Written: 2003-11-01
This synopsis may seem overdue. Some of you may have wondered why I never threw up a review when the film first came out. Well, there's a simple explanation for that: I never saw it. And judging by the fact that the film got its ass kicked at the box office by the mediocre Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy "Maid in Manhattan," I'd say that I was not alone in deciding to wait for video. But then you might ask: why didn't you review it when it came out on video, many months ago? Well, that answer is a bit more complicated.
First, I've been very busy. Unlike some online personalities, I occasionally must put aside website development when other things come up in my personal life. You might have noticed a distinct lack of updates on my website lately; this is why. I cannot promise that it won't happen again in future.
But the second reason is more complex. You see, I did rent the film soon after it hit the video stores. But I didn't write a review. Why, you ask? Well, quite frankly, I didn't write a review because I was utterly disgusted by this film. Those of you who liked the film may find this a harsh reaction; naturally, you have the right to feel that way. But I have suffered through many mediocre and even downright bad Trek films without feeling this way. Star Trek TMP, Star Trek V, Star Trek Generations, and Star Trek Insurrection have all drawn my ire as poorly conceived, poorly executed projects. But Nemesis sets a new (low) standard. For the first time, I felt that the audience had been deliberately insulted by the film's producers. The plot was beyond merely being flawed; it was such a gargantuan exercise in self-indulgence and cavalier disregard for precedent, continuity, and just plain old common sense that I felt simply betrayed. Star Trek Insurrection had tread upon this ground before, but I was somehow able to chalk it up to incompetence rather than disregard for the audience. This time, I could no longer do so.
Trek has fallen a long way from its heights. When I saw Star Trek 6, I saw it in theatres. And there were lineups on opening day. In downtown Toronto, there were lineups winding down the street to see this film, if you can believe it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
And so, I still find myself trying to work up the motivation to do a proper review of the film with technical and story revelations. However, for the time being, I present to you a pictorial plot synopsis. Think of it as a guided tour of the movie's plot with commentary. Warning: people with slow Internet connections should be advised that there are a total of roughly 1 MB of pictures in this guided tour, split into 4 pages.
Click here to continue to the pictorial plot synopsis of Star Trek: Nemesis