Editing Star Trek: Nemesis

{{short description|2002 American science fiction film by Stuart Baird}}
{{about|the 2002 film|the 1997 TV episode|Nemesis (Star Trek: Voyager){{!}}Nemesis (''Star Trek: Voyager'')}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Star Trek: Nemesis
| image          = Star Trek Nemesis poster.jpg
| alt            = The silhouette of a figure holding a dagger high above his head, against a green smoky background.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Stuart Baird]]
| screenplay     = [[John Logan (writer)|John Logan]]
| story          = {{Plainlist|
* John Logan
* [[Rick Berman]]
* [[Brent Spiner]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek]]''|[[Gene Roddenberry]]}}
| producer       = Rick Berman
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Patrick Stewart]]
* [[Jonathan Frakes]]
* Brent Spiner
* [[LeVar Burton]]
* [[Michael Dorn]]
* [[Gates McFadden]]
* [[Marina Sirtis]]
}}<!-- Per poster -->
| cinematography = [[Jeffrey L. Kimball]]
| editing        = Dallas Puett
| music          = [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| distributor    = [[Paramount Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|2002|12|9|Los Angeles premiere|2002|12|13|United States}}
| runtime        = 117 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 116:31--><ref>{{cite web|title=''STAR TREK - NEMESIS'' (12A)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-nemesis-2003-2|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=October 24, 2002|access-date=May 22, 2013|archive-date=January 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128115421/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/star-trek-nemesis-2003-2|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $60 million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web | url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek10.htm | title = ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' | work = [[Box Office Mojo]] | publisher = Amazon.com | access-date = October 2, 2012 | archive-date = February 22, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150222231210/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek10.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>
| gross          = $67.3 million<ref name="mojo" />
}}
'''''Star Trek: Nemesis''''' is a 2002 American [[science fiction film]] directed by [[Stuart Baird]]. It is the tenth film in the ''[[Star Trek]]'' franchise, and the fourth and final film to star the cast of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]''. It was written by [[John Logan (writer)|John Logan]] from a story developed by Logan, [[Brent Spiner]], and producer [[Rick Berman]]. In the film, the crew of the Starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|''Enterprise'']] deal with the threat posed by a clone of Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] named [[Shinzon]], who has taken control of the [[Romulan|Romulan Star Empire]] in a [[coup d'état]].

Principal photography for the film took place from November 2001 to March 2002. ''Nemesis'' held its world premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on December 9, 2002.

The film was released in North America on December 13, 2002 by [[Paramount Pictures]], and received generally negative reviews; it has been cited as one of the worst films in the franchise. The film was a [[Box-office bomb|box office failure]], earning $67 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. Plans for another film featuring ''The Next Generation'' cast were scrapped, and the film series was rebooted instead with ''[[Star Trek (2009 film)|Star Trek]]'' in 2009. The television series ''[[Star Trek: Picard]]'', a continuation of ''The Next Generation'' and ''Nemesis'' set two decades after the latter at the end of the [[24th century]], premiered in 2020.

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. Please check the word count before making any additions. -->
On Romulus, members of the [[Romulan]] Senate debate terms of peace and alliance with the Reman rebel leader Shinzon. The Remans are a slave race of the Romulan Empire from the neighboring planet Remus, used as miners and cannon fodder. While a faction of the military supports Shinzon, the Praetor and Senate oppose an alliance. After rejecting the motion, the Praetor and senators are disintegrated by a device left in the room.

Meanwhile, on Earth, the crew of the starship ''Enterprise'' prepare to bid farewell to newly married officers [[William Riker]] and [[Deanna Troi]]. The android officer Data serenades the couple with a rendition of "[[Blue Skies (Irving Berlin song)|Blue Skies]]" at a reception. En route to a second ceremony on Troi's homeworld, they discover an energy reading on the planet Kolarus III near the Romulan Neutral Zone. Captain Jean-Luc Picard, security officer Worf, and Data land on the planet and discover the remnants of an android resembling Data, named B-4. The trio is attacked by the native population (actually Remans), and leaves the planet with B-4, which they deduce to be an earlier prototype built by Data's creator.

''Enterprise'' is ordered on a diplomatic mission to Romulus, where Shinzon has taken over the Empire and professes a desire for peace with the Federation. On arrival, they learn Shinzon is a clone of Picard, secretly created by the Romulans to plant a high-ranking spy into the Federation. The project was abandoned when Shinzon was still a child, and he was left on Remus to die as a slave. After many years, Shinzon became the leader of the Remans and constructed a heavily armed flagship, ''Scimitar''. The ''Enterprise'' crew discovers that ''Scimitar'' produces low levels of deadly thalaron radiation, the same radiation used to wipe out the Romulan Senate. There are also unexpected attempts to communicate with the ''Enterprise'' computers, and Shinzon invades Troi's mind through the telepathy of his Reman viceroy.

Medical officer Doctor Beverly Crusher discovers that Shinzon is dying rapidly because of the process used to clone him, and the only possible treatment is a transfusion of Picard's blood. Shinzon kidnaps Picard and B-4, having planted the android on Kolarus as a lure. Data reveals he swapped places with B-4 and rescued Picard. They determine Shinzon plans to use ''Scimitar'' to invade the Federation, using its thalaron radiation generator to eradicate all life on Earth.

