Rating: 
Summary: Not Even Close!
Review: In an attempt to replicate the action-oriented second
original cast Star Trek film 'First Contact' is alot of flashy
action with little plot.But unlike the high quality 'The Wrath
Of Khan' this movie dumbs down the whole idea of Star Trek to such a degree that it comes off as a total vulgar parody!The
dialog is wraught with annoying catch phrases,pointless violence
with the usually solid Patrick Stewart acting TOTALLY out of
character.The plot about the Borg trying to stop Earth's first
faster then light space flight is the only interesting aspect of
this film.But it's so poorly written and has such idiodic
dialog that no one will care very much!
When I first saw this movie in the theatre is was (as
I still am) a STONE Trekker,not a fanatic but a vigilant viewer.
But I love it for interesting spaceships,great characters and
great social commentary.After I left I found the movie to be so
awful that I considered boycotting my favorite sci-fi series!
This film will probably please fans of big,dumb action flicks
and WWE wrestling but for pure intelligent content this movie
is a total wash out.Not worth the time even for the serious fan.
Rating: 
Summary: Assimilate This !
Review: "First Contact" is the eighth Star Trek film, and hit the movie screens in 1996. Directed by Jonathon Riker (Will Riker), it was the first in the series of movies to focus solely on the crew of the Next Generation. Following the events of "Generations", it was also the first to feature the Sovereign-class Enterprise-E.
The film opens in 2373, as the Borg launch their second invasion of Federation space. The Borg are a ruthless and highly adaptable enemy. Part organic, part machine, each drone is connected to a single hive mind - allowing for no individual reasoning, thought or action. Their quest for perfection has led them to assimilate thousands of other civilisations into their collective. Their first invasion - 6 years previously - had been covered in the TNG episodes "The Best of Both Worlds" Parts 1 and 2. During that invasion, Captain Picard himself had been assimilated and renamed Locutus of Borg. He was eventually freed from the Collective, though there are certain scars he still carries.
As a result of Picard's previous ordeal, Starfleet's top brass order the Enterprise to stay away from the battlefield. Picard, however, disobeys the order, and takes command of the fleet engaging the Borg Cube. The knowledge he gained as Locutus allows the Starfleet vessels to destroy the invading ship, though not before the launch of a smaller sphere-shaped vessel. This vessel creates a temporal vortex and disappears into the past, with the Enterprise following in its wake. The two ships emerge in 2063, close to Earth - the day before the legendary Zephram Cochrane's first warp flight. This flight led to the first meeting of Humans and Vulcans, which eventually led to the formation of the Federation. The Borg mean to prevent this flight - in doing so, the Federation will never have existed and will allow the easy assimilation of Earth. Picard divides his command crew - some, led by Riker and Troi, work on the surface to ensure the success of Cochrane's flight. Picard, however, leads the fight against a group of Borg who have invaded the Enterprise.
"First Contact" is my favorite of the Trek movies. There's plenty of action and humor - not only do the Enterprise officers have to battle the best 'bad guys' in the Star Trek universe, they also have to deal with Tequila, Rock 'n' Roll and a very different Zephram Cochrane to the one they learnt about in school. It also shows a very different side to the usually diplomatic Picard and a very clear route for Data to become more human.
Rating: 
Summary: A dramatic romp through StarTrek: TNG-Land
Review: All the pieces are here, for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation: a new Enterprise, the Borg, Captain Picard seeking revenge a la Captain Ahab, time-travel, Data seeking his humanity, the saving of humanity, a visit to the "past" to see the first warp-flight by humans. James Cromwell matches Patrick Stewart's stage presence with a portrayal of the "legendary" Zephrim Cochrane as a drunken, lecherous, acrophobic, rock-and-rolling genius, who never meant to change Mankind or the Galaxy. This film does not quite match the flare and panache of "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan", but it is a lot of fun.
Rating:
Summary: "The line must be drawn here! This far, no farther!"
