Hello, and welcome back to my Journey into Science-Fiction Part 31. Time was the theme of the last review, which also starred Malcolm McDowell. Add some life lessons from Jack the Ripper, and you have something unique in Time After Time, 1979. However, Star Trek Generations had me watching the seconds, minutes, and hours tick-tick away. It is hard for me to notice the time in which I burn. Finding that reflection in the seventh Star Trek gave me an appreciation for the small moments, and it still managed to become an enemy along the way. Star Trek, Generations was co-written by Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga. Both were already regulars in the writing room for Star Trek and still working on the sixth season of The Next Generation, as the news for a feature film was first announced. Finally, Rick Berman was the lead producer on the film and an individual who helped with the success of Star Trek in the nineties. Leonard Nimoy turned down the chance to direct the feature, which gave British Director David Carson “Yesterday’s Enterprise” Emissary” the opportunity to boldly take this next-gen crew where they had not gone before. Financially, the film was a success at the Box Office, but it was soon apparent the movie was a little divisive in the Star Trek community. So, what do I have to offer to a film that has already found its place in the franchise? Honestly, the chance to discuss what The Next Generation means to me, what feels right and what maybe feels a little conflicting about the movie. Please join me as I share my thoughts on Star Trek Generations and everything that comes with it.
“Cant do it, McCoy said glumly. “I’m going to stay with Joanna and her family, and we’re talking about heading off to do some research out in the B’renga sector. And Spock’s headed home. ‘Home?” Jim glanced swiftly at his first officer for verification. Spock gave a single nod. I am . . . discussing the possibility of doing some diplomatic work with Ambassador Sarek.”
I guess many Star Trek fans would already notice that neither Spock nor Bones would appear in Star Trek Generations. However, the novelisation by J.M. Dillard has a very different beginning to the story than the one we know. It isn’t so significant as to ruin any part of the film and it would be the last time we would see the trio together. It’s nice to see old friends, but we have watched similar scenes starring this crew before. I feel like the long lasting chemistry between these three actors would have taken the spotlight away from the rest of the movie, so I can understand why the changes were made. However, reading the novelisation highlights the reality that I was always looking for more in this movie. The book has enhanced, enriched and helped solidify the story for me, but is it enough? I guess it’s time to talk about the film and finally work out how I feel about it, once and for all.
“And there it was in flames: the flames, two people screaming, dying in such object misery that Soran drew in his breath, shuddered at the memory of his own long-ago pain. So we have more in common than I thought, you and I”
It’s always good to see the original cast in a Star Trek movie, but I still wanted them in a feature-length film of their own. Knowing that was never going to happen at this point, leaves the scenes featuring the cast feel a little sad, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it all, and that’s why I’m conflicted by the film! It will always feel special when Kirk William Shatner Scotty James Doohan and Chekov Walter Koeing step foot onto the Bridge of a Starship. The Enterprise-B looks beautiful. The News Crew on the Bridge brings some reality to the franchise with Alan Ruck Captain Harriman gives an enjoyable and realistic performance as a leader who is out of his depth on a ship that is not ready to face the challenge ahead of them. On its maiden voyage, The Enterprise-B manages to save a handful of El-Aurian refugees as a massive energy ribbon destroys their ships. The small victory is short-lived as news of the death of James T. Kirk spreads amongst its crew. The trailing end of the energy ribbon has destroyed the ship’s hull, the final place where the legendary Captain made his last heroic deed.
I am always impressed with Ian McDowell as an actor, and his portrayal of Tolian Soran is probably my favourite villain in all the Star Trek movies and the most interesting character in this film. Malcolm McDowell helps create so many layers to a character in so little time that he becomes, and still is, an enigma to me. Soran’s attitude, desperation and coldness to use every human, Klingon and the planet as an implement to get him where he needs to be is fascinatingly brutal. Soran is one of those El-Aurian refugees who is saved by Enterprise-B. Unfortunately, he was trying to return to the energy ribbon because it contains an extra-dimensional realm of wish fulfilment, that exists out of normal space-time. Inside the Nexus, Soran has the chance to get his family back after they lost their lives after his homeworld was destroyed by the Borg. In 2371, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D receives a distress call from a stellar observatory, where one Dr. Tolian Soran is still creating shockwaves and havoc in his quest to be reunited with his family.
