Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

(In theaters, December 2002) Dull. Boring. Useless. Those were my reactions watching this tepid tenth instalment of the Trek Series. Not only does it break the even/odd rule, but it presents a strong argument for scrapping the series altogether. I mean: Dune-buggy racing? Yet another Data clone? Worf reduced to a drunken idiot? The lamest firefights ever shown on the silver screen? Put the franchise out of its misery, already. Not only did they rip off the plot from The Wrath Of Khan, but they did it in such a way that they sucked all the energy out of it. “The crew of the USS Enterprise confronts its most dangerous threat so far: A surly teenager!” Even Patrick Stewart can’t save the flat dialogue. Even the great special effects (Ooh! Two ships collide!) can’t save a script that is bound to the traditions of the low-budget series. Heck, even plenty of cleavage can’t excuse a script so stupid that it features a matter-of-fact psychic violation (“…and if you can tolerate another, that would be helpful. Thanks for your support.”) that leads to… wait for it… psychic weapon targeting! Gaah! Star Trek: Nemesis doesn’t work for casual audiences, who will find it pretty dumb, doesn’t work for non-obsessive fans, who will also find it pretty dumb, and sure as heck won’t work for die-hard fans given the truly wretched ways the characters are wasted. (The unaffecting death of a major character brought back all sort of unwanted memories of Generations. Such a waste…) This horse is dead, Jim. Shoot it.