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Trekkie
view (Luke Ashmead) >>
Non-trekkie
view (Katy Lewis) >>
Who
would have imagined when the late Gene Rodenberry penned the very
first Star Trek pilot, that 36 years later the Enterprise crew would
return once again to battle the forces of intergalactic evil in
what has become part of modern day popular culture?
The
Enterprise, its crew, and even their enemies have changed dramatically
in those 36 years but the ethos of Star Trek has stayed the same.
There
did however seem to be an air of change wafting through the space,
time continuum in this latest film though, and it seemed to herald
the end of an era to a certain extent.
It
is darker and more serious and has a tinge of sadness compared to
its Next Generation predecessors, Generations, First Contact and
Insurrection.
The
whole crew returns for Nemesis and even though itÂ’s been three
years since the last film it seems as though returning to character
is not something the cast find difficult. This great on-screen relationship
between characters matched to an attention to continuity and detail
is, I believe, the reason why Star Trek has remained so popular
for so long.
As
many Trek fans will remember, when the first episodes of Next Generation
were screened they were accused of being too raunchy. Well since
that time and not detracting from the importance of William Shatner's
trek, Next Generation has in my mind achieved the status as the
very best of all the Star Trek strands.
WEDDING
BELLS
Well with relationships in mind the film kicks off with wedding
bells. And after a long on-off romance, Commander Riker (Jonathan
Frakes) and Councillor Troi (Mariana Sirtis) finally tie the knot
and the best man speech given by Captain Picard is fitting of the
relationship the two have had throughout the series of programmes
and films.
Following
the ceremony, and Worfs sheer disgust at the corresponding Betazed
wedding to be conducted naked, the Enterprise is to ferry the bride
and groom to the councillors' planet but in true Star Trek style
picks up some a strange electromagnetic signature from a nearby
planet, Kolarus 3.
A very
nifty car chase ensues (he says slipping into Bond speak) and Captain
Picard (Patrick Stewart) seems very much at home at the helm of
a lunar buggy as he is at the helm of the federations flagship.
Nice
to see a bit part for Kate Mulgrew who for those who didnÂ’t
know was Captain Janaway from Voyager. Admiral Janaway and hardcore
trekkies will enjoy two strains of the Star Trek dynasty crossing
over.
MIRROR IMAGE
Star Trek has seen some great villains in the past, from Kahn in
the original films to the Borg in First Contact, and in some ways
I think this is where the film was a bit disappointing.
The
idea was that Picard's Nemesis, Shinzon, was meant to be a mirror
image of himself, cloned years ago and exposed to a life of pain
and cruelty.
In
reality the similarity was less than striking and I think a great
idea would have been complemented by clever camera work rather than
trying to be clever with the casting.
Tom
Hardy plays Shinzon and though there's nothing wrong with his acting
performance his size and stature were not commanding enough to carry
off the role he was playing.
ACTION
As a Star Trek fan I do enjoy The Enterprise doing battle with foe
new and old and some of the action sequences centred around the
ship were superb.
Patrick
Stewart plays the role of Jean Luc Picard with the same style and
gusto as always but his character seems to have developed with every
film and we certainly see a calmer Picard even though the adversity
of battle.
TREKKIE
OR NON TREKKIE
Whether you a seasoned trekkie or discovering Star Trek for the
first time, itÂ’s an enjoyable film and you donÂ’t need
to be fluent in Trek history to understand whatÂ’s going on.
That
aside IÂ’ve seen all the Next Generation Films and found this
one to be number 4 out of 4. IÂ’m not sure that itÂ’s because
the film was that bad, but more likely because the current format
and crew have probably reached a time for change. This seems to
be emphasised at the end of the film.
Star Trek as a concept will surely stay in the hearts and minds
of many people for years to come and when you think that Star Trek
Films and merchandise have grossed $4.5 billion world wide, you
have to ask whether the frontier can ever be final.
Read
a non-trekkie view (Katy Lewis) >>
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