Star Trek: Generations (1994), PG, 1 hr 58 min

Title: Star Trek: Generations

Year: 1994

Franchise: Star Trek

Franchise #: 7

MPAA Rating / TV Parental Guidelines

MPAA Rating: PG

TV Parental Guidelines: TV-PG

Total Runtime

118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

Tagline

“Two captains. One destiny.”

Main Cast

Patrick Stewart – Captain Jean-Luc Picard

William Shatner – Captain James T. Kirk

Jonathan Frakes – Commander William Riker

Brent Spiner – Lieutenant Commander Data

LeVar Burton – Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

Michael Dorn – Lieutenant Worf

Gates McFadden – Dr. Beverly Crusher

Marina Sirtis – Counselor Deanna Troi

Malcolm McDowell – Dr. Tolian Soran

Whoopi Goldberg – Guinan

James Doohan – Scotty (cameo)

Walter Koenig – Chekov (cameo)

Reviews

Overview

Generations is the passing of the torch between Kirk’s original crew and Picard’s Next Generation team. It brings the two legendary captains together through a mysterious phenomenon called the Nexus, a realm of timeless joy. Meanwhile, a mad scientist named Soran is willing to destroy stars and planets just to get back to that paradise. The film is a mixed bag—some great moments, but it doesn’t fully deliver on the epic promise of "two captains." Still, there’s a lot here for fans of both eras.

Family Friendliness

The film is generally appropriate for teens and up. There’s some sci-fi violence, explosions, and emotional loss (including a death scene), but no heavy profanity or inappropriate content. The death of a major character (Kirk) is significant and might be intense for younger kids. Data’s emotional arc adds depth but occasionally includes unsettling behavior. Most families familiar with Star Trek should be fine watching together.

Christian Perspective

The movie centers around themes of mortality, temptation, and facing pain rather than escaping it. Picard is tempted by the Nexus, a place of personal fantasy and comfort, but ultimately rejects it to fulfill his real-world responsibilities—echoing biblical ideas of resisting false paradises and choosing sacrifice (Matthew 16:24). Soran’s obsession with the Nexus shows how selfish desires can lead to destruction (James 1:14–15). The film doesn’t mention God or faith, but it explores moral responsibility and the meaningfulness of life over illusion.

Critics Ratings

IMDb: 6.6/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 47% Critic Score, 57% Audience Score

Metacritic: 55/100 Metascore, 7.2/10 User Score

Dove Foundation: Not officially rated, but suitable for most teen viewers

My Rating: 6.8/10 – Thoughtful and nostalgic, but a bit underwhelming in execution.

Notable Scenes

Opening with the Enterprise-B: Kirk helps save the Enterprise-B during its shakedown cruise—his final heroic act.

Picard’s Family Tragedy: Picard receives news of a family death—deep, emotional, and character-defining.

Data’s Emotion Chip Installed: Data struggles with laughter, fear, and overload—adds both humor and tension.

Soran Destroys a Star: A chilling reminder of his obsession with returning to the Nexus.

Guinan Explains the Nexus: Her calm, cryptic insight sets the stage for the film’s deeper philosophical questions.

Picard Meets Kirk in the Nexus: The iconic moment where both captains unite to stop Soran.

Kirk’s Final Sacrifice: Kirk dies saving millions—his last line, “It was... fun.”

Picard Buries Kirk: A quiet, respectful tribute in the mountains of Veridian III.

Enterprise-D Crashes: The ship’s saucer section crash-lands dramatically on a planet.

Picard Reflects at the End: A thoughtful closing about time, family, and legacy.