Yes the 4k TWOK, whilst a clear upgrade from my DVD box set wasn't anything special outside of resolution. The new TMP 4k though is spectacular.
TNG Movies to 4K Disc in April
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Yes the 4k TWOK, whilst a clear upgrade from my DVD box set wasn't anything special outside of resolution. The new TMP 4k though is spectacular.
I’m once again really delighted that Apple automatically upgraded the last of the Trek movies to 4k.
I must confess I rarely go back to TNG or the Abrams movies, so they’re fresher to me when I do. I rewatched Generations last night. I’ve always had mixed feelings about this one. It gets off to a fairly decent start, but I still think it’s kind of a mess writing-wise (there’s a kernel of a good idea in the plot but the execution is just not all that great). It was probably necessary to inject some levity but the Data plot was a dreadful misfire and Brent Spiner’s self-conscious camera mugging was just the pits. I still don’t know why they’d introduce what was perhaps the show’s most popular character to movie goers by making his personality unrecognisable and totally obnoxious. Given how the subsequent movies barely acknowledge this “character development” it feels even more of a waste.
I remember seeing this in the cinema when I was just a kid and I came away feeling..depressed. It’s actually an extremely downbeat film; centred on death, pain and grief. The involvement of Kirk seems a cynical thing now because it was all just to set up his inevitable death (which remains horribly blah and unmoving). William Shatner gives one of his most charismatic performances but there is zilch chemistry between he and Patrick Stewart. Despite a moment of banter between Picard and Riker amid the ruined bridge, the ending of this movie is an exceptional downer for me. It almost feels a tad nihilistic and lacking in Trek’s core optimism.
But dang, it’s one of the best looking of all the Trek films. I really wish they’d brought back the same cinematographer for the remaining pictures. The lightning is exquisite and really makes what are some quite basic sets look great. That Amargosa star light, man! It’s incredibly filmic looking, the FX hold up extremely well and I love Dennis McCarthy’s underrated score and theme. I don’t have a 4K tv but I nevertheless thought the transfer was pretty great; nice colour, range and dynamics. It’s definitely the best I’ve seen it.
I will watch FC in a week or two and see how that holds up. I definitely think these are worthy upgrades so far.
I must confess I rarely go back to TNG or the Abrams movies, so they’re fresher to me when I do. I rewatched Generations last night. I’ve always had mixed feelings about this one. It gets off to a fairly decent start, but I still think it’s kind of a mess writing-wise (there’s a kernel of a good idea in the plot but the execution is just not all that great). It was probably necessary to inject some levity but the Data plot was a dreadful misfire and Brent Spiner’s self-conscious camera mugging was just the pits. I still don’t know why they’d introduce what was perhaps the show’s most popular character to movie goers by making his personality unrecognisable and totally obnoxious. Given how the subsequent movies barely acknowledge this “character development” it feels even more of a waste.
I remember seeing this in the cinema when I was just a kid and I came away feeling..depressed. It’s actually an extremely downbeat film; centred on death, pain and grief. The involvement of Kirk seems a cynical thing now because it was all just to set up his inevitable death (which remains horribly blah and unmoving). William Shatner gives one of his most charismatic performances but there is zilch chemistry between he and Patrick Stewart. Despite a moment of banter between Picard and Riker amid the ruined bridge, the ending of this movie is an exceptional downer for me. It almost feels a tad nihilistic and lacking in Trek’s core optimism.
But dang, it’s one of the best looking of all the Trek films. I really wish they’d brought back the same cinematographer for the remaining pictures. The lightning is exquisite and really makes what are some quite basic sets look great. That Amargosa star light, man! It’s incredibly filmic looking, the FX hold up extremely well and I love Dennis McCarthy’s underrated score and theme. I don’t have a 4K tv but I nevertheless thought the transfer was pretty great; nice colour, range and dynamics. It’s definitely the best I’ve seen it.
I will watch FC in a week or two and see how that holds up. I definitely think these are worthy upgrades so far.
Thanks for the link!
I rewatched GEN. I saw it twice if not thrice in the theater and rolled with all the lovely set pieces.
I've rewatched it a few times over the years, liking some of the set pieces and themes...
When the 4K came out - it's just a bunch of disjointed set pieces, poorly stitched together. Yeah, the crash looks great. The reasons for it are atrociously underwhelming. (And, true, they spent far more time on "All Good Things", which had to be as strong as possible...) The ideas and themes are solid, but this easily could have been so much more. What's sadder is that GEN has more narrative meat than the other three movies, arguably combined as GEN also feels the most authentic of the bunch - even if later movies had their own verve.
