MovieChat Forums > Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) Discussion > Who saw this in cinemas back in 02/03?

Who saw this in cinemas back in 02/03?

posted 11 years ago by bozo_500
17 replies | jump to latest

Who saw this back in the day? What were your memories - the anticipation of seeing it in the weeks/days before, the actually seeing it and how much a big deal was it where you were back then, the crowds, audience etc and after coming out of the cinema what were your thoughts and in the days/weeks that followed..

i remember the pre Nemesis buzz was quite good – it had the writer of the then recent Gladiator which was pretty amazing, and getting an ‘outside’ director (first time since Trek II) who had done the solid action flicks US Marshals & Exec Decision (and edited a ton of classic movies) boded well, the trailer with the Danny Elfman Planet of the Apes score looked like a return to First Contact style darkness/action/grittiness - the opening with the giant eye recalled Blade Runner and the saucer crash at the end with crewmembers sucked into space (JJ style) was very impressive ...producer Rick Berman saying the early footage looked like a Ridley Scott movie was a good sign:
'There is great electricity about the movie. The footage - the dailies - look more like a Ridley Scott film or John Woo film than a classic Trek movie'http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=VXZ6sPaw.tNnQ
...and the fact it was an even number was promising (although that rule never held any water for me as id always considered III to be a good one), plus since the last one Patrick Stewart was more of a movie star thanks to Xmen...so it felt like the stars were aligning and that Nemesis could be a crossover global hit like Voyage Home was (and to a lesser extent First Contact) - Star Trek entering the big league again

but NEM was again a big disappointment (as usual with Trek films the UK didn't get it until after the US - Jan 2003) which was surprising as everyone was expecting it to be good from the First Contacty/Ridley Scotty style trailers and that it was an even number. i remember being shocked that an even Trek film was no good (although that said the odd bad/even good rule never held for me as id always considered III to be a good one)

plus it pretty much flopped killing the movie series for 7 years. The film itself was like a combination or greatest hits of the best of the previous Treks - II (genetically created vengeful villain with a grudge specifically against the captain...kirk had a son/Picard had a clone neither were mentioned before...shots of the crew preparing for battle....mind bugs/mind rapes….nebula battle messing up ships systems...Ent disabled so cannot escape super weapon countdown...Destruction averted by death of science officer who has planted his memories in another - theres even abit of TWOK Horner-esque music where Data says 'goodbye' as Picard gets beamed away), III (riker booting the baddie off into oblivian...the last 5 mins with the 'absent friends' & revelation another holds the science officers memories that could return fully) and VI (supposed final voyage...approaching peace with a sworn enemy...ship that can fire while cloaked/end multiple ship battle) plus the whole film had pretty much the same story structure as Trek II. There was even a tip of the hat to the 1st film at the end with the Ent as TMP spacedock theme played - sort of bringing the movie series full circle.

(before the JJ treks none of the movies had been so referential to the previous films as Nem and at the time immediately after seeing it I was pretty disappointed by all that like why couldn't they just do something different and original whyd they have to remake II/III/VI (in a cloaked way) but I rewatched it a couple weeks ago for 1st time in years and found myself enjoying it more and all the callbacks to the movies (and noticing similar stuff that was adapted and used in ST09) - like a greatest hits of the best of the previous Treks)

[–] C.S.Wood 11 years ago

I saw this back at a theater that has since gone out of business and been demolished. It was not very crowded at all. I really enjoyed the space battle. I just remember most people hating it and me thinking it was okay especially compared to Insurrection.

Don't try to cash in love, that check will always bounce.

[–] bjlevine 11 years ago

I didn't see this in the theater when it first came out. In fact, I remember thinking "wow, they actually made another TNG movie?".

"Live long and suck it, Zachary Quinto!"

[–] mwalton-4 11 years ago

I saw it opening night and had to make an agreement wife my fiancée that she would only have to see Star Wars: Episode III twice, which she had agreed to do. We met up with some friends and sat I'm a theater not even half full, with one of the smaller screens. I remember looking forward to it. When it was over, I remember not hating it but feeling a little disappointed and empty. I felt like the Schimitar was using way to much power to be that functional and the ending didn't leave me looking towards the next movie, probably because I felt the last shot The Enterprise should not have the ship being repaired in space dock, the ship should have warped off to their next adventure.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] mwalton-4 11 years ago

Yeah, I remember being excited for it and the buzz being pretty positive. The trailers definitely showed this was going to be a darker Trek film. The action looked exciting and the effects were being done by Digital Domain, not a no name effects company like the ones that did the FX for Insurrection. As you said John Logan was getting a lot of buzz, especially after his Oscar win for Gladiator and he was a self-professed Star Trek fan. I was also excited a little for Stuart Baird who was brought specifically because he was not familiar with Trek, this might have been a problem, but he was surrounded by producers and writers who knew Trek. I didn't really know who Tom Hardy but he seemed to be a good villain for all the previews. The films lack do success did hinder these people. I remember reading a lot about people saying how much of a hack writer Logan was, maybe he may have finally redeemed himself with Skyfall. I don't think Stuart Baird has directed another movie since, though he has done some editing on movies. Tom Hardly has definitely had a successful career since Nemesis but it did take some time.

