Star Trek: Generations
Tags: cult

Plot synopsis:
In the year 2293, retired Captain James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Pavel Chekov attend the maiden voyage of the Federation starship USS Enterprise-B, under the command of the unseasoned Capt. John Harriman. During the voyage, Enterprise is pressed into a rescue mission to save two El-Aurian ships from a strange energy ribbon. Enterprise is able to save some of the refugees before their ships are destroyed, but the starship becomes trapped in the ribbon. Kirk goes to deflector control to alter the deflector dish, allowing Enterprise to escape, but the trailing end of the ribbon rakes across Enterprise's hull, exposing the section Kirk is in to space; he is presumed dead.
In 2371, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D celebrate the promotion of Worf to Lieutenant Commander. Captain Jean-Luc Picard receives a message that his brother and nephew were killed in a fire, meaning the storied Picard family line will end with him. Enterprise receives a distress call from an observatory in orbit of the star Amargosa, where they rescue the El-Aurian Dr. Tolian Soran. The android Data and engineer Geordi La Forge discover a compound called trilithium in a hidden room of the observatory. Soran appears, knocks La Forge unconscious, and launches a trilithium solar probe at Amargosa. The probe causes the star to implode, sending a shock wave toward the observatory. Soran and La Forge are transported away by a Klingon Bird of Prey belonging to the treacherous Duras sisters, who had stolen the trilithium for Soran in exchange for the designs for a trilithium weapon. Data is rescued just before the station is destroyed by the shock wave.
Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), Enterprise's bartender, tells Captain Jean-Luc Picard more about Soran; they were among the El-Aurians rescued by the Enterprise-B in 2293. Guinan explains that Soran is obsessed with reentering the "Nexus", an extra-dimensional realm where time has no meaning and anyone can experience whatever they desire. Picard and Data determine that Soran, unable to fly a ship into the ribbon due to the uncertainty that the ship will survive long enough to ensure his success, is instead altering the path of the ribbon by destroying stars, and that he will attempt to re-enter the Nexus on Veridian III by destroying its sun—and, by extension, a heavily populated planet in the system.
Upon entering the Veridian system, Enterprise makes contact with the Duras Bird of Prey. Picard offers himself to the sisters in exchange for La Forge, but insists that he be transported to Soran's location first. La Forge is returned to Enterprise, but he inadvertently reveals Enterprise's shield frequency, allowing the Duras sisters to inflict crippling damage on Enterprise. Enterprise destroys the Bird of Prey, but has sustained irreversible damage to its warp core. Commander William Riker orders an evacuation to the forward saucer section of the ship which separates from the star drive. The shock wave from the star drive's destruction sends the saucer crashing to the surface of Veridian III.
Picard fails to talk Soran out of his plan and is too late to stop him from launching his missile. The collapse of the Veridian star alters the course of the Nexus ribbon as predicted, and it sweeps Picard and Soran away while the shock wave from the star obliterates everything in the system. In the Nexus, Picard finds himself surrounded by the family he never had, including a wife and children, but realizes it is an illusion. He is confronted by an "echo" of Guinan. After being told that he may leave whenever he chooses and go wherever and whenever he wishes, Guinan sends him to meet Kirk, also safe in the Nexus. Though Kirk is at first reluctant to leave, Picard convinces Kirk to return to Picard's present and stop Soran by assuring him that it will fulfill his desire to make a difference.
Leaving the Nexus, the two arrive on Veridian III minutes before Soran launches the missile. Kirk distracts Soran long enough for Picard to lock the missile in place, causing it to explode on the launchpad and kill Soran. Kirk is fatally injured by a fall during the encounter; as he dies, Picard assures him that he made a difference. Picard buries Kirk before a shuttle arrives to transport him to the wreckage of the Enterprise saucer. Three Federation starships enter orbit to retrieve Enterprise's survivors.

Review: Even though Star Trek will always work better as a TV Series, this is actually a very good film and I'll explain why below.Originally I wasn't too fussed on the film because I was an avid Trekkie who had loved 'The Undiscovered Country', had been a huge fan of the TNG series and remembered that Scotty said in Relics that "I'll bet Jim Kirk himself hauled the old gal outta mothballs" and thus the film had what I considered a major plot hole as a result of Kirk dying.
Above average Sci-fi action drama movie that has a modest production in comparison to the average high qualily fare STAR TREK film.This 7th Star Trek movie played more  like a special TV episode which although still good,kind of let down a lot of high expectations due to a great potential storyline and incredible trailers.The movie was rushed and the screenplay/script really took the steam out of the storyline.Also,the special effects were very trimmed down.Still,if one is a big Star Trek fan,you will never forget the emotional scenes of Captain Kirk(what a guy!) and the great acting of Shatner (not to be outdone by Stewart!) here.Yes,this one could have been so much better but I would take a Star Trek movie over the majority of Scifi movies out there!For Star Trek fans only.......
