Good Clone Fun
Illawarra Mercury
Thursday February 13, 2003
Star Trek: Nemesis
Stars Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton and Michael Dorn. Directed by Stuart Baird.
First, the confession. I'm an old generation Star Trek fan. If it doesn't have Spock, well it's just not Star Trek.
Now, the qualification. The new age Nemesis is a rollicking good yarn - even for those of us who don't want to let go of history.
Jam-packed with action, believable special effects, and just the right emotional touch, the film is richly rewarding entertainment.
Let's make no mistake. There's nothing highbrow about the film and it's not about to rejuvenate the science-fiction film genre.
It's all about getting into a theatre and having maximum enjoyment for your dollar.
This time the Enterprise, under the captaincy of Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart), is called deep into space to take part in a peace meeting with the Romulans, a long-time enemy.
What they find is a Romulan empire now led by a neighbouring Reman contingent with the leader, Shinzon (Tom Hardy), a younger clone of Picard.
Of course, the peace treaty is a cover and Picard must effectively fight his younger self in a bid to save Earth from annihilation.
That pretty much makes it a run of the mill day for the crew of the Enterprise but not all of the main staff will make it safely through the battle.
Director Baird sets a strong pace that never falters and pulls a multi-stranded plot together with ease.
The issue of cloning is a great storyline as it brings to the fore debate on whether a clone will be exactly the same as the original entity, as well as underscoring the basic strengths and weaknesses in man's genetic make-up.
Add an intriguing plot to special effects that blend perfectly with the film's structure and are not overdone (although in a film like this that could be hard to do) and you have a quality production at every level.
It also helps to be able to spot familiar faces in unexpected roles.
No, I'm not talking about Whoopi Goldberg's brief appearance. I'm talking about Aussie television star Alan Dale - of Neighbours and The Young Doctors fame.
Even with make-up it's obviously him. It's amazing what you can get up to during a stint in the United States.
But I digress. Let's get back to the basics.
Not all films need to make a statement, reflect society, create major debate or underscore historical fact.
Sometimes, nothing hits the spot as well as pure theatrical fun and Star Trek: Nemesis fits this bill.
Enjoy it, just because you can.
Star Trek: Nemesis is screening at Hoyts Warrawong and Greater Union, Shellharbour.
Startrekkers
James T Kirk (William Shatner)
Spock (Leonard Nimoy)
Leonard H McCoy (DeForest Kelley)
Montgomery Scott (James Doohan)
Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)
William Riker (Jonathan Frakes)
Data (Brent Spiner)
Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg)
Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula)
Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney)
Pavel Checkov (Walter Koenig)
Uhura (Nichelle Nichols)
Hikaru Sulu (George Takei)
Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew)
Worf (Michael Dorn
Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton)
Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden)
Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis)
Natasha Yar (Denise Crosby)
Phlox (John Billingsley)
T'Pol (Jolene Blalock)
Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating)
Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery)
Hoshi Sato (Linda Park)
Charles ``Trip" Tucker III (Connor Trinneer)
© 2003 Illawarra Mercury