Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Reviews

• Not just the best Star Trek film

  ashley-1202005-02-23

  Probably my favourite film of all time. The thing about First Contact is that it's not just about Star Trek. If you don't like Star Trek but can live through the first 20 minutes you'll find a gem of a movie which is as much about the future of humanity & an invention so wonderful as it is about Yet More Star Trek Plot. Warp Speed - they've been saying that since Captain Kirk. But how did it happen? and why might it all not happen, our future could be in ruins and one flight of one makeshift spacecraft some time after world war III will make all the difference. The on-screen relationship between Picard & Lily is totally magic, as is the relationship between the Enterprise crew members - you get a sense of team, of family. First Contact is one film I enjoy watching again & again. The flight of the Phoenix is one scene I totally love, along with the end scenes. The only sad thing about the movie is that you come away and deep down you know there is no Cochrain, no FTL engine around the corner. Well, not yet! "I envy you, the world you're going to" "I envy you, taking these first steps"

• Perhaps the best Star Trek film to date

  rainmaker_au2003-01-29

  Star Trek: First Contact represents, at least to me, the pinnacle of the Star Trek movie franchise. This film was, in my opinion, -by far- the best of the "next generation" outings, and perhaps the finest from the entire collection of silver-screen Treks. The Borg, a futuristic race of half-man, half-machine cyborgs from the other side of the galaxy, try once again to conquer the Federation, by attacking it at it's very core, our beloved Earth. This time, however, the Borg have a "plan B" up their sleeve. After the destruction of their main vessel, they send a small group of Borg back in time to 2063, a time when Earth is vulnerable after suffering massive casualties due to World War III. Once there they intend to prevent "first contact", an event that dramatically changes the course of human history, when friendly aliens discover humankind has learned how to travel faster-than-light, and make contact with the inventor of the warp drive, Dr Zefram Cochrane. Of course the Enterprise crew must once again save humanity from certain destruction, by "following them back and repairing whatever damage they've done". When they reach the 21st century, however, the Borg find resistance is not so futile, and begin to take over the crippled Enterprise, deck by deck. Directing every move is the evil Borg Queen, played excellently by Alice Krige. Patrick Stewart is, as always, fantastic as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart's background in the dramatic arts shines as he convincingly portrays a somewhat troubled and vengeful Picard, determined to destroy the insidious Borg once and for all. The direction of Jonathan Frakes is flawless considering this film was his first attempt at directing on the big screen. In a few scenes I get the feeling that Frakes was committed to squeezing the absolute best out of Stewart, and this he did, apparently with ease (earning him the nickname "Two-Takes Frakes" from production members). This film has it all. A well-conceived, intricate and dramatic plot, excellent acting, fantastic special effects, and real emotion on-screen. Picard's chilling "the line must be drawn here" monologue to Lily represents a scene with such dramatic quality that is rarely seen in science-fiction films. You can completely suspend disbelief and feel the anger, the pain, the sheer hunger for revenge in this broken man. You are there with him, the future of humanity is on the line, and not for a second will you think otherwise. Whether you are a "Trekkie" or not, this is a film you will enjoy, and while there are references to previous Trek happenings in the film (such as when Picard was captured and assimilated by the Borg several years earlier), non-Trekkie's should definitely be able to follow what's going on. All-in-all this is one of my favourite films of all time, and one that I can watch over and over and never get tired of. If you haven't seen it, why not grab a copy and check it out? I give it a well-deserved 9 out of 10.

• One of the best sci-fi movies ever!

  rghawki1999-11-15

  This is one of the two best Star Trek movies ever made (the other being "Wrath of Khan"). Everything about this film is superb.... acting, set design, special effects, plot, and action. The story progresses at a breathtaking pace, and from the first 10 minutes when the Enterprise is locked in a life-and-death struggle with one of the best villains in all of sci-fi history (the Borg), to a perfect ending; there isn't a wasted or redundant moment. This is a film that both trekkers and non-trekkers can enjoy because the film explains enough about the back-story to get non-fans up to speed, and does it in a way that will keep the fans interest (check out the excellent opening sequence that introduces Picard's first encounter with the Borg and explains much of his implacable and obsessive attitude towards them throughout the film). In addition to fine performances from the crew (highlighted as always by Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard), the supporting cast is more than equal to the task. Its too bad that the crew didn't bring Alfre Woodward back home with them........ she's one of the very few actors/actresses in Star Trek history who have been able to match Patrick Stewart's personality, acting skills, and histrionics. Also, I thought I detected a touch of romance between the two that could have been further developed at another time. James Cromwell makes a perfect Zefrem Cochrane. It was a humorous touch to portray him as somewhat of an anti-hero, in contrast to the god-like reverence with which the characters in the film viewed him from a distance of 300 years. The protagonists in the film, the Borg, have never looked more dangerous. I'm glad that this film returned them to their "roots", unlike their last few appearances in the television series in which they were becoming a little too domesticated. This is a film to savor for any science fiction fan. 9.5/10.0 !

