"Star Trek: Generations" Talkback (Spoilers)

Rate "Star Trek: Generations"

  • *****

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • ****1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****

    Votes: 5 33.3%
  • ***1/2

    Votes: 3 20.0%
  • ***

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • **1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **

    Votes: 2 13.3%
  • *1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    15

Kolbar

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Two captains. One destiny.
399px-Startrekgenpost.jpg

"Who am I to argue with the captain of the Enterprise?" - James Kirk
Release Date: November 18, 1994
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director: David Carson
Starring: Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Malcolm McDowell, James Doohan, Walter Koenig​

Plot Summary: Within moments of take-off, the new Enterprise crew receives a distress signal from two ships about to be obliterated, and Captain Kirk is asked to return to the helm. With his vast experience and expertise, he manages to save one of the ships. However, Kirk disappears in the process, and at least one of the passengers he saves is not all thankful. It seems that the rescue yanked him out of an idyllic world of perfect joy. Now he'll do anything, even kill, to return -- and it's up to Captain Jean-Luc Picard to prevent that from happening.​

Visit the Generations page on StarTrek.com here.

Buy the movie!
Comments?
 

Mynd Hed

Holy blue on a popo!
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Eh, the A plot was only so-so-- not bad by any means, but I'd rather watch just about any two-parter from the series. But the B plot with Data and the emotion chip was pure comic relief gold with some characterization thrown in for good measure. Put the two together, and you've got a film that's hardly a standout, but at least worthy of the Star Trek name (which is more than I can say for Nemesis). Overall Grade: B-
 

AnimatedSnow47

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The scenes with the Enterprise-B were great--always love to see those Federation ships gracefully flow out of Drydock and Spacedock.

But...

The TNG scenes were pretty mixed. I love the TNG crew (First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis were all great movies), but this movie wasn't so good. There was some good humor (Tiny little lifeforms!), but was overruled by angst and bad humor (Data...profanity--doesn't work)

The final battle in space was alright, but why didn't he EJECT THE WARP CORE! The SFX for the saucer crash were undeniably awesome...but Kirk dying? The Enterprise in ruins? Not good, especially for an ending.

I did, however, like the last shot with the other Federation ships--COOL!

Overall, the plot was pretty boring, and the ending was too much of a downer.
 

DarkAngel

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AnimatedSnow47 said:
The final battle in space was alright, but why didn't he EJECT THE WARP CORE! The SFX for the saucer crash were undeniably awesome...but Kirk dying?
What I liked about Kirk's death was that, in a sense, he did die alone, which is how he felt it would be in STV. I thought that was cool.

I liked "Generations," though for a movie that featured Kirk meeting Picard, it should have been a lot bigger.

Things I liked:
All the scenes with Data. It was great to see him finally get the emotion chip and I loved the humor.

Stellar Cartography. Sweet looking room and the conversation between Picard and Data was great.

The beginning with Kirk aboard the Ent-B. What I loved was that, for a moment, it was about to be like the past: Kirk finding a way to get back in the center seat. But this time, he had the maturity to realize it wasn't his ship to command.

The brief exchance betweek Kirk and Scotty when Kirk tells to him hold things together, Scotty's response of "I always do," and Kirk's grin as the turbolift doors slid shut. Just like old times.

The dim lighting on the Enterprise. It seemed more realistic. It was cool to see the ship in a slightly different way.

Ent-D crew stuggling to fight an enemy that could bypass their shields.

Soran standing atop the mountain as the Nexus approached. Visually stunning scene.

Soran's line "Time is the fire in which we burn."
 

Squall

Calm Before The Storm
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I hated the TOS and Nexus sequences. But I loved the TNG part of the movie. (On my DVD, when I watch this movie, I skip to the TNG crew on the holodeck, and stop watching when Viridiian III explodes....) However, the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D was lame. By an old Klingon Bird-of-Prey? It should have been taken down by a fully armed Romluan Warbird... :(
 
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DisneyBoy

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I enjoyed this movie when it came out, but really, looking back, that ending was Lame-O. Three old geezers fighting and Kirk "dying". Meh.