''Enterprise'' races back to Federation space but is ambushed by ''Scimitar'' in the Bassen Rift, a region that prevents subspace communication. Despite the aid of two Romulan Warbirds, ''Enterprise'' is heavily damaged. Picard rams his ship into ''Scimitar'', crippling both vessels. Shinzon activates the Thalaron weapon in an act of [[mutually assured destruction]]. Picard boards ''Scimitar'' alone to face Shinzon, and kills him by impaling him on a metal strut. With ''Enterprise''{{'}}s transporters down, Data leaps the distance between the two ships equipped with an emergency transporter, transports Picard off the ship, and sacrifices himself to destroy the thalaron generator and ''Scimitar'' with it. The crew mourns Data, and the surviving Romulan commander, Donatra, offers them her gratitude for saving the Empire.

Back on Earth, Picard bids farewell to Riker, who is leaving with Troi to command the USS Titan. Picard meets with B-4 and discovers that, before he boarded the Scimitar, Data downloaded his memories into B-4, allowing him to live on. As B-4 starts singing "Blue Skies," Picard leaves B-4's quarters and smiles.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Patrick Stewart]] as Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]]
* [[Jonathan Frakes]] as Commander / Captain [[William Riker|William T. Riker]]
* [[Brent Spiner]] as Lieutenant Commander [[Data (Star Trek)|Data]] / [[B-4 (Star Trek)|B-4]]
* [[LeVar Burton]] as Lieutenant Commander [[Geordi La Forge]]
* [[Michael Dorn]] as Lieutenant Commander [[Worf]]
* [[Gates McFadden]] as Doctor [[Beverly Crusher]]
* [[Marina Sirtis]] as Counselor [[Deanna Troi]]
* [[Tom Hardy]] as Praetor [[Shinzon]], the leader of the Reman people.
* [[Ron Perlman]] as the [[Romulan#Remus|Reman]] Viceroy
* [[Dina Meyer]] as [[Romulan]] Commander Donatra
* [[John Berg (actor)|John Berg]] as Romulan Senator
* [[Kate Mulgrew]] as Admiral [[Kathryn Janeway]]
* [[Shannon Cochran]] as Senator Tal'aura
* [[Jude Ciccolella]] as Commander Suran
* [[Alan Dale]] as Praetor Hiren
* [[Wil Wheaton]] as [[Wesley Crusher]]
* [[Majel Barrett]] voice of the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s computer
* [[Stuart Baird]] voice of the ''Scimitar''{{'}}s computer
* [[Bryan Singer]] as Kelly (uncredited)
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]] as [[Guinan (Star Trek)|Guinan]] (uncredited)
}}

==Production==
===Development===
<!-- intro and initial development -->
Logan, Spiner, and Berman spent nearly two years developing the concept. Logan wanted the Romulans to feature, finding their oily backhandedness more interesting than the straightforward violence of the Klingons as antagonists.{{sfnp|Staff|2003c|p=24}} He insisted the story could feature the Remans, thinking that the second of the two planets featured in the Romulan crest must refer to them.{{sfnp|Staff|2003a|pp=28–29}} The producers considered adding the characters of Spock or Sela to the story, but considered them a distraction from the plot or too confusing to introduce for casual viewers. Through subsequent drafts, much of the Romulan political intrigue was jettisoned to focus on the Picard/Shinzon and Data/B-4 relationships.{{sfnp|Staff|2003c|pp=24–25}} The cast members' input informed story and script changes; Stewart objected to an early idea that Shinzon was not a clone but Picard's lost son, feeling it had been already explored and lent itself to "uninteresting" emotional dynamics.{{sfnp|Staff|2003c|p=14}}

Stuart Baird was brought in to direct ''Nemesis'' by executive producer Rick Berman.<ref name="startrek.com_2011-02-10">{{cite interview |title=Rick Berman Looks Back at 18 Years of Trek - Part 3 |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/rick-berman-looks-back-at-18-years-of-trek-part-3 |access-date=February 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228185511/https://www.startrek.com/article/rick-berman-looks-back-at-18-years-of-trek-part-3 |archive-date=February 28, 2022 |url-status=live |website=StarTrek.com |date=February 10, 2011 |quote=they were quite persuasive about me using Stuart Baird. Stuart was an English director. He’d made two good movies. He was a world-class film editor. |author1=<!-- StarTrek.com Staff --> |subject=Rick Berman}}</ref> It was Baird's third film following ''[[US Marshals (film)|US Marshals]]'' and ''[[Executive Decision]]'', although he had directed a variety of second units previously. Baird did not have a background in ''Star Trek''; he was aware of the films and television series, but did not consider himself an expert on the subject.<ref name="starlog_2003-02">{{cite magazine |last=Spelling |first=Ian |date=February 2003 |title=Galactic Action |url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-307/307#page/n45/mode/2up |access-date=May 15, 2015 |magazine=Starlog |pages=46–50 |volume=1 |issue=307}}</ref> Berman explained that Baird would bring "fresh blood" to the film and that Berman had enjoyed "the sense of fun and action that existed in ''Executive Decision''."<ref name="starlog_2001-11">{{cite journal |last1=Spelling |first1=Ian |date=November 2001 |title=The Long Trek |url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-292/292#page/n68/mode/1up |journal=Starlog |volume=1 |issue=292 |pages=67–69 |access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref> Baird said in a promotional interview that this resulted in a non-typical Baird film, saying that it was "perhaps a little different from the dynamics of the previous films."<ref name="starlog_2003-02"/> He wanted to add energy to the action scenes and added some set pieces, such as the car chase. He called that scene a "signature piece" for the film, which turns dark after the crew is put in danger by the inhabitants of the planet. He also found that the cast would discuss any issues they had with the direction he gave to their characters. Despite Frakes' being in the cast and having directed the previous two ''Star Trek'' films, Baird decided not to seek his opinion on the direction of the film. He said that there was no resentment on set, noting that Frakes was completing work on directing ''[[Clockstoppers]]'' at the time and so likely could not have taken on directing ''Nemesis'' even if Baird had not been given the job. Baird had hoped that ''Nemesis'' would be enough of a success that he could consider whether to take the lead on a future, eleventh ''Star Trek'' film.<ref name="starlog_2003-02"/>