• The Next Generation's Finest Moment...

  cariart2003-12-02

  Star Trek's successor to Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, never allowed the poor reviews for STAR TREK: GENERATIONS to upset him; he had been given an 'obligation' to provide a transition film between the original cast's series, and his own 'Next Generation' films, and 'killing' James Kirk freed him to focus on the film he REALLY wanted to make, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. And he created a classic, a film that for many fans has become the 'definitive' STAR TREK movie. From the opening scenes, which re-introduce the 'Next Generation's' greatest villains, the Borg, finally achieving their long-time goal of attacking Earth, and literally tearing Starfleet to shreds, as Picard and the Enterprise are ordered to stand down (Picard had been 'assimilated' once by the cyborgs, and the success of his 'deprogramming' was in question), there was an intensity that 'Trek' films hadn't shown since THE WRATH OF KHAN. When Picard decides to disobey orders and go 'in Harm's Way', you nearly want to cheer! Turning the battle around, the Enterprise sees victory at hand...until they discover that the 'core' of the Borg mother ship has plunged into Earth's atmosphere, and gone back in time. As the crew glimpses a 'changed' Earth, with humanity totally assimilated by the Borg, they plunge after the mother ship, to prevent history from being rewritten. Quite an opening scene! The film breaks into two stories, each entertaining. In an era two hundred years earlier, with Earth reeling from internal wars that have devastated much of the planet, Picard realizes that the Borg is attempting to prevent warp drive creator Dr. Zefram Cochrane from ever completing his prototype spaceship, thus denying the galaxy to the human race, and leaving them defenseless against the Borg. As First Officer Riker and most of the series' regulars protect the feisty engineer (first introduced in the original 'Trek' TV series by hunky Glenn Corbett; in FIRST CONTACT, the role is played by James Cromwell, hawk-nosed, antisocial, and hooked on ancient Rock n' Roll music), Data and Picard must deal with the growing Borg infiltration and assimilation of the Enterprise, and the imperious Borg Queen (lovely Alice Krige), who seduces Data with a chance to become 'human'. Jonathan Frakes proves an excellent director, balancing the action, comic, and dramatic elements with sensitivity and skill. While most of the series' regulars have little to do (a problem that would never be resolved in the 'Next Generation' films), Frakes still manages to give each a bit of on-screen time to at least remind fans that they are present, and he even manages to provide a brief but funny cameo by semi-regular fan favorite Dwight Schultz, as the terminally shy Lt. Reggie Barclay. FIRST CONTACT has so many memorable moments that it is nearly impossible to pick a single favorite one out. Cochrane's use of Steppenwolf's 'Magic Carpet Ride' as launch music for his guided missile/spaceship...Alfre Woodard's Lily Sloane, hiding in terror from the Borg, but still able to lecture Picard on doing the 'right thing'...'Star Trek: Voyager' regular Robert Picardo in a cameo as his medical hologram character, at a key moment...Data delivering the famous Borg 'tag line'...the Vulcan science party (led, although unmentioned, by Sarek, Spock's father), bemused at meeting the 'new kids on the block' for the first time...this movie has it all! There is only one major continuity error; the Borg, as cyborgs, depend on their human 'host' bodies to survive (a key factor in the film's climax), yet in one whole sequence they operate in the vacuum of space WITHOUT spacesuits! I cringe each time I see the scene, but I STILL love the movie! One other key element of the film cannot be praised enough; Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of his finest, combining the best elements of the STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE theme with a sweeping inspirational hymn for Cochrane, and eerie, discordant music for the Borg. The score is so profoundly moving that it could stand alone, as a symphonic work. Sadly, Berman and company never achieved the same heights with either of the subsequent 'Trek' films, but at least we have FIRST CONTACT, to show that a 'Next Generation' feature could be done 'right'.

• The Best Trek Film

  Big Movie Fan2002-11-18

  Star Trek:First Contact is the best Star Trek film in my opinion. Far better than the average Star Trek:Generations or any of the films featuring the original crew. I won't go into the plot too much because I hate spoiling it for fans and it is easy sometimes to give away too much. Let's just say that the cast of The Next Generation take on the inhuman Borg, one of the best race of Star Trek villains ever. There are no slow spots in this film. It is one big long action fest and every character is utilized. There are some terrific scenes and there is quite a bit of tension between the crew, particularly Worf and Picard. Picard has some harsh words for Worf at one point in the film and it really does look as though Worf will hit Picard. You could cut the tension in this film with a knife. I'd also like to mention the great job done by the beautiful Alice Krige as the Borg Queen. Again, there is not a wasted moment in this film and Krige does a brilliant job as the Borg Queen. I strongly recommend Star Trek:First Contact-it is the type of film which you finish watching and feel as though you have spent your money well.