True, 4 did indeed have whales in the sky, just like Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There were zero references to towels or intergalactic highways in Star Trek 5.
I certainly had an easier time believing Laurence Luckinbill was Leonard Nimoy's half-brother than I did believing that Tom Hardy was Patrick Stewart's clone.
He was fine in terms of performance because he's a decent actor, he just did not in any way convince me he was a Picard clone. You could claim that this was because of his time with the Remans or whatever, but it just seemed like a needless plot idea that just didn't work. In fact, if Shinzon was just a rebel Romulan, it might have been a better movie.
First time I ever watched it I completely missed that he was supposed to be Picard. He was just an annoying bad guy to me. He just does not look or act like him at all. Great actor. Wrong part.
You know, I’d personally rate V above Nemesis, Insurrection, Generations, and Into Darkness… and that still feels like very faint praise. Star Trek has had some pretty lousy movies over the years.
Picard TNG: I allowed myself to be abducted by aliens, spent two days forced to defend myself with an alien against a monster, refused all offers to just go home, and dealt with his babbling about Tamak and Jiled at Tongra. All because I recognize that peace and corporation between species is much more important compared to my life. I understand that I am not god and I don't make a decision who lives and dies. I have faith in the inherit goodness and rationality of sentient life so even if I don't understand why they are doing something I know they have a good reason. I am an explorer and an ambassador of peace.
Picard Nemesis: I am going to drive around on a planet and if some alien, possibly just defending their home, growls at me I will shoot them with a gun. Then leave their corpse there making zero effort to understand why they even attacked me. I am a thug who only understands how to kill effectively. Send me into battle and I will make sure there are no survivors.