If Kirk had to die, why didn't the plot of the movie surround itself around it? At least that would have been memorable. Instead, scientist guy gets the story with the wacky Nexus stealing Picard away to some Dickens novel scene. Weird.

I am glad though that Whoopi was in it. She made for a great reoccuring cast member. Troi crashing the ship was nice to watch, but depressing as all heck.

Here's what I'd have liked to see:

-Kirk knowing he will die after the first quarter of the film has passed, and deciding to spend his remaining time doing some big, important things. (Insert plot)

-Picard and the TNG crew stepping up in the Federation ranks and then getting assigned to working with Kirk (two captains on one ship...different methods...blablabla. Insert inter-cast exchanges).

-Two casts are then seperated a bit... (Insert Attack sequences and mysterious disappearances)

-Deanna and Riker just coming out and saying they freaking love one another...or are interested at the very least...and some kind of "No Warf...I'm not attracted to you" scene. THAT much needed to be said by Deanna.

-More Whoopi and Picard and Crusher stuff. Especially some Picard Crusher chemistry...need those building blocks...

-Big finale...something devastating happens to the Federation that requires some rethinking and adapting....Kirk dies...original cast splits up and finds new lives. The Ship survives heavy damage, and is put into indefinite "repair mode", while the original Ship is all glammed up and put into a museum.

End of movie. I'm not a huge Trekkie or anything, so if that sounded bland by ST standards, forgive me.

Next movie: First Contact - Keep it as it is!!!

Next movie: Skin man? Eternal youth? Bleh...another weak one...Here's my re-write:

-Troi and Riker's dating thing gets heated up...seriously.

-Wesley's learning about corruption within the Federation while at the Academy (all this is due to the changes in the first movie)

-Crusher and Picard flirt with the idea of a romance, but aren't sure.

-Villain? Hmmm....don't know. Maybe they could build on Neelix's race or something...pick a race that a future character is part of and build on it...maybe factor in the Maquis or something. I don't know. Visit the edge of the galaxy...or try and set up new boundaries...YAH! Have the Federation try and "peacefully amalgamate" (in order words...conquer by force lead by the secret corrupted leader person who has Wesley's life in his hands) the universe into one happy place, and have the corrupt orders forcing the crew of the Enterprise to do things they aren't comfortable with, or risk chaos errupting everywhere. Sure...that's cool enough for me.

-In the end, Wesley doesn't die (But maybe in an alternate ending he does...just for those fans), but is wounded. Loses an arm or something. Just change him. Give him something new to do besides bother us and steal screentime. Deanna and Riker get engaged during the near-death stuff....Picard and Crusher admit their love, but she retires in order to take care of Wesley, which is just an excuse because he's handling his new situation just fine...and has a girlfriend. Hey why not? Everyone ELSE in this movie is hooking up...

-The Federation gets some smarties to try and fix things up....a change in management to oust the baddies...cue Spock cameo and Crusher promotion.

End of movie.

Fourth film...haven't seen Nemisis, but since everyone says it stank...let's fix that one too:

-Deanna and Riker fret anew over wedding stuff...to be naked or not to be naked? The traditions, the aliens, the food....ahhh!!!!

-Wesley's doing great with his life and gal, and wants mommie to get lost so he and his lady can *spend some time together*, so there goes Crusher's excuse. She's ordered to attend the Deanna wedding by new collegues in the Federation Council. She goes...

-Data wants to cry at the wedding....Geordi tries to arrange it...all the while, reflecting on his own past (does he even HAVE a past? Insert biography here).

-Wedding is interrupted on the day before the ceremony by Q (DUH-DUH-DAAAA!) He wants to use the newly not-screwed-up Federation and all it's inhabitants for some giant plan to fight off something...or stop something...but it's really original...and right. I'm tired right now. Skip to the end, post-happy wedding.