Kirk (Shatner) , Scotty (recently deceased James Doohan) , Chekov (Walter Koenig) and even a Sulu's daughter(Kim), they are reunited with the new crew from USS-17o1 , as captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) , Data (Brent Spiner), Worf (Michael Dorn) , Laforge (LeVar Burton) , Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Dr Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) , plus an uncredited Woopi Goldberg in a brief apparition .
78 years apart, both Kirk (William Shatner) and Picard (Patrick Stewart) find themselves sucked into the "Nexus" - a huge energy "ribbon" in which time has no meaning - where they meet each other and join forces to defeat this instalment's villain - Dr. Soren (Malcolm McDowell, in what I thought was an excellent performance; he's one of the better villains to appear in the Star Trek movies.)James Doohan (Scotty) and Walter Koenig (Chekhov) both make appearances at the beginning of the movie (which opens in the era of the original cast) and - given the premise in which they appear (kind of an honorary visit to the Enterprise "B" as it prepares to launch for the first time) - their ages really don't matter that much.
Brent Spiner I thought was extremely good playing Data, who has recently added an "emotion chip" to his positronic brain, and is having to adjust to his new feelings while trying to do his duty.The movie revolved, though, around Stewart and Shatner.
Fans of the original series may not like the transition from old to new, but I personally prefer the crew of The Next Generation, and having been familiar with these characters through the show's seven season run on TV, seeing them on the big-screen was a welcome sight.
Personal preference aside, Generations does a fine job of delivering an engrossing tale packed with exciting action and understated humor.The plot involves an energy ribbon called the Nexus, a place where time has no meaning, where you can live out your greatest joys without fear or worry.A near deranged scientist, named Soran (Malcolm Mcdowell), has amassed a horrific plan to enter the Nexus, one which could cause monumentous destruction and kill hundreds of millions.
I had no problem with the storyline which many found weak, laughed up a storm at the humour, loved the musical score, was dazzled by the special effects, was impressed by the acting (superior to that of the cast of the older series), and recognised the climax at the correct point in the film - the meeting of Kirk and Picard - old and new captains of the Enterprise.
I understand that Picard and Data are seen as the most popular characters in the Next Generation that appeal to the general public, but the story lines that get played out for the two of them in the movies (family and finding humanity) have already been done in the series.Those two themes - Picard's family and Data's quest for humanity - are central parts of this film, and take up a lot of the time, but the other characters do get their moments, and being the gracious professionals that they are, Frakes, Sirtis, McFadden, Burton and Dorn all give fabulous performances.
Whoopi Goldberg appears unbilled as Guinan, and Patti Yasutaki also appears as Nurse Ogawa."Generations" also features three members of the Original Trekers, Captain Kirk, Scotty and Chekov, the latter two in small roles, while Kirk has a much larger role, yet his scenes, alongside Picard, are the slowest and most boring part of the film, even if they are confronting the enemy together.One of the enemies in "Generations" is a mad man, well played by Malcolm McDowell, the others are the two Klingon sisters who appeared towards the end of the Next Generation series, and make welcome appearances once more.
The flaws and deficiencies of the previous installments' plots are already taken over by a new,superior conception.If the fantasy in "ST 7" still reminds the far-fetched and flippant schemes from "ST 5",etc.,in exchange it already has a fine plastic accomplishment and an intelligent treatment of the theme,easiness and fluency,infinite charm,abundant fun.The intellectual and reasoning level improves steadily,gets better from one movie to another.The same is true for the plastic level (the first "Star trek" movies were,sometimes,slatternly,sleazy,worn down).The same theme (the quest for happiness,youth) appears first in "ST 5",and it is a stupidity,done without any sense of concreteness;then,it will be retaken and treated in far better and more concrete in "ST 7" and "ST 9"."ST 9" is delightful,clever and most appropriate in representing the theme.As the treatment of the theme progressively gains in value,from one installment to the other,the theme itself is more and more modified and modeled to fit the frame of humanity,by loosing the fantastical features.The search for a "God" very unmeaning conceived becomes the search for the Nexus (and McD.
does a lot for giving this search the human density needed),then it becomes a peaceful planet of the youth,more tangible and falling under the senses.The conception's progress is obvious.First,a fake "God" (in "ST 5");then,an illusory "Heaven" (in "ST 7);then,an earthly Paradise (in "ST 9").A show with no women is no fun.It simply can't do without women.Even if it is a show for boys,it doesn't mean women must lack."Star Trek" excels in showing very womanly women.Mrs. Sirtis should have got more than this bit part.The Klingons from the "Bird of prey" behave very much as our present day humans would,it's almost like an irony (probably unintended) to see these sordid beings act the way the men of today do.
