10 More Awesome Sci-Fi Villains Wasted In Terrible Movies
7. Shinzon - Star Trek: Nemesis
Even though Star Trek deals with warring alien races and galactic battles, most of the stories emphasise that conflicts should be resolved through reason and discussion. Gene Roddenberry's series has always been at its best when it focuses on being thought-provoking rather than dumb generic action.
And what did the creative team behind Star Trek: Nemesis do? They turned it into a dumb generic action movie. The reception for the film was so bad, it killed the entire franchise, forcing it to be rebooted.
But this travesty has one saving grace. Tom Hardy's performance as Jean-Luc Picard's tyrannical clone, Shinzon, is a breath of fresh air in this mediocre schlock. He doesn't ham it up or chew the scenery. He is calm, nuanced, and sincere. Considering this was Hardy's first major role and he was only 25 at the time, it's a massive achievement that he can hold his own with a profound actor like Patrick Stewart.
He may not hold a candle to villains like the Borg Queen or Khan but he is the brightest spot in a film that many Trekkies consider the most disappointing entry in the franchise.