TNG movie dislike?

[Balok's Decoy]

Over time, I've got the impression that 'First Contact' is the only TNG movie which people really like... All the other ones are tolerated because it's TNG.

That's likely true for most fans. But I'm a Generations apologist and would put it above FC. That probably has more to do with Kirk being in it though, so not sure that counts. lol

 

[Thomas Elliot]

I must admit I'm a bit confused because I've seen a few people on here comment on how much they disliked the TNG movies, and I don't understand why.

Okay Insurrection was on the dull side, and Nemesis wasn't great. However, I loved Generations. And First Contact is my favourite Trek movie of all. And I kind of thought that was the general concensus of them.

I haven't seen all of First Contact yet, but I've seen the other three.

i disliked the TNG movies because they felt--despite being on the big screen--to be of a smaller scale, either story-wise or looks.

There was a great sense of continuity in TNG. References were made to past events, people changed, certain situations had lasting effects.
The movies however felt the opposite. Nemesis for example. Data finds he has a "brother," the mysterious B4. Yet his first brother, Lore, is never mentioned or discussed.
The Romulan senate is overthrown or destroyed by Shinzon and a new era dawns for Romulus, yet it doesn't have the epic feel something like that should have. Where is Sela to bridge the continuity from the TNG tv-series? The Remans came out of left field.

The story of Insurrection was somewhat in-line with many of the themes discussed in ST: TNG but it felt way too self-contained, way too familiar (an alien world with an Earth-like setting, with human-looking inhabitants), and on top of that, not too much at stake. I don't mind the latter missing if it's at least a very interesting story, exploration/scientific discovery-wise or if it's a ground-breaking concept.

First Contact was the best one, and I think a lot of that has to do with the performance of Stewart going Captain Ahab, and the Aliens-like portrayal of the Borg. Their was also some nice, light comic relief with the Enterprise crew interacting with the people of Earth's past, but Earth's past looked like it was entirely contained on a studio backlot, although that may not have been the case.

I think part of the success of TOS films was elaborating on past elements while creating and adding successful new elements.
For example, the Klingons were a strong, iconic element of TOS. So they were used to great effect in just about all the films, save for maybe THE FINAL FRONTIER. And they elaborated on their look and their mythos.

They elaborated on Kirk, McCoy and Spock's relationship to great effect, even in lesser films like THE FINAL FRONTIER. "Life is NOT a dream."

They added Kirstie Alley's Saavik, who was a great addition to the crew, and had she stayed on, I think most would have been happy had she had a more permanent and significant role with the crew. And regardless of Alley not reprising her role, Saavik had a continued presence with the films, however minor at times.

The producers TNG films should have mined from the rich mythos they had created on the TV series. DON'T have Data go all cooky. Bring back Lore somehow, and have him play a part in a film where he engineers the transportation of the USS-Enterprise into an alternate reality, a "mirror" dimension where Picard is a brilliant,but ruthless Machiavellian high ranking officer/captain of the Earth-based Empire of Planets. Lore somehow discovered this mirror-universe, where Noonien Soong failed to create his positronic brain, and therefore, Lore hypothesizes, that universe is where he belongs. One Lore and the crew of the Enterprise find themselves in the mirror-reality, they clash with the other Enterprise, and mirror-Picard alerts the Empire of Planets of another dimension worthy of conquering.
They open an mirror-Picard and his Enterprise, along with Lore, create an inter-dimensional rift, allowing the mirror-Starfleet gearing up to bring an armada to the regular reality.
At this point we see Starfleet in fear and awe as an armada of ships begin appearing from nowhere demanding subjugation, surrender, etc. We see Captain Sisko of the DS9 reacting to this, along with Vice Admiral Nakamura, and others.

 

[Trek Survivor]

Over time, I've got the impression that 'First Contact' is the only TNG movie which people really like... All the other ones are tolerated because it's TNG.

I am probably a minority, but I also genuinely like Generations, and also find much to enjoy with Insurrection and Nemesis.

 

[M2m]

I think the problem was that the movies started so fast after the show ended plus they destroyed the Enterprise D in Generations. I loved that ship and hated the movie once I left the theater after it crashed.