-The TNG Ship is brought back only to be totally by the end of this film. Riker is offered Captainship, and accepts, but Deanna stays behind to be the next Miss CLEO DHARLIN'. YAP! Data ends his life, content to have grown as much as he had. He becomes a piece of some giant supercomputer which runs the Federation or something. Very emotional, but happy too. Geordie grows in some way...he has to seeing as how he's the only member of the cast to not yet get his due. Warf (I totally forget he was supposed to be in these movies!) joins O'Brian on DS9 and Whoopi goes to a special place. Picard elopes with Crusher...secretly marrying, since by now they've figured out that some writer will find a new way to split them up. Almost everyone gets a happy ending...even Q.

__________________________________________________________________

What the heck am I writing? I have no idea. I should go to bed, but instead, here's the run down for the next three flicks, the LAST ONES!!!

#1 The DS9 crew (whom I don't know a blasted thing about) interact with the newly returned Voyager crew and whichever TNG cast members wanted to return to go scope out a new part of the universe. Mixed casts equals success.

#2 The Voyager crew, with cameos and assists from the other characters, go up against...(DUH DUH DUH!!!!) SEVEN OF NINE! She's usurped the Data-super computer and become her own Borg Queen. Q is on her side, having lost his case two flicks ago, and everyone who can gets involved in the fight against the obliteration of humanity, although they are now starting to wonder why they've been fighting. Humanity hasn't improved the universe, so why not just wipe themselves out so that things can regain their natural balance?

(In the end, Picard dies at Seven's Hands....and she, having seen in him the only thing about humanity which could redeem her opinion of them, surrenders herself/commits suicide. Janeway remains her friend, somehow, despite everything, or mourns her failure as a pseudo-mom. And the Chakote thing is so OVER! Yuck. Those two didn't work. Paris' daughter learns about tolerance, and Neelix gets some good screentime. Kess could feature in a cameo flashback or something. Picard meets with Whoopi in the afterlife...since she's an angel or something, but Q decides to give him his life back...or Sevens. Whomever. Picard and Seven argue in a pre-afterlife as to who gets to live. And I'll leave you guessing as to who I think would get reincarnated.)

So there. I lied. Only two more films...which brings the grand total to twelve Star Trek movies! Woo-hoo! Five of which were written by me. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. I liked the Voyager cast, and can see them handling two movies on their own...but I think it would be cooler to mix in some DS9 and TNG if at all possible.

And forget Enterprise since everyone complains about it.
 

SilverKnight

Sigh.
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And, let me post the requisit parody of Star Trek: Generations, because, indeed, the parody is better than the movie itself.

Picard’s Quarters. A chime is heard.
Picard: Enter at your own peril.
Troi walks in.
Troi: What’s wrong?
Picard: Nothing.
Troi: Betazoids can sense emotions. What’s wrong?
Picard: Nothing.
Troi: I know something is wrong.
Picard: Nothing is wrong.
Troi: What are you reading?
Picard: My family album. It shows my recently deceased family members.
Troi: That’s nice. So what’s wrong?
Picard: I didn’t say anything was wrong!
Troi: Talk to me about it.
Picard: I don’t want to talk about it.
Troi: You need to talk about it.
Picard (threatiningly): Counsellor...
Troi: Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. What else do you have to say?
Picard: Get out!


Ahhh, I love this parody. :D

Oh yeah. The movie wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that good, either. Blah-ness abounded.
 

DarkAngel

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Squall said:
However, the destruction of the USS Enterprise-D was lame. By an old Klingon Bird-of-Prey? It should have been taken down by a fully armed Romluan Warbird... :(
But it made sense. Ent-D, as it good as it was, can't win when the enemy can bypass its shields. If it was facing anything better than an old Bird-of-Prey, nobody on the Enterprise would have survived without shields.
 

