Thankfully, Star Trek: Nemesis is the last in the series of what was once a proud franchise, but has lately become formulaic rehash.  This is the 10^th film in the series that has seen two different casts age onscreen and now the stories themselves are starting to show age.  The movies have usually followed a similar formula; take a humorous anecdote, mix in an element of danger and an ironic twist, throw in some cool special effects and watch the money roll in.  In Nemesis, the whole effort is just tiring.  The cast seems as weary of their roles as the audience becomes with story resulting in a staggering conclusion to something that showed glimmers or promise at best.

The previews show promise by hinting at a story involving mirrors of people or alternate universes of good and evil (not original, but slightly intriguing), and the film begins with 2 instances of this.  Unfortunately that becomes secondary after being explained away completely in one case, and barely at all in another. 

If only the film makers would have paid attention to a film like Galaxy Quest, which took a tongue-in-cheek entertaining look at things, and then had some fun while still getting its message across (of genetic engineering, good vs evil in the same form, etc), then maybe this film would have been more than it actually is.  Instead, only the above mentioned hints of originality come across but are drowned in boring, predictable and overdone cliches

Ultimately, Star Trek: Nemesis takes things out with a whimper rather than an explosive bang.  For as long as there have been children and free thinking wandering minds, people have stared up into the stars and wondered what is out there.  Gene Roddenbury expanded on this idea and created a whole other universe filled with aliens and spaceships that also mirrored modern society and culture.  He dealt with differences in races, military tactics and tensions and the heroic nature of individuals and teams of people brought together in a similar mindset.  Director Rob Baird has lost this idea completely, and in an attempt to capitalize, has driven a droll stake into the heart of anyone who ever donned the pointy ears and the maize colored uniform with dreams of sitting in that big chair and talking to strange beings on a large screen.   The flashy effects cannot hide the fact that this is a sad and dull end to a something which has become a part of pop culture. The original series tapped into a youthful curiousity that seemed to transcend age barriers. Sometimes hurmorous, sometimes serious but always creative and innovative and on the cutting edge of what was cool in science fiction.  Before Star Wars, there was this, and most would agree that Lucas got some of his inspiration from Roddenberry’s baby.  It seems that since that since his death, the franchise has lost some of its steam and nowhere is it more evident in this film.  Previous efforts, while successful, were beginning to, like their cast, show signs of age.  In Nemesis, the cinematic senility is complete in a film rife with retread ideas, boring villains, and a general sense that everyone involved is just tired of it all