Star Trek Nemesis (Movie Review)

and a breakup of the Enterprise-E crew?something the usual creators of the Trek mythos would have likely shied away from.

Finally, the ultimate twist?apparently a surprise to even the TNG cast?came when Paramount decided to promote the film with the tagline "A generation's final journey begins." The phrasing leaves open the possibility that this is not the absolute final chapter, but given the tumultuous events at the end of the film it seems that Nemesis may indeed be the last hurrah for Picard and friends.

As for the film itself, did they finally, as Brent Spiner claimed in his Communicator interview, "nail it"? Was this the best Trek film ever? Although Nemesis is a very enjoyable trip, I can respond with no hesitation that, no, this is not the all-time greatest Trek. While it may grow on me with time and repeated viewing, at present I would slot it in at number 5 on the all-time list. (For a complete ranking of and thoughts on the 10 Star Trek films, see the companion article "Ranking the Trek Film Franchise.")

One big success for Paramount with Nemesis is in breaking out of the mold. Star Trek films always seem to have a consistent feel, and since the TNG era began on the big screen there has been a nagging TV-episode quality to the movies (First Contact being the exception). The use of the non-Trek writer John Logan and the non-Trek director Stuart Baird endows Nemesis with a unique look, feel, and pace. From the very beginning you know that this trip is different. When the title appears on-screen we are quickly whisked away to the Romulan star system. No five-minute cast credits with musical accompaniment this time. It's action right off the bat.

Additional uniqueness comes from framing that breaks with traditional Trek style, grainy shooting on the planet Kolarus III, and an overall frightening darkness that is uncharacteristic for this franchise.

I spent a large portion of the film sitting on the edge of my seat, leaning toward the screen with a feeling of slight apprehension and puzzlement at the uneasy feeling that I had been plucked out of the

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