Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Director:

David Carson

Writers (WGA):

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

Release Date:

18 November 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Boldly Go

Plot:

Capt. Picard, with the help of supposedly dead Capt. Kirk, must stop a madman willing to murder on a planetary scale in order to enter a space matrix.

Plot Keywords:

Returning Character Killed Off | Saga | Megalomaniac | Seventh Part | Spaceship

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. / Lt. Commander Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Malcolm McDowell	...	Dr. Tolian Soran
James Doohan	...	Capt. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
Walter Koenig	...	Commander Pavel Chekov
William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk, retired
Alan Ruck	...	Capt. John Harriman
Jacqueline Kim	...	Ensign Demora Sulu
Jenette Goldstein	...	Enterprise-B Science Officer
Thomas Kopache	...	Enterprise-B Communications Officer

Also Known As:

Star Trek 7 (USA) (informal alternative title)
Star Trek VII (USA) (working title)
Star Trek VII: Generations (Australia)
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Movie (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi action and some mild language.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Klingon

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Italy:T | Iceland:L (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | USA:PG (certificate #33119) | Australia:PG | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Norway:15 | Spain:T | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

This movie features a brief appearance by Demora Sulu, the only child of an original cast member depicted in any of the movies except for Kirk's son David, who appeared in "Star Trek II" and "Star Trek III." Her presence on the bridge even prompts Kirk to comment, "When did Sulu find time for a family?"

Goofs:

Continuity: Worf's sash when he is blown over the console.

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: It's our pleasure.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in William Shatner's Star Trek Memories (1995) (V)

Solid, but disappointing

The one problem we have with the Next Generation films (all four of them) is that someone high up in the film-making process seems to forget that the Next Generation began as a television series about equals, as opposed to the Original Series having 3 stars and a lot of supporting characters. I understand that Picard and Data are seen as the most popular characters in the Next Generation that appeal to the general public, but the story lines that get played out for the two of them in the movies (family and finding humanity) have already been done in the series.

Those two themes - Picard's family and Data's quest for humanity - are central parts of this film, and take up a lot of the time, but the other characters do get their moments, and being the gracious professionals that they are, Frakes, Sirtis, McFadden, Burton and Dorn all give fabulous performances. Whoopi Goldberg appears unbilled as Guinan, and Patti Yasutaki also appears as Nurse Ogawa.

"Generations" also features three members of the Original Trekers, Captain Kirk, Scotty and Chekov, the latter two in small roles, while Kirk has a much larger role, yet his scenes, alongside Picard, are the slowest and most boring part of the film, even if they are confronting the enemy together.

One of the enemies in "Generations" is a mad man, well played by Malcolm McDowell, the others are the two Klingon sisters who appeared towards the end of the Next Generation series, and make welcome appearances once more. Also watch for Jacqueline Kim as the daughter of Sulu from the Original Series.

This is a decent film, but like all Next Generation films, can be quite repetitive and leaves some of the cast (particularly the lovely McFadden) with little to do.