=== Casting ===
Baird and Berman had been searching for someone who resembled Patrick Stewart but looked about 25 years younger; at one point they considered [[Jude Law]]. Baird specifically wanted an unknown actor, and Hardy auditioned by tape after Stewart asked Hardy's agent if he thought any of his clients were suitable for the role. Hardy was filming ''Simon: An English Legionnaire'' in Morocco at the time,<ref name="haydock-2012" />{{rp|37}} and decided against using the requested text for the audition. Instead, he got possession of a full script for ''Nemesis'', used a different part of the script, and filmed it partly nude.<ref name="haydock-2012" />{{rp|38}} He was flown to Los Angeles to do a screen test with Stewart; Hardy later described his performance there as "appalling". However, he had recorded himself performing the same piece in a hotel room the night before, and gave that tape to Baird, resulting in his being cast as Shinzon a few days later.<ref name="haydock-2012" />{{rp|39}}

Sirtis was "ecstatic" about the role Troi plays in the movie. She was pleased with the wedding scene, saying that the dress she wore for ''Nemesis'' was nicer than the one she wore at her actual wedding. She was happy to work once again with [[Wil Wheaton]] and [[Whoopi Goldberg]], but felt that the film would be the last one with the entire cast of ''The Next Generation''. She remained certain that it would not be the last ''Star Trek'' film to be made, as she thought that Paramount would want to make a film involving a variety of characters from the different ''Star Trek'' series.<ref name="starlog_2003-01">{{cite magazine |last=Spelling |first=Ian |date=January 2003 |title=Bride of the Stars |url=https://archive.org/stream/starlog_magazine-306/306#page/n25/mode/1up |magazine=Starlog |volume=1 |issue=306 |pages=23–26 |access-date=May 15, 2015}}</ref>

Perlman and Hardy became friends on the set. Perlman said in an interview eight years after the release of the film: "I loved him when I first met him. I loved working with him. I found him to be really smart, really a great kid."<ref name="haydock-2012" />{{rp|43}}

=== Design===
''Nemesis'' called for a number of new ship and vehicle designs. Illustrator [[John Eaves]] developed concept art for the new craft, collaborating with the artists at effects house [[Digital Domain]] to adjust the designs as necessary when something worked in a two-dimensional drawing but did not look right once realized with three-dimensional [[computer-generated imagery]] (CGI). Shinzon's ''Scimitar'' was designed to appear to have a shared lineage with the new Romulan Warbird designs, but with the Romulan ships being sleeker, and the Reman ship more aggressive-looking with sharper edges. The new Warbirds retained elements from the Warbird [[Andrew Probert]] had designed for ''The Next Generation'', namely a birdlike bow. Eaves also consulted reference books for ideas on how to create featherlike patterns on the ships, realizing he may have been consulting the same inspiration that [[Nilo Rodis-Jamero|Nilo Rodis]] had used when developing the [[Klingon Bird Of Prey|Bird of Prey]] for ''[[Star Trek III: The Search for Spock|Star Trek III]]''. "So I went back and changed what I had done so as to not copy him," Eaves recalled. "In a way, it was a tribute to Nilo's ship without being a remodel of it."{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=100–101}} ''Scimitar''<nowiki/>'s early concepts also echoed Rodis' Bird of Prey, with a large body framed by swept wings. Eaves decided to have the ship feature a "battle mode", with the wings splitting open as the film progresses to deploy the thalaron weapon. The initial digital model of ''Scimitar'' was more than two million polygons, and took two hours to render a single frame of it. Affects art director Ron Gress and CG modeling lead Jay Barton whittled the design down to roughly 1.5 million polygons to make it easier to render.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=100–101}} Eaves also took advantage of the computer-generated nature of the ships to make subtle adjustments to the design of the ''Enterprise'', which had been created for ''[[Star Trek: First Contact|First Contact]]''. Because of the orientation of battle scenes in that film, the ship was armed mostly towards the bottom and fore of the ship. In Nemesis, the script called for ''Scimitar'' to launch attacks at ''Enterprise''<nowiki/>'s top and aft, so the artists added additional weapon emplacements in those areas to return fire. Other adjustments included tweaking the placement of the engine nacelles and adding more of a curve along the hull. The ''Enterprise'' model was made up of 1.3 million polygons, with the textures drawn from photographs of the real studio model fabricated for ''First Contact''. It, and all the other digital models, were rendered in [[LightWave 3D|Lightwave 3D]] for exterior views and [[Autodesk Maya|Maya]] for interiors.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=104}} A few designs were partially realized through practical means, including the Reman Scorpions, and the all-terrain vehicles used in the Kolarus III sequence.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=103}}{{sfnp|Okuda|2005}}

