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STAR TREK: NEMESIS Screenplay Observations By A Fan. **No Spoilers** (1 Viewer)

Tino

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First a little background. I am a LONG time Star Trek fan. Got hooked in the early seventies just when the re-runs began and the Star Trek phenomemon was born.
Since then I have been lucky enough to meet some original cast members such as Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly and George Takei.
I was also extremely fortunate to have a brother who did a research favor for Jonathan Frakes and was repaid by allowing us to visit the Next Generation set in its seventh and final year and get a personal one hour tour by Mr. Frakes himself of the entire set..I even sat in the Captains chair. Very Cool.
As I said, BIG fan.
Needless to say, I was very happy to receive in the mail yesterday the new Star Trek screenplay.
As you may already know, it is entitled Star Trek: Nemesis and is written by John Logan who co-wrote Gladiator. The story is credited to John Logan, Rick Berman and Bren Spiner and the script is dated June 20, 2001.
Here's the good news. The screenplay was GREAT! It's an all out action film in the vein of Wrath Of Khan and First Contact. If the film turns out to be as exciting as the script, it will be the best most sucessful Trek yet.
I hate giving away anything, so if anyone wants specific spoilers, post and I'll put spoiler blocks around my response to answer any questions.
Without giving out any spoilers, basically it's a very fast moving, serious action film with political intrigue, a unique villain, humor, moral issues, sacrifice and redemption. Everything any Star Trek fan would want, right?
For all you fans and former fans that have been clamoring for Star Trek to go in a different direction, this film is it. It still has the obligatory introduction scenes, but quickly sets itself apart from the weaker films with a strong story, interesting character developments, and a dark almost violent tone. It definitely will be the most talked about Trek film
if it all works out.
I heard today actually that Stuart Baird (Executive Decision, U.S Marshalls) has been attached as director, replacing Jonathan Frakes who helmed the last two. I don't think there is any bad blood between Mr. Frakes and Paramount since he has just directed another film for them which I heard they are very happy with, called Clockwatchers, or something similar to that. Mr. Baird seems capable of handling action scenes which this film has plenty of, so his appointment makes sense.
I really think that this Star Trek film more than all the others has the best chance at crossover appeal as it is Sci-Fi action at its best.
Here's to hoping that the film does the screenplay justice. Please....Make It So!
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Tino

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Patrick
From a friend in the business. He said it just came across his desk a few days ago, and luckily for me, he sent it out to me straight away.
Great friend right? :)
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DavidAC

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Just wondering is this the last Trek film? This sounds like a good script to end it with and as much as i like the Trek movies i really dont want to see anymore with the Deep Space nine crew or Voyager crew.
 

Rain

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Ok, I have spoiler questions. I just have to know. So, here they are:
1. Spoiler:For the longest time, I've been hoping to see Data get promoted. Maybe even get a ship of his own. Any chance of seeing that in this film? With Spiner co-scripting, I can hope...
2. Spoiler:Which characters appear in the film? Is it stricty a NG cast or will we see some DS9 or Voyager folks? Anyone surprisingly absent?
That is all.
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"People always clap for the wrong things." - J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
[Edited last by Rain on July 25, 2001 at 10:36 PM]
 

Jeff Kleist

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Please wreck the entire thing. Put it in spoiler bars. Give me every detail, omit nothing
Jeff "Read the Episode 1 kiddee novelization in March, and was happy he was no longer tortured by unnecessary waiting" Kleist
 

Craig S

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I heard today actually that Stuart Baird (Executive Decision, U.S Marshalls) has been attached as director, replacing Jonathan Frakes who helmed the last two.
I have heard good things about this script also, but this news today I find personally disappointing. Frakes did a fine job helming several of TNG's episodes plus the two movies. The problem with Insurrection was the uninspired story line, not his direction.
Baird, on the other hand, has two very dubious credits to his name. Of the two I've only seen U.S. Marshalls, which I found very tedious. I don't know how anyone could have put Tommy Lee Jones & Robert Downey, Jr. in the same film and made it so boring, but he managed it. I'll of course hold out hope that given a good script he'll pull a rabbit out of his hat, but right now I'm skeptical.
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PhilipG

