Well said!
TNG movie dislike?
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Well said!
I actually just bought the TNG film collection on Blu-Ray yesterday. They look great, by the way. First Contact and Insurrection were the only movies I really enjoyed, but I can tolerate Generations and Nemesis. I also realize that Insurrection is actually quite bad, but it was a movie me and my dad watched dozens of times together when I was a kid so it's nostalgic.
I label Generations as a special kind of terrible because unlike other really bad movies I've seen in general, at least they don't feel like their script was based strictly on a laundry list of mandates that the studio wanted to see.
And unlike bad Star Trek movies, Generations is sadly one of the 'essential' movies because so much of what happens in this film dictated how the franchise moved forward. At least Star Trek V and Insurrection gave you a story that was so irrelovant that you could sweep them under the rug without consequence.
And unlike bad Star Trek movies, Generations is sadly one of the 'essential' movies because so much of what happens in this film dictated how the franchise moved forward. At least Star Trek V and Insurrection gave you a story that was so irrelovant that you could sweep them under the rug without consequence.
Nostalgia is a form of love and love as we all know, is blind.
Yeah, pretty much.
Although I usually enjoy bashing Generations any chance I can, I'd like to simply say that the TNG movies suffered from taking good TV characters and turning them into rather boring movie characters in OK films. After Nemesis, I deeply began thinking Trek is best left on TV. The characters never felt at home in movie theatres and seemed like different people. Something was missing.
He was hard pressed with the Indians but eventually he relented and arranged for a deal to let them stay there and preserved the broader peace. Having learnt from that experience, he swore never to repeat it again and in fact for the Ba'ku on the back of Starfleet corruption from a renegade Admiral. So, no hypocrisy and just a single standard.
I mustsay I've had similar thoughts. I wouldn't go as far as saying Star Trek doesn't belong in movie theatres, but I have taken the view that the format was bourne of television, and ultimately that it feels more comfortable in that 'long-form' story format. Certainly I feel this was true of the Next Generation in particular. Something about it didn't quite 'fit'.
Nemesis: Hated the lighting in the outdoor scenes, looked and seemed very cheap; same with the costumes and make up. Took me out of some scenes during the movie. Along with Data singing. I fast forward during through that part. 
Isn't that Insurrection where Data sings?
No, Nemesis. He sings at Riker and Troi's wedding ("Blue Skies")
Last time I got out several Trek movies and watched them again, I experienced a weird, unexpected turnaround. Suddenly, Generations struck me as the best Trek film, and I mean possibly even better than Wrath of Khan. Fans criticizing Generations focus on bits and pieces that irritate them, things that perhaps make it less fun, less good as an action film... but its strength is that it's the only ST film with a genuinely adult tone. There are moments and conversations with depth. I'll always remember MacDowell's line, "Time is the fire in which we burn."
First Contact was a sort of desperate attempt to use the Borg for a film, when they had already been dealt with. If you've seen Best Of Both Worlds, do you really need it? Still, well made. I just wish the makers of ST films didn't rule out challenging new SF ideas from actual SF authors. They wouldn't have to resort to arch fiends threatening to destroy Earth.
First Contact was a sort of desperate attempt to use the Borg for a film, when they had already been dealt with. If you've seen Best Of Both Worlds, do you really need it? Still, well made. I just wish the makers of ST films didn't rule out challenging new SF ideas from actual SF authors. They wouldn't have to resort to arch fiends threatening to destroy Earth.
FC is great, Generations has its moments but otherwise the movies were too much of a departure from what I loved about TNG. The cast were not used very well. Only Data and Picard seemed to be the focus of each movies whereas Beverly, Geordi and, in the latter 2 movies, Worf faded into the background. Riker and Troi did okay I guess. I hated the fact the Enterprise-D got destroyed in the first movie. That was so lame and not needed. A refit for the big screen would've been better. All 178 episodes took place on that ship. At least TOS movies waited until TSFS to blow up their Enterprise. Apart from all that the movies just didn't capture the feel of the tv series. I'd have preferred TNG to take a break for a few years and then return for more seasons rather than go to the big screen.
I think the destruction of Enterprise-D was the very least of Generations problems. In fact, the crash scene was really cool and well-done.
You're both right, A British Tar in Insurrection and Blue Skies in Nemesis.
I didn't like FC much. It did feel formulaic, the scenes with Cromwell (Cochrane) have a forced feeling to me--the actors are just trying too hard to gosh-wow it (don't even get me started on Frakes here), only Sirtis does well here I think--and Alfre Woodard just felt weirdly shoehorned into the whole thing and I felt took screen time from actual TNG characters who might have been given more to do. Also the Borg Queen/Data scenes went on too long and were repetitive. And I am right along with the people who don't like Crazypants Picard.
And frankly it's a pedestrian, plodding story without much in the way of plot twists. Every little thing that happens is mapped out and known in advance. In fact there are none (twists) for the A plot and in that respect reminds me of TMP.
I'll watch TSFS any day over FC.
And frankly it's a pedestrian, plodding story without much in the way of plot twists. Every little thing that happens is mapped out and known in advance. In fact there are none (twists) for the A plot and in that respect reminds me of TMP.
I'll watch TSFS any day over FC.
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