TNG stars talk last movie, next movie and Enteprise finale

Earlier this month the annual Dragon*Con was held in Atlanta, Georgia with many Trek events from costume contests, Klingon beauty pageants, and Nichelle Nichols screening her new film (Lady Magdelene’s). The cornerstone of the event was the presence of actors Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, and Gates McFadden, who were on hand to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. During one of their appearances the subjects of the new Star Trek movie came up. According to a report on StarTrek.com, after feigning ignorance of the new feature, Frakes (director of Star Trek First Contact) praised the selection of Zachary Quinto as Spock and went on the praise the new Trek director as well, saying…

J.J. Abrams, who does Lost which is one of my favorite shows on television, is a fabulous storyteller, and the franchise is probably in very good hands … and I gather he’s a fan

At an earlier event Spiner seemed to both defend and take a dig at the new Trek film, saying:

When you first hear the idea you sort of think, ‘I don’t want other people playing those characters,’ but then you think, ‘Hey, you know, how many James Bonds have there been?’ You think no one can replace Sean Connery, and then, yet, along came Tim Dalton! 

On Nemesis
The TNG stars also discussed the last film they made together (Star Trek Nemesis). Asked what elements he contributed to Nemesis‘ story, Spiner joked that he "contributed specific elephants to the movie," before explaining

The only thing I really contributed were some of the action sequences. John Logan [the screenwriter] called me occasionally and he would say, ‘How do I get them off the ship?’ And I would say, ‘Why don’t you have them get inside a ship in the ship and fly through the ship?’ And he’d go…" (Gesturing, "You’re a genius, Brent!") "I had very little to do with Data, other than to say I thought it would be a good idea if they blew him up. 

On "These Are The Voyages"
Discussing the much maligned Enterprise finale, Frakes said that it was intended to be "a valentine" for the fans, but admitted the final product was "perhaps less than that." He did say that he and fellow guest star Marina Sirtis enjoyed their time together and would be willing to star in their own series. To this, Spiner quipped, "So ‘The Riker and Troi Show.’ You know, B-4 is still alive!"

 

For much more on Dragon*Con, see the 5-page report at STARTREK.COM.

Image courtesy of STARTREK.COM 

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Spiner said that???????????? Pinch me or slap me soI can tellif I’m dreaming, ..oh and 1st!!!

i want my tng cast back together for like a “very brady christmas” type of tv special!

I think Spiner is is not being honest, because I read that he actually contributed a lot to the story. especially B4. Basically he may realize his contribution was derivative and lame.
I wonder why Paramount never put real talent behind the camera, or at least Frakes someone with real respect for the franchise. The TNG crew were great actors, but Paramount acted like the shit with the TNG movies. Cheap as hell.
What kind of a send-off was Nemesis? TNG was a rebirth of Trek. IT made Paramount so much money, why could they not make a feel good finale, allow Picard to get a family finally, show Riker and Troi in the Titan?
It sucks.

I would like to see the TNG cast make a TV movie. A story that would redeem Nemesis, and tie some things up. Titan, etc. Then they could do one or two a year.

Also, I’d like to see ST: The Next Next Generation. New cast, new Enterprise–taking place 80 years after Nemesis.

I know, dream on…

Spiner is being modest and funny… I’ve heard him in other interviews state emphatically that Data’s time was up, because Data wasn’t supposed to age, but Spiner himself, being human, could not help but get older over the years.

Still, Data’s destruction was a major disappointment for me, since he is among my favorite characters in all of the Star Trek franchise. Maybe I should start trolling the threads here, clamoring to bring back Data!

20 year anniversary huh? Wow is it really that long? I remember when the TNG pilot first airred and being a ‘fan’ of the original series, being addament I wouldn’t like it because there was no Kirk, Scotty or McCoy. It took all of 10 minutes of the pilot to change my mind (but then I was 7 years old at the time!).

