Star Trek Generations had too many cooks in the kitchen...

As we celebrate 50 years of Star Trek, CultOfWhatever recently completed a look back at the Final Frontier’s many TV iterations, as well as considered the newest entries in the film franchise. We talked about the Original Series and how, when it was great, it embraced the sixties social revolution. On the other hand, when TOS stumbled, it slipped into every silly cliche that doomed all the sci-fi shows from that era.

The Next Generation took a little while to find its mojo, but when it did it managed to surpass the original show by expanding the franchise’s horizons. Deep Space Nine followed soon after, and though it was the red-headed step-child of the brand, it dared to be different and was rewarded with loyal fans, many of whom still consider it the best of the bunch. Meanwhile Star Trek Voyager tried to be “more TNG” but ended up just being “lesser TNG.”

Finally there was (Star Trek) Enterprise, which spent three years failing to live up to its premise (nevermind its legacy) before finally finding its footing…and immediate cancellation.

On the big screen side of things we’ve seen how JJ Abrams modernized Star Trek, but in doing so sacrificed a lot of what made the TV show so special. July saw the release of the third film in the revised series, and though it was a great ride that paid heartfelt homage to the original series, it has been a disappointment at the box office.

And then there are the original films. Star Trek II-IV offered the most complete cinematic experiences for Trek fans, while the first motion picture brought Trek’s cerebral side to the forefront, with mixed results. Meanwhile, Star Trek V almost killed the series, but thankfully Star Trek VI ended the voyages of the Original Crew in a great way.

Soon after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine launched in 1992, Paramount and Trek producer Rick Berman began looking ahead to the future of the franchise (since DS9 was always seen as a sidebar, not the heir-apparent). Plans began for what would eventually become Star Trek: Voyager as well as the end of the Next Generation series. With TNG’s high ratings and the brand’s overall popularity, it might seem odd to intentionally walk away after seven years, but at the same time, the Original Series crew was certainly finished and Paramount felt Star Trek needed a presence on the Big Screen as well as on Television. Transitioning the Next Generation crew to cinemas seemed like a logical next step. And, assuming it was done well, could have provided Paramount with a big cash cow.

So naturally they micromanaged it to death.

Any discussion on the film has to include the laundry list of oft-discussed problems, unforced errors, and miscalculations on the part of the producers. To summarize them here (and expand on a few later)…

The director had never helmed a feature film before.
The writers were given a list of “must haves” and “must not haves” that hindered their ability to just tell a good story.
The production began immediately after TNG ended (with pre-production occurring simultaneously with the seventh season), and the movie premiered only a few months after the show’s series finale, not giving fans time to “let it breathe.”
The TOS cast, particularly Kirk, was forcibly included, and rewrites had to be made when Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelly refused to participate.
Budget cuts (and just the low budget in general) hampered a lot of the look of the film, making it—combined with previous errors—have a “special episode” feel, as opposed to a “feature film” feel.

The result was a movie that, somewhere in there, is a good film, but too many boxes had to be checked and too many suits had to be satisfied that the picture feels like a “movie by committee” and not a true film with a story to tell. In that respect it’s unlike any of the previous Trek films. Gene Roddenberry had been given total creative control over the original 1979 motion picture, Harve Bennett trusted Nicholas Meyer with Star Trek II and after it’s great success never really got involved in the creative process for movies III-V. After V flopped, production was turned over to Steven-Charles Jaffe, who was a close friend and associate of Meyer, meaning the director retained creative control (which he essentially shared with Nimoy). Thus, for all of Star Trek’s cinematic history, between 1979-1991, Paramount was basically hands off when it came to the content of the films.

But as Trek grew in popularity in the 90’s, the studio saw the potential to take their TV blockbuster and turn it into a cinematic one. Remember that Star Trek never was a franchise as big as, say, Star Wars; the biggest blockbuster in the series (to that point) was the first one and it only pulled in 140mm in the worldwide box-office (good for 5th place for 1979). Paramount wanted it to be big and with their bigger expectations came a bigger involvement in the decision-making process.

Acclaimed TNG writers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Bragga, who—both as a team and individually—wrote some of the most beloved episodes on the show, were given the green-light to script the picture, while also being given a laundry list of things the studio needed to be included. In addition to what was previously mentioned, the studio said:

“We need a big villain like Khan, we need a humorous subplot for Data, and we need Klingons…but the Khan character can’t be a Klingon and he can’t be tied in with Data’s subplot either. Also Kirk…but no time travel. Also also, Shatner wants to ride a horse in one scene.”

Paramount’s requests meant at least four big ideas had to be worked into one script. Consider that Star Trek II-IV (the high-water mark for the franchise) tells its stories with just one idea apiece, and you can see how the story was almost doomed from the start.

