the two-part episodes of the television series. The short explanation is they went for bigger (e.g., the Borg rewrite human history) rather than better. What is so puzzling is why a creative staff that came up with several solid story lines almost every season for many years could not cut it when it was required to come up with one very good idea every few years. "Star Trek - Nemesis" has the characters of STNG but neither the style nor the substance; what does Picard driving a intergalactic dune buggy have to do with why we loved this television show? Plus, the lighting makes Data's skin look really weird. At least we have the original STNG out on DVD now.
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