Viaje a las estrellas: Generaciones

The picture is a crossover between the classic Star Trek with New Generations , they are incarnated by the usual sagas , as Captain James T. Kirk (Shatner) , Scotty (recently deceased James Doohan) , Chekov (Walter Koenig) and even a Sulu's daughter(Kim), they are reunited with the new crew from USS-17o1 , as captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) , Data (Brent Spiner), Worf (Michael Dorn) , Laforge (LeVar Burton) , Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Dr Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) , plus an uncredited Woopi Goldberg in a brief apparition . The film focuses captain Picard who must confront a villain megalomaniac scientific (Malcom McDowell) who has an only objective to get a bizarre , weird entity : ¨Nexus¨ which heads a relentless rout , besides he is taking on nasty Klingons (Brian Thompson) . He travels time and manages to hook up with Captain Kirk , both of whom team up and battle against the nefarious enemy . As always , the comic relief results to be the commander android Data , this time , he attains an emotional chip experimenting human feeling .

Idealism , humor , humanity , several agreeable characters and trademark effects abound and will please the enthusiasts and the neophytes . The writing is concentrated upon characters as well as the action and magnificent special effects by ILM (courtesy George Lucas) and a spectacular production design . Atmospheric and sensational music by Dennis McCarthy , habitual of TV episodes . Colorful cinematography by the classic cameraman John A. Alonzo . The motion picture was well directed by David Carson . The movie was made in the typical professional manner of the franchise and in the nostalgic mode of its predecessors . Yarn will appeal to hardcore trekkers as well as the initiated.

Above average Sci-fi action drama movie that has a modest production in comparison to the average high qualily fare STAR TREK film.This 7th Star Trek movie played more like a special TV episode which although still good,kind of let down a lot of high expectations due to a great potential storyline and incredible trailers.The movie was rushed and the screenplay/script really took the steam out of the storyline.Also,the special effects were very trimmed down.Still,if one is a big Star Trek fan,you will never forget the emotional scenes of Captain Kirk(what a guy!) and the great acting of Shatner (not to be outdone by Stewart!) here.Yes,this one could have been so much better but I would take a Star Trek movie over the majority of Scifi movies out there!For Star Trek fans only......

Amongst Trek nerds, there's a hotly debated but generally true rule that the odd-numbered Treks suck (I: The Motion Picture, III: The Search for Spock, and V: Kirk Kills God) while the even-numbered ones kick ass (II: The Wrath of Khaaaaaaan, IV: Spock Hugs a Whale, VI: The Undiscovered Country). I myself disagree strongly with regard to #1 and #5 which are two of my favorites, but alas even I must concede that they were generally not well received.

You see, dating all the way back to the 60s, the Trek stories have always been very personal, meaning certain stories will resonate with certain people but fail on the general audience. Call me crazy but I frickin LOVED "The Empath". Yeah, me and one other person, right? Long preamble aside, my point is that with Trek you'll get so many conflicting, subjective opinions that it's hardly any use to read reviews, aside from sheer entertainment factor which I will do my best to provide here.

Welcome to STAR TREK 7, aka "Why Did William Shatner Do This? Wasn't Priceline Earning Him Enough Money in the 90s?" This was Paramount Studio's attempt to reconcile Trekkies (fans of the original crew) and Trekkers (fans of The Next Generation), although I'd say this is squarely a Trekker next generation film with little more than a passing nod to the Trekkies and a somewhat forced "handoff" from Kirk to Picard. I won't get into that since the only amicable resolution of any Trekkie/Trekker debate is when both sides agree that the Federation would kick Darth Vader's butt.

As for this film, my biggest criticism with Star Trek Generations is that we don't feel any real peril. So it's hard to take the story as seriously as other Treks where, oh, the fate of the entire galaxy, universe or your momma rest in the balance. Danger seems contrived and random. The bad guy (admirably handled by Malcolm McDowell sporting an 80s Sting haircut) just isn't menacing or psychotic enough to get our attention like, for instance, Khan, who sets the tone right in the beginning by sticking a brain-eating worm in Chekov's ear. With Khan we know right away that we better set our inertial dampers on full because it'is going to be a wild ride. In contrast here in Generations, there's no real threat to the Enterprise or her crew, so we the audience are reduced to merely watching a series of events happen. Sure, these are events of importance, but emotionally we don't necessarily feel the emotional weight.

Of course this leads me right to the subject of the... well, the event that happens at the end. Just in case you've been living in the Genesis cave for the last 20 years and you don't know what that event is, I won't ruin it. But it feels like it comes totally out of left field and was unnecessary. Sort of like the Star Wars Christmas Special in 1978, I'd just as soon believe it never happened.

I'm going to do an about face now and tell you what's good about the movie. Data's subplot about trying to deal with emotions for the first time was awesome. It was both interesting as well as amusing, and it was a throwback to the Trek we all know & love which was driven by strong personalities and character development rather than plot points.

Similarly, there is a brief but powerful subplot about Picard and his personal tragedy. That was another great, profound moment which reminds us that Trek is more than phasers and special effects.