The Data emotions subplot was both great and bad. It's also ironic as Data was feeling sad that he didn't understand emotions prior to having the chip implanted.
It did feel like a set piece, a checkbox in a treasure hunt list (with my opinion-based rating):
- Give Data emotions and crack some jokes (B+)
- Crash the ship (A-), find any old way as to how (D)
- Klingons, we don't care how but thank goodness audiences will remember the Duras Sisters (C-)
- Shove in Kirk to pass the torch or baton or TP or whatweretheythinking (F)
- Kill off Kirk, and if one way doesn't feel pathetic enough we'll find an even more pathetic way to do it - and decades before Star Wars did it for its heroes too, harh-harh (F--)
- Explain Guinan's backstory somehow, just don't ask how their newly-destroyed civilization managed to so quickly fly to Earth's solar system by Tuesday, or how everyone knows the name of their species and even ship names, never mind the reveal of Guinan that fails to work because of all that (D+)
- Make sure the main villain caught in the middle is to be sympathetic and not evil - or maybe just evil, we haven't a clue (F-T-W-T-F'ery is this, no actor could begin to pull this off, and Malcolm MacDowell almost does - especially when he looks paranoid and/or scowly - and he has just enough philosophical material to earn the best "A" of the bunch and sincerely so ... the deleted scene with him torturing Geordi added some context and menace to the character and setup for the eventual surprise attack scene. Even then, the movie can't make up its mind if we're supposed to feel bad or angry at the character)
- Now with her shoehorned into the plot as emptily as possible, have Guinan spout in the same scene how it's impossible to get into the Nexus but once we get into the Nexus we can't get out, but once we get there we can go back in any point in time in all of history
(So it's an easy A+++++++++++++++, I guess. Actually, it's F---. Even NEM wasn't that much of a mess.) - Have Spot on screen for a moment while Data sullenly whines about not having emotions and needs the emotions chip to get them and yet nobody points out he's already expressing them (A+, I guess)
Not that I'm apathetic toward the film of anything. The direction, camerawork, and lighting were definitely the best bits apart from Soran's philosophical rant and cant...
Not since TWOK were the themes of mortality and all covered. And in a new way, thanks oddly enough to Kirk being there.
Agreed on lack of screen chemistry.
That'd be the first thing to determine. No screen chemistry = don't attempt multiple big scenes with both of them spewing tons of dialogue at each other. Their mountain cabin scenes should be memorable. I barely remembered those scenes even existed and that's only because I saw the 4K recently, combined with what you'd just mentioned.Kirk was there for fanservice, in a misguided belief that the TNG crew couldn't do their own movie. It doesn't help that his original filmed death was so poorly received that they had to rewrite the script, with the results - IMHO - being worse. Certainly more contrived.
TSFS also crashes the ship, but they get Spock back and all are alive. GEN crashes the ship and everyone's alive.
A shame David Carson didn't return. Carson is woefully underrated and his TV episodes were never short of great. GEN has the same style, plus a few new angles, and it's robust and truly cinematic stuff.
Dennis McCarthy's music is allowed to have depth and not be that blasted wallpaper muck that turned seasons 5-7 into either sleeping aids or the equivalent of "fingernails on a chalkboard" in what was one of the worst creative decisions ever - made by a person who also brought in some of the best-by-far-decisions-ever as well. But the movie's problems are solely with the script and being rushed.
The PQ and SQ are first rate. The films... well, I've yet to sit through INS, but having seen the others I now put NEM over FC - and by a shocking margin. Never thought I'd ever do that...
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Ok, so after my initial "spot check," I finally sat down to watch Star Trek Generations last night in the home theater. I must say, it does look really good. It is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the BR disks that were put out in 2009. Everything looks much more real. The blacks are finally really black, and not dark grey. The color grading (which was off in all these movies it seems) is completely corrected. And, most importantly, all of the digital smoothing they did has been eliminated in favor of the original, natural look of the film when it premiered in theaters. There are a few scenes that look a little "dull," and don't quite pop the way you'd want or expect them to (some of the scenes on the holodeck in the beginning), but the colors are more realistic, so it's a good enough trade off. Most importantly, the background detail pops even more, and the skin tones now look MUCH more realistic.
