Star Trek – Nemesis: Special Collector’s Edition (DTS)
Picture: B+
Sound: A- Extras: B+ Film: B+
When we last looked at Star Trek - Nemesis (2002),
the Trek franchise was still active and Paramount hoped they could
continue it. Three years later, the
franchise has folded; the Enterprise series (reviewed elsewhere on this
site) has come to an abrupt end and Nemesis still remains the last
feature film made to date. Also,
Paramount has now issued each of the ten films twice, including in deluxe Special
Collector’s Edition double sets. I
was a big supporter of Nemesis before and still feel it is one of the
best Science Fiction feature films in many years, which you can read about in
my previous review of the single DVD as follows:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/179/Star+Trek+-+Nemesis
Looking at the film yet again a few years later, it has
only appreciated in value and as far as I am concerned, is the last great Trek
adventure. It has the scope, ambition
and depth of the great space epics that was expected by more demanding viewers
not that long ago. It does not have the
plasticity and woodenness Trek never shook off. That the digital visual effects hold up so
well when most of the same kind of work I have seen recently looks awful says
something about how well made the film was and how serious Paramount backed the
picture. The new set gives viewers a
second chance to really appreciate what was really achieved here in a version
that easily succeeds the single DVD form before.
The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is still one of
Paramount’s best to date, detailed and colorful, with impressive cinematography
by Jeffrey L. Kimball, A.S.C. that is an exceptional use of the scope
frame. The sound is once again
presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, lesser Dolby 2.0 English and French Stereo
mixes with Pro Logic surrounds from the last disc, but the DTS 5.1 mix is the
#1 reason to buy this set. If one of
the last great Jerry Goldsmith scores is not enough of a reason, it can be
stated unequivocally that this is one of the best sounding films on DVD to
date. Star Trek – First Contact
(1996) surprised everyone a year ago when Paramount did its Special
Collector’s Edition (reviewed elsewhere on this site) when its DTS mix held
up strikingly well.
This DTS Nemesis is a high watermark of excellence
in 5.1 mixes as much as any film, especially in its genres that have been
released to date. Not only is it
exceptional in the space ship, vehicle and hand-to-hand combat sequences, but
in the quieter sequences where the resonance and fullness of sound runs through
the entire frequency range like hardly any recent title you can get on the
market. Sony’s DTS track on their Superbit
Spiderman 2 (2004) is one of a very small handful of such films. That also means loud sounds are not just
there to be loud and the harshness too many digital soundtracks of late have
displayed are not here, as these are smoother, less bright and done with real
engineering talent.
Extras have been expanded, of course, including previous
extras like the seven interesting deleted scenes, the option of previews before
going to the main menu, a good photo gallery, four featurettes, and a well-done
(if not non-stop) commentary by Baird that respects the listener. DVD 1 adds text commentary by Michael Okuda
& Denise Okuda and a fine new commentary by the often-criticized Producer
Rick Berman. DVD 2 offers those
previous extras, plus the original teaser, trailer, a five-part Romulan
Empire segment, three-part Star Trek Universe Section and seven-part
Production section that includes the previously featured New
Frontiers: Stuart Baird on Directing Nemesis and Red Alert: Shooting the
Action of Nemesis. A Bold Vision
of the Final Frontier and A Star Trek Family's Final Journey are
again featured in the Star Trek Universe Section. The menus are also improved, something we
rarely discuss, but were unhappy enough with the previous ones to say
something.
Star Trek – Nemesis: Special Collector’s Edition is a
must-have set for anyone serious about their home theater and non-Trek
fans will be stunned at how good this one is.
- Nicholas Sheffo
