The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 18, 1994, Image 8

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Movie: "Star Trek: Generations”
Rating: PG
Stars: Patrick Stewart, William
Shatner, Jonathan Frakes. Brent
Spincr, Malcolm McDowell
Director: David Carson
Grade: B+
Five Words: Trek great but not
fantastic
Generations
meet in latest
Star Trek film
By ^ **r«uch ___
Senior Reporter
Red Alert! There arc two captains on the
bridge!
Capt. James T. Kirk finally makes his
appearance with Jean-Luc Picard and com
pany in the first “Next Generation" motion
picture.
It’s Star Trek, so of course the movie is
full of brilliant scenes and fantastic special
effects (by those miracle workers over at In
Court My of Paramount PicturM
The Federation starship Enterprise, left, fires back at a Kllngon bird of prey In "Star Trek: Generations.”
dustrial Light and Magic).
But “Generations" just doesn't have the
incredible story that one might expect from
the Roddenberry heirs. It’s not that the story
isn't great; it's just not incredible.
While saving the brand-new Entcrprisc
B, Kirk (William Shatner) is sucked into a
weird nexus and presumed dead.
Meanwhile, 78 years later the Next-Gen
crew rescues an eccentric scientist. Dr. Soran
(Malcolm McDowell), from an attack on his
research station.
It turns out that Soran has been in the
nexus and is determined to get back inside
it, no matter how many solar systems he has
to destroy.
Of course, the two captains have to team
up to stop Soran's evil plan, and Kirk leaves
the nexus after he and Picard (Patrick
Stewart) discover that the paradise for which
Soran is searching is false.
“Generations” gets at some pretty heavy
issues, from family legacy to coping with loss
and failure. But the emotion in the movie
goes a little too far with Data (Brent Spincr).
Brent Spincr is a fantastic actor, and he
is given a challenging role to play. Never
theless. the scriptwriters overdo it a bit with
his emotion chip (although a scene with him
using a colorful metaphor is brilliant).
Tlie acting is awesome all around, but
See GENERATIONS on 9
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\EJ3DK Reviews
“Star Trek Movie Memories"
William Shatner with Chris
Kreski
Harper Collins Publishers
Grade: A
Following the best-selling suc
cess of his “Star Trek Memories,”
William Shatner returns to the
bookshelves with “Star Trek
Movie Memories.”
“Movie Memories” picks up
where “Star Trek Memories" left
off and continues at ware speed
through the filming of “Genera
tions.
The first few chapters deal
with Shatner's personal life fol
lowing the cancellation of the
classic Trek series. In some very
moving moments, he speaks of
his divorce and of the time he
spent on the road with a travel
ing theater group.
The rest of the book deals with
the Star Trek that might have
been. In this book, there is less
written about Shatncr's personal
relations with other cast members
Page header by Kal Wllken
Trivia graphlo by Chris
McMasters
and more about the evolution of
the story lines, from conception
through filming.
For example, “Star Trek: The
Motion Picture” was originally
conceived as a low-budget TV
movie. However, growing trek
fandom prompted Paramount to
bring Star Trek back to the small
screen in the form of a new sc
ries called “Star Trek: Phase II."
The series was to feature all of
the original cast with the excep
tion of Leonard Nimoy, who was
apparently at odds with Gene
Roddenberry.
In his place was Xon, a vulcan
who constantly was striving to
understand human emotion
(much like a certain android from
“The Next Generation”). Other
cast additions would have in
cluded executive officer Will
Decker and the navigator Lt. Ilia,
both of whom appeared in “Star
Trek: The Motion Picture."
The project was changed to a
full-length feature film following
the box-office success of “Star
Wars” and “Close Encounters of
■ the Third Kind.” In fact, George
Lucas and Steven Spielberg were
approached to direct the film, but
both declined.
The book also includes such
revelations as Eddie Murphy be
ing originally sought for the part
of the whale biologist in “Star
Trek IV.” Shatner claims that
Murphy, who is a big Star Trek
fan, backed out under pressure
from Paramount, which figured
it would be bad business to mix
their two biggest assets
Other shoes to be filled in
cluded Scan Connery as Sybok in
“Star Trek \T and Jack Palancc
as Klingon Chancellor Gorkon in
“Star Trek VI.”
Some discarded story lines in
cluded V’GER being an android
who looked like Jesus Christ, re
turning to Earth for the second
time and Kirk crossing into Hell
to fight Satan in “Star Trek V.”
All of this is told alongside
stories of directors, actors and
Paramount executives all fight
ing for control of the story line
and the fiscal bottom line. The
book explores friendships forged,
broken and renewed, and in
cludes numerous quotes and in
terviews with everyone from
David Gautreaux (the actor cast
to play Xon), to Patrick Stewart
(the actor cast to play... well, you
know).
Told with Shatner’s classic wit
and voice, “Star Trek Movie
Memories” ranges from deeply
See BOOKS on 9