Star Trek: Generations (1994)

With the help of long presumed dead Captain Kirk, Captain Picard must stop a deranged scientist willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.

Director:

David Carson

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek), Rick Berman (story)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, Malcolm McDowell

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Stewart	...	Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Riker
Brent Spiner	...	Data
LeVar Burton	...	Geordi
Michael Dorn	...	Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Beverly
Marina Sirtis	...	Troi
Malcolm McDowell	...	Soran
James Doohan	...	Scotty
Walter Koenig	...	Chekov
William Shatner	...	Kirk
Alan Ruck	...	Capt. Harriman
Jacqueline Kim	...	Demora
Jenette Goldstein	...	Science Officer
Thomas Kopache	...	Com Officer

Storyline

In the late twenty-third century, the gala maiden voyage of the newly-christened U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-B boasts such luminaries as Pavel Chekov, Montgomery Scott, and the legendary Captain James T. Kirk as guests. But her maiden voyage turns into a disaster as the unprepared starship is forced to rescue two transport ships from a mysterious energy ribbon. The Enterprise manages to save a handful of the ships' passengers and barely succeeds out intact, but at the cost of Captain Kirk's life. Seventy-eight years later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D crew find themselves at odds with renegade scientist Dr. Tolian Soran, who is destroying entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soran's scheme, and he has been dead for seventy-eight years.

---

Plot Keywords:

female empath | half human half alien | empath | human alien hybrid | captain | 

---

Taglines:

The torch of adventure is about to be passed.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for sci-fi action and some mild language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie marks the first explicit onscreen mention of 78 years difference between the original series and the Next Generation era. This figure was used ever since the conception of the new series but the only evidence before this movie was the mention of the year 2364 during the first season which is 78 years since 2286, the established time of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) which was the latest Kirk-era story at that point.

---

Goofs

When the Klingons are observing the display from Lt. Commander La Forge's compromised visor, the tactical display, and the comment from B'Etor is that the "Shield Modulation" is 257.4MHz. Some might see this as an error in that the number represents a frequency rather than a type of modulation; i.e. AM, FM, etc. This would be an incorrect interpretation. Clearly B'Etor is referring to the modulation setting, not the type.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[the journalists are all talking at the same time, trying to get their questions in]
Journalist #3: How does it feel to be back on the Enterprise bridge?
Journalist #1: Captain Chekov, what are the most significant changes...
Journalist #3: Captain Kirk, can I ask you a few questions?
Journalist #1: Did you participate in the redesign?
Journalist #3: We'd like to know how you feel about being...
Kirk: I appreciate the...
Harriman: Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. There will be plenty of time for questions later. I'm Captain John Harriman and I'd like to welcome you all aboard.
Kirk: ...
[...]

---

Alternate Versions

Fox-TV version removes some footage: During the crisis on the Enterprise B, Kirk starts to stand a number of times to offer a suggestion and then thinks better of it, sitting back down. Scotty leans over after this happens a few times and asks if there's something wrong with his chair. Scotty's remark is deleted. After Riker orders the computer to remove the plank, causing Worf to be dumped in the water, his follow-up exchange with Picard is missing - Picard: "Number One, that's 'retract' the plank, not 'remove' the plank." Riker: "Of course, sir. [shouting over the rail] Sorry!"

---

Connections

References Star Trek: The Next Generation: Family (1990)

---

Soundtracks

Star Trek Generations Overture
(uncredited)
Composed, Conducted and Produced by Dennis McCarthy

User Reviews

Very good, some misfires

The weakness for me is the opening Enterprise B scenes. The cameramen lights are just obviously silly. But the main problem is Captain Cameron is made to look stupid just to make Kirk look heroic and decisive. That's an old overused trope, used in original Trek itself, but it's cheap.

A bright spot for me of Star Trek 2009, is that Captain Pike is shown to be actually smart and capable - even if his obsession with Kirk is a bit unexplained.

Anyway, in Generations, Kirk's demise may not have been the greatest possible, but it was ok.

Another bit in Generations I liked was how Sauren used his El-Alaurian "listener" powers to read Picard's mind to turn manipulate him... or did he? "Time is the fire in which we burn." A smart listener/manipulator human could do what Sauren does here. And there's no sound effect played out overwrought explanation that Trek tends to do. Very nicely underplayed for Trek to the degree it is almost an Easter egg.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Klingon

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Star Trek VII

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,116,394, 20 November 1994

Gross USA:

$75,671,125

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$118,071,125

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1