Star Trek: Generations *** (1994, Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell) – Classic Movie Review 27

In an iconic, heart-tugging moment for the series, Kirk says to Picard: ‘Who am I to argue with the Captain of the Enterprise?’

Through the miracle of the movies (and time-travelling), old generation Captain James T Kirk (William Shatner) meets next generation Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in this historic moment in the series, as Stewart takes over the helm in this first Next Generation big-screen episode in 1994.

The baton is handed over quite stylishly in this exciting tale of a madman Dr Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell) threatening the universe by tapping into an intergalactic energy source that brings fantasies to life. McDowell (‘time is the fire in which we burn’) pushes his luck engagingly enough in an over-the-top turn as villain in an amusing, well-staged seventh Star Trek voyage, with a decent screenplay by Brannon Braga and Ronald D Moore.

Brent Spiner (Data), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), LeVar Burton (Geordi), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Beverley), Marina Sirtis (Troi) and an uncredited Whoopi Goldberg (bartender Guinan) all appear from the TV show. But the old guard are much missed, with Shatner not given enough to do (though he is a greatly enlivening presence while he’s on screen, even if James Doohan (Scotty) and Walter Koenig (Chekov) merely have just cameos.

It’s a well-crafted movie. John A Alonzo’s cinematography is smart and the special effects are smoothly done by Terry Frazee, Ronald B Moore and John Knoll at Industrial Light and Magic.

Sadly, Doohan would not speak to Shatner off set because of what he said about him in his memoirs. And even more sadly, Leonard Nimoy refused to appear on the ground that his part was bland and lacked substance; DeForest Kelley couldn’t appear because of failing health and George Takei refused because his Sulu character would have been demoted: they’re all specially missed. Takei ‘s lines were given to a new character, his daughter Demora (Kirk: ‘When did Sulu find time for a family?’), Doohan got Nimoy’s dialogue and Koenig was given Kelley’s.

The historic ending of the film was reshot at a vast cost of $5million, a sixth of the total budget, after bad audience reaction at sneak previews.

As Kirk says; ‘Oh, my!’

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) followed. Star Trek was successfully rebooted in 2009, with a sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, in 2013.

© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 27

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