bnorthup
12-17-2002, 11:12 AM
Star Trek Nemesis (PG-13)
At the Circus
***(three stars)
A familiar but satisfying Enterprise
By Brent Northup
The reviewers are not being particularly kind to the 10th installment of the Star Trek film series, “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Hardcore trekkies seemed disappointed by the routine plot and by the less-than-interstellar special effects.
USA Today critic Mike Clark unleashed a typical laser shot at this episode. “As spent screen series go,” wrote Clark in his review, “ ‘Star Trek: Nemesis’ is even more suggestive of a 65th class reunion mixer where only eight surviving members show up — and there's nothing to drink.” Roger Ebert calls this sequel “the copy of a copy of a copy.”
Well, as someone who’s never been a diehard fan of “Star Trek,” I found this “reunion” reasonably satisfying. In fact, I didn’t miss the cutting edge special effects – I liked it precisely because there were fewer special effects. And the fact that this was a routine story simply made it comfortable, like old slippers. Best of all, the plot was laced with concepts, rather than simply a parade of amazing weapons and reptilian creatures.
The story involves two related tales. One involves the discovery of a clone of Data, the other involves a “clone” of a crew member. The issue that keeps the movie alive is a thoughtful one: if the DNA is the same, but the environment different, how similar will the siblings be?
The villain this time is Shinzon, a Romulan strategic creation who deftly escaped his destiny. There’s trouble amidst the Romulans, and Picard is sent to make peace. A surprise awaits him.
The stories are held together by Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard and by Brent Spiner as Data. The ending, for once, is not predictable – and that was pleasing.
Now I’m not going to deny that this movie is an easy target for critics who wish to unleash their keyboards. In fact, reading the unsympathetic reviews on the Metacritic website (metacritic.com) is a lot of fun. The nation’s best critics crafted some very inventive lines in their reviews of “Star Trek: Nemesis.”
But, for once, I choose not to join them. Instead, I’m going to admit that I relaxed into my seat, smiled and just enjoyed the ride on the Enterprise. I found the philosphical ponderings on cloning intriguing, and the actor who shares my name got lots of screen time. That was enough for me. This time.
END
At the Circus
***(three stars)
A familiar but satisfying Enterprise
By Brent Northup
The reviewers are not being particularly kind to the 10th installment of the Star Trek film series, “Star Trek: Nemesis.” Hardcore trekkies seemed disappointed by the routine plot and by the less-than-interstellar special effects.
USA Today critic Mike Clark unleashed a typical laser shot at this episode. “As spent screen series go,” wrote Clark in his review, “ ‘Star Trek: Nemesis’ is even more suggestive of a 65th class reunion mixer where only eight surviving members show up — and there's nothing to drink.” Roger Ebert calls this sequel “the copy of a copy of a copy.”
Well, as someone who’s never been a diehard fan of “Star Trek,” I found this “reunion” reasonably satisfying. In fact, I didn’t miss the cutting edge special effects – I liked it precisely because there were fewer special effects. And the fact that this was a routine story simply made it comfortable, like old slippers. Best of all, the plot was laced with concepts, rather than simply a parade of amazing weapons and reptilian creatures.
The story involves two related tales. One involves the discovery of a clone of Data, the other involves a “clone” of a crew member. The issue that keeps the movie alive is a thoughtful one: if the DNA is the same, but the environment different, how similar will the siblings be?
The villain this time is Shinzon, a Romulan strategic creation who deftly escaped his destiny. There’s trouble amidst the Romulans, and Picard is sent to make peace. A surprise awaits him.
The stories are held together by Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard and by Brent Spiner as Data. The ending, for once, is not predictable – and that was pleasing.
Now I’m not going to deny that this movie is an easy target for critics who wish to unleash their keyboards. In fact, reading the unsympathetic reviews on the Metacritic website (metacritic.com) is a lot of fun. The nation’s best critics crafted some very inventive lines in their reviews of “Star Trek: Nemesis.”
But, for once, I choose not to join them. Instead, I’m going to admit that I relaxed into my seat, smiled and just enjoyed the ride on the Enterprise. I found the philosphical ponderings on cloning intriguing, and the actor who shares my name got lots of screen time. That was enough for me. This time.
END