When Star Trek: Generations is mentioned to fans of the franchise, a few gripes are often brought up. Some will go on about Kirk's death or that overly long holodeck scene where everyone is pretending to be part of a royal navy. Whatever the case, the movie ranks among the lowest of CinemaBlend's list of best Trek movies, but there is one thing I think it excels at in comparison to all the others.
I decided to stream the movie with my Paramount+ subscription after watching the recent anniversary video that brought William Shatner back via de-aging technology and a prolific Star Wars actor. While I may have my issues with the technology, I have to give it props because it showed me why this movie is a classic, and it's thanks to the performance given by Brent Spiner.
Brent Spiner Shines In Star Trek: Generations In A Way He Rarely Had The Chance To Previously
One of the things I hear quite often in interviews with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation is just how hilarious Brent Spiner was on set. Specifically, I always laugh at Wil Wheaton's story about getting in trouble because of Spiner mocking Patrick Stewart's accent. That's just one of many stories and examples of the actor being hilarious, which was something we didn't seen on-screen too often.
Sure, the occasional WTF plot in TNG would allow for Data to have some wild interaction or his misunderstanding of what it means to be human would be played for a laugh. He often wasn't able to go full-on slapstick cornball when he was playing the Synth, but fortunately, we saw that change in Star Trek: Generations.
It all kicks off on the perfect note, with the classic beat of Data fundamentally misunderstanding the humor in a situation. Data forcefully shoves Beverly Crusher into the holodeck's ocean, thinking everyone will find it as "funny" as when Riker removed the plank and caused Worf to fall in. It went over like a fart in church, as one would say, which may be why I was in tears while the horrified Enterprise crew looked at Data in shock. It sets the best story arc of the movie in motion and a level of humor we haven't seen in a Star Trek movie since.
Spiner's Scenes As Data Are Some Of Star Trek: Generations' Best Scenes
If you told me I had to choose between watching Malcolm McDowell's Soran and Picard kick rocks around in silence in the desert or Data perform a 45-minute version of his "Lifeforms" song, I'd go with the latter every time. I think it's because the movie suffers from so many awkward and sparse scenes that when lined up against Spiner's Data struggling with the effects of a malfunctioned emotion chip, it's not really hard to see which is the much better one in comparison.
The chip gives Brent Spiner a license to be a clown, and boy, does he nearly get it suspended by taking every scene right up to the edge of being too much. I wouldn't be surprised if I talked to a Star Trek fan who found his whole bit with Mr. Tricoder to be one of the most cringe-inducing moments of the franchise, but in the context of the story, it's just so hilarious to me. I wouldn't find this nearly as funny in an episode of Full House, but when it's a Star Trek motion picture, where are the stakes are at their highest? This is cinema.
I can think of a moment in which every Star Trek: Generations cast member falls a bit short in this movie, except for Brent Spiner. In all fairness, his subplot is mostly self-contained to the main story, and he's there to be the comedic relief. The burden of the movie's success is not on him, and yet I find it to be the only reason I'd ever want to watch it again. I can only credit that to his level of commitment to the story, and his true comedic chops as an actor that are so proudly on display in this film.
If He Wasn't So Great At Being Regular Data, You'd Almost Want This Version Around All The Time
What I really realized when watching Star Trek: Generations is how you need someone like Brent Spiner to make the normal character of Data work at all. There's an understanding in the physical comedy and delivery in an android frequently misunderstanding what it means to be human, and in making it work, you help bring the audience along and show them what it would be like to be inhuman. People are so baffled about the weird things AI can't understand about human life, but I've watched Data fumble enough to know it's easier said than done.
As fun as it is to see Brent Spiner really clown out and give an unhinged performance as Data, it also doesn't work if that's just who the character is all the time. Star Trek fans love the stone-faced android, are fascinated with the human condition, and desperately want to be a part of it as well. I love the Data that thinks Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker hat is a statement fashion piece that makes him look like an incredible detective, not someone who is intentionally trying to make it look goofy.
What I'm saying is that we were given a gift in Star Trek: Generations in regards to Brent Spiner's Data performance. I could be wrong, but I don't think we're going to get anything that silly in a franchise movie ever again, especially since it hasn't happened since this movie's release in 1994. I would love to be wrong, though and get a standalone Soong movie where the whole movie is just basically The Nutty Professor meets Star Trek. Maybe that would be too much, but we'll never know unless someone "boldly" tries to find out.
Star Trek: Generations is available to stream on Paramount+. Give it a watch in honor of the 30th anniversary and see why I was in stitches watching Brent Spiner act an absolute fool as Data in this classic movie.
