My Thoughts on Star Trek: Generations 

I always found it odd that Kirk's nexus fantasy wasn't commanding the Enterprise since that's clearly what he wanted most in the world. Instead he is chopping wood.

Killing Kirk onscreen was the first mistake. Having him do so in a situation less perilous than other things he'd already been through was another. Having Picard bury him on a remote planet was another. The final insult was not showing Picard tell anyone about meeting him.

The woman we see waiting for Kirk on horseback should have been Edith Keeler (Joan Collins) from the episode "The City on the Edge of Forever". She was one of the few women Kirk truly loved, and getting a chance to spend an eternity with her would be far more difficult for him to leave. I can picture her telling Kirk he must go. "Be the Captain, the hero, I know you are and meant to be." There wouldn't be a dry eye in the house.

I’ll never forget that line from the Plinkett review: “I have the body of James Kirk here. You should beam him up too, so we can give him a proper burial. Instead, he’s buried above ground under a pile of rocks. It’s only a matter of time, before the animals get him…” 😭

Fun fact - the house Picard finds Kirk in - and the horse barn and fields where they ride the horses all belonged to William Shatner at the time. Johnathon Frakes was wearing Avery Brook's uniform (Capt Sisko DS9)

I had a buddy who’s Mother work at Paramount back in the 90’s. We got to go & see a free screening on the Paramount lot of Generations before it was released in theaters. What I remember is that each department that worked on the movie sat together & cheered when something happen in the movie they were responsible for. The biggest cheer was the department that worked on the Enterprise that crashed on the planet. Good times.

Say what you will about Generations, for all its flaws (and it has many), it was one of the most beautifully filmed of all the Trek films. To this day, it is GORGEOUS to watch, so vibrant. A master class in lighting and set design.

Under the rules of the Nexus, you can say Soran both won and lost. He made it to the Nexus so despite Picard stopping him on the replay, some version of him did get a happy ending. The worst part was Picard’s snap judgment of I know exactly where and when I want to go. He could have gone back to the Enterprise a few days earlier and arrested Soran before he destroyed the Amigosa Star and Kirk could have magically appeared in the captain’s chair on the bridge on the Enterprise B. Essentially, the entire movie wouldn’t have happened.

I remember seeing this in theaters as a kid. I was blown away because I was such a big fan of TNG. I've always had a soft spot for Generations.

One other point: Picard ignored Kirk's advice. Kirk told him to never leave the bridge of a Starship. "Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do *anything* that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference." Then in the Picard series he was promoted and transferred.

I think the sense of urgency within the Nexus could be resolved pretty easily. As you say, Kirk and Picard could spend a thousand years there experiencing everything they wanted before tackling the issue with Soran. So, all they needed to do was add a line explaining that, the longer you spend in the Nexus, the harder it is to recognize that you’re in it? Guinan does actually warn Picard before that if he goes into the Nexus, he won’t care about anything outside of it, he’ll just want to stay there. This line is what I think was supposed to give urgency for Picard to leave, but on its own it’s pretty weak. Or, they could have had the Nexus have an impact on memory over time. The longer you’re there, the more you forget about things that cause you pain and anxiety, so that Picard knows that if he doesn’t leave quick enough, he’ll forget what it is he needs to do. Also, I think the reason Picard saw explosions in the ornaments wasn’t due to the Nexus, but his own willpower and determination to due his duty regardless of the sacrifices he would have to endure himself in order to fulfill it.

In Star Trek V Kirk said that he knew that he would "die alone". Apparently the writers didn't see that movie.

Star Trek sure had a great run between 1979 and 1998 when it came to movies. While not the best of these, I still find Generations always fun to watch every now and then. I consider it the 2nd best after First Contact of the TNG movies.

KIRK DESERVED BETTER! He is an iconic and heroic character.

I love Generations, if only for its GORGEOUS soundtrack. It’s a mystery to me why they replaced him with Goldsmith afterwards. Even if the death of Kirk itself is underwhelming, the moment is carried by one of the most incredible pieces of underscore which superimposes the OG and next generation themes on one another. Fracking genius…😊 Thanks for doing this video and recognising McCarthy in it!