The sound is also really impressive. I don't recall how the BR sound was, but I certainly know it never stood out to me. There is some great sound on the new disk, and many of the action sequences (especially the saucer crash) just pound the room now. The surround stage is also very effective in 7.1, as ships warp past you from one corner of the room to the other, or phaser beams start up front, and the resulting explosion is behind and to my right. Very cool, and very immersive. Voices are clear and do not get caught in the sound mix.
As for the movie itself...well...I loved GEN when it first premiered. I felt it had very thoughtful themes about mortality, the value of life, and even mental health (the discussion between Picard and Data in stellar cartography about learning to integrate emotions into our lives and about how trying takes courage are really quite good). Shatner and company have so much charm and charisma. The music, visual effects, cinematography (John Alonzo), and direction are all absolutely perfect for this type of movie. The action sequences are all pretty good.
But, ultimately, we all know that this movie ended up being less than the sum of its parts. Kirk's death was ill-advised. The Nexus is an awesome sci-fi concept (a phenomenon where not only does time not exist, but it also apparently has access to an infinite multiverse where any possible timeline can be accessed, changed, etc), but the writers were not up to the complex task and it ends up being very muddled on screen. The silliness from Data is also very grating. It's hard for the whole movie to not feel like a massive "missed opportunity," and I think Ron More and Brannon Braga were probably just cooked from writing the (admittedly much superior) series finale.
Overall, GEN is far from my favorite Star Trek film, but I can't deny that it is highly watchable, looks great, has some genuine tension, and definitely feels like an adventure that belongs in the TNG universe.
The sound is also really impressive. I don't recall how the BR sound was, but I certainly know it never stood out to me. There is some great sound on the new disk, and many of the action sequences (especially the saucer crash) just pound the room now. The surround stage is also very effective in 7.1, as ships warp past you from one corner of the room to the other, or phaser beams start up front, and the resulting explosion is behind and to my right. Very cool, and very immersive. Voices are clear and do not get caught in the sound mix.
As for the movie itself...well...I loved GEN when it first premiered. I felt it had very thoughtful themes about mortality, the value of life, and even mental health (the discussion between Picard and Data in stellar cartography about learning to integrate emotions into our lives and about how trying takes courage are really quite good). Shatner and company have so much charm and charisma. The music, visual effects, cinematography (John Alonzo), and direction are all absolutely perfect for this type of movie. The action sequences are all pretty good.
But, ultimately, we all know that this movie ended up being less than the sum of its parts. Kirk's death was ill-advised. The Nexus is an awesome sci-fi concept (a phenomenon where not only does time not exist, but it also apparently has access to an infinite multiverse where any possible timeline can be accessed, changed, etc), but the writers were not up to the complex task and it ends up being very muddled on screen. The silliness from Data is also very grating. It's hard for the whole movie to not feel like a massive "missed opportunity," and I think Ron More and Brannon Braga were probably just cooked from writing the (admittedly much superior) series finale.
Overall, GEN is far from my favorite Star Trek film, but I can't deny that it is highly watchable, looks great, has some genuine tension, and definitely feels like an adventure that belongs in the TNG universe.
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Hi everyone,
First time on the new forum, although I used to be on the old Omega Sector forum.
Something I've observed which I hope someone can tell me about in regards to the new Next Gen 4K releases ratio/picture quality wise. I'm not a "cinema buff" so a simple answer would be much appreciated!!
The US releases all say "4K Ultra High Definition Widescreen"
The European releases all say "2:35:1 Letterbox"
I know there's going to be black bars, I can live with that (just about!), but does that mean the US versions being widescreen will fill the screen that bit more instead of the letterbox format?
As I say, in depth ratio articles make my head spin, so if anyone can post some screenshots from their TVs so I can physically see the difference between the two releases. I would REALLY appreciate it please
I'm from the UK, but if the US versions fill the screen more, I'd be happy to get them as long as they play on UK players?
First time on the new forum, although I used to be on the old Omega Sector forum.
Something I've observed which I hope someone can tell me about in regards to the new Next Gen 4K releases ratio/picture quality wise. I'm not a "cinema buff" so a simple answer would be much appreciated!!
The US releases all say "4K Ultra High Definition Widescreen"
The European releases all say "2:35:1 Letterbox"
I know there's going to be black bars, I can live with that (just about!), but does that mean the US versions being widescreen will fill the screen that bit more instead of the letterbox format?
