I'm conflicted in my opinion of the final adventure of the Next Generation crew. I can see why a lot the fan community slam the film but I can't help but find some positive aspects in the movie. I agree that it's a good thing NEMESIS was the final film in the series, as the filmmakers appear to have given up recapturing the essence of the series years before and were more interested in putting out blockbuster hopefuls. The film opens with the marriage of Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes) to Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis), but the festivities are soon put on hold when the Enterprise-E locates a prototype android identical to Data scattered in pieces on a nearby planet. As the android (dubbed B-4) is reassembled, the Enterprise is dispatched to Romulus where the Remans have risen up against the Romulans and their leader apparently seeks to find peace with the Federation. The Remans are led by a clone of Captain Picard named Shinzon (Tom Hardy), originally bred as a weapon against Starfleet but eventually relegated to the dilithium mines of Remus. Picard struggles with the feeling that a portion of his identity was stolen as the Enterprise is discovers that Shinzon's intentions are not those of peace, but of destruction.
As has been the case with all of the Next Generation movies (with the exception of INSURRECTION), this film is visually beautiful. The CGI effects are at their peak and the production design of Herman Zimmerman continues to blow me away. I loved the design of the Remans: part Romulan, part vampire. It was some of the best makeup design in the series since the Borg were redesigned for FIRST CONTACT. The filmmakers have even learned from their mistakes of the last film and used a cinematographer who gave the film a wonderful cinematic feel, as opposed to the flat television lighting they'd regressed to before. Nothing about the film's visual style disappoints, but the same can't be said for the story. Most of the earlier films retained the depth of the series, but NEMESIS really is nothing more than a flashy action pic. For proof, you need to look no further than the entire last half of the film. There is some weak subtext to the story but the entire second hour is drawn out battle leading to the climactic confrontation between Picard and Shinzon about the enemy ship.
As seems to be the norm with all of the Next Generation movies, Picard and Data are the focal points here. The other crew members are usually given plenty of their own to do, but not here. A lot of the crew members are underused and I'm sure they weren't happy about being background players in their final feature film. Patrick Stewart is certainly the strongest member of the cast and carries most of the movie, and Brent Spiner is great as usual as Data (and B-4). I wish I had more positive things to say about Tom Hardy as Shinzon. He's a fantastic actor and has the skills to go face-to-face with Patrick Stewart (for those who doubt me, watch his screen test for the film). I just couldn't help but feel his character was too young and that really robbed me of any sense of danger from him. Had he been a bit more aged and worn, I might see him as a threat to Picard.
I suppose the film is a fun action flick, but it's just a weak STAR TREK film. It's shallow story can't be saved by it's impressive effects, but I wish the crew had been given one more chance to do it right before calling it quits. It's an entertaining two hours but aside from a bittersweet ending there's nothing entirely memorable about it. Fans of the franchise will be polarized in their views on the film and non-fans might be able to stomach it as an action-packed sci-fi romp. One thing's for certain: it's not the best time spent with the crew of the Enterprise.