Production design was headed by [[Herman F. Zimmerman|Herman Zimmerman]].

===Filming===
[[File:Glenn Cote Brent Spiner.jpg|thumb|right|Glenn Cote and Brent Spiner on the set of ''Nemesis'']]
[[Principal photography]] began in December 2001 in Southern California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011211/latu103_1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011220144651/http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/011211/latu103_1.html|title=Paramount Pictures Announces 'Star Trek: Nemesis' Begins Principal Photography|website=[[PR Newswire]]|publisher=[[Cision]]|via=[[Yahoo! Finance|Yahoo.com]]|archive-date=December 20, 2001|date=December 11, 2001|access-date=June 20, 2019}}</ref>
{{Anchor|Editing}}

In promotional interviews for the film, Patrick Stewart stated that room for a sequel was intentionally left.<ref>Patrick Stewart interview on ''Nemesis Revisited'' DVD Featurette</ref>

The first cut of the movie was 160 minutes long. The film was heavily trimmed down to a running time of under two hours, losing many character scenes, including Crusher leaving for a new medical position, La Forge dating Leah Brahms, and Wesley Crusher appearing at the wedding.{{sfnp|Staff|2003c|p=27–28}}

===Make-up and effects===
While many of the creative team were new to the series, the film's makeup was handled by [[Michael Westmore]], who had worked on the franchise since 1986.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} The make-up team sought to make Hardy look more similar to Stewart by creating latex prosthetics from moulds of the latter's face. These included numerous versions of noses and chins, and in order to reduce the visible size of Hardy's lips a fake scar was added.<ref name="haydock-2012"/>{{rp|41}}

Digital Domain handled most of the film's effects, contributing more than 30 minutes to the film across 400 shots.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|pp=89–90}} With the added pressure of trying to outdo expectations, the effects house had only five months to produce the bulk of the film's effects, as much of the sequences did not arrive until May 2002.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=90}} Positive early reception to Digital Domain's efforts led to an increase in the scope of work, as Baird was able to lobby the studio to fund more expansive effects sequences. With their capabilities stretched, Digital Domain passed extra work to other studios, sending along already-finished examples to act as a reference for the roughly 15% of work they outsourced.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=90}}

The opening sequence on Romulus used a three-dimensional (3D) environment built based on two-dimensional matte paintings originally done by effects house Illusion Arts for the television series.{{sfnp|Okuda|2005}}{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=90}} Illusion Arts also produced other shots of the Romulan capital seen later in the film, brought to life with animated people and moving ships in the sky.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|p=90}} Baird wanted the death of the Romulan senate to be gory but not disturbing.{{sfnp|Okuda|2005}} The senators' initial decay was accomplished with makeup effects, with only the main characters in the foreground augmented with digital effects, as decay textures were mapped to the actors' faces. Digital scans of the actors were used to fabricate model heads and bodies used for the final part of the transformation; the models were shells filled with material to simulate ash upon shattering as the senators disintegrate.{{sfnp|Norton|2003|pp=92–93}}

Although the majority of the exterior shots of ships were computer-generated, a practical 17-foot ''Enterprise'' saucer was built and collided into a model of the ''Scimitar'' for the film's climax.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moltenbrey |first=Karen |date=January 2003 |title=Collision Course |url=https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2003/Volume-26-Issue-1-Jan-2003-/Collision-Course.aspx |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=Computer Graphics World |archive-date=November 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115074156/https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2003/Volume-26-Issue-1-Jan-2003-/Collision-Course.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Music==
{{Main|Star Trek: Nemesis (soundtrack)}}

The music to ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' was composed and conducted by [[Jerry Goldsmith]], who composed previous entries in the franchise, such as the [[Academy Award]]-nominated score for ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', ''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'', ''[[Star Trek: First Contact]]'', and ''[[Star Trek: Insurrection]]'', as well as the themes to the television series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' (arranged by [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]]) and ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]''. He had also scored both of Baird's previous films, ''[[Executive Decision]]'' and ''[[U.S. Marshals (film)|U.S. Marshals]]''. ''Nemesis'' was one of the final works written before Goldsmith's death in 2004.

