Star Trek: Nemesis is an awful movie and a horrible sendoff for The Next Generation‘s characters. It squanders a young Tom Hardy, has a nonsensical plot and generally feels like something that was cobbled together with little care and attention.
Since its 2002 release, the cast has since gone on to criticize Nemesis‘ director, Stuart Baird. He made no friends on set by proudly claiming he’d never watched an episode of The Next Generation and had no idea who the majority of the actors were (he repeatedly got LeVar Burton’s name wrong, calling him Laverne). Fortunately, we have Star Trek: Picard coming very soon, which promises to give the Next Generation crew the send-off they deserve.
Now, in an interview with Variety, Patrick Stewart has delivered his verdict on the film, comparing his send-off as Professor X in Logan with Picard’s then final adventure in Nemesis.
“Hugh and I were so thrilled when the last thing we did for ‘X-Men’ was ‘Logan,’” he says. “It was the best ‘X-Men’ experience we both had, because we were the same characters but their world had been blown apart. ‘Next Generation’ didn’t end like that. In fact, our last movie, ‘Nemesis,’ was pretty weak.”
After receiving poor reviews, Star Trek: Nemesis lost money at the box office and put the movie franchise on ice until 2009’s Star Trek. Then again, even if it were a good film, it’d have had a hard time going up against its competitors Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers.
Perhaps it would at least have a decent critical reputation if Jonathan Frakes (aka Commander Riker) had taken the directorial reins. After all, after helming the successful First Contact and Insurrection, he was the logical choice for the job, so why didn’t he take it?
Well, in an interview with Vulture in January 2019, he finally answered that question, saying:
“I would have loved to have done Nemesis, but it seemed like, “Really? That’s all you’re going to do, is Star Trek movies?” It’s glib to say now. I wish I had done Nemesis.”
Of course, Frakes is set to appear in Picard, with the trailers showing him in a happy, sun-dappled retirement. The major event powering the show’s drama will be the destruction of Romulus and the death of Data in Star Trek: Nemesis. Events will see Picard back in the captain’s seat leading a new cast of young characters, but Trek icons Brent Spiner, Jeri Ryan and Marina Sirtis are confirmed to return. No word yet on whether we’ll see Michael Dorn back as Worf, but I’ll be happy as a clam if he makes a surprise appearance in the show.
