Star Trek Generations

Yeah, well, I'm not sure I can say much good about a film that throws away Captain Kirk on such a death as this. Star Trek Generations brings back James Doohan and Walter Koenig for bit parts at the beginning and Captain Kirk, recently retired. The ST:TNG crew is what we see most of in this installment. The computer is voiced by Majel Barrett. Malcolm MacDowell is the villain, and Guinan is introduced and appears in both time frames. I never did like the next generation characters as much. I don't like Picard's early teary angst-y breakdown with Troi soon after the intro of TNG crew, Data's difficulty dealing with emotional baggage, Picard's perpetual need for someone else to come to his aid... I like this movie least of all, and I don't think it's just because they kill off Kirk and give us Picard instead.

trailer:


Moria gives it 2 stars but likes Shatner:

The one person who makes the best of things is that renowned limelight grabber William Shatner. Star Trek: Generations’s big drawcard was the little kept secret of William Shatner’s guest appearance and Captain Kirk’s death. And William Shatner rises to the occasion, mugging and smirking his way through a grand old airing of the Captain Kirk role, in fact out-acting all others in the show, including the much more subdued Patrick Stewart.

The New York Times says that though Stewart is a better actor than Shatner, "he and the "Next Generation" cast don't have quite as much personality as the original show's old standbys." Variety's review is here. Roger Ebert gives it 2 stars, but he gets part of the plot wrong:

The movie opens during a maiden run for the Enterprise B; plans call for it to take a little dash around the solar system with some reporters on board. But then a call for help is received, and there's polite jockeying for position between the newly appointed Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the just-retired Capt. Kirk (William Shatner).

though the jockeying with Shatner takes place over 70 years before Picard commands the Enterprise and the captain in question is John Harriman. Picard first meets Shatner in the Nexus.