And then there’s the budget, which was originally 35 million at the time writing began, but was dropped to 30 million by the time the first draft was finished. Plans to shoot on location in Hawaii and the Sierra Nevada Mountains were cut considerably when Paramount decided at the last minute to chop another 5 million from the budget. As a result the shoot looked like a glorified episode of The Next Generation.

Only at times it looked worse! Director David Carson, who had also directed a few TNG episodes, thought the Enterprise-D bridge needed some sprucing up to make it work on the big screen, so he changed the lighting entirely, giving the bridge a dark and gloomy aesthetic, angering many fans. That, combined with his inexperience as a feature director led to fans complaining that the movie looked and felt “small time.”

And don’t get me started on Cameron Frye being the Captain of the Enterprise (B).

Again, there’s positives to be found, but you have to look for them and make them work in your own mind, because they don’t really work as they were presented. Probably the real standout is Patrick Stewart (whose performances in the TNG films are almost always the standout). Picard’s subplot contains some very good acting. The movie tries to tell the story of a man who chose not to pursue a family life and instead devote all his work to Starfleet. When a fire kills all the family he has left, the Captain begins to wonder if he—the last surviving Picard—made the right choice putting career first. His encounter with the Nexus gives him the chance to experience what kind of life he could have had. The Christmas scene with his “family” is like something out of A Christmas Carol with jolly British children bringing presents for papa Picard to open.

It’s a moment that, when isolated from all else, is well-made. As part of the larger story, however, it fails to connect. A big problem with the movie is that there is just too much story to tell, so that nothing is given the chance to work. We move from Kirk’s “death” in the prologue, to the very TNG episode-style opening, with the crew going about its business when its called to handle a routine thing that becomes something bigger, etc. It’s all very compartmentalized.

The villain, Soran (played excellently by Malcolm McDowell) desires to return to the Nexus (a space-faring “ribbon” that, upon entering, whisks you away to a timeless fantasy land where all your dreams come true). Unfortunately you can’t just fly a ship into the thing (the spacial distortions around it would likely destroy the ship before you entered it), so his plan is to strategically blow up stars so that the resulting shockwaves would alter the path of the ribbon so that it would collide on an inhabitable planet that Soran is waiting on…on top of a mountain, with (Shaka) his arms wide.

Get all that?

That’s the villain’s plot.

There’s just too much to it, while at the same time there’s not enough done with it. A good plot feels very organic: There’s a clear goal for the villain and a simple way to achieve the goal. The drama comes when the hero gets involved and the villain is forced to improvise new ways to achieve his goal because the hero keeps cutting him off at the pass. With Generations, there really is no moment until the actual climax at the end of the movie that Soran’s plan is in jeopardy. For most of the movie the crew is just chasing him around, then they find him, they go in the nexus, meet Kirk, go back and stop him. The plot itself is overly complex but the drama around it is terribly simplistic, with the action moving in a straight line.

It’s confusing and boring; that’s a bad combination.

You can’t blame Moore and Braga, either: The studio forced them into a box and made them write a movie that had too many obligations to meet. With that kind of executive oversight, it’s almost impossible to make a good movie. The biggest hurdle they had, and the one which sparked so many of the films errors, is the fact that “Picard and Kirk must meet…but without traditional time travel” hung an albatross over the whole affair. The moment when Picard and Spock met in Unification was magical, because it felt natural. The Kirk/Picard meeting in this movie has an initial spark when they are first face-to-face, but the magic quickly leaves as the reverse-engineered way the meeting was orchestrated is rolled out. The two most popular captains in the franchise were unfortunately given a lackluster encounter, culminating in a very disappointing end for Kirk himself.

Moore and Braga would get another chance to craft a Star Trek feature, and they would redeem themselves, mostly because the studio only gave them one mandate: “Make a hit.”

And they would.

COMMENTS

Please read our Commenting Policy before you join in with the discussion.

Note: If you have email notifications enabled, please check your email spam folders to ensure emails are not missed.

2 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Chip

3 years ago

I think you’ve given too little credit to Bennett here; he was very involved in the creative process throughout the films he helmed. As much as Nicholas Meyer’s stamp is all over II, his (uncredited) script revisions were of Bennett’s script; much of the credited Jack B. Sowards’ original script had been substantially rewritten by Bennett before Meyer came on board. Bennett also, over Roddenberry’s fervent objections, added “Amazing Grace” to Spock’s funeral (that was too religious for Roddenberry), and both wrote the “remember” scene and came up with the final scene/resurrection imagery of Spock’s casket on the Genesis planet… Read more »

matthew martin

Reply to Chip

Can’t disagree with any of this.

Thanks!

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you