December 18, 2002
No spoilers in this one. Well, not many. I will save the ending for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.
OK, it's not in the top three, but it was still pretty good. Maybe see it matinee instead of paying the full eight bucks. If they'd only spent some time tightening up the story it would've been better.
Some random points:
- We can pick up android bits from billions of kilometers away, but we have to walk around waiting for it to jump up and grab us once we get there? And the thing is, it added nothing.
- Nitpicky: UI by the MacOSX team. The button for "engage engines" is labeled something like "XP1034." If you really want to stretch things it might be a security precaution, but I doubt it. If the button means "go" it should say "go."
- The Remans were good baddies but they should have looked more like the Romulans. That's what they are, after all.
- Psychic targeting. Cool.
- Hey, a starship that can take a beating. Holy crap!
So where's it belong in my Top Ten list? Let's go to the board:
- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Still the best.
- Star Trek: First Contact. By far the best of Picard & Co.
- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. A.k.a. Star Trek 2.5, it's the only violation of the "even = good, odd = bad" rule.
- Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. A close one, but the Whodunit barely edged out Nemesis.
- Star Trek: Nemesis. Not bad, but not great either.
- Star Trek: Insurrection. Forced humor and a movie that felt like an episode.
- Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Much improved in the director's cut.
- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. OK, so there are two exceptions to the rule. It was fun in '86, but it got old real fast.
- Star Trek: Generations. It was... there.
- There is no number 10. For some reason they went straight from IV to VI. Probably for the best.
Eh, middle of the road seems about right. That may change if/when I see it again or rent it, but I doubt it.