Yeah thats a fine idea. Allow Commander Riker the Titan and Data his own ship also.
As far as Captain Picard give him a well deserved promotion and either have take charge of Starfleet Command or of a totally new designed Starship for new adventures where he would periodically run across Commander Data and Captain Riker. This would be a vast undertaking on Paramounts behalf but IF taken with the same spirit as the TNG it could easily be a HUGE goldmine for them to tap into now and of course the future.
What does anyone else think of this idea? One week or month or even 6 week interval have a different show with either Data – Riker or Picard….lets not rule out Capt. Janeway

#4!!!! Hooray!!! someone finally agrees with me about a jump into the next next generation:)

I’m hoping Spiner was joking about the Dalton reference! What a disaster! Trek (on TV) will not happen, until Parasquat gets serious about the franchise.

#9

Dalton was a Great Bond. Read the original Fleming books, then you’ll see what Dalton was trying to do. What Daniel Craig is doing now is doing what Dalton has already done. And he’s on the right path. If Dalton was doing the Bond movies now at the same age he was doing the Bond movies originally, everyone would praise him.

What Daniel Craig is doing now is what Dalton has already done.

hahaha, that’s what I meant. God I need sleep. Damn you trekmovie for keeping me glued to the computer!!

Sorry to say to Rick Berman, but TNG will be the only Trek spinoff to survive any anniversaries. The other shows, besides their premieres, never made much of an impact with the genaral public.

Its general, and yes Dalton was a great Bond.

Gates McFadden…still hot.

Paramount should take their comments seriously and make a two hour TV movie! If Farscape can have a movie after it’s cancellation then why can’t they do a Riker Troi TV movie!

I still say Spiner and Frakes today, look an awful lot like Bones and Scotty circa Wrath of Khan…
sorry, but time marches on…

I do wish however, that TNG could have been allowed to end on a higher note than Nemesis, but whats done is done. And to be honest a Riker and Troi Show would probably be a bad idea as well since Frakes is 55 and Sirtis is 52.

After all, the real “nemesis” of the crew of Enterprise is the one we all must face…..time.

Am I the only one in the universe that thought NEMESIS wasn’t half bad. I think (As I have mentioned before) that the movies main problem was that the director/editor (what’s his name, I forget) looked at this as an action film, and not as a star trek film. It’s that plain and simple. The actual story wasn’t the problem. First off, a good trek film would have devoted more time to the wedding. We would have kept the Wesley Crusher bit in there too. I know there are more stuff then that., but I can’t think of it right now. There was too much emphasize on the action part of this great story, and not enough on the great character stuff that John Logan was trying to put in here. I think also a little more development of the Romulan political intrigue would have been cool. Not have the Romulan Senate blow to sh** so soon, but……

# 17 – You’re right Nemesis was that bad it was just poorly written. A young bald headed Picard was foolish. It tried to be a action film but it didn’t give was doomed simply because it failed to develop the characters. You can have all the best special effects but without a good solid multi-themed story with good character development it will fail.

“Am I the only one in the universe that thought NEMESIS wasn’t half bad.”
-TJ Trek – October 1, 2007

It’s just that it followed Insurrection…and after a four year hiatus… and was TNG’s Swan Song.
It also broke the odd-even rule of Trek films…

All those things combined is what makes it seem so unspectacular, I guess…

Sorry about the giberish. # 18…Been up all night. But….if the next film lacks the proper character interaction and development timed in with the film then it will fall flat!

The first time I saw Nemesis I thought it was wicked, but that was probably due to the time in between Insurrection, the more times I’ve watched it the less I enjoy it. Though to be fair i’ll always enjoy watching Trek films regardless how poor!

The trouble with Nemesis is that it was an action film and not a Star Trek film. Also, there are very few quotable lines in this film….

