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The creative teams behind theStar Trek : The Next Generationmovies made a calamitous mistake by not following the serialized formula that madeStar Trek : The Original Series ' pic so successful overall . TheTNGcast made four feature films , starting with 1994’sStar Trek Generationsand end with 2002’sStar Trek : Nemesis , which was the lowest - gross film in the franchise and photon torpedo theStar TrekmoviesuntilJ.J. Abrams ' blockbuster 2009 reboot . But ifTNGhad con the same lessons theTOSmovie series did , theStar Trekmovie franchise might have endure longer and prospered throughout the 2000s .
TheStar Trekfilm series starringCaptain James T. Kirk(William Shatner ) and Mr. Spock ( Leonard Nimoy ) launch in 1979 and lasted until 1991’sStar Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country . The success and popularity of the first fourStar Trekmovies , especiallyStar Treks II - IV , brought the enfranchisement into the 1980s , won over fans Modern and one-time , and delivered unerasable classic moment that redefinedStar Trek . TOS ' boastful - screen triumph lead to the launching of the first spinoff series , Star Trek : The Next Generation , in 1987 . From ' 87 - 91 , the twoStar Treks coexisted and fetch the enfranchisement to new heights but , as theTOScast aged andTNGskyrocketed in popularity , Paramount naturally had an eye on transitioning Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and his gang to take over the movie franchise . Star Trek Generationswas intended to bridge theTreks and unite the two gang of the StarshipEnterprise , although , because only a handful of theTOScast agreed to appear , the centerpiece event ofGenerationsbecame Picard meetingKirk , who go at the end of the plastic film .
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Star Trek : InsurrectionandStar Trek : Nemesiswere spoiled movies , which was certainly a major constituent as to why Trekkers abandoned theTNGmovies . AfterStar Trek : First Contacttook theTNGfilms to new heights , producer Rick Berman and his squad go to follow the successful model theTOSmovies set , which sustained Kirk ’s saga throughout the ' fourscore . By not mimicking the lesson set byTOS , theTNGfilms speedily lost all of the impulse they gained fromStar Trek : First Contact ’s triumph . And that ’s because Berman and his creative team continue to do by theTNGmovies as occasional adventures like the TV series was or else of embracing the serialized format that drive fan interest inTOS ' big - screen dangerous undertaking .
Star Trek: The Next Generation Movies Were A Mixed Bag
Star Trek Generationswasn’t quite the extravaganza it was intend to be , but it did its responsibility and properly broughtTNG ’s roll to the big screen . or else , it was the secondTNGfilm , 1996’sStar Trek : First Contact , that was the straight megahit . Captain Picard ’s exciting time - travel adventure against the Borgwas a crowdpleaser that won raves and became the high-pitched - grossingStar Trekmovie up to that decimal point . But theTNGmovies inadvertently top out withFirst Contact ; by the time 1998 ’s disappointingStar Trek : Insurrectionlanded in movie theaters , Trekkers ' aid was already divide between the concurrent TV seriesStar Trek : Deep Space NineandStar Trek : Voyager . After they both move off the air , the poorly - received prequel showStar Trek : Enterpriselaunched in 2001 , which eat at the fan Qaeda further . When the finalTNGmovie , Star Trek : Nemesis , arrived in 2002 , it was met with indifference ; the critical and box position loser ofNemesisbrought theTNGmovie dealership to an ignoble final stage after only 8 year .
Star Trek TOS Movies Told A Complete Story That Kept Fans Coming Back
AfterStar Trek : The Motion Picturedid well financially but did n’t win over sports fan and critics , Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khanwas fundamentally a soft reboot that did n’t recognise the first picture . mirthfully , Star Trek IIwas the pic Trekkers were truly look for : it captured everything that was so beloved and enduring aboutTOSand it ended with the heartbreaking death ofSpock . While theStar Trekmovies ' producer Harve Bennett did n’t initially project to tell a serialized , multi - film tarradiddle , he andStar Trek III ’s theatre director , Leonard Nimoy , wisely realize that follow up Spock ’s death with the Vulcan ’s resurrection was the innate hook to buildStar Trek IIIaround . The Search for Spockwas a must - see for Trekkers to see how Kirk and his crew brought the beloved Vulcan back . And even though Nimoy conceivedStar Trek IV : The Voyage Homeas a lighthearted caper that gain over fans and non - lover likewise , the managing director still by rights pay off the character electric discharge that begin withStar Trek II .