The score opens with airy synthesizers under a trumpet performing an [[augmented triad]] before preceding into [[Alexander Courage]]'s ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' fanfare. The score then quickly transitions into a much darker theme to accompany the conflict between the [[Romulan#Remus|Remans]] and [[Romulan]]s. Goldsmith also composed a new 5-note theme to accompany the character [[Shinzon]] and the ''Scimitar'', which is manipulated throughout the score to reflect the multiple dimensions of the character. The score is book-ended with Goldsmith's theme from ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'', following a brief excerpt from the song "[[Blue Skies (Irving Berlin song)|Blue Skies]]" by [[Irving Berlin]] and the original ''Star Trek'' fanfare.<ref name="Filmtracks">{{Cite web | last = Clemmensen |first= Christian |url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/star_trek10.html |title=''Star Trek Nemesis'' soundtrack review | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122180515/http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/star_trek10.html |archive-date=January 22, 2011 |work=[[Filmtracks.com]] |url-status=live |access-date=April 1, 2021 }}</ref>

==Themes==
''Nemesis'' continues the franchise's longtime focus on issues of identity and cloning,{{sfnp|Relke|2006|p=140}}{{sfnp|Bishop|Rabitsch|2022}} which had only grown more pronounced after the cloning of the sheep [[Dolly (sheep)|Dolly]] in 1996.{{sfnp|Tranter|Statham|2007|pp=361–362}}<!-- and others! --> The film even recasts the Romulan Empire as a mirror image of the Federation.{{sfnp|Relke|2006|p=140–150}} Law professor Kieran Tranter and Bronwyn Statham argue that ''Nemesis'' explores the "clone hysteria" that, concurrent to the film's release, led to the passage of the Prohibition of Human Cloning Act in Australia. To them, ''Nemesis'' repeats the tropes of the double being innately evil with Picard and Shinzon, but challenges it with Data and B-4. It is Data, not the duplicate, who impersonates the other in subterfuge, and there is no "uncanny [...] commonality" in their relation to each other; they relate not as good and evil twins, but as family. Clone hysteria also focuses on the loss of individuality; Shinzon suffers a crisis of identity upon meeting Picard and must destroy the original to survive. But the film also touches on the question of [[Nature versus nurture]]. Tranter, Statham, and professor Diana Relke agree that ''Nemesis'' rejects the simple thesis that genetics determines the self.{{sfnp|Tranter|Statham|2007|pp=370–376}}{{sfnp|Relke|2006|p=140}} Jan Domaradzki noted that ''Nemesis''{{'}} treatment of clones aligns with common features of biotechnologies in science fiction films, where the technology is relatively easy but comes with serious side effects and medical issues for the clones.{{sfnp|Domaradzki|2021|p=291}}

David Green argued in 2009 that ''Nemesis'' was the apotheosis of the franchise's recurring challenges to traditional conceptions of masculinity, offering a version of ''Paradise Lost'' that can be seen to have queer themes.{{sfnp|Greven|2009|p=187}}

==Release==
===Marketing===
At the time of ''Nemesis''{{'}}s release, ''Star Trek'' was an aging franchise of more than 35 years, and the film (alongside the recent release of the television show ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'') were seen as attempts to appeal to younger viewers with sex appeal and a heavier focus on action.{{sfnp|Cloud|2002|p=73–74}} ''Nemesis'' had comparatively little marketing, despite releasing so long after the previous film. Merchandise included a line of action figures, trading card set, soundtrack, novelization, and tie-in official magazines. Regional food promotions with Safeway Grocery Stores and Del Taco occurred in Southern California.<ref name="trekmovie-merchandising">{{cite web|last=Tenuto|first=John|date=February 3, 2008|url=https://trekmovie.com/2008/02/03/history-of-trek-movie-merchandising/|title=The History of Trek Movie Merchandising|website=TrekMovie|publisher=SciFanatic Network|access-date=March 1, 2021|url-status=live|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224140657/https://trekmovie.com/2008/02/03/history-of-trek-movie-merchandising/}}</ref><!-- sttm issue 1/3 --><!-- movie trailer using music from Planet of the Apes{{sfnp|Summers|2018|p=43}} -->

===Box office===
[[File:Grauman's Chinese Theatre, by Carol Highsmith fixed & straightened.jpg|thumb|Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, where ''Star Trek: Nemesis''{{'}}s US premiere took place on December 9, 2002|alt=Exterior shot of Grauman's Chinese Theatre]]
The premiere of ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' took place at [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]] in Los Angeles on December 9, 2002. It was attended by the cast and crew, except Jonathan Frakes, who was away directing the film ''[[Thunderbirds (2004 film)|Thunderbirds]]''. The after party was held in the [[Kodak Theatre]] complex.<ref>{{cite web|title="Star Trek Nemesis" Gala Premiere at Grauman's|url=http://www.startrek.com/news/news.asp?ID=126657|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021221210604/http://www.startrek.com/news/news.asp?ID=126657|archive-date=December 21, 2002|date=December 10, 2002|publisher=StarTrek.com|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref> ''Nemesis'' was released on December 13, 2002, in direct competition with ''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)|Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]'' (released November 15, 2002), the 20th James Bond film ''[[Die Another Day]]'' (released November 22, 2002), and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]'' (released December 18, 2002). Producer [[Rick Berman]] has suggested that ''Nemesis''{{'}}s performance may have been negatively affected by "the competition of other films".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.killermovies.com/s/startrek11/articles/2740.html|title=Rick Berman Talk Trek Franchise' Future|work=killermovies.com|access-date=August 26, 2008|archive-date=May 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513081937/http://www.killermovies.com/s/startrek11/articles/2740.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This poor performance was predicted by reviewers, due to the short period in the film's release before ''The Two Towers'' was released.<ref name=varietyreview>{{cite news|last1=Foundas|first1=Scott|title=Star Trek Nemesis|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-95688454.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409162456/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-95688454.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 9, 2016|access-date=April 28, 2015|work=Daily Variety|date=December 9, 2002|url-access=}}</ref> The film's gross domestic income was the lowest of the franchise at $43,254,409 as of September 2008. It opened at #2 in the US box office ($200,000 behind ''[[Maid in Manhattan]]'') and was the first ''Trek'' film not to debut as the highest-grossing film of the week.<ref>{{cite web|title=December 13-15, 2002|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2002&wknd=50&p=.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=April 28, 2015|archive-date=March 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326091623/http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2002&wknd=50&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It earned a total of $67,312,826 worldwide, against a production budget of $60 million.<ref name="mojo" />