“The trouble with Nemesis is that it was an action film and not a Star Trek film.”
-James – October 1, 2007

I think they were trying to over compensate for the Driving Miss Daisy pace of Insurrection.
Lets just hope the next film is not as reflexive in what the producers think the fans want or expect…

19 – “It also broke the odd-even rule of Trek films…”

not at all

Trek III is one of the best films – in fact imo its the 2nd best movie after Khan….anyone that disagrees should be killed via a stun setting at close range.

Please – no tv movie or the like for TNG – they had their final movie with Nemesis and although it wasnt a great movie I actually think it wrapped things up quite nicely…

Riker and Troi finally married and Riker finally gets his ship (something that had been going on the whole series)

Crusher at Starfleet medical

The rest stay on the ship under the command of Picard…

ANYWAY IT WAS BILLED AS tHE fINAL jOURNEY OF tng SO LET IT BE.

17: Yes, you are.

;-)

Is it me or did TOS cast age better after 20 yrs than this cast?

26, Andy

Yeah, TOS cast did age better, with a few exceptions.

Then again, How old is Shatner’s hair really?.

Speaking of Timothy Dalton and Trek. I always thought that Dalton and Stewart have very similar features (except the hair)

At times I think that parts of the plot of Nemesis might have worked if Dalton had played the baddie against Stewart rather than this little dude, – Andy Hardy? Dalton at least has some measure of Gravitas left.

I could have done with out the corny Mad- Max dune buggy scene or the be-fore (B4) Data Unit. which really weakened the whole, “After Lore, Data’s alone in the Universe” thing

Previously I believe they were going to call that Unit B-9 (benign) but that had been the name of the Lost in Space robot we still all love.

I think there is a lesson to be learned from this film for the makers of the new movie:

A Subtle wink to the fans – but please don’t pander or dummy down.

Striking THAT balance will be the real Kobiyashi Maru test.

26 – Shatner looked terrific in the trek movies – how old was he in Trek I? about 48? He looks more like he was in his early 40s…he didnt look THAT different to how he looked in TOS…just darker hair…

In II he looked great too – that shot when the doors open on Regular One and the Shats face is full on in the camara…Brilliant..

in fact in VI (25 years after TOS) he looked ok as well. He still looked Kirk-like…

Thing is with Shatner he had/has a very photogenic face – all mathamatically proportioned etc so he aged well…and has always looked a good 10 years younger than he is – so much so that when friends etc ask how old Shatner is they are always shocked to find he’s in his mid 70s as they had assumed it was his 60s….

I’m sick of people saying Data wasn’t supposed to age. They actually did say in one episode that he did age, I can’t remember which one, but I always notice when I see it. I think it was Season 2.

Thought I’d throw in an interesting bit of trivia, since there’s a mix of Star Trek and James Bond in this thread.

“Star Trek Nemesis” was directed by Stuart Baird. He also directed the sequel to “The Fugitive” called “U.S. Marshals.” Before turning to directing, he was a very well-regarded film editor. After the lackluster performance of both “Marshals” and “Nemesis,” Baird returned to editing. His most recent film was “Casino Royale,” the latest James Bond movie.

Having seen all three of these movies, it’s my opinion that Baird is a much, much better editor than he is a director.

Speaking of Bond, I really liked Timothy Dalton as J.B. His performance took the character back to the way Fleming wrote him in the novels. Unfortunately, I think audiences balked a bit because it was such a radical change from Roger Moore’s performances, which had become rather fanciful and almost lighthearted. I agree that Daniel Craig’s version of Bond is very close to Dalton’s. The only real difference is that Craig’s Bond is inexperienced, while Dalton’s had a world-weariness to him.

Returning to Trek now: It would be nice to see the TNG cast reunited one more time, perhaps in a TV movie. Of course it would also be great to see a DS9 movie that resolves the dangling plot threads from that show’s finale, a more satisfying final film for the Voyager crew, and a better resolution to Enterprise as well. These are all very likely nothing but pipe dreams, however. Sometimes we just have to accept that, for better or worse, what’s done is done.

