The Sixth Annual James Proclaims Advent Calendar of Christmas(ish) Films – Door 20

It’s pretty much accepted wisdom that every even numbered Star Trek movie is good and every odd numbered Star Trek movie is bad. It’s not actually true anymore, though it is a little more true when you only consider the movies starring the cast from the original series. I still think that’s both a little harsh on Star Trek III and perhaps a little over-generous to Star Trek IV. Although I do love Star Trek IV.

All bets have been off on the odd/even theory since the 2009 reboot, which was an odd numbered movie, both on it’s own terms and within the context of the Star Trek back catalogue and which was, frankly, brilliant. But the Next Generation iteration of the movies was also able to dispel the theory with the awful Star Trek: Nemesis, which was an even numbered movie.

Before that abomination though, the Next Generation had been pretty faithful to the odd/even rule, with the brilliant First Contact and the prosaic Insurrection largely sticking to the established pattern. But before any of that we had Star Trek: Generations.

Which was the seventh ever Star Trek movie and thus an odd number film.

And it too supports the theory that odd number Star Trek movies are bad. Although I do find it difficult to truly hate it.

Billed as the movie in which the original cast handed over movie responsibility to the cast of The Next Generation, it was a little underwhelming on that score. Hardly any of the original cast were in the movie, and they were done and dusted before anyone from The Next Generation even appeared on screen.

But if you wait long enough then you do get to see Kirk and Picard interact on screen for the first and only time at the denouement of Generations. It’s all too brief and concludes in the most unsatisfactory of ways, but if you are a fan of Star Trek, as I now am, having watched all of the series and movies (up to that point) in a strangely committed viewing effort between 2016 and 2018, then it was still pretty cool.

Ultimately if you only watch one Star Trek movie, then don’t pick Generations. But if you watch them all then I’m sure you’ll agree that it isn’t the worst thing with the Star Trek name attached to it. Not by a long way.

Score for Christmasishness

The Christmasishness of this movie all hinges on a kind of fantasy sequence, that makes a small amount of sense within the internal logic of the narrative (at least as much as anything else makes sense). In it, Captain Picard finds himself enjoying a Victorian Christmas with his entirely made-up family. It’s all a bit weird, but for that brief juncture, the movie is quite Christmas(ish).