THROWBACK REVIEW: Star Trek: Insurrection

Oh boy... 

Here we stand, ready to talk about one of my most disliked films of the franchise of Star Trek. Yup. We've gone from one of my favorite films, to a film I really don't like that much, but unlike Star Trek: The Motion Picture which I don't like due to absolutely atrocious pacing, or Star Trek V, which I don't care for due to poor editing and forgettable story, Insurrection gets a stamp of disapproval from me for much more technical reasons. It is the one movie out of all the Star Trek movies out there, that feels like it doesn't belong. And I hear some of you already asking me, "Oh yeah? Well what about those reboot films?" Yes. Even the reboots have more to do with Star Trek than this film does. There. I said it. Shall we begin?

Now a few things I will say regarding this film that are actually well done, are the environments. I cannot, and will not deny that the imagery of space in this movie is absolutely gorgeous to look at. No other Star Trek film has portrayed the Enterprise going through a nebula so beautifully. So I will give credit where credit is due. The scenery in space is absolutely gorgeous.  Heck, I'll admit it, even the scenery on the planet the movie focuses on is good, there's just nothing that really stands out about it like the Nebula does.  The Enterprise is looking good as ever (though....whoever was the design genius behind the idea that the Enterprise should be controlled by a joystick in an emergency has been playing too much Atari), and even the enemy ships (who belong to this race called the Son'a) look visually appealing.  There are a few effects during the film's action that appear slightly out of place if you ask me, but overall, the ships are beautiful in this film.  And that is about all the good I can say of this film.  That's not a good thing, movie.

The film's main plot focuses on a race of "aliens" called the Ba'ku, and I put quotes around that word, because they look human in every way possible (they couldn't put a little effort into the make-up department to make these guys look a bit more alien?), who have very much decided to isolate themselves from using....machines....despite using machines in their daily lives. I mean, they straight up say in the movie, "We believe that when you create a machine to do the work of a man, you take something away from the man." Well that's just lovely...but the thing is...as Linkara expertly points out in the excellent review he does with the Nostalgia Critic of this Ba'ku use machines everywhere, from dams to irrigation systems, and likely to sewing machines. "It's almost like machines are helpful or something." I'll rant a bit more about this later, but another thing I cannot accept in this movie is the fact that the Ba'ku, a race we are told has forsaken technology, knows how to...fix...an android.....

....

Bullshit. Just pure, simple, bullshit. Normally I'm pretty open to Star Trek explanations for certain things, but Insurrection managed to be one of the few things of the franchise that just pressed all the wrong buttons. How does this race know how to fix an Android when throughout the series, almost all life that sees Data, looks upon Data as a technical marvel and revolutionary figure? No one knows how to make another like him, and his creator is dead. Heck, Data has to personally instruct Geordi a lot of the time on routine maintenance. And this race that has forsaken machines and technology can just pull off miraculous repair work? That's........just stupid! They go on to reveal that they know the secrets of Warp travel and other things and, it just....doesn't fit. And I say this because the villagers look at Data like he's some kind of monster. More on their behavior shortly.

Another thing that kinda gets to me, a point that Linkara points out in the mentioned review, is the fact that apparently, the Dominion War is going on during this movie. For those who don't know, the Dominion War is a war the Federation is involved with against the mentioned Dominion, particularly during the series Deep Space Nine. And the Federation was losing pretty badly, with predictions that if the Federation loses, BILLIONS of people will die. And we are told that the unique radiation or whatnot that the planet can give off can help....say it with me now...BILLIONS. Yet Picard says, how dare you try to relocate this small group of six hundred people, who aren't indigenous to the planet. It's like the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many.....oh wait... Yeah there's a generic bad guy plot behind it all, but if you don't know that, you'd think Picard wasn't thinking straight. That and the whole fact that Picard has been involved with numerous relocations in the past...really doesn't seem to fit the overall picture here.

But with everything wrong with this picture, from Picard's overall thinking, to just...overall...strange scenes with Data (like how he can be used as a floatation device or how they sing to...gain control of him?), and from overall rushed plot elements, to plot elements that make absolutely no sense (I still don't get why the Ba'ku could do half the crap that they do in this movie), there is one thing I've been waiting to talk about as to why I dislike this movie so much, and it revolves somewhat around the Ba'ku and technology. As I said up above, the Ba'ku don't like machines or technology so much (despite using machines...and having knowledge of technology...as stupid as it sounds). And I've said how this movie goes about depicting it, from the village basically looking to Data as this...abomination almost. Kids run away from him, the people distrust him, the movie hammers in the point that they look at technology as a bad thing.  And ironically...TECHNOLOGY SAVES THE DAY!  Yeah, I can't help but wonder what the Ba'ku were thinking of Picard's crew who were shooting down drones and erecting force fields to protect the 600 villagers.  I like a certain line from that review I keep mentioning (sorry I bring it up a lot, it's an excellent review). "Thanks for saving us with your technology, by the way, we hate technology." But that's not even what gets to me.  Star Trek is about how we as humans have evolved through the centuries up ahead, to better ourselves as a species with the help of relations with aliens, and the advancement of...say it with me now...technology.  Technology is a CORE ASPECT of Star Trek.  Now I understand that Star Trek is a broad series, and honestly, I would have welcomed this concept of the crew coming across a culture that has rejected machines, but the way it was executed here, it literally felt at times like the moral of whatever story they were telling was that we shouldn't rely on technology...and while some may say this to be true...technology is just a tool that we use in our daily lives. And the people of Star Trek know it. While yes, some people shouldn't spend so much on technology nowadays, the philosophy of Star Trek stands for how much our advancement in technology has done us good. I mean, good God, it's inspired inventors to actually make so many things from the show for the past fifty years! And this is what I mean when I say that this movie feels like an anti-Star Trek movie, it rejects this core aspect.  You may argue that the reboots may not be in full spirit of Star Trek, But at least they stuck with the basic principles for the most part.  This movie straight up turned its back to it.

Star Trek: Insurrection easily earns a one star out of four. If the improbable plot elements and ideals don't get to me, the overal themes do.  What could have very much been at best, a mediocre episode perhaps, ends up taking up an entire feature film, which only leaves me rubbing my head, and asking myself "How could Jonathan Frakes, the guy behind First Contact, come up with this?" How could this movie...which has such gorgeous scenery, and at least...a followable plot, get so much wrong?  How could Final Frontier end up entertaining me more than this?  These are questions I will likely never get an answer to.  While the first Star Trek film got a lot of dirt from me for pacing and boring story, this one just...nearly infuriated me for it's themes, and that's another bad sin to come from Star Trek. I'm pleased to say that no other Star Trek film has ever tested me on this kind of level, but...we still have three more Star Trek films to go...and they all have their critics.

Please feel free to suggest a movie for me to review down below.  Leave a comment about your own thoughts and feelings about this film, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 1/4

THROWBACK REVIEW: Star Trek: Generations

I hope you all enjoyed my reviews of the original six Star Trek movies, and my little Battlefield Earth intermission review, now let's keep going. We've crossed into the threshold of the movies of Star Trek which belong to that of the cast and crew of the hit TV series, Star Trek: The Next Generation. And these are the films I find that are highly criticized. And parts of me don't really understand why. I'm sure all the "hard-core" Trekkies could refer me all over the map as far as why certain films are terrible and whatnot, but for the most part, I enjoyed these films. And ironically, the Trekkies who dissect these films trying to make me understand why they're terrible...only make me like these films even more for what they are. Now I will admit that there are a lot of times where you will notice that the crew of Picard just doesn't seem to carry quite the same movie magic that Kirk's crew had in their films, but when they're on target, the results can just be fantastic. And the first film to tackle, in this area? The film known as Generations.

This is one of those films often called one of the bad films, and having watched it a few times now...I don't get it. Why is it hated so much? I mean sure it has flaws, but I still can't figure out a sure answer as to why it's so despised. In my eyes, it tells a competent story, it keeps my interest, and I will stand by this statement of it having one of the absolute best scenes in the filmdom of Trek. 

Well I guess one reason it's not liked by so many is the manner in which they put both Picard and Kirk on screen at the same time. The Nexus is an idea I remain open to, though perhaps it could have been fleshed out a bit more. The exact manner in which one enters or exits the phenomenon known as the Nexus is never really explained. Kirk enters it through a hull breach, Picard is kinda just...taken into it, and they both just...kinda leave it. How? I can't even explain it. Is the Nexus alive? Did it know that they both wanted to leave and go to the same place at the same time? It doesn't make sense. I mean we're told that it's this place of never-ending happiness and whatnot, but it's not explored much in the film, despite the fact that it's the focus of the main story of the film.

Another thing that I kinda found slightly annoying was the emotion chip of Data, which he had gotten from Lore in the series. What could have been a great way to develop Data's character further was instead overused in some rather...silly and annoying comedy that for the most part, fell flat. I wouldn't mind this comedy so much if it was maybe only one or two scenes, but in this movie, it seems that whenever Data is on screen, he's laughing hysterically, behaving like a child, or just being overall odd. I sincerely laughed at his first real taste of alcohol, and I absolutely loved how he delivered that "Yes!" line. but when he was playing with..."Mr. Tricorder", and singing "Tiny Little Life Forms", I kinda rubbed my head a bit.  Now I should say that there is development with Data and the emotion chip in the film, but the overall unneeded comedy far outweighs the serious development. I just wish it was handled better because after this film, the whole concept of emotion in Data is roughly never heard of again. It was potential that was just wasted.

And of course, we all know that William Shatner stars in this film, reprising his role of the iconic Captain Kirk, and his time on screen with Picard is a little silly, but I will say he has some very good moments. Despite what some might say, I actually like the discussion the two have while they make a delicious looking meal of eggs. And both Picard and Kirk do seem to work rather well together, despite having such different personalities; Kirk being the adventurous cowboy diplomat, and Picard being the more disciplined by the book man.  They are so different, but I can't help but feel that they blend rather well together.  Their fight scene with the film's antagonist, Tolian Soran (who is excellently played by Malcom McDowell) was much better than from what I remembered, and when we get that Kirk death scene, despite it getting SO MUCH negative rep, I can't help but say...you know, it's a fitting death scene. As Kirk predicted, he died alone (You can say that he died with Picard, but they didn't really know each other, so I'm willing to say that his prediction from Star Trek V came true in that sense). And to know that he helped save billions of lives in the system, I see as a fitting way to send off the legendary captain.  I've yet to hear a reasonable argument as to why this scene is bad, that doesn't include how Kirk deserved a much more dignified or glorious death.  

But my favorite scene has to be the destruction of the Enterprise....oh...spoiler alert....screw it, the film is over 20 years old. I've heard some people argue that the old Klingon Bird of Prey should not have been able to take down the Galaxy Class iconic starship, an argument that I will say does hold some ground, but the film explains it well enough for me.  The only thing that annoyed me about the scene was the obvious use of stock footage when destroying the Bird of Prey from Star Trek VI. But the following crash scene is just...so impressive. The practical effects used to show the saucer section crash landing on the planet below are so unbelievably incredible to watch, and they still hold up today.  I honestly will call it one of the absolute best scenes of any Star Trek movie. While the destruction of the Enterprise in Star Trek III may be a bit more of an emotional destruction, as far as effects and overall "epicness", this scene blows that one out of the water.  The saucer section plowing through trees, people getting thrown around left and right, it's not a glorified end of the Enterprise-D as some would have wanted it, but I could REALLY care less at that. It's a great scene. Not everything needs to end glorious.

When all is said and done, Generations is a flawed, but enjoyable film for me.  I have heard so much dirt about it, and watching it again, I can't understand why it's trashed as it is.  It's nowhere near the worst, and I won't even call it bad.  Am I wrong? I don't know.  As a critic, I live by the statement that there's no such thing as a wrong opinion.  So I will say, maybe I'm in the minority.  But you know what?  That's just fine by me. I don't at all mind being part of a small group of people who find some charm in this movie, despite its flaws. I'll call it a guilty pleasure.

Star Trek Generations earns a three star rating out of four for me. Yeah, it could have been done better, but the things that it did do that hit on target have such a great payoff that I find it impossible to hate this film.  It plays off maybe to some as what one might expect from a mediocre episode of the show, but to me, I could follow it from beginning to end. From the questionable scenes (such as Picard dealing with the news of the death of his brother and nephew), to the better scenes (that awesome crash), it's a movie I find enjoyment in, and before anyone questions, no, I will not say that I'm blinded by nostalgia, as I saw this film only once as a kid. And barely remembered it before watching it again (other than it had the cool opening scenes with my then favorite incarnation of the Enterprise-B).  All I know was that I liked it then, and today, I still like it.  And if the majority of Trekkies don't like it...well it just makes me like it even more.

Please feel free to request a movie you'd like for me to perhaps take a look at and review.  Leave a comment down below telling me your own thought and feelings of this film (I have a feeling a lot of you might disagree with what I've said about the film in question).  I'll see you next time on our Trek-a-thon, and as always, thanks for reading.

Final Verdict: 3/4