Kirk (Shatner) gets one last great performance in the story, and Picard (Stewart) gets to show a more dramatic side than is usually apparent in the series.Many humorous moments (like most Star Trek movies) appear, especially in the first scenes as Kirk is made to feel old (the captain of the new Enterprise mentions having read about Kirk in history books); and, of course, unexpected events occur on an unprepared ship with a minimal crew.The Next Generation cast performed quite well; Commander Data (Brent Spiner) got to go outside the usual "Data" role; Spiner's performance was exceptional in this particular film; this film helps one to appreciate how difficult the Data character must be to perform; playing a non-human character can at times be much more difficult than a human character -- at least for a human actor...All in all, a great story line, and a great transition for original Star Trek fans to get a feel for the Next Generation crew, how it all fits together in the time-line.
The death of Kirk I thought was done very tastefully with no overacting from Shatner and I was sad to see him go as I'm also a big fan of the original Trek movies (including "V") and the final "Oh my" is heart wrenching.
Suddenly, their sacred cash cow was gone, and the Next Generation series, which was in its fourth season by the time the original crew were put out to pasture, was not living up to the enormous international sensation it followed.When the first Star Trek feature film was released, it dared to do something different by offering a very scientific and researched future.
Given the adventures that Kirk has had in previous outings, to rewrite his history so that he goes out on a note like this is insulting to those who paid good money to see the previous six films.I'll admit it, I've never found the Next Generation cast a tenth as interesting as the Original Series cast.
A villain called Soren wants to go inside the Nexus/Energy ribbon which almost destroyed his ship 78 years prior to the time frame of Star Trek The Next Generation.
Kirk seems to be saying, "Get me out of this franchise!" with each passing line, while Captain Picard's constant attempts at pathos are nowhere near as convincing as they proved in the series and the other movies.Additionally, the naval holodeck scene at the beginning is nowhere near as funny as it was meant to be and the rest of the film is populated with new characters who are either dangerously gutless (the captain of the Enterprise-B) or disturbingly one-dimensional (Soran).
Lets see--Star Trek, the Next Generation takes place about 80 years in the future from the end of the original's series movies.
A real stinker in the series -- Malcom McDowell is wasted,Kirk's death scene is ridiculous, Picard cries like a newborn babe, Data trembles like a bunny, and the special effects of the Enterprise's crash scene look like they could have been done in my backyard with a Wham-o frisbee and an 8 mm camera.Only because its a Trek movie, it's worth seeing for s's and giggles--.
Stewart's role is greatly extended at the expense of all others, a pity as he's given little of interest to do.The film's screening formed part of a Star Trek evening, following on from a broadcast of the original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before".
It is also incredible that the long-awaited meeting of the captains was presented in a such a slow-moving, pedestrian vehicle.The story was far from epic, the villain nowhere near as grand as Khan or General Chang, and both captains emerged looking old and feeble.Finally, and most importantly, Captain Kirk should never have been killed off since he IS Star Trek.
The movie wasn't a complete waste: the opening with three of the original crew helping "Cameron" (from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off') helm Enterprise B, McDowell's performance (other than his finale on the desert planet,) the "Nexus" scene that joined Kirk and Picard were great and (no spoiler) Kirk's demise in a desert scene, much like a lot of the original TV show's backdrops.
Moore & Brannon Braga, also responsible for producing an unfortunately epic-failing prequel "Enterprise" television series from 2001 before given his former employee the death-wish-stapping with a never-seen-before parodic entrée created by stand-up-comedian Seth MacFarland "The Orville" in season 2017/2018; nevertheless here with serious as highly-emotional feature installment for Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his faithful, seven season approved crew under slow-but-solid former-television-episode director David Carson.Actor Patrick Stewart as already incorporated Captain Jea-Luc Picard carries this unusually-metaphysical, mind-stretching approach of a newly-received "Star Trek" science-fiction entertainment movie proudly presented by "Dom Perignon" granting Hollywood Major "Paramount Pictures", when a beauty of a timeless spaceship "Enterprise NCC-1701-D" gets inaugurated under watchful eyes of now more Admiral James T.
The "Star Trek" Franchise did Not have to Fuse the Original and the "Next Generation" On the Big Screen in the First Film from the New TV Series...but THEY DID!