But alas, then we are thrown back into a plain old plot, which could've easily been the story of any other scifi and didn't require the Star Trek franchise behind it. Picard's (Patrick Stewart's) acting is first class as always, and it is mainly that plus the aforementioned Data story which keeps this movie rolling. But beyond that, all other characters are peripheral, wooden and somewhat forgettable.

The special effects are, well, 90s. That means they are neither nostalgic (like the 80s) nor technically impressive (like the 10s). They're just sorta... 90s. Apologies to anyone out there who grew up in the 90s. Your decade sorta sucked dude. Scifi wouldn't become cool again until the remake of Battlestar Galactica in 2003.

And on that note, YES, the same Ronald D Moore who masterminded Battlestar in 2003 is the guy who wrote the story and screenplay for Generations, so I can't imagine how it came up as short as a Ferengi's knee socks. But it did. The story was the worst part of this production because it didn't really give the actors a chance to shine.

We'll let Ronald off the hook just because Battlestar kicked ass.

I'm not sure if the Even-Odd rule holds true beyond 7 because I haven't seen 8 through (what are we on now?)13. And like I said, Trek tastes are entirely subjective and you may end up loving Generations more than any other. If so, I believe the Generations fan club is even smaller than my Empath fan club, so kudos for enduring the public shame. Hey it could be worse. You could be a fan of "Arena".

(Credit IMDb) In the late twenty-third century, the gala maiden voyage of the third Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) boasts such luminaries as Pavel Chekov, Montgomery Scott, and the legendary Captain James T. Kirk as guests. But the maiden voyage turns to disaster as the unprepared ship is forced to rescue two transport ships from a mysterious energy ribbon. The Enterprise manages to save a handful of he ships' passengers and barely makes it out intact...but at the cost of Captain Kirk's life. Seventy-eight years later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves at odds with the renegade scientist Soren...who is destroying entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soren's scheme...and he's been dead for seventy-eight years...

I find this to be very underrated among Star Trek goers. I mean, how cool is it to see the two greatest Star Trek characters in history Shatner's Kirk and Stewart's Picard team up to face evil adversity. It was a real treat to watch. I'm well aware Patrick Stewart had already started Trek previously before this with the TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it was still cool. I also thought the opening tribute to Kirk was well-done, and neat to see, considering he did so much for keeping Star Trek alive. This movie also benefits from one of the most underrated madman's of cinema Malcolm McDowell playing crazy like only he can, going up against the two memorable Star Trek icons. The finale is intense, emotional, and in my opinion a fitting send off for Kirk.

Performances. William Shatner is not the star, his screen time is precious, but his bravery to take this part and putting his ego aside is clearly refreshing. He is still charismatic, and iconic as ever. Patrick Stewart's intensity knows no bounds, and he was the perfect choice to take over in the movies. I love the guy. Malcolm McDowell is a great foe for Stewart, and I was glued to the screen every time he was on it. Not many people can play a madman like him. Jonathan Frakes is likable, and enjoyable to watch as Riker. Rest of the cast does fine.

Bottom line. This is an entertaining entry to the Star Trek saga, and many people underrate it as far as I'm concerned. It ranks among my favorites in the series. Recommended

7/10

The crew of the Starship Enterprise have a major dilemma on their hands when a scientist named Soran (Malcolm McDowell), whom they'd once saved from his doomed home planet, reveals himself to be a very bad guy. He's hellbent on returning to something called the Nexus, a domain where, once a person has been there, they apparently don't want to leave. It's just pure joy. To stop Soran, Captain Picard (the great Sir Patrick Stewart) must team with the legendary Captain Kirk (the almighty William Shatner), who supposedly perished saving the "Enterprise-B" during its maiden voyage.

"Generations" initially comes off as a great gimmick, of uniting two generations of Enterprise crews, but this never really pays off, as the only two who meet are Picard and Kirk. "Generations" is NOT one of the stronger entries in this film series, with an engaging but uninspired story. The main attraction for veteran fans is likely to be the prospect of Picard and Kirk teaming up for the final half hour, engaging in fisticuffs with the maniacal Soran and hurrying to prevent him from destroying a star.

This viewer can't speak as one who has necessarily been a big Trek fan from the start, so he basically views this as pretty fun, all things considered. Certainly all the series regulars are in very fine form, with the android Data (Brent Spiner) getting the lions' share of the comedy relief, as he has inserted a special computer chip that allows him to experience emotions. This presents a problem at times, because either *everything* is amusing to him, or he gets scared easily.

It's nice to see old hands James Doohan and Walter Koenig, however briefly; Shatner brings the final part of the film to life. Not such an easy task, given the talents of Stewart (Picard has some key emotional moments) and the delicious, hammy villainy of McDowell. In addition to the regulars from the 'Next Generation' series, other familiar faces like Alan Ruck, Jacqueline Kim, Jenette Goldstein, Glenn Morshower, Tim Russ, and Brian Thompson turn up. An unbilled Whoopi Goldberg reprises her role of Guinan.

Wonderful music by Dennis McCarthy and some impressive visual effects by ILM help to make this a reasonably entertaining series entry.

Seven out of 10.