Posted on June 8th, 2009 by Samuel Walters
“The Siege” is the predominantly action-filled finale to the opening three-episode story arc to Deep Space Nine’s second season. As one might expect, quite a bit gets resolved here, but it certainly isn’t a neat and tidy conclusion – with respect to either the story or the episode itself. As far as the story is concerned, the unresolved threads are important, underscoring the fact that even when a crisis has passed, the issues of that crisis still linger. For the episode, there is a sense of urgency in bringing the story to a fitting end, but the heavy emphasis on action – while certainly entertaining – tends to come at the expense of the more critical issues beneath the surface of these events. True, the first two episodes of the story arc spent a lot of time on more meaningful explorations, but here the result is a thrilling episode which just doesn’t have enough to it to be considered truly exceptional.
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Posted on May 23rd, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Star Trek Reviews has updated its “Essential Season” list for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Click below to view the second half of the season:
Star Trek: TNG – Essential Season, Part 2
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Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Star Trek Reviews has just completed a major redesign of the entire site. This was done for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted to finish standardizing the look of DauntlessMedia.net, so the redesign was built around the same structure as the other sites. Also, Star Trek Reviews will soon be launching into a full episode-by-episode exploration of the Original Star Trek series. To that end, a whole new section of the site will be open in the near future to accommodate the new reviews.
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Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
I remember, long before Star Trek Nemesis was to be released, I read somewhere that the film’s screenwriter was using Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as his inspiration for the film. Considering that The Wrath of Khan was the best Trek film ever made, even surpassing First Contact, this was good news. After a period of time passed, I heard that the script was leaked online. I read it, and immediately concluded that the whole thing was a hoax. It had to be. The entire premise, from the villain to the finale, were some of the absolute worst ideas I had ever heard of for a film – let alone for a film from a well-established, highly successful franchise. And as promotional materials began to appear, I continued to hold out hope that, somewhere along the line, someone had made drastic script changes and, somehow, had managed to salvage a respectable outing.
Sadly, such salvation was not to be had.
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Posted on April 17th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
In spite of several action set pieces, Star Trek: Insurrection is, primarily, a slow moving, thoughtful, and contemplative film. By most accounts, it isn’t a typical Star Trek film – it plays a lot more like a ponderous mid-season, two-part episode. But the truth is, Insurrection is a largely underrated film. The problem is twofold: first, it loses the expectation game; second, it falls exceptionally flat by way of its oftentimes forced humor. Both elements tend to undercut what is, otherwise, a film that provokes deep moral and philosophical questions.
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Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by Samuel Walters
This is what a Star Trek movie should be like. Star Trek: First Contact is a true tour de force. If you were going to watch just one TNG-era film, this would have to be it. It’s epic. It’s funny. It takes the crew of the Enterprise-E where none of them have gone before. And it has The Borg in a plot that is plausible and compelling, and allows our characters to explore their own humanity. Suffice to say that not only is this is simply one of the best Star Trek movies ever made, it’s a worthwhile film for any movie fan.
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Posted on April 1st, 2008 by Samuel Walters
After watching Star Trek Generations, there is one undeniable fact: It is good to see the crew of the Enterprise-D back together again. After a hiatus (albeit an extremely brief one), the adventures of Star Trek: The Next Generation continue. And seeing the crew reunited, back on missions, is like seeing old friends after a long time apart. Add in the appearances of Scotty and Chekov, and the pivotal role of Captain James T. Kirk, and it becomes a bit like a family reunion — without the drama. There’s a comfort level and familiarity that helps Generations become an enjoyable experience — even if it isn’t a particularly good film.
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Posted on March 12th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
All TNG Episode Reviews Are Complete!
Dauntlessmedia.net is proud to announce that, as of today, every episode, in all seven seasons, has been reviewed. It is an important moment because in August 2007, the latest incarnation of Dauntlessmedia was launched in conjunction with the TNG site.
I would like to personally thank each of our repeat readers from across the United States, and across the globe, for joining me on this journey. The feedback I have received (both public and private) has been exceptionally encouraging. And I would like to say to you: The journey is not yet complete.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Reviews will continue with reviews of all four TNG films (I promise to rewatch Nemesis, even if it kills me). In addition, there are a number of in depth discussions planned that will focus on main themes, such as the Prime Directive, Time Travel, etc.
Also, be on the lookout for additional media, including: archives of episode information; sound clips; and, most notably, Podcasts. I expect Podcast production to begin some time in the next few weeks. My initial goal will be to produce one Podcast per week.
But for now, I’ll be taking some time to sit back and reflect on the TNG experience. Expect my first article to be a summary of those thoughts …
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Posted on March 12th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
There is a new TNG Season 7 review available:
With All Good Things … the seven year run of Star Trek: The Next Generation comes to worthy, if somewhat unremarkable end. There’s plenty of grist here for TNG fans, including trips back into the past, to just before the Encounter At Farpoint mission, and into the future, where we get a glimpse at where the crew might end up. In fact, time is a major element in this episode. As is camaraderie. And Q. The series opened with Q’s Trial of Humanity and within that framework, the series unfolded. The premise is revisited. And it is very much appropriate.
However, All Good Things is the strongest piece of evidence that the series had run its course. The real criticism of this episode is its inability to become greater than the sum of its parts. That is, of course, the mark of a true work of art. As a series, TNG manages to accomplish that feat. But as an episode, All Good Things does not. And in spite of its feature length, as a series ending episode, it is simply a good episode — not a great one.
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Posted on March 11th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
There is a new TNG Season 7 review available:
Preemptive Strike is an episode that comes full circle for the character of Ro Laren. The central dynamic of the episode is her relationship with Picard — his trust in her has helped her forge a new life. She is immensely grateful. But their mutual trust and respect are put to the test. In another solid layer to the episode, it builds on the establishment of the demilitarized zone in Journey’s End. This is TNG penultimate episode (if you count All Good Things … as a single installment). And the series delivers.
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