It's time for the Star Trek: Generations appreciation thread

[Kor]

Good evening, folks. To continue to revel in our appreciation for under-appreciated Trek movies, let's discuss the much-maligned Star Trek: Generations.

One could potentially criticize its television-style production (including the bland music), the bizarre concept of the Nexus, the disappointing use of three original Enterprise crew, the meaningless death of Kirk, the meaningless death of Picard's family, the ineptitude of Captain Harriman, the reuse of the exact same shot of the Klingon Bird of Prey exploding from the previous movie (including a piece of the ship noticeably bouncing back up into frame)....

Yes, one certainly could go on and on about such things. But that is not the purpose of this thread!

What did you like about GEN?

Kor

 

[K'Toska]

I uhhh liked that it had Kirk *and* Picard. It wasn't a bad movie by any means, just not one of my favorites. At least they included Guinan in it! Also the Nexus looked pretty damn cool.

 

[Kor]

I liked the visual effects.

Kor

 

[Smellmet]

I liked the visual effects.

Kor

I think the visual effects were superior to First Contact and certainly Insurrection, I thought they were superb - The Enterprise (B &D), Nexus, Saucer crash, shockwaves, Veridian III explosion, stellar cartography were all excellent and memorable.

I loved the overall look of the movie, the way it was shot and lit gave it a real big screen feel that FC and INS lacked. I wish the others had been shot in this way.

 

[Dukhat]

It was good to see Kirk, Scotty and Chekov again, knowing it would probably be for the last time. It was good to finally see the TNG crew and the Enterprise-D on the big screen. It was cool to see the launch of the Enterprise-B. And the musical score was pretty good.

All downhill after that.

 

[Kilana2]

I liked the Enterprise-B scenes including Harriman and Demora Sulu. Hikaru Sulu had a daughter all of a sudden. And Harriman was still inexperienced. It is nice to see him more matured and experienced in DRG III Lost Era novels.

The Duras sisters being blown to kingdom come was another highlight.

Every scene with Data, as he is one of my favorites.

And last but not least Kirk meeting Picard face-to-face. Shatner making his own novelverse out of the movie is a matter of taste. On the one hand, Shatner knows best how to write Kirk. On the other hand, Kirk is actually dead except in the Shatnerverse.

 

[Smellmet]

It was good to see Kirk, Scotty and Chekov again, knowing it would probably be for the last time. It was good to finally see the TNG crew and the Enterprise-D on the big screen. It was cool to see the launch of the Enterprise-B. And the musical score was pretty good.

All downhill after that.

I've got mixed feelings towards seeing Kirk, Scotty and Chekov again, yes it was good to see them but I think the ending for TUC was just so good that seeing them again also somehow didn't seem quite right . I still enjoy the Enterprise B scenes a lot, but I wish they'd have just done a straight up TNG movie to be honest.

I don't think the film went downhill from there either, I think it's a very entertaining flick up to Picard entering the Nexus, with some good memorable scenes and great visual effects.

Once he enters the Nexus though it's game over for me.

 

[Dukhat]

I've got mixed feelings towards seeing Kirk, Scotty and Chekov again, yes it was good to see them but I think the ending for TUC was just so good that seeing them again also somehow didn't seem quite right.

Don't get me wrong. I agree with you that TUC was a much better sendoff for the TOS cast. My point was that if we absolutely had to see some of these characters again, I'm glad we got the chance.

I don't think the film went downhill from there either, I think it's a very entertaining flick up to Picard entering the Nexus, with some good memorable scenes and great visual effects.

My "downhill" comment was actually meant in response to the next three films.

 

[Smellmet]

I've got mixed feelings towards seeing Kirk, Scotty and Chekov again, yes it was good to see them but I think the ending for TUC was just so good that seeing them again also somehow didn't seem quite right.

Don't get me wrong. I agree with you that TUC was a much better sendoff for the TOS cast. My point was that if we absolutely had to see some of these characters again, I'm glad we got the chance.

I don't think the film went downhill from there either, I think it's a very entertaining flick up to Picard entering the Nexus, with some good memorable scenes and great visual effects.

My "downhill" comment was actually meant in response to the next three films.

Ah, I see where you're coming from.

 

[Vger23]

Those who have said that the visual FX were good are dead-on. The ships, planets and nexus effect are all beautiful. The BoP vs E-D scene was the first time we've seen the BoP look true-to-scale in the franchise.

The cinematography / lighting is also absolutely gorgeous. The interiors all look and feel very moody and real. The Picard home in the Nexus has a beautiful authentic and magic "Christmas" feel.

The E-D saucer crash is awesome. Still pins me to the back of my chair every single time I watch it.

