Skip to main content

Trekking to the Stars: "Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002)

 

Tuesday arrives, and we open hailing frequencies as we join Captain Picard for another adventure...

The Romulan Senate has been overthrown, and a new Praetor has taken power.

The USS Enterprise answers the summons of the new, mysterious Praetor who claims to seek peace.

Just who is this mysterious new leader... and why are they so insistent on the Federation envoy being Captain Jean-Luc Picard?

"Star Trek: Nemesis" is one of the weakest installments in the franchise.  They tried to capture the tension and personal investment of "First Contact", but instead present us a rather flimsy excuse for Picard to be introspective and thinking about his life choices.  I liked how, in some ways they reversed the role he had with Lily in "First Contact"- with Shinzon being the in the "Ahab" frame of mind.

There is very little in the way of a deep character development in this movie.  From Picard, to Data, to Riker and Troi.  There are changes, but nothing of significance that's actually built upon during the course of the story.

And personally, if I were Captain Sisko, I'd start being hesitant about letting Worf hangout with is old crew...

It all rang kinda hollow to me.  Even Data's sacrifice.  If you've seen "Wrath of Khan," you'd have obviously seen the hints of Spock's "Remember" that left the door open for Data's potential return well before he sacrificed himself.

"Star Trek: Nemesis" isn't great sci-fi... and it's not even bad "Star Trek".  I have to give it an "Ugly."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e