I wrote up an alternate ending for Generations a long time ago. Kirk goes back to the Enterprise-B and has Soran rig up the deflector dish, so *he* gets sucked into the Nexus. Meanwhile, Picard warns Robert about the faulty heating unit, saing them. They also rethink the whole promotion thing on the holodeck, thus heading off Data's experience with the emotion chip. Would've been a lot cheaper to reshoot.

I still theorize that Picard never left the Nexus Ribbon. All that took place from that point on was Picard's "heaven", a life filled with challenges to overcome and give meaning.

What always bothered me was, if they could travel to any time, why did they travel to right before the middle launches when they could have jumped to a few days prior when Soran was still on the D and stopped him before destroying the first star.

I agree with you on all fronts here. Dennis McCarthy’s score is phenomenal, I actually got to see him conduct the Overture for Generations with a live orchestra in Los Angeles, it was phenomenal, it brought the house down. Had a good chat to him too. I think the film is generally pretty underrated and under appreciated, there’s a lot of like, I think it’s the most cinematic of all the Next Gen movies.

I actually enjoyed it well enough to watch it several times over the years. It had many flaws and was more of another episode than movie. It has a lot of fine, memorable moments. And a great soundtrack!

I really like Generations. The Enterprise B was gorgeous, Soran a really compelling villain with an actual understandable goal and Macdowell playing him perfectly. Really there is only some minor details that annoyed me, like the reused explosion of the Klingon ship and the misfitting uniforms.

Originally DeForest Kelly was supposed to be in place of Chekov.

Generations has a very special place for me. After the TNG finale the actors literally got on with this movie. It has flaws, but I'm still a big fan of this film.

This one was big for me, as it was the first time I got to see Trek on the big screen and I grew up watching TNG.

Insurrection and Nemesis were a waste of money. Generations is still a good movie despite its plot holes. Picard and Kirk in the Nexus together is still one of my favorite scenes in all of Star Trek. Kirk: What's this planet? Varidian III? I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim. Picard: You might say that. Kirk: Who am I to argue with the Captain of the Enterprise? If Spock were here he'd say I'm an emotional and illogical man for taking on a mission like that. "Sounds like fun." (Paraphrased of course.)

Anybody interested in the struggles associated with writing a 'Star Trek' screenplay that satisfies all Studio demands, while also addressing personal concerns of all the lead actors needs to read 'FADE IN', a book by Michael Piller that details the production difficulties with 'Insurrection'. For instance, they were concerned about even using the entire 'fountain of youth' concept, for fear that Patrick Stewart would feel it suggested that he/Picard seemed 'OLD'...

I've always been a bit of a defender on Generations. Sure, Kirk's send off is not explosive or astounding, but I believe it's rather fitting for his character just how quiet and softly he goes. For a man who spent his entire career living on the proverbial edge of his captain's chair, it was a bit refreshing to see him pass away just like any other man. Sometimes, your number is simply up.

I have strong memories of this film. My best friend and I saw it opening weekend. He had never watched TNG before. He went back and saw 7 more times, and collected 6 cups. I only went on one of those trips. When the enterprise d was destroyed the entire theatre was silent. And then my friend dropped his cup in shock and the audience broke out in laughter. One of the most perfect moments in theatre for me.

Ashes Of Eden by William Shatner.This companion novel needs to be read to understand what happens in the Movie,it makes sense when you read this.

The Kirk that came out of the Nexus and was killed...was a copy. The original Kirk is still in the Nexus. At least that's what I've told myself over the years since the film came out.

I don’t give a flying fug, I love this movie. Greatest time in Trek History. Yes it has it problems but what a time to be alive as a 10 year old for Star Trek fans.

The premise behind Trilithium always bothered me because it contradicted the plot of Captain's Holiday. Also you've either misunderstood or misremembered how Guinan is talking to Picard. It's stated elsewhere that the Nexus intersects all places at all times which is why Picard is able to travel back in time and Kirk forward. The Guinan we're seeing is Guinan while trapped in the Nexus, prior to the Ent B rescuing her.

I seem to remember reading at the time that the 2 horses Kirk & Picard ride were William Shatner's own horses. And rather lovely they are too. Anyway I saw the film & liked it. And I'd like to re-watch.

This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I know it was designed to be nostalgia bait just looking for a way to have Kirk in, but I remember it being fun.

