I won't speculate on how so many weak and irritating ideas ever made it into this movie. However, Paramount are in really bad shape if no-one there has the power to say STOP even when presented with this load of rubbish.<br /><br />By far the biggest irritant is that the alleged "good guys" are actually some of the most hateful people ever filmed. While these people, known as Baku, have been leading drippy and unproductive lives for centuries their own children have been banished to grow old and infirm on another planet. When these now technologically advanced "Sona" return, close to death, in an attempt to benefit from their home planet's natural regenerative radiation, the Baku hoodwink Picard and his crew into thinking that they are infact the victims. This is mainly because the Baku, basking in regenerative radiation all day long, have remained relatively pretty while the Sona are now very ugly as the film takes pains to point out.<br /><br /> It's been thankfully a long time since I have seen a totally white cast in a film, but black people are conspicuous by there absence from the Baku.<br /><br /> Additionally Picard takes up with a Baku who has spent her last 300 odd years learning how to look like a pouting airhead even when tons of rubble are falling on her head, yet cannot row a boat or swim when she needs to. This even though she lived next to a lake all that time!<br /><br />Goodness knows what sort of point Jonathan Frakes is trying to make with this film.<br /><br />I would recommend that anyone considering watching this film does so on DVD/video with the remote control never far away from their grasp. After you've spinned through:<br /><br />1. Riker and Troi behaving like the first couple in school who find out how to kiss<br /><br />2. Picard and a woman with a charisma by-pass talking about nothing for minute after nauseating minute<br /><br />3. Blond kids rolling around in haystacks<br /><br />, there really is only about 45 mins left of F. Murray Abraham (the baddie) and spaceships.<br /><br />1 out of 10 and such an utter disappointment after First Contact which was a fantastic film.