DarkAngel

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DisneyBoy said:
#1 The DS9 crew (whom I don't know a blasted thing about) interact with the newly returned Voyager crew and whichever TNG cast members wanted to return to go scope out a new part of the universe. Mixed casts equals success.
Forget the Voyager crew and make certain Ron Moore, Robert Wolfe, and other DS9 writers are involved (and NO RICK BERMAN), and I'll watch.
 

RogueMartian

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I'm one of those evil fans who is terribly disappointed by all the ST:TNG movies.

STAR TREK: GENERATIONS
Star Trek Generations was just an excuse to get kirk and picard in the same area together. Ah, the two great captains (picard's the cooler one IMO) working together. As far as the plot is concerned: Relatives death is irrelevant, destruction of enterprise is irrelevant. Just show kirk falling into the energy wave and then put the enterprise in front of the wave. The rest is bad filler.

Now when the great captains meet: First order of business: horseback riding. That's okay, I like horses. Second order of business: defeat the evil villain. And here's where it kills me. He goes back to the time when he's under the rock. :rolleyes: Now I'm not a starfleet captain with decades of experience, but with time at my fingertips: that's not when I'd choose. I'd have gone back to when I was safely on my ship with Soren(sp?) on board. Lock him in the brig before the enterprise and several star systems were destroyed and have a drink. Here's an idea: go back in time before nephew and bro are killed. Rescue them, get back to the enterprise, arrest Soren, and read latest leatherbound book I've got lying around...that's a productive day. And what about poor kirk? I'm a picard fan, but I like kirk. Why bring him back just to die? He could have gone back to dock with enterprise B and said: load some torpedoes or something, we're gonna need them. They would have listened. But our captains do neither. Only the writers know why.

Here's another problem I have: the enemy is destroying starss to get into paradise. CLEARLY you can get into this place using a ship. Kirk did it. And Soren was a genius scientist. I'm sure he could have figured it out. But his plan instead is to destroy stars to redirect the energy wave. Destroying a star isn't just a little difficult. Even if you could do it, the amount of energy it would take is inconceivable. If you know where the energy wave is gonna be (well enough that you can direct it by blowing up stars), why not get a space suit on, transport yourself to space just before the wave comes, and tell your crew to get the hell out. Sounds easy enough to me.

I love to tell hollywood their job, so I wonder if it ever occurred to them to just base their movies off of one of the myriad of star trek TNG novels written. There are hundreds of them and the few I've read had WAAAAY better plots than Generations. Or any of the movies for that matter.

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT
Second movie was pretty cool. The borg, the federations greatest enemy, is brought in. But they go back in time. Now dont get me wrong, I loved Zephram Cochran, but I would have been happier if they'd done something more interesting: like gone into the future. Again, a MUCH better movie, but the plot was not as clever as the plots of the episodes.

STAR TREK: INSURRECTION
Third Movie: BAD BAD BAD. The slightly off timing of humor in the first two movies was totally off by the third. And then there's the story, or lack thereof. Long story short: save the pretty people from the ugly people. Stuff explodes and pretty people are saved. That's about it. I've seen much much better.

STAR TREK: NEMESIS
Fourth Movie. Okay, any trek fan knows the even law. Even numbered star treks are good. Wrath of Khan, Voyage Home, Undiscovered Country, First Contact (not as great as khan, but what is really?). So boy was I anticipating this one. Star Trek X. Would they finally bring in Q? (THEY SHOULD HAVE!!! I WAS WAITING FOR IT FOR THREE BLOODY MOVIES!) and have a twisted cool plot to end all plots?? The answer: no. It sucked. It looked like wrath of khan mixed with undiscovered country, with even worse acting. The humor was even more forced than in the last movie. Every scene looked like the actors were pained to be there. Maybe it's because they're older. Who knows, who cares. It was all around bad and I was audibly upset afterwards. However my anger was alleviated when my friend turned to me smiling and said "Data FLY!!" Making the 7 bucks worth it.
 

