Hey folks, Harry here... with all the excitement about TWO TOWERS and the initial negative reviews of STAR TREK NEMESIS, its nice to see a real Trek fan really seeming to enjoy the new film from those Trek folks. I've known this particular writer in the online sense, for quite some time, he's a real fan of Star Trek and well.... Here's his take on the latest one...
Harry,
For the past week I've debated whether or not to even write this review. I too attended the press screening the weekend before last in NYC. Being that all the press who attended the screening are under a gag order not to say anything until the 13 and based on the negative review you just posted, I felt compelled to write in and tell you what I felt of the film. From a fan's point of view.
First and foremost I will say that it's a PRETTY GOOD film. Not excellent or just "good" but pretty good.
I was one of the lucky ones who managed to get my hands on the actual script about the same time that Moriarty did. I had the same opinion he did by thinking this was going to make an excellent Trek film. The script was filled with various moments which I found very endearing (such as the bottle of wine that Data and Picard share after the wedding). Sadly, that scene was cut as I'm sure you've seen from the various reports from the web.
Shinzon started out as a great villain. He honestly felt more three-dimensional that the previous TNG villains. But where the film failed, was at the end it seems like he was more of a "baddie-with-a-big-gun-and-I-ain't-affraid-to-use-it" type guy. I found it a little disappointing but not too distracting.
One of the things I was looking forward to in the movie after reading the script was the "passage of time" but honestly, after the reception and Picard's announcement that Riker and Troi were off to the Titan, I didn't feel that at all. It honestly feels as though we picked up where we left off after INSURRECTION.
There were other moments in the movie I was looking forward to after reading the script such as the speech that Shinzon gives to the new Romulan Senate. You know, "The mighty Federation will fall before us" etc. Gone. Shinzon just sort of pops up out of nowhere and I found that a little odd. I was also looking forward to seeing the new First Officer. This too would have made the film feel more like it was "passing time" with a newer crew and all, but was again disappointed when it never turned up.
But enough about the bad.
The good. Everything else about the movie friggin ROCKED THA HOUSE Y'ALL!! The production design was awesome! The part I thought would bug me the most, the buggy chase, didn't at all. Well, with one exception, the jump from the cliff to the Argo seems... well, poorly done FX wise. A nice p.o.v. shot from inside the buggy to landing in the Argo shuttle would have worked better.
The battle at the end. Again, just awesome! There wasn't anything really groundbreaking here though. Yes, the collision was WELL executed and believable but visual FX really haven't evolved in the last 4 years. This is the way a space battle should be! Large ships duking it out. You truly get the feel for the size of the ships too. It isn't like a Star Wars where ships zoom in and out but you really feel as though the ships have to "work" to get from point A to B.
That about does it. Again, maybe it was because I was spoiled by reading the script and found it a wonderful read but I left Nemesis wishing they had left a lot of stuff in. To hell with a 2 hour long movie. If LOTR and HP and DAD tough us one thing is that people really do have the patience for a 2:30+ movie. This movie was pretty good. Not excellent. But certainly the best TNG film yet.
-- Gary 8