This soundtrack is one of my all-time favorites. The Nexus/Christmas Hug track gets me teary eyed every time.

I still recall the parachute Kirk toy which indicated a deleted scene which we would not see for decades. I think, originally, William Shatner was supposed to be the old captain turning young, Admiral Jamison from Season 1 of TNG.

I enjoy the interactions. Especially when Soren quotes Delmore Schwartz to Picard. But I hate the time travel plot. It makes no sense. Picard could have easily traveled back to a time where he could of easily stopped Soren without the help of Kirk.

Kirk dying on the Enterprise is still one of those saddest moments I’ve ever felt. Next to the Enterprise being sacrificed in ST3. Kirk dying to save the crew was fitting.

If a dream has Woopie in it it’s a nightmare!

I remember seeing that movie in theaters. and for me and the rest of the audience that watched it with me thought that movie just ...stunk 🤧🤧up the joint That was the most anticlimactic death of an iconic figure I've ever seen in movie Cinema 🙄🙄😞😞😞😞

Pretty awesome to see Alex from “A Clockwork Orange”, as a villain in Star Trek. A specially when he interrogates Geordi La Forge.

8:22 I always assumed that this was the Nexus’ way of trying to entice people to stay. Here’s Picard in Kirk’s Nexus reality(?) trying to get him to leave while the Nexus fights back in a way, showing new experiences. “Hey remember this time? Remember these people? You loved this!”, albeit done poorly. I felt that the Nexus was a sentient creature rather than some magical energy ribbon.

Agree. An additional point; Kirk told us in ST V that he had always known he would die alone. He didn't really know Picard, but he knew enough that Picard was the captain of a future Enterprise and they had a kindred spirit there. Kirk wasn't alone when he died.

the visuals, the opening sequence, the crash of the saucer section, and Data's scenery chewing are worth the price of admission alone...yeah- it has some problems, but way better than most of anything that has come out with Trek since 2009...and, there was nothing like seeing some of these scenes on a "huge" screen...

I saw Generations in the Theater 5 times. The first two were fanboy, the next 3 were literally trying to figure out if I liked it or not. I decided not. Because I recognized that it was literally just a long episode with slightly better CGI and graphics. That and I instantly recognized the re-use of the bird of prey destruction scene from Undiscovered Country.

I read that after Kirk's apparent death on the Enterprise B, the film was supposed to show the enterprise D battling several romulan ships, but the studio felt that was too predictable and wanted it rewritten.

THANK YOU for mentioning the score and damn just how great the film looks color wise

The issue with the Nexus goes even further than you mentioned. All thanks to Guinan's line of "you can go anywhere, anytime". Which means Picard could have went back far enough to stop his family getting killed, and throwing Sorn in the brig right after rescuing him. Also nothing to stop Sorn himself once in the nexus, to come back out to his homeworld to save his family, then go back in.

Basically I agree it was essentially a "big-budget" TNG ep and an especially mediocre one at that. The pace was uneven because, as stated, there was little to drive the plot. However, I felt the whole Data subplot was annoying to cringing with only one really funny moment and that was when Beverly was shoved overboard. I did get one unintentional laugh out of the film and that was the crash-landing bit. I still chuckle when Riker yells "hang-on" and the saucer section plows into the topsoil. The reason being is that that saucer-section must have been coming in at what...mach 40? By the time that saucer section stops sliding and thudding, Riker and crew are just red smears on the nearest bulkhead. I know we're supposed to suspend belief but that scene does it for me every time. Also, the bit with the Nexus is a weak plot device. At the climax of the film, Picard and Kirk just "wish" themselves back to Veridian 3 but if that's the case, isn't this another Nexus "illusion"? The whole "Kirk killed" scene is a let-down and frankly, Kirk was too iconic a character to die that way. It would have been better if Kirk disappeared back into the Nexus toward an uncertain fate. Like Conan the Barbarian in literary form, we never see the character die but just pass into legend. That should have the same way for Jim Kirk.

I think the plot needs a bit of work when your character decides to blow up star systems instead of fly a shuttle into the nexus. That being said, it's kinda decent compared to modern Trek. I'm just imagining Q could have been a cool way to bring them together, maybe Soren and Q could be having a kind of gods-level chess game.

