Which is the worst ‘Star Trek’ movie and why is it ‘Star Trek: Nemesis’?

The Star Trek franchise has given us some of the greatest sci-fi epics of all time. There are not only three generations of Star Trek movies, not to mention the TV shows going back to the 60s, but also over ten films have been released under the Star Trek name. To this day, no installment has been as condemned as Star Trek: Nemesis.

The Star Trek film series isn’t known for massive flops; the sci-fi series has produced massive hits that have had a long-lasting effect on pop culture. From one-liners like Kirk’s “KHAN!!!” in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan to the borg’s eerie catchphrase “resistance is futile” in Star Trek: First Contact, the films have had audiences hooked, and it’s shown in the box office.

Star Trek 

Some diehard trekkies don’t appreciate J.J. Abrams’s 2009 Star Trek, which began the third generation of films. He reimagines the crew’s look & the feel of the universe that revolves around the voyages of the USS Enterprise. 

However, one can’t deny the success of the feature, which more than doubled its budget and earned an Oscar for best makeup.

Star Trek Generations 

Before the CG-laden Star Trek introduced zoomers to the Enterprise’s crew, the original wave of 80s Star Trek films bled into the next with Star Trek Generations in 1994. It’s the only film where Captain Kirk & Picard meet, and many feel the movie only exists as a means to provide this winking point to audiences.

Star Trek: Insurrection

Star Trek: Insurrection may not be as bad as Star Trek: Nemesis, but it recycles sets from the TV series, and is ultimately a bore revolving around the well-worn idea of a fountain of youth.

Despite its success, the Star Trek franchise has been known to hit some creative roadblocks, and there is no better example than the final installment of the Next Generation series, Star Trek: Nemesis.

Great potential

Star Trek: Nemesis was written by John Logan, who is responsible for massive blockbusters like Gladiator, The Aviator, The Last Samurai, and Hugo. With a seasoned writer, and the now-renowned Tom Hardy in his third major role ever, one wonders what went wrong with Star Trek: Nemesis.

Star Trek: Nemesis tells the story of the crew of the USS Enterprise as they land on a strange planet (yet again). They find a clone of Captain Picard in the hilariously bald-capped young Shinzon (Hardy), as well as a clone of our beloved Data.

Clone War

Surprise, surprise: the clones are evil. Shinzon is aging at breakneck pace, and he kidnaps Picard in order to transfuse his blood, the only way he can survive. Shinzon attempts to take the crew down, and although he fails, we must say goodbye to Data (say it ain’t so!). 

However, it’s revealed in the film’s final moments that Data downloads his “neural-net” into the clone of himself, and lives on in the clone of himself (…okay…). We have some action-packed space sequences in this clone war, but ultimately we’re left thinking, so what?

Critical failure

Critics find Star Trek: Nemesis is an example of when the franchise gasses out. It’s the tenth film of the series, and writers were running out of adventures for the Federation to take. It’s the last film of the Next Generation series of Star Trek films, and it marks the moment when the franchise deemed a make-over necessary.

Not only a critical failure, but also a box office failure, Star Trek: Nemesis only made $7 million USD from its $60 million USD budget. Of the long list of Star Trek films to choose from, Star Trek: Nemesis wins the golden raspberry, with a story that’s not only all over the place, but more importantly leaves us with no sense of adventure.