==Reception==
''Nemesis'' received negative reviews from critics.{{sfnp|Ledas|2017|p=58}} 38% of critics gave the film a positive review on [[Rotten Tomatoes]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_nemesis/ |title=Star Trek - Nemesis (2002) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=January 1, 2021 |archive-date=August 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820092022/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/star_trek_nemesis |url-status=live }}</ref>  and the film has a 51% average rating on [[Metacritic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Star Trek: Nemesis |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-trek-nemesis |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-date=July 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711030751/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-trek-nemesis |url-status=live }}</ref> Theatergoing audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade "A−" on scale of A to F.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=CinemaScore |publisher=[[CinemaScore]] |access-date=April 16, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' had mixed feelings about the film, stating: "I'm smiling like a good sport and trying to get with the dialogue&nbsp;... and gradually it occurs to me that ''Star Trek'' is over for me. I've been looking at these stories for half a lifetime, and, let's face it, they're out of gas." Ebert gave the film two out of four stars.<ref name="ebert-review">{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-nemesis-2002 |title=Star Trek: Nemesis |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=December 13, 2002 |access-date=January 1, 2021 |archive-date=February 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208125722/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/star-trek-nemesis-2002 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Mick LaSalle of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' said that the film is a "rather harebrained story that's relieved to a degree only by some striking visual effects and by Patrick Stewart's outstanding presence as Picard". LaSalle complained that Stewart gave "integrity and wry stoicism to ''Nemesis'', but the movie [was] unworthy of him".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/12/13/DD205744.DTL|title="Star Trek Nemesis" fails to emerge|last=LaSalle|first=Mick|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=December 13, 2002|access-date=March 12, 2012|archive-date=May 14, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050514091359/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2002%2F12%2F13%2FDD205744.DTL|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Owen Gleiberman]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a positive review, commenting that the crew "indulge[s] the force of humanity over hardware in a way that [[George Lucas]] had forgotten." Gleiberman gave the film a "B−".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2002/12/13/star-trek-nemesis-3/ |title=Star Trek: Nemesis Review |last=Glieberman |first=Owen |author-link=Owen Glieberman |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |publisher=Time, Inc.|date=December 13, 2002 |access-date=March 12, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118043452/https://ew.com/article/2002/12/13/star-trek-nemesis-3/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Stephen Holden of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said that the film is a "klutzy affair whose warm, fuzzy heart emits intermittent bleats from the sleeve of its gleaming spacesuit". Holden praised the scenes where the ''Enterprise'' and the ''Scimitar'' ram into each other during the final battle.<ref>{{cite web |title=Star Trek: Nemesis |url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C02E1D9133AF930A25751C1A9649C8B63 |last=Holden |first=Stephen |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 13, 2002 |access-date=March 12, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118043335/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/13/movies/film-review-still-conquering-with-makeup-and-optimism.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Diana Relke suggested that in the post-9/11 cultural consciousness, the message of an illegitimate political leader launching an unprovoked war might have been a parallel to real events American audiences were not ready to entertain.{{sfnp|Relke|2006|p=152}}

The film was nominated for the [[Saturn Awards]] for [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]] and [[Saturn Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume]] but lost to both ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' and ''[[Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones]]'', respectively, while Hardy was nominated for [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] but lost out to [[Andy Serkis]] for his role in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]''.<ref name="haydock-2012" />{{rp|45}}