Chris Wood

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This movie was a lot like the Next Generation Tv series: competent but a bit bland.

Kirk's death scene is the absolute nadir of the Star Trek franchise. The director should be shot for letting him die in that horribly undignified and inconsequential manner. It's like having Darth Vader slip on a banana peel and break his neck. Ridiculous.
 

DarkAngel

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Desslar said:
Kirk's death scene is the absolute nadir of the Star Trek franchise. The director should be shot for letting him die in that horribly undignified and inconsequential manner. It's like having Darth Vader slip on a banana peel and break his neck. Ridiculous.
It wasn't inconsequential. Decloaking that device allowed Picard to stop it from firing and saved the millions of lives in the Veridian system.
 

GMB

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DarkAngel said:
It wasn't inconsequential. Decloaking that device allowed Picard to stop it from firing and saved the millions of lives in the Veridian system.
None of which we ever saw, so it was kind of hard to really care about them.

This movie was a mess, especially following ST6 which managed to be a really fitting goodbye to the original series cast and a decent action movie besides. This managed to be a mess with only fitfully decent parts (like, Kirk and Picard meeting at his house and the conversation on horseback) bracketed by painfully awful moments (Cameron Frye as captain of the Enterprise, the whole long fight in the desert which suffered mainly from having no one in any phsycal shape to have a fistfight fight what felt like an hour, and Picard having the dreaiest soul-murdering fantasy life of any man not already dead) and a whole presentation that screamed "This was directed by someone who directs for TV."

Thankfully "First Contact" was much better than this. At least TNG got one good movie during their run.
 

The Penguin

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I feel compelled to point out that we have talkbacks for First Contact and Nemesis. Plus "Insurrection" should be coming from Kolbar in another week or so. Thus finishing our Star Trek movie collection.
 

DarkAngel

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GMB said:
None of which we ever saw, so it was kind of hard to really care about them.

This movie was a mess, especially following ST6 which managed to be a really fitting goodbye to the original series cast and a decent action movie besides.
I don't disagree. As I said above, I expected far better from a movie that brings Kirk and Picard together. All I was pointing out is that Kirk's death was not inconsequential. Whether or not we liked the scene, story, implementation, etc., Kirk died a hero. He died saving millions of lives. He died doing what he always does, making a difference.
 

GMB

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DarkAngel said:
I don't disagree. As I said above, I expected far better from a movie that brings Kirk and Picard together. All I was pointing out is that Kirk's death was not inconsequential. Whether or not we liked the scene, story, implementation, etc., Kirk died a hero. He died saving millions of lives. He died doing what he always does, making a difference.
Well, yeah, but we're only told he made a difference. The key thing with movies is "show don't tell," or at least that's what they tell you first day of film class. *L* If you don't see the stakes involved it becomes to someone who, say doesn't know Kirk or really have a big stake that instead of "he died saving millions of lives" they come away with "he died looking for the remote control."

I could sort of forgive not showing them in we were talking a TV episode, but c'mon it's a movie. Surely they coulda trimmed some time from something else to take up the slack. Having to rely on cheats like that (especially that shot from ST6 they pasted in near the beginning) makes what should have been a big debut (especially in light of the huge rollot the TOS movie series had) seem like just another TV episode.
 

Chris Wood

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DarkAngel said:
I don't disagree. As I said above, I expected far better from a movie that brings Kirk and Picard together. All I was pointing out is that Kirk's death was not inconsequential. Whether or not we liked the scene, story, implementation, etc., Kirk died a hero. He died saving millions of lives. He died doing what he always does, making a difference.
??? He clumsily fell off a bridge, without even being pushed. He failed to apprehend the villain.
 

Squall

Calm Before The Storm
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How often do our real-life legends (whether they be in sports, politics, military history, business, etc. etc.) end the way they were best known, in their prime and on top?
 

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