| Director | Jonathan Frakes |
|---|---|
| Genre | action film, adventure film, science fiction film |
| Runtime | 103 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $58 million |
| Box office | $118 million |
Lieutenant Commander Data is temporarily transferred to an undercover mission observing the peaceful Ba'ku people. He suddenly malfunctions and reveals the presence of the joint Federation–Son'a task force observing the Ba'ku. Admiral Dougherty contacts the USS Enterprise-E to obtain Data's schematics for recovery purposes. Captain Jean-Luc Picard ignores orders and takes Enterprise to recover Data. Upon successfully recovering and repairing Data, Picard becomes suspicious when Dougherty insists that Enterprise is no longer needed and orders Data's malfunction to be investigated.
The crew discovers that the Ba'ku are technologically advanced with warp capabilities, but have rejected the use of technology for simpler lives. Due to unique "metaphasic particles" emanating from the planet's rings, the inhabitants are effectively immortal. By contrast, the Federation's allies, the Son'a, are a decrepit race who rely on medical technology to delay death; excessive cosmetic surgery gives them a mummified appearance. The Enterprise crew experience the rejuvenation effects of the planet: Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge can now see without ocular implants, Lt. Commander Worf experiences puberty symptoms, Commander William Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi rekindle their long-abandoned relationship, and Picard develops a romantic relationship with Anij, a Ba'ku woman.
Data and Picard discover a submerged and cloaked Federation ship containing a gigantic holodeck that recreates the Ba'ku village. Data's malfunction stemmed from a Son'a attack, the result of his accidentally discovering their vessel. Picard confronts Dougherty and learns that top Federation officers colluded with the Son'a to relocate the Ba'ku to another planet deceptively, allowing the particles to be collected (massively poisoning the planet in the process). Dougherty then orders Enterprise to leave. Picard defiantly retorts that the particles' medical benefits do not justify Dougherty's plans for the Ba'ku and that they violate Starfleet's Prime Directive.
Picard and some crew help the Ba'ku escape abduction while Riker moves the Enterprise to transmission range to communicate the violation to Starfleet. The Son'a launches robotic probes to locate and capture the fleeing Ba'ku. The Son'a leader, Ahdar Ru'afo, convinces Dougherty to allow two Son'a ships to attack the Enterprise, but Enterprise escapes after taking damage and destroying a Son'a ship. With the Son'a plan exposed, Ru'afo insists on immediately harvesting the radiation source. Picard, Anij, and several Ba'ku are transported as prisoners onto the Son'a ship.
Dr. Beverly Crusher discovers that the Son'a and the Ba'ku are the same race. Picard then informs Dougherty that Dougherty has unknowingly involved Starfleet in an internecine dispute: the Son'a are a Ba’ku splinter faction who rejected their Ba’ku idyllic existence a century earlier and embraced technology. When the Son’a failed in their attempt to seize power, the Ba'ku elders exiled them from the planet, and thus from the rings' rejuvenating effects. The Son'a developed an artificial, imperfect, painful means to extend their lives and mitigate their aged appearance, and now seek revenge against their own people, the Ba’ku. Ru'afo kills Dougherty after he reneges on their plan, and moves to complete the collection.
While Picard is prepared for execution, he convinces the disillusioned Son'a Gallatin to help him stop Ru'afo. Picard masterminds a ruse to transport Ru'afo and his bridge crew to the holoship and disable the harvester. Ru'afo discovers the deception and transports to the harvester ship to manually restart the process. Picard follows and sets the harvester to self-destruct, killing Ru'afo just as the Enterprise rescues Picard. The remaining Son'a are forgiven and welcomed back by the Ba'ku. As gratitude for Gallatin’s help, Picard arranges a reunion between Gallatin and his Ba'ku mother, who embraces her son. The crew takes a moment to enjoy their rejuvenated selves before returning to their previous mission.