I was always more of a Kirk than Picard kind of guy. That being said, I would never turn down a new episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation when I was growing up. I had overdosed on the classic brand by the time Picard and crew hit the airwaves and was just happy to watch new adventures of the starship Enterprise, whatever the version number.
So, like a lot of other casual fans, I was right there in line at the cinema when the Next Gen crew made the leap to the big screen. And like a lot of fans, I was disappointed. The four films that followed seven successful seasons of the TV show never quite lived up to either the original crew feature films, or the best of the Next Gen series. But they are, all four, quite fun in their own right. And none of them, even at their worst, descend to the levels of crap explored by Shatner‘s Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Okay, maybe Generations. And maybe anytime the android, Data sings. Urgh…
I’m not going to address each of the four films in depth here. You can find a myriad of individual reviews littered about the internets if you’re not familiar with them. I’m more interested in giving you an overview of the Blu-ray boxed set. But I’ll offer you my feelings on the series in brief.
Star Trek: Generations was a film meant to bridge the gap from original cast to Next Gen cast and from their TV series to their new career in feature films. To me, they didn’t succeed on either count. While the movie can be fun, it makes the critical error of keeping the captains, both Picard and Kirk off of the bridge of the Enterprise, where they belong. The final battle ends up feeling like a redux of The Boys from Brazil - a couple of old, grey men smacking each other around. Such a pity. This one could have been a powerhouse.
The follow up film, Star Trek: First Contact, gets a whole lot right and stands head and shoulders above the rest of the series as the best of the bunch. This is the crew of the Enterprise against their most vicious and vile enemy, the Borg, fighting for their lives and the fate of the Earth! Wow. Two hours of great action film making with a lot of character and some of the finest acting (Alfre Woodard is amazing!) in all 10 films!
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Star Trek: Insurrection. It’s a good story. It just doesn’t feel like feature film material. Watching it makes me feel like I’m back in my parents’ living room, sitting through a couple of decent episodes of the show. The stakes just aren’t high enough for the crew of the Enterprise. There’s no threat to them or their home world. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a good story here. It just feels fairly average all around.
Star Trek: Nemesis is…well, it’s the last film this cast would make together. I really hated it when I first saw it in the theatre. I remember feeling that the filmmakers were trying way too hard. Trying desperately to give Picard a villain (the new Romulan Praetor, who carries a dark secret!) while servicing the needs of all the actors’ egos. This time around, I actually really enjoyed it! It’s far from a perfect ending for the this chapter of the franchise but at the end of the day, this is a fairly strong film for Star Trek fans.
I really wish we could go back in time and tackle these films again. I feel like they’re such a missed opportunity, with all involved being fairly burnt out on the franchise (I’m talking to you, Rick Berman!) and the cast always pushing for more focus on the sense of family they had created with one another in favour of a strong story. While that may have worked for the TV show at times, the films would have benefitted from stories with more bite. Fewer scenes of silliness (singing androids, Holodeck adventures, weddings etc.) and character business that doesn’t tie into the theme or plot. More driving need to save something or someone or to win the day. Kirk and crew were at their best when at their most desperate. The Next Gen crew is rarely given the chance to care. Maybe they should have killed off Data early on? At least it would have kept the Gilbert and Sullivan songs from the series. I hate musical theatre…
On to the disc set itself then. The Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection Blu-ray set looks pretty great, if I do say so myself. I mean, it’s not going to win any awards for picture quality but at the same time, it looks a hell-of-a-lot better than the The Original Motion Picture set did at its best. But that only stands to reason, as these films are newer. In fact, you can almost chart the improvement in video quality from oldest to newest of the films (Nemesis looks pretty fantastic!) There is DNR and edge enhancement present but nothing that should keep you from picking up the set, if you love these films a lot.
The Blu-ray discs represent a vast improvement over the previously available DVDs in every regard. You’ll be impressed with the picture quality, blown away by the new 5.1 Dolby True HD audio tracks and left breathless (and sleepless!) by the sheer volume of special features spread over the 5-disc set. Just like the Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection Blu-ray set, the Next Gen set offers one disc dedicated to each film and a bonus disc with all new features! While the new Brent Spiner interview series that spans the all of the discs might appeal to die hard fans only, I found the most attractive new feature to be the Trek Roundtable sessions – a series of conversations with Trek experts dissecting each film. Watching the Roundtables after each film is almost like hanging out with your pals, batting ideas around, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Also of note are the commentaries on the Jonathan Frakes (Commander William Riker in the show) directed films, First Contact and Insurrection. Not only does the actor prove to be a fine film director but the man gives good commentary! The Insurrection chat with he and co-star Marina Sirtis is particularly fun.
Read a full run-down of the Blu-ray set and its special features here: Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection Blu-ray box set announced and detailed
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