The movie was not well-loved among the cast, with [[LeVar Burton]] and [[Marina Sirtis]] speaking unflatteringly of Baird, criticizing him for not watching any episodes of ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation|The Next Generation]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trekmovie.com/2006/08/01/sirtis-burton-want-trek-xi-to-be-a-tng-filmsay-nemesis-sucked-video/ |title=Sirtis & Burton want Trek XI to be a TNG film&nbsp;... say Nemesis 'sucked' VIDEO |publisher=TrekMovie.com |access-date=December 10, 2011 |archive-date=January 13, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113185506/http://trekmovie.com/2006/08/01/sirtis-burton-want-trek-xi-to-be-a-tng-filmsay-nemesis-sucked-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://trekmovie.com/2014/10/05/dst3-sirtis-calls-star-trek-nemesis-director-idiot-crosby-ryan-talk-proposed-nemesis-roles/ |title=DST3: Sirtis Calls Star Trek Nemesis Director 'Idiot' + Crosby & Ryan Talk Proposed Nemesis Roles |publisher=TrekMovie.com |access-date=October 9, 2014 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118043336/https://trekmovie.com/2014/10/05/dst3-sirtis-calls-star-trek-nemesis-director-idiot-crosby-ryan-talk-proposed-nemesis-roles/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Frakes said that if he himself had directed ''Nemesis'', he would have made the film less villain-centric and given more screen time to the regular ''Next Generation'' cast.<ref>{{cite news|author=Anthony Pascale|title=Jonathan Frakes On Nemesis, JJ Abrams Star Trek, A Return of TNG + more|publisher=TrekMovie|date=February 8, 2009|url=http://trekmovie.com/2009/02/08/exclusive-jonathan-frakes-on-nemesis-jj-abrams-star-trek-a-return-of-tng-more/|access-date=February 9, 2009|archive-date=February 11, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211170451/http://trekmovie.com/2009/02/08/exclusive-jonathan-frakes-on-nemesis-jj-abrams-star-trek-a-return-of-tng-more/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Patrick Stewart later described ''Nemesis'' as a "pretty weak" finale for ''The Next Generation''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |title='Star Trek: Picard': Patrick Stewart on Why He Returned to the Final Frontier |url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/patrick-stewart-star-trek-picard-cbs-all-access-1203459573/ |website=Variety |access-date=25 January 2020 |date=8 January 2020 |archive-date=January 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108165358/https://variety.com/2020/tv/features/patrick-stewart-star-trek-picard-cbs-all-access-1203459573/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Some of the events of the film would later be followed up on in the 2020 television series ''[[Star Trek: Picard]],'' set twenty years after the events of ''Nemesis''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Patches |first1=Matt |title=Patrick Stewart's Picard to return in new Star Trek series |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/4/17596036/star-trek-patrick-stewart-picard-new-series |website=Polygon |date=August 4, 2018 |access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=August 5, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805034952/https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/4/17596036/star-trek-patrick-stewart-picard-new-series |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |title=Patrick Stewart to Reprise 'Star Trek' Role in New CBS All Access Series |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/patrick-stewart-reprise-star-trek-role-new-cbs-all-access-series-1132262 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=August 4, 2018 |publisher=PMRC|access-date=5 August 2018 |archive-date=August 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804224352/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/patrick-stewart-reprise-star-trek-role-new-cbs-all-access-series-1132262 |url-status=live }}</ref><!-- https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/3/21163277/star-trek-nemesis-critical-reappraisal-data-death-patrick-stewart-brent-spiner -->

==Home media==
{{Anchor|Video|DVD|Bluray}}
On May 20, 2003, ''Nemesis'' was released on [[DVD]] in both [[anamorphic widescreen]] and [[pan and scan|full screen]] editions in [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]], and was also released on [[VHS]]. The initial DVD release contained an [[audio commentary]] by director Stuart Baird, four [[featurette]]s on the film's production, seven deleted scenes, a photo gallery, and a preview for ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' on DVD at [[Amazon.com]]. Also on October 4, 2005, ''Star Trek: Nemesis'' was released on [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] in widescreen for Region 1 only; it is the only ''Star Trek'' film or show ever released on UMD. The initial release was followed up with a "Special Collector's Edition" in Region 1 on October 4, 2005. Although this two-disc set contained several additional features, it also duplicated some of the features found in the initial release.<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A6T1KE Star Trek - Nemesis (Special Collector's Edition)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118043437/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A6T1KE |date=November 18, 2020 }} DVD at [[Amazon.com]].</ref> The film was released on [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] on September 22, 2009 as part of the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection'' in the United States. It was subsequently released individually in Japan and the United Kingdom. The Blu-ray edition contains high definition bonus features not seen on previous DVD releases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation-Motion-Picture-Collection-Blu-ray/6408/|title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection Blu-ray|access-date=July 18, 2012|publisher=Blu-ray.com|archive-date=November 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118043324/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation-Motion-Picture-Collection-Blu-ray/6408/|url-status=live}}</ref> The four ''Next Generation'' feature films were released on [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] on April 4, 2023, in standalone and collected formats.<ref>{{cite web|last=Axon|first=Samuel|date=April 10, 2023|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/04/for-the-first-time-you-can-now-watch-every-star-trek-movie-in-4k-hdr/|title=For the first time, you can now watch every Star Trek movie in 4K HDR|website=[[Ars Technica]]|access-date=June 27, 2023}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="haydock-2012">{{cite book |last=Haydock|first=James |year=2012 |title=Tom Hardy - Dark Star Rising |publisher=John Blake Publishers |isbn=9781782190233}}</ref>