I had no idea that Ronald Moore was involved in the writing for this. That's honestly kind of crazy to me considering he would go on to write among other things DS9 and the (imo) masterpiece that was the BSG reboot.

I've loved Generations ever since going to see it when it first came out! While I share your thoughts about some of the plot devices not really working, I on the other hand had no problem with it and I was one of the people that cheered when the two captains got together! I think it's also held out very well dues to the many things that were great in the first place, with the soundtrack being one and the excellent cinematography! I loved that TNG finally got their big budget big screen movie! I have the box set, that I can now enjoy whenever I want, and never grow tired of it!

I *always* HATED the "emotion chip" part with Data in Generations. Felt sooo tagged on and we already HAD Data go through emotions during TNG... Bäh 😒 But the 1st 10 Minutes are indeed incredidible, much like the 1st 10 minutes of Star Trek 2009 before the whole Thing falls apart

Plot holes aside, I found the way Picard's family were depicted in the nexus to be bizarre - like some kind of Dickensian wish fulfillment. It always pulls me out of the movie.

Shatner's book, the Return, was written as a sequal to Generations. It hit all the beats that Generations was missing.

I grew up with Trek; old enough to have watched the originals as broadcast with deep impacts for life. I recall being in a packed theater for the opening of ST The Motion Picture and unable to hear the five minutes after Kirk's debut look through the shuttle window due to thunderous applause. Was braced for K's epic death scene and instead was absurd enough to spark a laugh as the catwalk spun like an out-of-control amusement ride. Great moments in that film but total ball drop on that as well as making the meeting of of those two greats akin to dropping in for coffee at a neighbor's house.

I love this movie. Propelled by great acting and theme's of family, time, and loss. Also the effects still beat anything out today

Excellent video. As a fan of TOS I was not happy with Kirk's death at all, and I was hoping when Picard went through the bridge rubble that Kirk would have been gone, as if he went back into the Nexus. The other confusing part about the Nexus was exiting back to real-time. So, if Kirk wanted to could he have just gone back to the events on Enterprise B and gotten off Deck 15 before getting blasted? Since he and Picard could jump back to the planet before it was destroyed I can't see why Kirk couldn't have done that. Of course that raises the issue of changing the future, or in this instance "the present". ~ Caretaker

Really good to call out how great the music to this film is. Its epic

I always assumed the nexus reminding Picard with the stars was part of Picard reminding himself. As for Guinan being there, there’s a reference to this when they rescue them from the nexus. I agree about the Kirk issue and taking your time with the nexus.

So if you could leave the Nexus at Any Time and Place you want, Why didnt Kirk and Picard go back a little farther in time to before they picked up Soran in first place, Instead of the last possible second where the Planet is about to explode.

Yeah, I remember the movie being disappointing but at the same time it was still exciting to see a cinematic version of the next generation. These characters that I’ve been watching for the past seven years l, I believe before that. I was a junior in high school when it came out. And then First Contact definitely made up for it.

I’m not a critic so my eye is always more forgiving to films and I really enjoyed this one. You point out some interesting points of criticism but they didn’t affect me so it remains one of my favourite Star Trek movies out of them all.

That scene where kirk silently shakes his head "nope, that won't work" was brilliant.

I've always liked the theory that Picard never left the Nexus, it just gave him what he wanted. He got to stop Soran, then went on to defeat the Borg, find love on a planet where he could eventually retire without aging and finally help bring about peace between the Federation and the Romulans. What better fantasy could Picard have picked for himself.

Instead of returning to the past before Soren begins his plan that could potentially kill billions, Picard decides to go back to the riskier moment to put an end to Soren's plan. Brilliant writing there! Not my favourite Star Trek film, but it has some good moments and fantastic FX. Thanks.

Loved this when it came out. I was in High School at the time - A local Video Rental shop had a large Generations display. I asked to take it and they tolled me to come back in a few weeks before they binned it - went back and the person remembered and surprisingly gave it to me. Had to walk the 4ft display on my school bus with it to get back home, had a lot of strange looks from people around me. 😂

Start of movie: captain on the bridge End of movie: bridge on the captain

As disappointing as it is to see my hero fall, at least Captain Kirk went out fighting

The woman in Kirk's nexus should have been Edith Keeler.

