Nemesis

[grysar]

Well everybody else posted, guess I'm just a joiner.

First my order, don't really remember 3 or 1, except to say 3 first half, one later half.
6-2-4-10-8-5-9-7


On the whole, I rather liked the movie, it would have been nice for next gen to go out on a bigger movie, I'd have loved this to have been 9 or something, but oh well. I particularly enjoyed that it was actually clever at point, characters caught things quickly and acted accordingly. In example, potential quibble was that no one mentioned Lore or were appropriately cautious when it came to B-4. This can be perfectly explained the fact that they realize he's a trap and wouldn't discuss that around him.

Similarly, I felt the politics worked. Coup's like Shinzon's happen, he pulled off a well executed coup via assassination with military backing but his grip on power was never secure. That it falls apart so quickly is completely appropriate and sensible.

Now for quibbles and thoughts as to how it could have been a better movie. Those that sound similar to lampbane's are cribbed from her and just listed in agreement. My friend Andrew and I came up with different complaints so I can't take credit for hers.

• (Andrew's Idea) Why not have Patrick Stewart play both roles. Sure, Shinzon should act brash and young and you would need the rapid aging technobabble, but really, it's worth it. Now maybe if they did a really good job of exploiting the youth theme that would be one thing, but what they did have could have been captured by Stewart playing Shinzan as still young at heart. OK, maybe it's too evil universe, but really Trek repeats itself, big whoop. Probably keeping in Shinzon's need for blood from Picard or something makes sense, just come up with a new reason, and slow the rate of Shinzon's decline, everyone is right when they gripe about it.
  
• Why bother with Remus? I think the Romulans are cool, Coby disagrees and offers some valid supporting points that they aren't, but that's not so much the point. There are already many warrior races in Star Trek, another one isn't needed. He could still be in the dilithium mines and have the nasty upbringing, maybe even the Vice Roy, but a battle within the Romulen ranks would make for a better movie. Admittedly a movie more like 6, but 6 was a better movie, so that's all right. :P
  
• Picard beaming over at the end. This is simply stupid and obviously prompted by an urge to have Picard defeat Shinzon mano-a-mano. Would have been much cooler to put people in space suits and have them attack after the ramming, or use shuttle craft, which would be more in keeping with how Trek is done.
  
• The whole Troi thing wasn't necessary at all and while her guiding Worf's hand was cool, it was otherwise pointless. And why wasn't there more sexual tension there any ways? But I digress.
  
• The reason the Troi thing was there was to use some of the rest of the crew. How about instead just using everyone else, TNG episodes could do it, figure out how to do it for the movies. I mean heck, Geordi was Data's sidekick, that's just sad.
  
• The boarding sequence was lame. The raiding party was too small, and the extended Riker fight should be dropped along with the Troi thing. Have Riker and Worf lead a real coordinated defense against a large multi point invasion. Let them be smart and experienced and officers, not just good shots who lead security teams.
  
• Yeah, Janeway's lame and she didn't act like a good admiral. Moreover, Enterprise goes cause it's the closest ship?! They use that in almost every bloody movie, now here there was a reason, and I give them props for that. But... Why not say, "Your close, and you have the diplomatic experience necessary to lead this mission." If some idiot red shirt captain was closest would you send him as a peace envoy?!
  
• Concern for the crew. I didn't catch this but after reading lampbane's point and comments I completely agree. The dead crew should have been mourned. Abandoning ship should have been mentioned when they were going to self-destruct, and the front of the ship should have been evacuated with an order onscreen, we shouldn't have to assume.
  
• This is a lot to ask from Star Trek, but I'd like to see more coordination in the attacks when the enterprise and the two War Birds were fighting the Scimitar. On the whole I thought the effects were rather cool, but it'd be neat to get a feel for actual tactics.
  

But enough gripping. On the whole, good Trek movie, would have been an amazing set of episodes, but didn't quite rise to the greatness one would hope would end the series. I also particularly liked the theme of uniqueness, self-betterment, and free will. All fit well with the larger themes of Star Trek. The people griping that B-4 makes the Data sacrifice a cop out missed the larger theme that even with Data's memories and even starting down Data's path, B-4 is not and will never be Data. And Data's sacrifice made sense, unlike what Picard did at the very end.