Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

  Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)MOVIE SUMMARY:

The USS Enterprise-E is diverted to the Romulan homeworld Romulus, supposedly because they want to negotiate a peace treaty. Once in enemy territory, the captain and his crew make a startling discovery: Shinzon is human, a slave from the Romulan sister planet of Remus (the residents of which are vampire-like creatures that dwell on the perpetually dark side of their home world), and has a secret, shocking relationship to Picard himself. It soon becomes clear that Shinzon has lured the Enterprise to Romulus using B4 as bait and that his sinister ulterior motives include the destruction of Earth. A vicious battle between the Enterprise and Shinzon’s powerful warship ensues, resulting in heartbreaking heroics and a devastating casualty.

MOVIE THEMES:

Mirroring and Mentoring
Shinzon was born as a Picard clone with a chance to accelerate his aging at a certain point in life. Unfortunately, that did not happen and his cells are killing him. So Shinzon captures Picard to get a blood infusion to heal his disease. In a conversation, Shinzon calls himself Picard’s echo, and Picard calls himself Shinzon’s voice. They mirror one another. Shinzon is at a point in Picard’s life when Picard had no discipline and he was reckless. So Picard knows how dangerous Shinzon could be. He challenges Shinzon by saying: “I am a mirror for you too.” The point is that Shinzon could learn from Picard.

In a similar fashion, Data and B4 (which was an android like Data), have a conversation. B4 infiltrates the Enterprise to get Starfleet secrets. Data captures him and implants B4 with Data’s own programing. Both B4 and Shinzon have the same raw material. This illustrates the debate between nature and nurture. Ethical choices are made more by how we live our lives than how we are made. Our choices in life define us more than our nature.

In a later conversation, Picard and Data discuss the mirror that Picard has with Data. Picard quotes 1 Corinthians 13:12: “We look in a mirror darkly.’ Data says that B4 and Shinzon are not mirrors because they do not aspire to improve themselves. In the Christian life, we learn to mirror Jesus Christ. Like Shinzon, we are Christ’s echo to the world.

Life Choices
The film explores the debate between nature and nurture. Picard and Shinzon have the same DNA. Yet they grew up in different environments. Choices in life define us more than our nature. Picard grew up to be a captain in Starfleet with human ethical values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Shinzon grew up in the dilithium mines of Remus. He grew up on a slave world. He is incapable of knowing about freedom. He can only view life through the lens of the war-like race of Romulus. Because Remus was occupied by Romulus, Shinzron knows only vengeance.

Both B4 and Data have the same raw material. Data implants his own life experiences into B4. Ethical choices are made more by how we live our lives than how we are made. Our choices in life define us more than our nature. The most importance life choice is where one will spend eternity. The Bible encourages people to let Jesus lead their life choices. The benefit of letting Jesus lead one’s life is that one receives eternal life (John 3:16-18).

QUESTIONS:

1. What choices have you made that you believe have defined you?
2. Who are the people who have impacted you the most? How have they shaped you to be the person you are today?
3. How has God shaped you to be the person you are today?