Review: And the only hope for the federations survival lies upon Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and "The Next Generation" crew. The sequel to the popular TNG episode "The Best of Both Worlds" has Picard take his revenge on the Borg(a half-organic and half machine race) who once assimulated him into Locutis of Borg. Led by the evil Borg Queen(played by the beautiful Alice Kridge), the Borg plan to assimilate Earth in the late 21st century. This is around the time where Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) and his assistant Lily Sloan (Alfre Woodard) plan to make the first warp drive experiment leading to first contact with an alien race(well, lets just say its a very special Star Trek moment). While this movie does borrow from some scary sci-fi films like "Aliens" or "The Terminator," it does show that "The Next Generation" can handle the big screen by themselves. A truly great entry in the Star Trek films. Bravo TNG!!!
Rating:
Summary: What can I say...
Review: But this--this movie turned me from being a casual Trek fan into a huge Trek fan. I saw this movie in the local theater at a formative age, and I remeber being amazed not only by the remarkable visual effects and perfect dramatic pace, but also by the intelligent story and rich character study. It has been noted that Star Trek movies can often turn into long episodes you have to pay to watch, but this movie certainly can't be accused of that--it's bold, daring, and exciting, not to mention nearly perfect. Nearly--there are a few minor logical flaws in the plot, but this movie truly is space opera, and as with most opera, you have to suspend your disbelief a little.
The movie revolves around Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) battling the Borg physically and psychologically. After foiling a Borg plot to assimilate Earth, the Borg go back in time to stop a pivotal moment in Earth's history from occurring, thus making Humanity an easy target. So, it's up to the Enterprise crew to a) get history back on track and b) defeat the Borg. It could easily have been standard-issue thriller material, but it is intelligently handled, emphasizing the characters rather than the action. We see Picard go from the stoic renaissance man to revenge-obsessed Ahab, and Data from loyal officer to Sampson (with the terrific Alice Krige supplying the Delilah as the sensual Borg Queen). The planet-side sequences have their moments, too, but like all the Next Generation movies, this is the Picard and Data show, and for good reason--the actors' obvious talent at making characters they had played for near a decade come up with new facets to explore. It's certainly a trip.
Of all the Next Generation movies (heck, all the Trek movies, excepting Wrath of Khan), this movie is the most evenly paced and best plotted. Considering that this movie underwent half a dozen different shifts in what it was meant to be about--at one point it was going to take place in the middle ages and be called Star Trek: Renaissance--it's a testament to the actors and writers that the material never gets away from them--a temptation that proved all too powerful in the next installment (Insurrection). On the technical side, the direction from Jonathan Frakes (a.k.a. Commander Riker) is superlative--he manages to draw out Patrick Stewart's most complex performance as Picard, and the lighting, camerawork, and sound are all impeccable. The special effects, of course, are still impressive a decade later, thanks to George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic studios (this was the last Star Trek film they did). The Enterprise-E looks fabulous, and thankfully, there are no trips to Bronson Canyon in this movie (why do all the deserts in the Star Trek series look similar? Well...). Although it doesn't quite beat out the slightly more literate and philosophically dense Wrath of Khan for the title of Best Star Trek Movie, it finishes a solid second in my book. If you only buy one Star Trek movie, buy Wrath of Khan. But if you buy two, buy this one in addition to Wrath of Khan. You'll be really glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: It would have been 5 stars, but where's the DVD stuff?