Star Treks II - IVbecame the franchise ’s first trilogy and enjoin a wonderful story about death , Resurrection of Christ , and friendly relationship that conveyed the best essence ofStar Trek . While theWilliam Shatner - directedStar Trek V : The Final Frontierwas a standalone picture show that failed at the box office , it still vigorously followed up the conclusion ofStar Trek IV , where Kirk and his crew were getting used to their new ship , the U.S.S.Enterprise - A , after theoriginalEnterprisewas destroyed inStar Trek III . Finally , when Nimoy regained creative control after Harve Bennett leave the franchise , he and director Nicholas Meyer ingeniously usedStar Trek VI : The Undiscovered Countryas a fitting sendoff to theTOScrew that capped off their entire 12 - twelvemonth moving picture saga .
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Star Trek TOSwas an occasional TV serial publication , andTNGwould accompany suit , but theTOSmovies ' masterstroke was giving fans a reason to need to see each movie by weaving a serialized macro - account acrossStar Treks II - VI . Since each pic swimmingly built off the preceding film , Trekkers were rewarded for coming back every meter by getting to see their Starfleet heroes grow and change , finally hug their status as the older statesmen of the franchise .
Star Trek TNG Movies Should Have Been Serialized After First Contact
OnceStar Trek : First Contactproved thatTNGmovies could be even bigger hit with interview than theTOSmovies were , Berman and his writers failed to serialise the saga . They should have mapped out a maestro architectural plan for theTNGsequels that would of course establish off ofFirst Contact ’s success . The Borg were a expectant draw for fans , but the studio apartment , Paramount , inexplicably decided not to search the cybernetic villains further in the movies . Instead , Picard ’s tarradiddle with the Borgwas declared to be over when Trekkers would have flocked to a sequel where Picard and theEnterprisewent on the offense and take the fight to theBorg world-beater . Rather , exploring the Borg further fell under the horizon ofStar Trek : Voyager , leave alone theTNGfilm franchise without their best baddie and with no clear track or idea for the third moving-picture show .
It also hurt theTNGmovies that Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga , who wroteStar Trek GenerationsandFirst Contact , opted not to continue penningTNGfilms and instead focused on being part of the creative teams ofDeep Space NineandVoyager , respectively . Without the author behindFirst Contact ’s success , Berman turned to formerTNGexecutive manufacturer Michael Pillar to writeStar Trek : Insurrection , and then he hired two franchise outsiders , Oscar - winning author John Logan ( Gladiator ) and director Stuart Baird , to makeStar Trek : Nemesis(the solvent verbalise for themselves ) . The final event for theTNGfilm dealership is four film of wildly disparate tone that do n’t ramp up off each other ( besides Picard baffle theEnterprise - Eafter theEnterprise - Dwas destroyed inStar Trek Generations ) . Worse , becauseStar Trek : Nemesiswasn’t plan as a swansong for theTNGfilms , Picard ’s movie adventures just block up abruptly , depart Trekkers with a totally unsatisfying ending .
Star Trek TNG Movies Failed Because They Weren’t “Must See” For Fans
Unfortunately , Rick Berman and Paramount find theTNGmovies as episodic narration akin to the TV serial . They counted on Trekkers ' making love for Picard and his gang to keep them come back for " reunions " with their heroes every few years . That persuasion would have been testify rightful ifStar Trek : Insurrectionhad been as great a movie asFirst Contact , but instead , the thirdTNGfilm recount a puzzling story that played like a less - than - stellarTNGTV episode . Worse , when theTNGmovies lastly did decide to espouse theTOSmovies ' model , they took the faulty example completely : Data ’s death inStar Trek : Nemesiswas a blatant ripoff of Spock ’s dying inStar Trek II : The Wrath of Khanand Trekkers were n’t well proud of .
SinceStar Trekcontinued on TV unabated , the episodic cinematic toying with Picard ’s StarshipEnterprisefailed to become " must - see " events for Trekkers . In the late-1990s , theStar Trekfranchise was already divided betweenDeep Space NineandVoyageron TV along with theTNGmovies . Since most Trekkers were getting their " fix " from the TV show up every workweek , there was progressively less urgency to reunite with Picard and theEnterpriseon the bounteous screen , nor was there a compelling reasonableness to . Further , DS9became the centrepiece ofStar Trekwith itsDominion Warstoryline that cover its net seasons . ButStar Trek : Insurrectiononly fleetingly mentionedDS9 ’s devastating conflict where billions were dying in a costly and unrelenting warfare . Instead , the crew of the Federation ’s flagship had a lighthearted walkaway over " the Fountain of Youth . "
This deficiency of synergy between theTNGmovies and the concurrentStar TrekTV serial , along with the movie franchise ’s inability to " say the room " when it came to what trekker wanted from the films , at long last doomed Picard ’s movie serial publication . If theTNGfilms had embraced the serializedTOSmodel and told a macro story that would have given Trekkers a reason ( besides nostalgia ) to keep coming back to the movies for more , Star Trek : The Next Generation ’s movie saga could have lasted for many more age and provided an ending worthy of Captain Picard and his dear work party .
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