}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite magazine|last=Cloud|first=John|date=December 16, 2002|title=Star Trek Inc.|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|page= |pages=73–74|issn=0040-781X}}
* {{cite journal|last=Domaradzki|first=Jan|year=2021|title=Popular Culture and Genetics: Genetics and Biotechnologies in the Movies|journal=Polish Sociological Review|issue=215|pages=281–310}}
* {{cite book|last1=Bishop|first1=Katherine|last2=Rabitsch|first2=Stefan|editor-first=|year=2022|title=The Routledge Handbook of Star Trek|chapter=Star Trek Nemesis|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-00-056996-4|pages=}}
*{{cite book|last=Greven|first=David|year=2009|title=Gender and sexuality in Star Trek: allegories of desire in the television series and films|chapter=The Echo Over the Voice|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=978-0-7864-4413-7}}
*{{cite journal|last=Ledas|first=Leora|year=2017|title=A New Vision: J. J. Abrams, 'Star Trek', and Promotional Authorship|journal=[[Journal of Cinema and Media Studies|Cinema Journal]]|volume=56|issue=2|issn=0009-7101|pages=46–66|doi=10.1353/cj.2017.0002 }}
* {{cite book |last=Nemecek |first=Larry |year=2003 |title=Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion |publisher=Pocket Books |edition=3rd |isbn=0743457986|ref=nemecek2003}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Norton|first=Bill|date=April 2003|title=Through a Glass Darkly|journal=[[Cinefex]]|issue=93|issn=0198-1056}}
* {{cite AV media |last=Okuda|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Okuda |date=October 5, 2005 |title=Star Trek: Nemesis; Text commentary |publisher=Paramount Pictures |medium=DVD; Disc 1/2}}
*{{cite book|last=Relke|first=Diana|year=2006|title=Drones, Clones, and Alpha Babes: Retrofitting Star Trek's Humanism, Post-9/11|publisher=University of Calgary Press|isbn=978-1-55238-164-9}}
*{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=January 2003a|title=Interview: John Logan|magazine=Star Trek: The Magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_9/page/28/mode/2up|volume=3|issue=9|issn=1523-9195}}
*{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=February 2003b|title=Star Trek Nemesis Special Issue|magazine=Star Trek: The Magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_1 |volume=3|issue=10|issn=1523-9195}}
*{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=March 2003c|title=Star Trek Nemesis: The Untold Story|magazine=Star Trek: The Magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_10|volume=3|issue=11|issn=1523-9195}}
*{{cite journal|last=Summers|first=Tim|year=2018|title=From 'Sabotage' to 'Sledgehammer': Trailers, Songs, and the Musical Marketing of Star Trek Beyond|journal=Music and the Moving Image|volume=11|issue=1|pages=40–65|doi=10.5406/musimoviimag.11.1.0040 |issn=}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Tranter|first1=Kieran|last2=Statham|first2=Bronwyn|year=2007|title=Echo and Mirror: Clone Hysteria, Genetic Determinism and Star Trek Nemesis|journal=[[Law, Culture and the Humanities]]|volume=3 |issue=3|pages=361–380|doi=10.1177/1743872107081425 |issn=1743-8721|url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/124824/1/124824_Echo_081425_LCH_361-380.pdf }}
<!-- References not used:

*https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_10 p10, 24, 112 
*https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_1 https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_2 https://archive.org/details/startrekmagazine03unse_3

long history of cloning & nature vs. nuture: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Star_Trek_and_Philosophy/v1FAgUlV2PUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22star+trek+nemesis%22+cloning&pg=PA129&printsec=frontcover

bristled at baird's direction: https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=q6kwDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Star+Trek+nemesis&ots=q4zVnHO0PI&sig=n_ALH8e31kpIwNSiiRsEg2RmpXM#v=onepage&q=Star%20Trek%20nemesis&f=false

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bioethics_at_the_Movies/ySGcwOW5xBsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Star%20Trek%20nemesis

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Drones_Clones_and_Alpha_Babes/E7aAT62WJsEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Drones,+Clones+and+Alpha+Babes:+Retrofitting+Star+Trek%27s+Humanism,+Post-9/11&printsec=frontcover

more on history of cloning: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Exploring_Picard_s_Galaxy/fDFKDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22star+trek+nemesis%22+cloning&pg=PT113&printsec=frontcover

Blu-ray commentary, DVD commentary
-->

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://www.startrek.com/movies/star-trek-nemesis}}
* {{IMDb title|0253754|Star Trek: Nemesis}}
* {{ISFDB title|id=640873|title=Star Trek Nemesis}} <!-- novelisation -->
{{Memory Alpha|Star Trek Nemesis|''Star Trek Nemesis''}}

{{Star Trek}}
{{Star Trek: The Next Generation}}
{{Star Trek Romulan stories}}
{{Stuart Baird}}
{{John Logan}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:2002 science fiction action films]]
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[[Category:American space adventure films]]
[[Category:American sequel films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction action films]]
[[Category:Sequel films to television series]]
[[Category:Films based on Star Trek: The Next Generation|Nemesis]]
[[Category:Films about androids]]
[[Category:Films about cloning]]
[[Category:Films about coups d'état]]
[[Category:Films about brothers]]
[[Category:Films about sexual abuse]]
[[Category:Fiction about holography]]
[[Category:Films set in the 24th century]]
[[Category:Films set in the future]]
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