Review of Star Trek: Generations (1994) by David A — 19 Nov 2009

Plot: A manic missile-armed refugee (Malcolm McDowell) is blowing up solar systems to displace a cosmic-ribbon-gateway and gain access to the Nexus, a hyperspace mental Utopia. Starship Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) sets out to stop the destruction, but can only do so with the help of former Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Strengths: Its screenplay. Who would expect less from the best-written syndicated show on television? Marvelous integration ?old? and ?new? Star Trek regimes and styles of writing. Has Trekkie and non-Trekkie appeal. The well-constructed plot unfolds steadily, while the film boldly goes where few films still dare to go by further developing characters with whom we are already familiar. Generations even manages to shake a few cobwebs loose from fossil Shatner. Weaknesses: Not enough Whoopi. A humorous subplot of robot Data installing his emotion chip is terribly forced, and only occasionally successful. Also - doesn?t the Enterprise have seatbelts? Final Cut: At last, a blockbuster worthy of blockbuster status! Hopefully someday Hollywood will catch on that a film is only as good as its writing. Stylized gore can?t help a screenplay like Vampire?s, and Stargate?s story is Sci-Fi Lite compared to the superior work of Generations.

[from The Watermark, 1994-11-19].