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:

Two captains. One destiny.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for sci-fi action and some mild language

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first Star Trek movie not to feature Spock, Dr. Leonard McCoy, Nyota Uhura, and Hikaru Sulu.

---

Goofs

Even if a collapse of a star could affect its gravity, this effect would propagate no faster than the speed of light, according to the theory of relativity. The same goes for all the other effects that are mentioned in the movie (e.g. increased radiation). And yet, according to Data, the destruction of the Amargosa star affected an entire sector (many light years across) in mere hours, instead of years.

---

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 ...
[...]

---

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

Followed by Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

---

Soundtracks

Time Is Running Out
(uncredited)
Composed, Conducted and Produced by Dennis McCarthy

User Reviews

Good but not great "Star Trek" adventure

"Star Trek: Generations" marked the big screen debut of the cast from "Star Trek: The Next Generation". And the result is a good but not great adventure; their weakest so far. It's not real bad, but this film is overlong and runs a little slow at times. I just like their next two films in the series ("First Contact" and "Insurrection") better. However I did find much to like about "Generations". The film begins with the christening of a new Enterprise ship. Old timers Kirk (William Shatner), Scotty (James Doohan), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) are the guests of honor at the event. The ship soon heads out into space and shortly thereafter into trouble. A solar ribbon called the Nexus nearly destroys the ship but the damage it does causes one major casualty. The film then zips ahead 78 years later to the current crew of the Starship Enterprise headed by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Their introduced in a most awkward way (on a boat that looks like something from the past but has futuristic elements). Then they get up into their real ship (the U.S.S. Enterprise, of course), and discover that the same ribbon that appears at the beginning of the film (the Nexus) is about to pass by again. The villainous Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowell), who was rescued from that earlier disaster, has a plan to destroy a star and get into the Nexus which is like being inside joy. This plot is kind of silly and it's made sillier by McDowell's performance. This is not one of the best villains in the series. But the special effects are very good, the music score is excellent, and there are many entertaining moments throughout. Stewart is good as Picard and would be even better in "First Contact" and "Insurrection". Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), LeVar Burton (LaForge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Crusher), and Marina Sirtis (Troi) all do an acceptable job in their first big screen outing (and, like Stewart, would get better in the next two films). "Star Trek: Generations" is a sci-fi/adventure that runs hot and cold but there's enough good things in it for me to recommend the film. A mild thumbs up.

*** (out of four)