Star Trek has been a constant in my life for a long time now, and I remember trying to harvest as many VHS copies of The Next Generation as possible to complete the show. The Next Generation is such a unique phenomenon when you think about it. The show received a lot of backlash when it was first announced and somehow managed to to become something much bigger than its predecessor, on the small screen at least. However, I think the big screen would be a far more difficult challenge for the cast and here are a few reasons why. Time is highly important in the plot of the film, but also vastly important in the history of Star Trek. The original series was somehow blessed with its misfortune, and a cancelled television show only left the fans wanting more. After the release of Star Wars in 1977, cinema fans were ready to bask in this new landscape of visual and special effects blockbusters and Star Trek The Motion Picture, released in 1979 found that sweet spot in cinema history. In 1994, things would be a little different. The Next Generation television show was not cancelled abruptly and was, in my opinion, is one of the most fulfilling series of all time. And here lies the problem for me with Generations. Seasons one to seven of TNG are as good as it gets for me. It wasn’t a perfect television show, but that only added to its charm. The series evolved into its own lore and was no longer a representation of what came before it. Within seven glorious years, the cast, the sets and writers created an environment that felt like home. How do you make a film that feels as exciting as The Best of Both Worlds, something as meaningful as The Inner Light or something that explores the human condition better than The Measure of a Man?
How have I only just noticed this now, but does Captain Picard Patrick Stewart now become the central character in every film or episode of Star Trek after Generations? I have to say, the death of his brother and family in this film feels pretty brutal and that feeling of anxiety never goes away. Okay, I guess it adds some comparison to Soran’s situation but that is some heavy salad to digest in my opinion. Eventually Picard ends up in the Nexus and learns that Kirk is living happily in this celestial landscape. The Nexus never appealed to me and it seems kind of flawed somehow. Can you imagine living each day, going back and forth to moments in your past and feeling slightly aware that something just isn’t right. Picard’s idea of happiness feels like a vision Danny would have in The Shining and still fills me with horror today. Picard pleads with Kirk to come back and help him fix the destruction Soran has caused. Chopping wood for the rest of eternity is not an easy pleasure to give up but Kirk agrees because the excitement and danger of reality is something the Captain cannot give up. I understand Soran’s plan to destroy a nearby planet in order to change the gravitational effects of the ribbon to come to his location, but Picard’s explanation that both him and Kirk can travel to any point in time and change anything they desire left me feeling a little bit confused. However, they do manage to work together and eventually defeat Soran and save the population of Veridian III from extinction.
Star Trek Generations is not a bad movie, but I do not think you need any of the original cast in this film. The Undiscovered Country was a perfect ending to their legacy, and I cant understand why you would want to change that. Kirk’s death was unflattering, and I can understand why some fans did not appreciate it. I feel the hierarchy of the original cast was set in stone to a certain point, and both the actors and fans accepted that because it worked. I think the issue with Generations and the Next Generation crew is there was no hierarchy, and within a ninety-minute movie, you cannot give all the characters the time they deserve. Seven seasons of television worked perfectly and was as good as it could get for me. I understand Patrick Stewart is a fine actor, but season three of Picard shows the importance of those around him. I think Brent Spiner gave his best performance as Data in this film, and the emotion chip gives some gravitas to the script. The sets are immaculate, the cinematography is beautiful, and the visual and special effects create something unique for the big screen. It’s always good to see the Klingons in a Star Trek movie, and the Duras sisters’ involvement with Geordi la Forge Levar Burton is fun, albeit feeling similar to something we have seen before. I believe Generations is a perfectly fine action and adventure science-fiction blockbuster for the ages, but sometimes I just want to watch Worf get a haircut!
I guess I have only just noticed it’s the thirtieth anniversary of the film. As much as I moan about the movie, I will always celebrate its existence. I love Star Trek, and this is just a fun discussion and a way to express a few of my thoughts. I would recommend the novelisation to anyone who would like to add more depth to the story. I never grew up to be an astronaut or a physicist, as some of you may have already worked out, but I do think I have learnt some decent lessons about life from Star Trek, and for that, I will always be grateful to those that came before, and everyone that came after. I guess it’s nice to look back with rose-tinted glasses and understand how great it was to be a Star Trek fan at that time in life and now. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
So, where will I go next on my travels? Well, there are a couple of choices I have to consider. Glenn Morshower played an Enterprise-B navigator in the film and later apologised for his poor first rehearsal because, as a Star Trek fan, he was unused to performing with a cast of actors he had idolised for so long. Morshower also starred in The Philadelphia Experiment, 1984. The second choice comes from the writer Ronald D Moore, who co-wrote Generations and also helped reboot Battlestar Galactica. However, it would be the original theatrical release of Saga of Star World, 1978, that I want to take a closer look at. I’m a little conflicted on which one to choose at the moment. Please come back and see where my final decision leads me on My Journey Into Science-Fiction Part 32.
Who’s more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him? 