@22
“The trouble with Nemesis is that it was an action film and not a Star Trek film. Also, there are very few quotable lines in this film…. ” James – October 1, 2007

I would say STII was both a Trek film and an action film, so clearly, one can have both.

#29

I actually think it was in the episode where Data finds his mother (why it was that Data had more relatives than anyone else in the crew, I’ll never know). They mention something like ‘she’s made to age like Data too’.

Stuart Baird also edited Superman The Movie and also alot of Superman II.

He also directed the entertaining Executive Desicion starring Kurt Russell.(now theres a name i wouldnt mind hearing being rumoured to be in the new film!)

Yes Dalton was basically doing what Craig is doing now…but most felt it was too much of a radical departure from the lightness of the Moore movies…It works now though.

The whole TNG, DS9, and Voyager reuniting thing will never happen so why do people keep bring it up again and again? With Paramount selling off props left and right and re-booting the original they are finished with them. TNG was a great show but the movies were so-so and it was also a product of the 80’s which doesen’t have the strength of the 60’s original. That’s why Kirk, Spock, etc are coming back…….

Darth “Let it go already” Ballz

but Darth havent you heard? – Paramount have just axed the new JJ movie and let Nimoy go and rehired Berman whos doing a DS9/Voyager cross over movie with Garrent Wang and Armin Shimerman as the MAIN stars and support from the likes of Rene Auberjonois, Ethan Phillips, Tim Russ and Kate Mulgrew

How did this happen? Cause the fans~(the real fans….) DEMANDED IT

All out prayers have been answered

Thank You jesus…see you in 08 when we all hear those classic DS9/Voyager themes in the theatre.

oh and rumours are abound that *if* we’re lucky…..Avery Brooks MAY be involved in some capacity as well as Michael Dorn

*falls to knees weeping*

I agree that Stuart Baird is much better editor then director and also Timothy Dalton wasn’t that bad. Actually Living daylights is one off my favorite JB film.
It seems Frakes remarks on Enterprise finale ,,These are voyages,, agrees that end result’s wasn’t that good as he aspect-ed. Personally i found it pretty lame finale for good Star Trek show.

#24;: Trek III is one of the best films – in fact imo its the 2nd best movie after Khan….anyone that disagrees should be killed via a stun setting at close range.
I disagree 100% (emergency beam-out before phaser is shoot.). TSFS is second worst TOS movie after TFF. Actually i find TSFS diminished the Spock death scene as april fool day and this one of major reason why Nick Meyer didn’t want direct TSFS.
Only movie that broke the odd-even rule of Trek films was TMP.

#31I would say STII was both a Trek film and an action film, so clearly, one can have both.
STII was good but it is overrated as it had many flawed that hurt the movie today.
#34 i agree 99%

I guess I am just one of those who believe Nemesis was bad. It was bad and painful to sit through in the theater, and when I rented (yes, rented…I have never rented a Trek movie because I own them all with this one exception), and watched it at home, it was even worse.

The story, the fact that this was supposed to be how TNG ended…the other android, the clone, the Romulans. Everything was wrong with this movie.

It’s a shame that they couldn’t come up with something original or more daring. But in the end, that was the downfall of modern Trek, they played it safe, almost too safe and never took risks necessary to tell compelling stories.

37 – My God…..how…can…you SAY THAT??!!. I”ve always been STUNNED AND AMAZED when people diss on TSFS.

Trek III has an abundance of flat out CLASSIC Trek moments and scenes – e.g. – Kirk and Sarek…stealing the enterprise..the bird of prey battle…davids death..the destruction of the NCC 1701…Kirks fight with Kruge…Vulcan….

Plus you’re introduced to loads of Trek technolodgy and ships that became stapel for later films and series – the mushroom spacedock..the bird of prey…excelsior etc…..and Horners score is great…

When this film came out in 84 fans were in Trek heaven cause it was so good and was much like a megabudget version of the tv show – (sarek…computer destruct sequence…vicious Klingons…visiting loads of planets…Kirks climatic fistfight…planet Vulcan…etc) it was a worthy and solid sequel to Wrath of Khan….the only thing wrong was no Kirsty Alley as Savvik (damn it why couldnt she have wanted to be in it!)

