This Failed Star Trek Movie Should've Been Even Better Than First Contact

One Star Trek: The Next Generation movie should have been better than First Contact, but actually turned out to be the worst in the series. Following a string of successful films starring the original crew of the USS Enterprise, it was finally time for the cast of The Next Generation to continue the Star Trek franchise on the big screen.

Star Trek Generations was a misstep, but it was a necessary growing pain as the beloved sci-fi universe transitioned from the old to the new. 1996's Star Trek: First Contact took a turn toward action, and was a massive success. Unfortunately, it would be the only high point for the rest of the ill-fated TNG era of Star Trek movies.

Two more movies followed in 2002, but Captain Picard and the rest of the Enterprise crew would never get a send-off as strong as their predecessors. Even though First Contact forgot the themes of Star Trek, it was still a great movie that proved the then-30-year-old franchise still had energy left.

One TNG movie in particular was a massive disappointment, largely because of how close it came to capturing the same magic as the TV show it was based on. Action is a nice addition when Trek hits the big screen, but strong writing and complex moral dilemmas are the parts that were lacking.

The Plot Of Star Trek: Insurrection Is Perfect For The TNG Crew

It Bears A Striking Resemblance To A Classic Two-Part Episode Of TNG

Following the high-stakes thrills of First Contact, 1998's Star Trek: Insurrection was a much-needed step back. Instead of endless action, the movie pits Picard and his crew against a moral problem, and they must stick to their Federation principles in order to win the day. Upon release, the movie was compared to a two-part episode of TNG.

The comparison was quite apt, and it even borrowed some elements from the season three episode, "Who Watches the Watchers". Parts of the movie's setup were somewhat poorly plotted, but Insurrection felt more like an adventure from the series than its predecessor, and it seemingly strove to maintain the Star Trek themes and ideals.

Picard is forced to go against the infrastructure he loves so much, that being Starfleet, in order to do what is right. Picard is a notorious rule follower, but the movie was the perfect time for him to grow and violate an order. The pieces were there for a strong film, but things just didn't come together.

Insurrection Ultimately Forgot To Be An Interesting Movie

A Star Trek Movie Is Supposed To Be Grander Than The TV Show

Though there are a ton of great episodes in Star Trek: The Next Generation, the movies were supposed to be larger and grander than their TV counterparts. Unfortunately, Insurrection missed that memo and fell somewhere in the middle between an elevated two-part episode, and a big-budget feature film.

The CGI visuals were an impressive first for the franchise, but they were in service of very little in the long run. As for the characters, Picard's decision to violate a direct order from a superior officer feels unearned, especially since he's previously been shown to remain loyal even when he disagrees.

Admiral Dougherty makes little sense as a villain, since he is shown to be both ruthless enough to carry out the forced removal of the Ba'ku, but also naive enough to be surprised about the Son'a. Star Trek had already done the evil admiral bit before, but Dougherty's "I did it for the Federation" ending is confusing.

Overlooking plotholes and inconsistencies is easy when a movie is exciting, like First Contact, but Insurrection forgot to be an entertaining project. It doesn't move the characters forward meaningfully, and it doesn't thrill with action. The result is a largely boring story that feels like one of the biggest missed opportunities in the entire Star Trek franchise.