The opening sequence, pre-launch, is very sentimental and well-done. One of my favorite moments in the whole film is "no, you were younger."

The film has a sweeping, epic feel that really hadn't been achieved since TMP. There's a ton of locales to explore here, and it's made even more rich by liberal and effective use of location shooting.

The soundtrack, while not my favorite, is very good.

 

[Cyke101]

I feel like the movie is somehow still shot with a TV mindset (as in, many of the interior shots don't take advantage of the aspect ratio), but the SFX shots are just masterfully made.

I'd posit that Generations had the best FX for a Trek film until 2009, which is impressive for a movie from 1994. First Contact was nice, yes, but it didn't give us something really cosmically threatening or beautiful, since it was primarily an action movie. Same with Nemesis. And Insurrection tried, but the Briar Patch looked like an itchy wool blanket.

I rewatched Generations a few weeks ago because of TrekBBS, and when the Enterprise-B flies towards the Nexus, I felt encompassed, drawn in, impressed and thrilled but slightly frightened, which to me is what it feels like to explore the unknown.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

There's A LOT I don't like about the movie, but as others have pointed out, the effects were great, and a real treat to see of the big screen. The work put into those models didn't really show up on TV.

Likewise, the lighting is beautiful and reminiscent of TOS rather than TNG. It did make the ship feel more real.

I also liked the mixing of TNG duty uniforms and DS9 fatigues.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I truly appreciate the gorgeous cinematography in this movie. Gates and Marina are allowed to look their most beautiful in this one and it was a smart move. The picture overall looks great and to see the ENTERPRISE-D on the big screen ... I've got to tell you: I can't help but smile when I think about TOS trying that with their original ship when TMP came out. It's a testament to the quality of the model, the stately design and the sense of the future it possesses that it stands up so well on The Big Screen. It's such a joy for me, as a fan, to see my favourite STAR TREK series spaceship - interior and all - taken wholesale and given the movie treatment.

The quality of TNG on television was equal to the task and the look of GENERATIONS is a tribute to the production values of the sequel series. I'm proud of TNG having made the transition to the big screen, based on the success and following it had. Love it or lump it, GEN was that motion picture. So, for that, it holds a special place in my heart, because when it did come out, who knew which way TNG would go? What the future would hold? And Jonathan "Two Takes" Frakes sure showed them! First Contact not only still has legs ... but it's still as exciting and fun to watch as the reboot movies.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I liked the little fun element they employed for Worf's promotion.

I loved the redesigned bridge and our first look at stellar cartography.

I liked seeing the E-B and the glimpse we had of her crew (hated the PTB handling of Harriman, making him look like an idiot in order to make Kirk appear more heroic). Wish we'd seen more of them.

I liked seeing Troi counselling Picard and loved the lighting in that scene in his quarters.

I'm not sure what they did but there was something done differently that made me really like the look of the Galaxy-Class, was such a shame that was the end of her.

I liked seeing the really busy Ten Forward, always think that's how the place should have been.

 

[eyeresist]

I like the look of GEN, and the music (that opening with the bottle is excellent). I enjoy the characters (and thankfully those I don't like are not overemphasised.) It's a great movie if you don't pay too much attention to the plot.

 

[Trek Survivor]

OP said bland music? Whaaaat? I love the Generations score.

We had a thread like this fairly recently (was it the "Generations is 20 years old!" one?) and I went into a lot of detail of why I like Generations. Of course it has flaws, but I still enjoy it.

 

[Cyke101]

OP said bland music? Whaaaat? I love the Generations score.

The crash scene score remains one of my favorite pieces in all of Trek.

Though this isn't Generations' fault, I distinctly remember Dennis McCarthy reusing/revising parts of this score for DS9, like Way of the Warrior.

 

[1100 Jason 1001]

I like seeing Picard being in-character in a movie, totally unlike his portrayal in the next three films.

Actually, this can be expanded to the overall movie, which retains the feeling of the TV series to a much larger degree than movies 8-10.

 

[The Overlord]

The film has a sweeping, epic feel that really hadn't been achieved since TMP. There's a ton of locales to explore here, and it's made even more rich by liberal and effective use of location shooting.

I disagree, we are supposed to care that Soran is going to destroy a planet full of people we never even see, that is not epic and not showing off an important locale. Show us these people we can get more invested in their fates.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

^ I'd have to agree. Ok we know millions are at risk just for one mans desire to return to happiness, but without even seeing them then how are we supposed to feel anything for them.

It would've been nice if they'd done a little tip-of-the-hat to a previously established pre-warp species, like the Malcorians or the Mintokans. A race we met during their mission, so we know who they are and what is at stake for them.