Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

After a beautiful wedding for William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), the crew of the Enterprise finds themselves pitted against a new villain–Shinzon (Tom Hardy), someone far too close to their revered captain, Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Star Trek: Nemesis is this crew's veritable swan song; and as the stakes are higher than ever before, their lives are sure to be altered forever. 

Let’s get this right out there in the open: the finale of Star Trek: Nemesis is a cop out. In order to develop true intensity, Data (Brent Spiner), the beloved cybernetic being, stays dead. There’s no rectifying this, there’s no presenting viewers with an alternative version of the character–his sacrifice means much less after this film’s conclusion. Do I want the character dead? Certainly not. However, the power held in that moment of self-sacrifice is simply impeccable, a tear-jerker, and a moment of validity that Data didn’t necessarily need, but most certainly deserved. 

Additionally, there are aspects of this narrative that are merely ideas, and they are never fully realized. Or, if they had been fully realized, were included in the nearly hour worth of content cut from the film. Star Trek: Nemesis never fully fleshes out characters like Shinzon or Troi, and their roles in this film, while brilliant in the grand scheme of things (and the performances simply spectacular), are almost forgettable. I needed more from these characters, from their stories, from their final goodbyes–but Director Stuart Baird seemingly doesn’t understand the importance of this in his film. 

Similarly, Baird seems to be a bit disconnected from the pacing of his film, with a series of moments that fail to entertain the audience; and I found myself often fading, almost dozing off as  a result. At just under two hours, Star Trek: Nemesis isn’t any longer than many films that have come out in the modern day, but the sometimes long, droning moments make it feel significantly longer than it actually is–making viewing challenging. I’m no stranger to breaking up the viewing of a film into multiple parts, but typically due to time constraints. I needed a break from Star Trek: Nemesis because I would have fallen asleep otherwise. 

It sounds like I’m shitting on this film, like I might have nothing nice to say about it and that I found the film to be a complete failure. However, I ultimately found Star Trek: Nemesis enjoyable, with much to appreciate, and the good outweighs the bad here. 

Star Trek: Nemesis takes the Star Trek universe in a unique direction, blending action and sophistication in a way that rarely has a place within this canon. Additionally, Baird and his team of writers develop a story that includes not just the brilliant Shakespearean drama that we’ve all become accustomed to, but comedy and lightheartedness that effectively juxtaposes the former. The film begins heavily, with a number of gruesome deaths, and just as quickly as the film begins, it transitions to a gorgeous and heartwarming wedding. Picard and his family celebrate the love between two of its members, and the event is joyous–and despite what cinema may have us anticipate, nothing horrible happens in this moment. We get to see something beautiful without ramifications–and as we prepare for the rest of the narrative, Baird and his team make it abundantly clear that they plan to blend tones, and that they have the chops to pull this off. Star Trek: Nemesis sees things like this play out, repeatedly, going forward, however, with the comedy and drama more closely intertwined. Viewers still get the depth that they hoped for, but with a few welcome twists and turns. 

There are instances in Star Trek: Nemesis in which I found myself repeating the phrase “peak cinema.” While the film as a whole is certainly not this, there are moments of effervescence that are strewn throughout this narrative. As the trio of Picard, Data, and Worf (Michael Dorn) are called to Kolarus III, the desolate landscape called to me. It’s a combination of the set design, its vastness and the use of light to illuminate our heroes on a planet full of pleasure, pain, and mystery. The lighting provides use with almost distorted versions of those three aforementioned characters, displaying the uniqueness of this film and the situation in which they’ve found themselves. This is what most appealed to me in Star Trek: Nemesis, this is what I found to be the most entertaining aspect of the film–the thing that propelled what could have been a frustrating space adventure into something more cinematically appealing and relevant. 

On one hand, there’s a lot for long-time fans of Star Trek to dislike, to be frustrated with; and I can understand why there are fans that equate Star Trek: Nemesis to a pile of garbage. However, there’s just as much to love, maybe even more. When released in 2002, Star Trek: Nemesis appeared to be the last chance for Stewart, Spiner, etc. to be part of the growing franchise–and while some of their narratives aren’t fully fleshed out in this film, there’s a part of me that’s happy with the direction in which each of them headed (with the exception of Geordi [LaVar Burton], because he receives nothing close to a fitting conclusion here). There’s certainly more than could have been done to make this film better, but I’m happy with the finished product nonetheless. 

Star Trek: Nemesis is a film that manages to impress and frustrate at the same time, incorporating unusual elements of comedy and action into it, while still developing a narrative that is both meaningful and effective. I both wanted more from this feature film, and felt that it was too long. A series of missed opportunities (or poor decisions) plague the film, but the Shakespearean drama, impeccable performances, and breathtaking cinematography make Star Trek: Nemesis an unusually interesting watch. 

Directed by Stuart Baird. 

Written by Gene Roddenberry, John Logan, Rick Berman, & Brent Spiner. 

Starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Tom Hardy, Ron Perlman, Shannon Cochran, Dina Meyer, etc. 

7.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING