Cinema Consults: STAR TREK NEMESIS

This film, which can be rentedfrom your local video store, israted on a scale of 1 to 4 caducei:

STAR TREK NEMESIS

Star Trek Nemesis

NextGeneration

Enterprise

(2002):I am not what youwould call a StarTrek fan or Trekkie(or Treker, dependingon your designationof choice).However, I do havean appreciation forthe science fiction genre. And Iam a huge admirer of PatrickStewart, whether he is portrayingJean Luc Picard or one ofShakespeare's leading men. Thatbeing said, doesa good job of reuniting familiarcharacters for yet another intergalacticadventure. Overall theplot is mediocre and formulaic,but entertaining. The moviebegins with the wedding of 2 crewmembers, and enroute to their honeymoon, theUSS stumbles upon aprototype of the android crewmember,Data (Brent Spiner).This unscheduled stop leads thecrew to discover that a coup hastaken place on the planet Romulan.The orchestrator of thispolitical upheaval, Shinzon (TomHardy), reveals a shocking secretlinking him to Captain Picard.The special effects are prettygood and enhance the story'sprogression. And the interactionbetween your favorite cast members(Michael Dorn, LeVar Burtin,Gates McFadden, WhoopiGoldberg, etc) is sharp and evennostalgic. Although the movieproceeds down a fairly predictablepath, its ending caughtme off guard.

Rating: 2

Lisa A. Tomaszewski, managing editorof Physician's Money Digest, is currentlyworking on her PhD in literature atDrew University in New Jersey. Sheis an avid fan of film and has taughta summer film course at FairleighDickinson University. She welcomesquestions, comments, or suggestionsfor future film reviews at 732-656-1140ext 195 or ltomaszewski@mwc.com.