As I say, in depth ratio articles make my head spin, so if anyone can post some screenshots from their TVs so I can physically see the difference between the two releases. I would REALLY appreciate it please
I'm from the UK, but if the US versions fill the screen more, I'd be happy to get them as long as they play on UK players?
Hi everyone,
First time on the new forum, although I used to be on the old Omega Sector forum.
Something I've observed which I hope someone can tell me about in regards to the new Next Gen 4K releases ratio/picture quality wise. I'm not a "cinema buff" so a simple answer would be much appreciated!!
The US releases all say "4K Ultra High Definition Widescreen"
The European releases all say "2:35:1 Letterbox"
I know there's going to be black bars, I can live with that (just about!), but does that mean the US versions being widescreen will fill the screen that bit more instead of the letterbox format?
As I say, in depth ratio articles make my head spin, so if anyone can post some screenshots from their TVs so I can physically see the difference between the two releases. I would REALLY appreciate it please
I'm from the UK, but if the US versions fill the screen more, I'd be happy to get them as long as they play on UK players?
It’s likely just shorthand… modern screens are 16:9 aka “widescreen” but most films are still shot in even wider formats than that. 2:35:1 is wider, and so the films are still letterboxed. But it’s still “widescreen” so basically one is just more honest/detailed than the other. Black bars do *not* mean you are losing any picture, and you can almost certainly zoom in on your telly to fill it up — whereupon you will lose bits, and it will be a little less sharp in all likelihood.
They also likely won’t work on UK players, because the distribution still depends on old geolocking systems that are no longer technologically relevant.
This is almost all true but UHD4K discs, unless there’s been a recent change of policy, are not region locked. DVD is very likely locked, while Blu-ray is less so, though also frequently.
Must be due to the scarcity of people taking to the format xD good to know.
They’ve done it before with some of them (TUC DVD first release comes to mind).
I watched Star Trek: First Contact on physical 4K disk this week, and I can only say what a massive improvement it is over the original BR Disk. The colors are so much more realistic, the over-done DNR and smoothing is all gone, and the sound is phenomenal. This is a movie I've seen a ton of times, and I noticed background details and things slightly out of focus that I had never noticed before in any format. Heck, during the scene where Picard and Data are "feeling" the Phoenix (Would you three like to be alone?)...you can see individual "fuzzy hairs" on Picard's long mid-21st century trench coat.
It's not perfect. It looks a little soft at some times, where the BR was really overdone in terms of contrast and color...but it looks far more detailed and far more realistic.
I also realized how much I really do like this movie. It usually sits as a "middle tier" Trek film for me, just because it's hard for TNG films to outmaneuver TOS films in my book, but in all honesty, it really is a wonderfully done movie despite my biases. The chemistry between Picard and Lily is worth the price of admission alone...and the cast looks and performs great.
It's not perfect. It looks a little soft at some times, where the BR was really overdone in terms of contrast and color...but it looks far more detailed and far more realistic.
I also realized how much I really do like this movie. It usually sits as a "middle tier" Trek film for me, just because it's hard for TNG films to outmaneuver TOS films in my book, but in all honesty, it really is a wonderfully done movie despite my biases. The chemistry between Picard and Lily is worth the price of admission alone...and the cast looks and performs great.
I also just watched the new First Contact transfer/master and it has never looked or sounded better.
Like Vger23, I never tend to focus much on TNG movies; TOS are always my go-to, but First Contact is actually hugely entertaining and stands up as an actual movie rather than an overblown TV episode. The scripting, directing, pacing, performances and FX are bang on form. I still hate the hypersexualisation of the Borg Queen and I think the character was really the end of the Borg as a terrifying threat and more a moustache twirling villain. Nevertheless. It’s a great time travel/zombie movie. I always forget how charismatic Alfre Woodward is and how much chemistry she has with Stewart. Good stuff.
Like Vger23, I never tend to focus much on TNG movies; TOS are always my go-to, but First Contact is actually hugely entertaining and stands up as an actual movie rather than an overblown TV episode. The scripting, directing, pacing, performances and FX are bang on form. I still hate the hypersexualisation of the Borg Queen and I think the character was really the end of the Borg as a terrifying threat and more a moustache twirling villain. Nevertheless. It’s a great time travel/zombie movie. I always forget how charismatic Alfre Woodward is and how much chemistry she has with Stewart. Good stuff.
That’s usually studio dependent. Universal does not, for example, but Paramount has done for the two dozen titles I have of theirs that have a 4K release.
Wow. I've always thought that something was wrong there. But this is insane. All over the place!
