Much like the first Star Trek film, "Star Trek Generations" could have been great, but ultimately failed to create the high drama and emotional character development that fans of the series crave. The idea of Captains Kirk and Picard interacting in one movie seemed like box office dynamite, but did not live up to the billing.
The basic plot of this film has the "Next Generation" Enterprise crew investigating a strange astral phenomena in which people can live out their greatest fantasies. When that phenomena falls into the wrong hands, the conflict of the movie is set.
The movie fails to deliver in a few key areas: First, the introduction and ultimate fate of the returning James T. Kirk seem quite anticlimactic. In what should have been a monumental "passing of the torch" moment, the writers/producers instead chose to play down the "cannon" aspect in favor of the script at hand. Second, the "Next Generation" crew all seem a bit wooden in their performances, almost as if they were taking themselves too seriously on the big screen, when they should have just remained true to their silver-screen characters.
A few scenes actually work quite while, however, saving this movie from complete oblivion. The opening of the movie, featuring a fish-out-of-water Kirk watching a new captain command the Enterprise, is classic, while Captain Jean-Luc Picard's "fantasy life" in the astral phenomena adds depth to his character. Also, the emotion-chip plot line involving Data was humorous (even though Data's ultimate decision on the chip doesn't come until later on in the Next Generation TV show).
To conclude, "Star Trek Generations" is an average movie that is very uneven throughout. Some scenes with Kirk are great, others are anti-climatic. Some information regarding the astral phenomena is interesting, while at other times it is just confusing. If you are just watching the Star Trek movies, I would recommend this film in order to become accustomed to the Next Generation cast. If you already are a "Next Gen" fan, this movie can easily be skipped en route to the next installment in the movie series.
The basic plot of this film has the "Next Generation" Enterprise crew investigating a strange astral phenomena in which people can live out their greatest fantasies. When that phenomena falls into the wrong hands, the conflict of the movie is set.
The movie fails to deliver in a few key areas: First, the introduction and ultimate fate of the returning James T. Kirk seem quite anticlimactic. In what should have been a monumental "passing of the torch" moment, the writers/producers instead chose to play down the "cannon" aspect in favor of the script at hand. Second, the "Next Generation" crew all seem a bit wooden in their performances, almost as if they were taking themselves too seriously on the big screen, when they should have just remained true to their silver-screen characters.
A few scenes actually work quite while, however, saving this movie from complete oblivion. The opening of the movie, featuring a fish-out-of-water Kirk watching a new captain command the Enterprise, is classic, while Captain Jean-Luc Picard's "fantasy life" in the astral phenomena adds depth to his character. Also, the emotion-chip plot line involving Data was humorous (even though Data's ultimate decision on the chip doesn't come until later on in the Next Generation TV show).
To conclude, "Star Trek Generations" is an average movie that is very uneven throughout. Some scenes with Kirk are great, others are anti-climatic. Some information regarding the astral phenomena is interesting, while at other times it is just confusing. If you are just watching the Star Trek movies, I would recommend this film in order to become accustomed to the Next Generation cast. If you already are a "Next Gen" fan, this movie can easily be skipped en route to the next installment in the movie series.