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I agree. Stuart Baird's US Marshalls was really very poor. Is Nick Meyer still around?
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Henry Carmona

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I just gotta say, dont everybody get their hopes up.
We all know how much a movie can change in the editing room.
Screenplay or script can be totally different from the final film.
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Iain Lambert

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As with all things Trek-related, I really need to know one thing: Spoiler:Please, please, please tell me there aren't any uses, references or anything to do with time-travel? Practically every instance of really bad cringeworthy writing in Trek is down to Berman and co's addiction to time-travel plots.
 

Tino

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To answer some of your spoiler questions:
Rain
1.Spoiler: Data does not get promoted or get a command of his own, however he is a MAJOR part of the film and its ending. If you really want to know what happens with Data, I'll tell, but it's a MAJOR spoiler.
2.Spoiler: Thw only cameo from other Star Trek crews is a communication Captain Picard has with Admiral Janeway early in the film. They seem like old friends and I believe the scene works well.
Iain
Spoiler:Thankfully, NO time travel whatsoever in this tale. As I said before, it's closer to Wrath Of Khan than any other Trek.
Jeff
Do you REALLY want me to spoil everything?
I have read many screenplays that have turned out to be horrible films, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Alien Resurrection for example, so I too am aware of what can happen in the journey from the page to the screen, however I believe (hope) that that Star Trek: Nemesis will not suffer that fate. :)
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Jerry Gracia

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Wow, Tino...you get around don't ya?
I am also somewhat of a trek fan...but not in the extreme sense, just casual.
I own all the Trek films on DVD except 5 and 1, but I don't get the urg to attend conventions and such.
The next trek movie sounds promising.
Can't wait!
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Rain

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Tino,
Spoiler:Yes, tell me about Data
:)
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Iain Lambert

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Thanks Tino, thats all I needed or wanted to know about this until I enter a cinema. I used to really like Trek, but that one concern has turned me off it of late. I'm really glad to hear that the script isn't the usual (for the last couple of years) lazy nonsense.
 

Tino

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Rain
O.K., you asked for it: :)
MAJOR SPOILER..Spoiler: Data is incinerated at the end of the film, sacrificing himself to save Picard, however perhaps all is not lost since in the beginning of the film, Data discovers his long-lost "brother", a prototype created by Dr. Soong, and in the process of rebuilding him, he tranfers all his "data" to B-9 (benign..get it? :)) as it is called, to help him get acclamated to living with humans. SO..in effect Data dies and is reborn in B-9.
BTW, I consisder myself a "TREKKER" not a "TREKKIE" as is depictd in that hilarious, terrifying film of the same name. I have NEVER dressed up as a character or gone to any type of Sci-Fi convention. That extreme part of fandom just never appealed to me.
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Steve Christou

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Stuart Baird is actually more famous as an editor, he edited The Omen, Superman the Movie, Lethal Weapons and many others, there is a really funny commentary on The Omen between Stuart and Richard Donner, from his accent Stuart is obviously a Brit, just right for Star Trek!! :)
Tino, thanks for the info, really looking forward to this Trek, sounds exciting!!
ps. There were rumors that the Romulans were involved in this one, any truth in this?
[Edited last by Steve Christou on July 26, 2001 at 06:56 PM]
 

Tino

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Spoiler:Yes, the Romulans have a major role in this film, as do the Remans. Who are the Remans? Think Romulus and Remus. :)
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Jeff Kleist

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Yes, spoil everything. Waiting is for silly people
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Besides, seeing the movie will still be just as fun, because it's seeing the movie
Jeff Kleist
 

Jeff

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Does the movie have too much humor in it? I find ever since Star Trek The Voyage Home, the humor just got cranked up too much. It's nice to have in the odd episode but cheesy one liners and silly antics don't cut it for me in the movies.
Jeff
 

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