Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) - Illustrated Reference

Star Trek: Nemesis was directed by Stuart Baird. It premiered on the 9th December 2002. Starring Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Dina Meyer, Ron Perlman and Tom Hardy. Screenplay by John Logan. Music by Jerry Goldsmith. 116mins.

Captain Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise travel to Romulus where they discover a Reman named Shinzon is now in control of the government. It turns out he is Picard’s clone and has plans to conquer the Federation and destroy Earth.

Star Trek Nemesis was to be the last film featuring the actors from the Next Generation series. The poster tagline reads “A Generation’s Final Journey Begins” Veteran British film editor Stuart Baird (1947-) was given the task of directing the 10th Star Trek film. It would be Jerry Goldsmith's last Star Trek film, the great film composer passed away in 2004, he was 75.

Patrick Stewart (1940-) / Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Born in Yorkshire, England, Patrick Stewart has played Picard in 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and the films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek First Contact (1996), Star Trek Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek Nemesis (2002).

Jonathan Frakes (1952-) / Commander William T. Riker

Born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Jonathan Frakes has played Riker in 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and the films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek First Contact (1996), Star Trek Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek Nemesis (2002).

B-4: [to Picard] Why do you have a shiny head?

Brent Spiner (1949-) / Data / B-4

B-4 is a prototype android identical to Data created by Dr. Noonian Soong in the 2330's. Pieces of the android were placed on the planet Kolarus III by Shinzon to lure Picard and the Enterprise as part of a scheme for the android to be taken aboard the Enterprise and act as an unwitting spy for the Remans.

Born in Houston, Texas, Brent Spiner has played Data in 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) and the films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek First Contact (1996), Star Trek Insurrection (1998) and Star Trek Nemesis (2002).

Shinzon: I'll show you my true nature - our nature. And as Earth dies, remember, I will always, forever, be Shinzon of Remus. And my voice shall echo through time long after yours has faded to a dim memory!

Tom Hardy (1977-) / Praetor Shinzon

Shinzon is a Reman leader with ambitions to overthrow the Romulan government make himself ruler and attack Earth. He is a clone of Jean-Luc Picard. The Romulans had once planned to replace Picard with a clone to spy on the Federation, this plan was abandoned and Shinzon was exiled.

Born in London, England, Tom Hardy's films include - Black Hawk Down (2001), Layer Cake (2004), Minotaur (2006), Flood (2007), RocknRolla (2008), Bronson (2008), Inception (2010), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Warrior (2011), This Means War (2012) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Ron Perlman (1950-) / Viceroy

The Viceroy is second in command of the Reman forces and Shinzon’s closest friend and mentor. When Shinzon was exiled as a child to the mines on Remus, the Viceroy took pity on him and protected him from the brutality of the Romulans.

Born in New York City, Ron Perlman's films include - Quest for Fire (1981), The Ice Pirates (1984), The Name of the Rose (1986), Sleepwalkers (1992), Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), Alien Resurrection (1997), Titan A.E. (2000), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Blade II (2002), Hellboy (2004), Battle for Terra (2007), Outlander (2008), Hellboy II (2008), Mutant Chronicles (2008), Season of the Witch (2011), Conan the Barbarian (2011) and Drive (2011). TV series - Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990).

Dina Meyer (1968-) / Commander Donatra

Donatra is a Romulan who supported Shinzon’s rise to power but turned against him when he spurned her advances and she found out he was planning to wipe out all life on Earth with thalaron radiation.

Born in Queens, New York City, Dina Meyer's films includes - Johnny Mnemonic (1995), Dragonheart (1996), Starship Troopers (1997), Saw I-II-III-IV (2004-2007) and Piranha 3D (2010).

Picard: If I may, just a word of advice about your first command?
Riker: Anything.
Picard: When your first officer insists that you can't go on away missions...
Riker: Ignore him. I intend to... Serving with you... has been an honor.
Picard: The honor was mine Captain.

Originally Patrick Stewart was to have played both Picard and the clone Shinzon before it was decided to cast another actor as the villain.

One of the film’s highlights is when Picard rams the Enterprise-E into Shinzon’s ship the Scimitar during a space battle. The Enterprise-E survives the crash and is last seen in space dock being repaired.

In a disturbing scene of mind-rape Troi and Riker are making love and Shinzon enters her mind with help from the Viceroy, instead of Riker she sees Shinzon on top of her telling her that Riker can never know her as well as he can.

There is a second attempt at mind-rape which was cut out of the film, Troi is alone in the turbolift and Shinzon suddenly appears telling her not to fear. When the doors open Troi is on the floor looking distressed.

Bryan Singer, director of the first two X-Men films which starred Patrick Stewart, can be seen on the bridge of the Enterprise as tactical officer.

Jude Law was considered for the role of Shinzon.

Wil Wheaton (1972-) appearing as Wesley Crusher was cut almost completely out from the film, his only scene with dialogue was removed before release. Wesley can be spotted during the wedding celebration sitting silently next to his mother Beverly Crusher.

Kate Mulgrew (1955-) cameos as Admiral Janeway, talking to Picard on a viewscreen. Mulgrew played Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek Voyager (1995-2001).

Data: If my memory engrams are successfully integrated into his positronic matrix, he should have all my abilities.
La Forge: Yeah, but he would also have all of your memories as well. You feel comfortable with that?
Data: I feel nothing, Geordi.

At the end of the film Data sacrifices himself to save the Earth from being destroyed by blowing up Shinzon’s ship, but there is a 'back-up' prototype android looking just like Data on board the Enterprise.

Data had been transferring his memories into B-4, the film ends with B-4 trying to remember the lyrics to “Blue Skies” a song Data was singing at Troi and Riker’s wedding celebrations.

Star Trek Nemesis cost $60m to make and grossed just $43m in total at the US boxoffice, and $67m worldwide, making it the least successful Star Trek movie.

The film received a thumbs down from most critics and a raspberry from the fans.

A couple of cast members weren’t happy with the film. LeVar Burton thought it “sucked” and Marina Sirits criticized the director for never having seen a single episode of the series. Stuart Baird constantly referred to LeVar as Laverne on set and thought Geordi La Forge was an alien.

It would be seven years before another Star Trek film was released.

The Critics Wrote –

"It is far from the worst, thanks to the topical issues it raises, the performances of Stewart and Hardy, and that essential feature - a decent full-on space battle." (New York Post)

"Trekkers will get their fill, but others need not apply for "Star Trek Nemesis," the 10th and perhaps final entry in the long-running franchise. Successfully maintaining -- though just barely -- the conventional wisdom that the series' even-numbered pics are superior to its odd-numbered ones." (Variety)

"I think it is time for "Star Trek" to make a mighty leap forward another 1,000 years into the future, to a time when starships do not look like rides in a 1970s amusement arcade, when aliens do not look like humans with funny foreheads, and when wonder, astonishment and literacy are permitted back into the series. Star Trek was kind of terrific once, but now it is a copy of a copy of a copy." (Roger Ebert)

"An ordeal for all save the most ardent Treksters." (Washington Post)

"An amiably klutzy affair whose warm, fuzzy heart emits intermittent bleats from the sleeve of its gleaming spacesuit. Star Trek: Nemesis is so determined to deliver colorful action that it stretches out its final battle sequence much longer than necessary and reaches two or three possible conclusions before finally ringing down the curtain.

The most exciting moment arrives when one spaceship deliberately rams into another. The accumulating destruction, grand and protracted, suggests the collision of two great ocean liners." (New York Times)

"The worst voyage of the good ship Enterprise since they made the mistake of letting William Shatner direct Star Trek V." (Salt Lake Tribune)