Kirk and Picard's On Screen Meeting, Data's Emotion Chip, the Klingon Confrontation, and some Outstanding SFX.The Film is Extremely Corny in Spots and as a Whole it doesn't Mesh very Well, but Overall it is Certainly Worth a Watch for Hardcore Fans (in fact a must see considering the series transition) and Casual Observers can have some Fun with the Iconic Display.There would be Better "STNG" Films to come and there were Better "Star Trek" Movies before.It could Never Capture the Old Crew without the Presence of Spock, Bones, and Sulu and given what was here to Work With, it can be Considered Worthy.This was a Challenging Ploy that Didn't quite Come Together and could be Termed a "Misfire", and it is, but the Tricky Trek Transfer from One Generation to the Next is at Least Done with a Modicum of Honor and Respect..
Even if it was a film with just Picard it would have been quite mediocre.It just lacks focus and direction in the script writing and in general it just feels like they really had to pull out all movie clichés just to get the story to work.It is watchable and it can be entertaining at times so I would still say to give it a watch especially if you are doing a Star Trek Bluray marathon (like I am doing) but just be prepared to experience a mediocre Star Trek film..
Though the Star Trek franchise as a whole was at a high in 1994 with two acclaimed TV series airing and the films coming off a great finale in 'The Undiscovered Country', to me, 'Generations' wasn't the proper next step to take.Sure, it's hard to let go of beloved characters, but 'The Undiscovered Country' felt like the perfect send off for all of the original cast members, including Captain Kirk.
It's impossible to top the original crew, but there's enough personalities and likable characters, including Stewart's stern but sympathetic Picard.As far as the actual plot itself goes, it pretty much follows the same Star Trek formula, except for the trippy Nexus sequence where Picard and Kirk are stuck in a time loop.
So overall, Generations is a middle of the road Star Trek adventure, but at the very least, it gives the new crew some time to shine.+Picard & Kirk+Nexus+Beautiful score-Choppy first half-Formulaic6.3/10.
Star Trek: Generations is a good movie with a storyline that dosen't really go anywhere for a very long time but a very inspired cast like there always is in Star Trek.It definitely wasn't a fantastic start for the Next Generation crew,it being their first movie,but I don't think its as bad as most people make it out to be,I don't think its the worst Star Trek but its certainly not the best,these movies are sometimes outstanding (The Wrath of Khan) and other times awful (The Final Frontier),I would put this right in the middle.The plot was sometimes very frustrating because it just didn't know were it was going for such a long time,but the impressive cast made it bearable,I really enjoyed Malcolm McDowell as the villain,he always delivers very creepy performances and he fit perfectly into the Star Trek universe.I didn't really appreciate William Shatner's performance,it all felt very forced and I think this movie would have been better off just focusing on the Next Generation crew instead of bringing in members from the original series.Fans of Star Trek:The Next Generation will definitely be disappointed,but will still appreciate the casts strong performances.Captain Kirk (William Shatner) disappears on a mission,seven decades later,Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) encounters similar peril and only the two captains can save the Enterprise..
The plot here is just a convenient device to string all these things together and pack them into a movie that makes a little bit of sense, though perhaps no more than a typical Jerry Bruckheimer production.So while the writing attempts to cram almost everything that can ever possibly be in a Star Trek movie into the screenplay and was perhaps not such a good starting point to begin with, everyone involved did a wonderful job of turning this somewhat messy script into a movie that, while still being somewhat uneven, is all-around entertaining and never misses a beat (save for some of the Nexus sequences, where the gratuitous horseback riding was apparently mostly inserted to stroke Shatner's ego and not because it benefited the movie in any way).A beautiful cinematography with lots of picturesque darkness and deeply saturated colors needs to be counted among the movie's virtues, but also a rousing score by Dennis McCarthy, and finally top-notch acting, especially by Stewart who portrays a wide range of emotions between regret and boundless joy with absolute believability, similar to his performance in such highly regarded episodes of the series such as "The Inner Light".
And the film is fill with great quotes from Picard, Riker and others.This film has that feel of The Next Generation TV show that's how I felt when I was in the theater it felt like watching a long episode of the series which isn't a bad thing at all because it complement what makes the Next Generation great for Star Trek fans.
"Star Trek: Generations" has received its fair share of criticism from fans, for the plot and the idea of Kirk and Picard meeting.
After the success of the TV series, 'Star Trek: The Next Generation', and after the endless debates of who was the better Captain, Kirk or Picard, this is the film that Rick Berman and co.
..."Star Trek: Generations" - I'm assuming - was hyped because it was pairing both Cpt. Kirk (William Shatner, yay!) and Cpt. Picard (Patrick Stewart, oh my!) together for the first time - I'm sure Trekkies were wetting their pants because of this.
I have only ever really watched the Next Generation series of Star Trek and I am not what you would call a `die hard' fan so I was not at all disappointed that this film sees the final end of Captain Kirk.