Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Movie Review: "Star Trek: Generations" (1994)In an ingeniously-received screenplay by thirty-years-and-younger screenwriters Ronald D. Moore & Brannon Braga, also responsible for producing an unfortunately epic-failing prequel "Enterprise" television series from 2001 before given his former employee the death-wish-stapping with a never-seen-before parodic entrée created by stand-up-comedian Seth MacFarland "The Orville" in season 2017/2018; nevertheless here with serious as highly-emotional feature installment for Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his faithful, seven season approved crew under slow-but-solid former-television-episode director David Carson.Actor Patrick Stewart as already incorporated Captain Jea-Luc Picard carries this unusually-metaphysical, mind-stretching approach of a newly-received "Star Trek" science-fiction entertainment movie proudly presented by "Dom Perignon" granting Hollywood Major "Paramount Pictures", when a beauty of a timeless spaceship "Enterprise NCC-1701-D" gets inaugurated under watchful eyes of now more Admiral James T. Kirk and Senior-Warp-Engineer Montegomery Scott, in heart-warming appearances of whispering legend with William Shatner, James Doohan (1920-2005) and Walter Koenig as Chekov, before a conspiracy-suspense-plot thickens, driving by fulminate character role for the ages Soran, portrayed by Malcolm "Clockwork Orange" McDowell to become a marvel of a generations-overlapping parallel universe called "The Nexus", when finally the scene of all scenes between Patrick Stewart's Picard and William Shatner's Kirk accurs to become a calm Shakespearean chamber play in a rural carpentered wood shack, in reminiscence to an even further exceeding interior diner scene with just black coffee reception as warmer redeemer between Al Pacino & Robert De Niro in "Heat" (1995)."Generations" in its 110-Minute-Cut has become an professionally-received editorial by Peter E. Berger, making full use of splendid cinematography by John A. Alonzo (1934-2001), when this 35-Million-Dollar upscale of a Hollywood production, retrieves from many believed-to-be the best "Star Trek" television episodes given, really exceeds any science-fiction-lovers expectations with sequences of action to the maximum of metal-into-earth proportions and on the other side pure wisdom on fading lights of the most-appreciated character of former leisure-chamber-owning Guinan, so-formidably portrayed by Academy-Award-Winner Whoopi Goldberg to let this "Star Trek" become one of full-circling, mountain-peaking endeavors.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

The "Star Trek" Franchise did Not have to Fuse the Original and the "Next Generation" On the Big Screen in the First Film from the New TV Series...but THEY DID! So Fans of both Incarnations of the Never Ending Saga of Gene Roddenberry's Creation Waited to See, and the Nervous, Anxious, and Nerdy Fans were Ultimately Mixed....from Disappointment to outright Rage (hardly surprising).Objectively and Viewed Outside the Trek "Bubble", it's Not a Bad Movie but Far from Great. There are Highlights that Entertain. Kirk and Picard's On Screen Meeting, Data's Emotion Chip, the Klingon Confrontation, and some Outstanding SFX.The Film is Extremely Corny in Spots and as a Whole it doesn't Mesh very Well, but Overall it is Certainly Worth a Watch for Hardcore Fans (in fact a must see considering the series transition) and Casual Observers can have some Fun with the Iconic Display.There would be Better "STNG" Films to come and there were Better "Star Trek" Movies before.It could Never Capture the Old Crew without the Presence of Spock, Bones, and Sulu and given what was here to Work With, it can be Considered Worthy.This was a Challenging Ploy that Didn't quite Come Together and could be Termed a "Misfire", and it is, but the Tricky Trek Transfer from One Generation to the Next is at Least Done with a Modicum of Honor and Respect.

"Star Trek Generations" is the last we see of the "Original" cast members of "Star Trek." Even then, not all of them make an appearance. What we do get, are Kirk, Scotty and Chekov appearing at the beginning of this film - who for the last time - attempt to assist in a distress call when a new Enterprise is launched on her maiden voyage. Kirk officially is listed as dead but not all is what it appears....... The opening 15 minutes of "Star Trek Generations" is based approximately during the era of the original Enterprise crew. Then the film moves 78 years into the future, where we are introduced to "The Next Generation" crew in their movie debut. The plot is a rather confusing and rambling one. The narrative doesn't make a whole lot of sense as some scenes are just cobbled together with no sense of continuity. The cast from "The Next Generation" series is a good one and they are being wasted here. Brett Spinner in particular is marvellous as Data, he made the character his own. Malcolm McDowell is a great villain, he always could be slightly sinister. It is the return of Kirk that makes this film worth sticking with and I personally cheered at the cinema when William Shatner made his return. Kirk wasn't going to retire as a Starship captain easily! He proves this by agreeing to assist Picard after they are both trapped inside the Nexus. He and Patrick Stewart have good on- screen chemistry and it is unfortunate that they didn't work together in another "Star Trek" film. It is interesting how two completely different eras from Starfleet are united in battling the mad scientist in question (Malcolm McDowell). This isn't a dreadful movie but it certainly isn't a classic.

After Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was made, everyone had to be feeling that The Next Generation crew had to given their chance, especially after how successful the aforementioned film had been. And while I understand the excitement behind combining the two Enterprise captains, Kirk and Picard, it was a highly unnecessary step in passing the baton to the new crew.Generations has its quality moments: Kirk unease with the struggling new Enterprise captain, the always enjoyable give-and-take between LaForge and Data, the acting chops of Patrick Stewart, Riker's turn to lead an astro-naval battle against Klingons, and state-of-the-art visual effects. But overall the film fails to captivate the viewer because of very mundane plot seemingly designed solely to bridge the gap from the Original Series crew to the Next Generation. The Nexus is hardly a sinister problem since it provides so much comfort to those who fall in it (and can seemingly get out of easily). The main villain in this film is played by Caligula himself, Malcolm McDowell, who definitely brings a sinister edge to Dr. Soran. But his motivations to return to the Nexus are unremarkable aside from the fact that he clearly believes in "the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many," a truly poor choice of words from Kirk back in Search for Spock.The drama is mainly lacking in this film and it never requires the viewer to consider moral issues, like a great Trek story should, since the Nexus has almost no bearing in our real world. Yes, it can be unwise to constantly reminisce and dwell in the past or what could have been, but that usually does not have a widespread impact on society. The moment when Kirk and Picard meet is enjoyable for long-time fans of Star Trek, but The Next Generation crew has enough clout of its own, not needing the reins of Trek to be passed on to them by Kirk in this movie. Now, give this crew their very own film and see what happens…Some final thoughts: It was disappointing that the audience was shown which characters from the original crew in the opening credits, taking away from the hopeful suspense of seeing old friends. And were we really supposed to believe that Ferris Bueller's friend would ever get promoted to captain of the Enterprise? While, I'm sure Shatner thought Kirk's heroic death was a fitting end to the character, we were already given a perfect ending for him in the previous film. And Picard's crew really has too much time on its hands to spend so much of it in the Holodeck.*My film rating follows the soccer player rating measure of 6 as a baseline: you did what was expected of you. This film is a 6 because it gave us generic Star Trek intrigue, but lacked the villain and plot to really captivate the audience. The Next Generation crew rose up to the occasion, but were held back by being forced to take the baton from Kirk & Co.