Do you think we could have bought his character as a picard clone more readily? I recently re-watched Nemesis and for the first time noticed how quickly shinzons motives for conquest of the federation and taking picards blood becomes apparent. Even taking in his harsh childhood in the dilithium mines doesnt do much to make him less one dimensional.
If Shinzon was actually fighting for peace and Reman equality
- Thread starter Vaughn Falstaff
- Start date
No, because his alleged motivations were the least of Shinzon's characterization problems.
Throughout the entire film, the audience was beaten over the head that Shinzon is a clone of Picard. But he doesn't look like Picard, he doesn't act like Picard, and it isn't remotely believable that this person could even grow to be like Picard. He's really nothing more than a stereotypical evil villain with an evil plan that completely falls apart upon logical inspection.
And, honestly, did you really care about the Remans, or if Shinzon was trying to liberate them? They were nothing more than cardboard one-dimensional villains as well. Ron Perlman was completely wasted in the role of the Viceroy.
Throughout the entire film, the audience was beaten over the head that Shinzon is a clone of Picard. But he doesn't look like Picard, he doesn't act like Picard, and it isn't remotely believable that this person could even grow to be like Picard. He's really nothing more than a stereotypical evil villain with an evil plan that completely falls apart upon logical inspection.
And, honestly, did you really care about the Remans, or if Shinzon was trying to liberate them? They were nothing more than cardboard one-dimensional villains as well. Ron Perlman was completely wasted in the role of the Viceroy.
Good point. maybe I could have cared more if we got more exposition on the remens and specifically the viceroy.
It would actually have been a stunning development if Shinzon as presented DID somehow evolve into the Picard we know. (Or then to the exact opposite of him, or whatever, but that's more difficult to pull off dramatically.)
Since this was an evil twin story, no two ways about it, my favorite alternate ending would involve Shinzon eventually aging into the spitting image of Picard, at which point Patrick Stewart would start portraying him; a final confrontation involving two Picard lookalikes strugging; and one then emerging victorious while the other disappears in the cathartic kaboom that puts an end to Shinzon's evil schemes. Which Picard survived? The audience can't tell - but the one that sits down on the E-E command chair now proceeds to do good, helps out the Remans for real, and quotes a number of Picardisms. Although he also lets slip a phrase previously exclusively used by Shinzon.
This would be an ending we'd expect from John Logan, whose previous blockbuster hero triumphed by dying...
A nonsensically aimless villain transformed into / merged with the well-established hero would be a narrative arc where the initial nonsense wouldn't really matter: the more idiotic the early Shinzon, the better! And boy, does our Shinzon here deliver...
Timo Saloniemi
Since this was an evil twin story, no two ways about it, my favorite alternate ending would involve Shinzon eventually aging into the spitting image of Picard, at which point Patrick Stewart would start portraying him; a final confrontation involving two Picard lookalikes strugging; and one then emerging victorious while the other disappears in the cathartic kaboom that puts an end to Shinzon's evil schemes. Which Picard survived? The audience can't tell - but the one that sits down on the E-E command chair now proceeds to do good, helps out the Remans for real, and quotes a number of Picardisms. Although he also lets slip a phrase previously exclusively used by Shinzon.
This would be an ending we'd expect from John Logan, whose previous blockbuster hero triumphed by dying...
A nonsensically aimless villain transformed into / merged with the well-established hero would be a narrative arc where the initial nonsense wouldn't really matter: the more idiotic the early Shinzon, the better! And boy, does our Shinzon here deliver...
Timo Saloniemi
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