‘Star Trek’ Flicks — Worst to Best: Part 1

by John Nolte

With the rebooted “Star Trek” hitting a gajillion theatres at midnight tonight, a good enough excuse has finally arisen to allow for a couple of top 5 posts listing the 10 “Trek” films from worst to best. Okay, I didn’t need an excuse, but I did need an intro sentence with all that information in it.

Other than 10, 9, and 8, which really are difficult to sit through, the remaining 7 are on fairly regular rotation here in my little East L.A. abode. Revisiting the Trek world and spending time with old friends from the original crew is a cinematic pleasure The Hot Little Number I Used to Call Mrs. Harry and I look forward to at least once a year.

10. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) – If you’re a fan of high-adventure mixed with compelling themes and interesting characters the final chapter of the Next Generation (TNG) crew is your nemesis. The story itself isn’t as bad as you might think, it’s mediocre to be sure, but the real problem is that this cast is much too bland to elevate blah material. There was never much spark between TNG crew and even less natural warmth. They tried valiantly (and frequently the strain showed), but unlike the original gang, other than Picard, they always came off as chemistry-free television actors who had no business being on the big screen. This meant the material had to deliver the zing the actors couldn’t and the story and direction for “Nemesis” doesn’t come close. A dull villain and listless script can make for a forgettable one-hour television episode, but spread over 116-minutes, this outing should’ve been called “Star Trek: Interminable.” (more…)