IMO the films – best to worse goes like this:

Classic = II

Great = III, VIII, IV, VI

Ok – I, VII

Bad – X, V, IX

TMP is good and has actually aged very well – its certainly better regarded than it used to be. ‘The Slow Motion Picture’ etc

Nemesis wasn’t terrible. It just was painfully average, failing to surprise or delight us on any level. Might have been a much better film in the hands of a better director.

A painfully average story is still a painfully average story. Maybe it would have worked in the context of a tv series as an episode, but it lacked the ambition of a feature film and no director could have saved it.

Perhaps Frakes could have done better with it, but it would have still had the impact of Insurrection, tolerable, but still more of an episode than a movie, which with the exception of First Contact, was the only constant of the TNG movies.

One should stop comparing Bond to Star Trek. As much as I like Bond films myself, the films as much as the character never had the same impact Star Trek had and has up to this day. TOS in particular was a show with a vision, with a message that meant and still means a lot to people. Bond, as exciting as each new movie is, is just that – a new fun action movie. Let’s hope that ST XI will continue the TOS legend and not become just another popcorn movie.

Surley even a great director can’t make a good film out of a bad story? (Sorry Nemesis!)

I agree with the poster who said the issue wasn’t the script, but the direction. After viewing the deleted scenes, I think that if the wedding was longer and the scene after with Data and Picard in Picard’s quarters had been kept, it would have already been 10 times better. Tom Hardy did a good job IMO, but he was acting with Patrick Stewart. ’nuff said.

In terms of direction, I think it was directed like an action film, and not as a Star Trek/Dramatic film like TWOK or FC to an extent.

I will say though that the Data Death scene feels empty and contrived, not natural like Spock’s death in TWOK.

I’ll ask this again…does tom hardy resemble patrick stewart?

That is really what killed nemesis.

If CBS-D wants to make me happy,they can rotoscope patrick stewart into nemesis and erase tom hardy. Patrick can do all his scenes from london on green screen, Say with a beard and scars and a temper that we got a glimpse of in first contact.

Sorry tom hardy but there really arent seven lights!

#45…….

You really think thats what killed Nemesis. Are you serious…..

It wasnt the plot, story, or editing?

#34 Darth Ballz
So, my long lost twin brother decides to finally surface, does he? Well, well, well…………..hey, bro…..long time, no hate……..of all the gin joint websites in all of cyberspace, you walk into mine……..I’d say “hail brother, well met” but I’d be lying………..grrrrrrrr………..

What killed it for me…. Data, using a MICROPHONE! I wonder if they had Tesco value sausage rolls at the wedding buffet since Paramount were paying?

Few things….Stewart (Patrick) blamed Baird on Nemesis. I thought the film was extremely well directly, and very suspenseful. US Marshals was an excellent film. The casting of Tom Hardy was a bad choice (acting wise…he did look like Patrick Stewart), although the bigger problem was that the story was no good. Which was unfortunate, given the repeated success of other films John Logan has written. As for Brent, well, the worst part of the movie was Data being incinerated and that was his one big idea!! The motivation, if this hasn’t been said before, was that he and Logan had their sights set on a follow up film to Nemesis. Spiner I think did not intend on appearing in the follow up. In any case, his reasoning was pretty stupid, and it would have been more worthwhile and correct in continuity had they used Lore instead of B-4.

Nemesis was obviously a movie where the cast and crew wanted to have some fun; I mean, come on! Being chased by sand pirates in a futuristic 4-wheeler? Data singing?

Say what you will about the plot structure and pacing of Nemesis, the cast and crew looked like they had a blast. And I like seeing my Star Trek actors content. In this respect, I think Nemesis was fantastic.