You are way too kind, Dave. I did a review for a fan-mag in Australia at the time. I crucified it. A film made by people who should all have known better & done better. Lost all respect for Moore as a writer, who was bulletproof (imo) prior to this. The ignominy of Kirk's death was unforgivable AND broke Moore's own canon (from Relics). How many plot holes in this film? Count the explosions and divide by 1. Both Guinan & Data had their characters destroyed, along with the Ent D. This film broke my heart.

5:25 If there's one thing that sticks its memories of being in the cinema and seeing the Enterprise saucer section crashing. Amazing experience and agreed, its a superb piece of visual effects artistry.

One thing that always bugs me is that throwaway line that explains why Soran couldn't just fly a ship into the Nexus. They said that every ship gets destroyed. So what if the ship gets destroyed? We saw in earlier clips that the people still make it into the Nexus after the ship, or part of the ship they're in, gets destroyed. Just take a shuttle and fly in. If the shuttle gets destroyed, who cares? The shuttle would be a lot easier to get than that complicated plot he's doing.

Wrath of Khan is the greatest Star Trek movie ever made. Change my mind.

Every time I see the opening to this film, I just get a flashback to Redlettermedias mr plinkett review where he says "only the ones who were lame enough to show up showed up"

I am with you on the soundtrack, it is immense!

I love the movie for what it is. Could we have done something better or different? Maybe. However I get what they were going for, they nailed it. The only truly irredeemable TNG movie, is the last one.

Star Trek: Generations is one of my favorite guilty pleasures, especially around the holidays and Christmas 🎄 time. You can hate on it all you want but I absolutely love ❤️ the musical score 🎼 and really feel for Picard and his wish to have a real family and child like Renee who I felt a real connection with in “Family” Ep 2 season 4 of TNG. His desire for a life away from Star Fleet and Kirk’s advice on being a captain of a Star ship are timeless and unforgettable moments for me in this film. Picard’s speech at the end about “Time is a companion that goes with you on the Journey” is heartwarming and assuring message that stays with you well after the film has concluded. I have watched this film well over 50 times and will gladly watch is another 50 and continue to enjoy it. I love this film plain and simple.

Loved stellar cartography in that movie.

Storyline should've had TOS crew having to go 40 years into future/TNG having to go 40 years back in time, the 2 crews join forces to beat an enemy and/or save Planets etc. Kirk goes out in a blaze of glory saving Billions.

I pretty much agree with your assessment, and I too really enjoyed the score, particularly the music when Picard enters the nexus. That was really some beautiful material for those scenes.

I absolutely loved this movie. Went to see it at the cinema and for me it is the top tier TNG film. The Picard initial nexus scene really resonated with me. Rewatched the entire OS films in order and Shatners acting ability is seriously underrated.

About Cpt Kirk's death ... in a previous movie(with Spock and Bones around a campfire) Kirk mentioned he knew he would survive the fall because he wasn't alone and then he elaborated by saying he always knew he will die alone. I think that's why in Generations he died without any of his friends or crew members around him and the only person remaining with him was JLP and by the death of Kirk, Picard take legacy on his shoulders. As for the Nexus itself it only shows what is perceived to be happiness and joy by the person inside it. Since Kirk had a lot of regrets about his past (mostly during the period of his retirement) the Nexus gave him the illusion he wanted. As for Picard his regrets are on the family side - he regrets not having any son or any descendant to continue the Picard lineage. That's why the Nexus showed him a big family gathered for x-mas. The 'random' changes of places aren't random at all because the Nexus reacts with the thoughts and desires of a person and we know those can change rapidly and sometimes instantly and what is showed on screen demonstrate that. I must admit however that i've seen this movie so many times and that's the conclusions i came to about the Nexus and how it seems to work and it doesn't mean that there is no other explanation - your guess is as good as mine.

Dave.. the Nexus gives u whatever u want. Picard always wants ‘truth’.. that’s why he saw the cataclysm he was trying to prevent. Shifting scenes? Kirk was satisfied with one desire then had a new one. Yes there was no rush time-wise, the issue was to leave nexus at all. The entrance was unpredictable. Soran spent years planning to direct the nexus to a place he could enter. If Kirk left, he knew he would probably never return. I agree some important moments were disappointing but overall they did a good job passing the torch.

