After a joyous wedding between William Riker and Deanna Troi, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew stumble upon a positronic signature belonging to a prototype version of android crew member Data. The Enterprise is then diverted to Romulus to negotiate a peace treaty with the Romulans by their new leader, Praetor Shinzon. However, Shinzon, is revealed to be a clone of Picard raised on Remus, a slave planet to the Romulans. Picard discovers that this treaty is nothing more than a set-up by Shinzon, who needs Picard to survive. Set four years after the events of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), this film marks the final outing of TNG crew on the big screen. Unfortunately, like most of the other films in the Next Gen line-up, this adventure received a mixed-bag response among fans and is personally my least favourite. It is not the most horrendous film I have ever seen but it is one I found disappointing out of all the Trek films and this was for a few reasons. That is not to say there isn't stuff I liked. There are some brilliant moments scattered throughout. The opening was simply beautiful, with the wedding of Will and Deanna, which was so delightful, especially since I had wanted to see them together since the series. Picard's speech, was enough to make any fan tearful as he wished the newlyweds well before they set on their last voyage together. It was further great to see returning characters Guinan and Wesley Crusher, whom we hadn't seen since the end of the series. Though it is a shame his dialogue and scenes were cut. Other notable moments were Worf getting drunk on Romulan ale to Data singing 'Blue Skies' on stage, which were hilarious. The crew set off to their destination when they are drawn in by a mystery signal that turns out to be another Data-like android called B-4, an unused prototype for Data. It was a shame, however, that this cool scene was disrupted by my least favourite aspect with the rover, which, whilst not a bad scene, didn't feel like Star Trek. We then turn to the story at hand with the planet Romulus undergoing new management under Picard clone, Shinzon. This clone was created by the Romulan Empire to infiltrate the Federation as their agent but was cast aside and left to work as a slave on the mining planet Remus. He leads an army of Reman troops who are essentially vampires, which was an unusual aspect of the movie that at least had a cool design. One of the more interesting parts of this film was Picard's and Shinzon's interactions. Despite being the same person, they have both led vastly alternate lives and their thoughts on one another were quite intriguing to watch. Shinzon was not a bad addition to the franchise and for a villain, he was exceptional but mainly in his scenes with Picard. I noticed as the film went on that we spent an awful lot of time focusing on Picard and Data's stories and whilst they may be my favourites of the group, I felt the rest of the cast were forgotten. Having this as their essential 'final outing' I wanted to see more of the whole crew with some characters barely having anything to do. There are some highlight moments for some, like Deanna using her Betazoid powers in a new and incredible way. The effects on the other hand are still pretty decent with a lot of them aiding in creating a fantastic space battle with the Enterprise-E and the cloackable Scimitar. Also, what is it with the Enterprise-E practically being destroyed in every movie? It takes a beating in all of them, but none more than this in, at least, an awesome fight. Spoilers ahead so skip past the red. *Spoilers* Throughout the movie, there were certainly many parts that I wasn't all that much of a fan of, but the biggest one of all was Data's death. Yes, it was a meaningful sacrifice that, if anything, gave him that humanity, but it made the ending bittersweet with not everyone being there for a happy send-off. Overall, Nemesis is one of those movies that probably improves upon a rewatch, but still, elements remain that make it a weak entry. It wasn't without some great sequences, but, ultimately, it fell flat and didn't feel like a just ending for some of Trek's finest. Check out more from TNG crew in Picard (TV Series 2020-2023).
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