'Star Trek Nemesis' has received upbeat reviews in the lead-up to its North American release this Friday.

• David Hunter at trade paper the Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive write-up, calling it better than 'Insurrection.' "Running almost two hours and directed with minimal flair by Stuart Baird ('U.S. Marshals'), 'Nemesis' has plenty of time to indulge in character-driven dramedy and episodic franchise adventures," he wrote.

  While the review said TNG stalwarts LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf) and Gates McFadden (Beverly Crusher) "make the most of their limited screen time," Hunter drew particular attention to the performance of Tom Hardy (Shinzon). "Made suitably fearsome with monster makeup, Ron Perlman as the Reman viceroy who mentors Shinzon is another in a long line of serviceable franchise villains, but Hardy is very impressive as he plays off Picard in several scenes."

  The complete analysis (which does contain some spoilers) can be found here.

• "Newest Star Trek adventure will please longtime fans and film buffs alike," was the verdict from Jim Wilson at Popular Mechanics. Wilson thought the use of visual effects in 'Nemesis' deserved especial mention.

  As with previous 'Star Trek' films, special effects play a strong supporting role. Terry Frazee, special effects coordinator, and Mark Forker, visual effects supervisor, have done a much better job of integrating the action into the story than the snippets in movie previews suggest. In the trailer, the scene of an ATV driving off a cliff and into a waiting shuttlecraft seems absurd. In the context of the film, though, it is the perfect conclusion to an imaginative desert chase scene.

  Production designer Herman Zimmerman, cinematographer Jeffrey L. Kimball and editor Dallas Puett's skills are also highlighted in the full review.

• Paramount Pictures also took out a two-page advertisement in a recent edition of the New York Times featuring quotations from various reviewers across North America. "A darker and edgier Trek," wrote Tim Wassberg at Inside Reel, while FlickVille.com's Teddy Durgin said "Brent Spiner may be the first Star Trek actor to draw legitimate Oscar consideration." Other soundbites included, "One heck of a thrilling ride" (Bonnie Laufer, Tribute TV), "A tremendous Christmas treat" (Audrey Berard, RadioScope), and "More than just a great Star Trek film - it's just a great film" (Mark S. Allen, KMAX-TV/UPN, Sacramento).

Thanks to 'Slappy', 'nextgeneration fan' and 'Flake' for these!

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