I think as Next Gen fans we just wanted the send off like the classic crew got in Star Trek VI. Alas it did not happen. It should also be remembered that that holiday season was very crowded between, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Die Another Day, and The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers. It was a crowed time for genre fans, and some movies had to get lost in the rush.

I remember reading a comparison between Die Another Day and Star Trek: Nemesis basically saying that DAD was an example of a long running series changing for the times and Nemesis failed to adapt to changing times and was stagnant.

[–] bozo_500 11 years ago

I remember reading a comparison between Die Another Day and Star Trek: Nemesis basically saying that DAD was an example of a long running series changing for the times and Nemesis failed to adapt to changing times and was stagnant.

yeah i think i remember reading that too...but it actually the opposite is true. both DAD and Nemesis were the 4th films (TNG/Brosnan) that represented the low point for the series (although ironically in DADs case it was one of the most succesful Bond films) and an end of an era in both series. and they both had to take time off before a highly successful reboot brought things back to basics

[–] mwalton-4 11 years ago

Agreed, both series came back and have had not only successful reboots but I have found them to be very entertaining films to. I know this goes against some of the hard-core Trek films but I do really like the new Trek films, to me they overcome one of the problems of the last two Next Gen films, which would be that those films did not feel like a movie, just extended tv eps, while the news films feel quite cinematic.

[–] michaelward15 11 years ago

This and Into Darkness are the only Star Trek movies I did not see in the theater.

I remember when it came out. I'm not sure why I didn't see it since I'd seen all the others before that in the theater. But I'd only seen Insurrection in the theater at the last minute when it was a
t a discount theater so I guess I'd just gotten tired of TNG by then.

Also, my memory is that Nemesis had very little fanfare and the few people who bothered to see it didn't seem to like it.

[–] Dlp07 11 years ago

I remember making the effort to see Nemesis in the cinema in 2002 (despite Insurrection, Voyager and Enterprise) and have to agree it was a bit of a disappointment after it's positive build- up and after only just seeing seeing The Two Towers.

Having said that, I thought it was better than Die Another Day (def in the bottom five Bond films for me). I think at that time, with LOTR and the return of Star Wars, both Trek and Bond just seemed pretty "Small" in comparison.

As one of the previous posters said, in the 90's / early 00's both series were pretty much in tandem with a new era that got tired and replaced relatively quickly.

Although I've enjoyed the more recent Trek revival, I'd have to say the Bond revival has been much better.

[–] michaelward15 11 years ago

I never saw Die Another Day. James bond was another one of those series that like Star Trek I watched religiously growing up but which was having trouble holding by interest by the end of the century.

I didn't see the second new Star Trek movie and couldn't even name the last few bond films, but I've seen all the older Bond movies multiple times each, and I'm watching the Star Trek TV series right now on Me-TV (Trouble with Tribbles tonight).

[–] Epsilon_Pegasi 11 years ago

I saw it back when it came out. I was a whole 12 years old but I loved TNG. I thought it was the coolest thing even though everyone hated it. But I was young and liked it and still like it to this day. One of those childhood favorites that I can look back on and enjoy. I definitely see how non-fans especially wouldn't like it. It's definitely good for all of us who love Trek (even though many who love Trek still don't like it).

[–] Chiscully 11 years ago

Saw it in theaters and guffawed at the sight of Shinzon's shoulder pads. I didn't like the character either - he seemed like a snotty, British party boy more than a nemesis. (No disrespect to either Brits or party boys.) The apparent lack of familiarity or interest in TNG history and characters on the part of the director seems to have cast a bad vibe in the film. My personal beef with ST films is usually too much screen time given to new characters. It's the main cast and compelling stories that made ST successful. Agree with others here that it was too dark and odd as a send-off for the TNG cast. They deserved better.

[–] bozo_500 8 years ago

shame these reminiscing seeing in cinema threads will soon be no more 😖

[–] kenburke (2377) 6 years ago

I saw it but wasn't impressed. It suffered from a terminal lack of originality (like Star Trek - Enterprise).

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I did but I fell asleep

[–] kenburke (2377) 6 years ago

What did it in was its noticeable lack of originality.

[–] mike (327) 6 years ago

It was boring and predictable for that reason.