A good review of Generations, Cullen. - Kirk's death has always seemed controversial, but it can also be easily argued that he died twice. Once giving his life trying to save the Enterprise-B/civilian lives (a respectable death, honestly) and once again at Veridian 3. - I think it's more of lost opportunities for the film rather than it being substandard for some. I still think Generations was good and paved the way for the much better First Contact. - I hope they somehow look at The Lost Generation for a future series, showing the Enterprise B or C with their crew.

Star Trek Generations is since almost forever my first movie when it happens that I get a new TV, blueray player or anything else. It's like my test run routine :)

Do not worry, Treksters. Captain James T. Kirk’s body is in stasis at the Daystrom Station.

Absolutely hated the way Kirk died in that movie. He should have had a send off as was Samantha Carter’s in Stargate Atlantis season 4 episode 20, The Last Man. She died fighting numerous Hive ships while commanding her starship and in the end taking out three of them when, after transporting her crew to safety onto a planet, she rammed her crippled ship into them. This event happened in an alternate timeline yet it still was heartbreaking.

Dave starship has just launched and it was a success. All we need now is phases and Photon torpedos 🤞 Anyway I always thought the Nexus was feeding on people's emotions, including their responsibilities 🤨

Would have been funny if Kirk had survived and began running around the galaxy decades after his death.

"I was never that young" "...No, you were younger" Absolutely love that line

The Star Trek novel: The Return did a good job of tying up the events of Generations . The audiobook is one of my favorites.

The most jarring bit of the movie was Kirk telling Picard about being captain. I always felt that it was Shatner trying to tell Stewart about 'being the Star Trek crew' and that the Next Gen crew never understood what a golden opportunity they were being handed, heck it took until Wrath of Khan for Nimoy to understand it.

I dunno... For Myself, after seeing this movie when it was new. I walked away firmly believing the "odd numbered" ST movie curse. I referred to "the Nexus" as the Special Effect to move the plot along. I thought I knew what Picard's personality and motivations were after seeing him on the small screen for so long. Having his heart most desire to be with a family and kids...just seemed a little forced. Captain Kirk reduced to a fistfight in the desert and killed in an unheroic feeling way. I'm glad you can see the merit of this movie. I just felt it reduced to effect STTNG had been.

I think the first ten or fifteen minutes is the best part of any TNG movie!

This movie is half the reason I now wear pocket watches. The other half is Mark Twain. So TNG is 100% the reason I latched on to that fashion choice.

This was the Beginning of the "Kill a Legend/Hero" mode...The way Kirk "Died" was ludicrous and Shatner clearly stated so... A Legend dies...by poor architecture of a bridge...😝

The entire movie was all about Soran extending his ladder by about 15 feet...😅

It always bugged me that they jump out of the nexus straight back to the battle with Soran. They could have planned tactics, even war gamed the entire encounter multiple times, practicing it together in the nexus until they figured out a foolproof plan to take Soran off the board and disable the launcher without anyone being killed. But of course, that wouldn't be easy to convey in a way that wouldn't come off as a parody of a training montage, and the result wouldn't achieve the goal of killing off Kirk. It always bugged me though, here you have access to essentially a limitless holodeck and you don't use it to your advantage. To your point about the encounter essentially being a loop; in the film's defense I would argue that after the first "jump back" to the encounter, the Soran that goes into the Nexus will be aware that Picard is going to jump back out of it to try to stop him, and he himself may be motivated to jump back out even earlier and kill Picard on the Enterprise before anyone is aware, or some other such machination to try to prevent anyone from preventing him from enacting his plan. In fact, if he were aware the Romulan attack on the observatory was coming ahead of time and did something to head it off, the Enterprise never even would have shown up and the Armargosa star going supernova would have seemed like a weird fluke right up to the moment Veridian also went boom. Killing Soran before that version of Soran goes into the Nexus may be the only way to win without further convoluted plot holes.

15 year old me watching in the theater enjoyed it enough to go twice. It's certainly not in my list of top movies, but I found it to be solid overall, and never really gave the plot holes much thought, just sort of let my belief be suspended.