I watched it in 4k recently too. First Contact isn't my favorite, but when I can't decide to watch a sci-fi or horror movie, it's my go to. Some parts make me choke up, like Picard's "line must be drawn HEEAAAAHHHH" speech, and the music when Picard is telling Worf he regretted some of what he said, and the music when Cochrane is walking to meet the Vulcans.
One teeeny tiny nitpick did pop out at me on this recent rewatch (I've seen this movie AT LEAST 30 times). Earth would've been FUCKED if the Queen had dedicated the few drones on the deflector dish scheme and instead beamed them down to Bozeman, where the town drunks wouldn't have put up too much... RESISTANCE?
That's why Data locked out the computer as soon as they realized the Borg were on the ship. And the Borg wouldn't evacuate to Bozeman; no resources to use to rebuild, whatever handful of drones they started with would've been easy pickings for a bunch of shotgun-wielding survivors who made it through ten years of post-apocalypse.
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the replies, it's been a busy few days so I haven't had time to reply before.
It's good to know there's not any difference between "widescreen" and "letterboxed", just different terminology!!
I've decided to take the plunge and buy First Contact as a test to see what it's like in 4K, and then see about the others. The intro "flashback" scenes they used in Picard S3 from this looked particularly good, and you all are giving it good reviews, so I'm looking forward to it
I rewatched Insurrection, while I was in hospital for the day, on an iPad. Probably not the best setup to appreciate the picture and sound, but I was impressed visually for the most part. It’s always been a visually appealing movie to me perhaps largely due to the beautiful location work. Unfortunately, aside from the pretty vistas and Jerry Goldsmith’s score, there’s not a whole lot else to really recommend.
It’s a very middle of the road production, lacking pace and a captivating story. There’s a kernel of a good idea in there somewhere, but the execution is just hopelessly mediocre. The attempt to be “light hearted” totally falls flat on its face because the humour is just so forced and, in almost every instance, just isn’t funny. The shuttle chase with Picard, Worf and Data singing HMS Pinafore is actually one of the most embarrassing scenes in all of Trek. Whatever they were going for, it was a train wreck of awkwardness. It was also the moment I realised it was a big mistake using CGI for all the ship shots because it’s pretty crap compared to old school model photography. There’s something off in the lighting and motion when it comes to the ships—it all just looks fake and unappealing. That said, some of the CGI is pretty nice, such as the Briar Patch.
Generally, one of the very weakest Trek movies though. I’d place it well behind TFF, which at least had some spirit and charm. This is mediocre Trek by numbers with a basic plot that’s ridden with holes. I did kind of like Donna Murphy and think it’s pathetic they cut the kiss between Picard and Anij right as Picard is leaning in toward her. What was the reasoning behind that? F Murray Abraham does his best with a thankless role, and unfortunately his howling “NOOOOOOOO” is another cringe moment.
At least the film has never looked better. I don’t even dislike it actually, it’s just painfully mediocre and uninspired. I think this was probably the point the Trek movie franchise went off the boil, and maybe the franchise as a whole, too.
It’s a very middle of the road production, lacking pace and a captivating story. There’s a kernel of a good idea in there somewhere, but the execution is just hopelessly mediocre. The attempt to be “light hearted” totally falls flat on its face because the humour is just so forced and, in almost every instance, just isn’t funny. The shuttle chase with Picard, Worf and Data singing HMS Pinafore is actually one of the most embarrassing scenes in all of Trek. Whatever they were going for, it was a train wreck of awkwardness. It was also the moment I realised it was a big mistake using CGI for all the ship shots because it’s pretty crap compared to old school model photography. There’s something off in the lighting and motion when it comes to the ships—it all just looks fake and unappealing. That said, some of the CGI is pretty nice, such as the Briar Patch.
Generally, one of the very weakest Trek movies though. I’d place it well behind TFF, which at least had some spirit and charm. This is mediocre Trek by numbers with a basic plot that’s ridden with holes. I did kind of like Donna Murphy and think it’s pathetic they cut the kiss between Picard and Anij right as Picard is leaning in toward her. What was the reasoning behind that? F Murray Abraham does his best with a thankless role, and unfortunately his howling “NOOOOOOOO” is another cringe moment.
At least the film has never looked better. I don’t even dislike it actually, it’s just painfully mediocre and uninspired. I think this was probably the point the Trek movie franchise went off the boil, and maybe the franchise as a whole, too.