Review: I have come to expect, after a bunch of great Trek double DVD's with awesome features and bonus material and Okuda's hilarious and respectful commentary (and a million other both entertaining and educational pieces), to see perhaps the greatest Trek film of all with all the great features. I realize there is no need for a director's cut since the film really is perfect as is, but I would like to see how Frakes worked in putting it together - this movie has several threads, woven together with the skill of a master and the love of the Star Trek dream. (And anyone who is tired of Data's search for humanity can just watch the Kirk crew forever, without a thought to what Rodenberry wanted: a increasingly brighter future wrought from the struggle and suffering of our beloved characters. Kirk struggled to his proper end admirably, and with significant fan input.) They are taking too long between films, which suggests that perhaps film itself is the wrong venue for the TNG crew to continue into the 21st century. This one may be the last of that type to really work because the next two just didn't cut it and the "last" one was not even in the Trek spirit and actually ended with a suicide! Ugh! I would suggest an HBO mini-series (or several-part "film") for the smaller screen since the small screen are getting bigger and better and concessions do not have to be made for young teens (unless they, too, are true trekkers, who want a good production such as this). The "action" in "First Contact" makes sense, and does not draw attention to itself, but simply works to make a better picture. I agree, maybe these actors do not want to get so old that they "outlive their usefulness" and perhaps "First Contact" might be a great send-off itself, but since it was not, we need first, a good, goodie-filled double-DVD of "First Contact" packed with extras, and then a grand finale worthy of Rodenberry's vision (as is "First Contact," of course).
Once this is released with two full DVD's packed with bonus goodies, it gets five stars!
All the best to the future!
RM
Rating:
Summary: ..The Has Been Drawn...
Review: Of the four films featuring The Next Generation crew,ST:FC is the best ,even ranking among The Wrath Of Khan,The Voyage Home,and The Undiscovered Country.Unlike the other TNG films,this is not a two hour big budget TV episode,but a real movie that's fast paced,action packed and has agree of warmth and humor.
Patrick Stewart is always a command presence as Capt.Picard(Kirk may be the best Captain,but Stewart is the best actor to sit in the chair),and his quest for vengence against the Borg is captivating as well as terrifying.And the rest of his crew(with the exception of Brent Spiner's Data)is not overlooked as they were in Generations.
A great battle scene with the Borg(which includes DS9's Defiant)is followed by scenes alternating between 2063 earth and a war zone with the Borg on the new Enterprise-E.Sometimes the audience feels like they're watching two different movies,and the last scene with the Borg Queen seems like an all too convienient TV ending.
Aside from these minor flaws ST:FC is a movie to be enjoyed by fans and non-fans alike.
Rating: 
Summary: The best of a mediocre "Next Generation" movie lot
Review: STAR TREK - FIRST CONTACT (1996), being only the second film to feature the "Next Generation" characters---and the first one without any of the originals---is a masterpiece of suspense, drama and violence. Easily earning its PG-13 rating, this one deals with (as I'm sure all who are reading this know) the Borg attempting to conquer Earth by going back in time to prevent "first contact" between humans and Vulcans. Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (the wonderful Patrick Stewart), who had once been "assimilated" by the Borg, being renamed Locutus in the process, takes this particularly hard and makes it his professional duty as Captain of the Federation Starship Enterprise 1701-C, and his personal duty as a member of the human race, to stop the Borg from attaining its goal. This entry in the series, directed by Jonathan Frakes (Commander Will Riker), is a full step-up from the original series, employing dazzling visual effects and taking on a decidedly darker tone than previous STAR TREK films. It also ramps up the dramatic tension big-time, as Capt. Picard is so deeply affected by his previous experience with the Borg; his hatred is not just for what the Borg collective is, it's also a result of what the Borg collective had made of him, if only briefly. Meeting him head-on in his anguished tension are an unlikely stowaway (the equally wonderful Alfre Woodard) and the unlikely inventor of the Warp Drive Dr. Zefram Cochrane (the inspired James Cromwell). Of course, series regulars Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn), Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) are back in fine form, as are Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). We even get a brief prize of a cameo appearance of The Doctor (Robert Picardo) from the "Star Trek: Voyager" series. But the one who really steals the show is the evil Borg Queen (Alice Krige), who slyly exudes mechanical sensuality even as she provokes danger and disdain (and perhaps disgust). Her kidnapping of the android Data and insinuation into his deep-seated desire to "become more human" makes for possibly the scariest scene in the entire movie. STAR TREK - FIRST CONTACT combines an immense amount of elements in order to make its unified whole. The result is a stark, darkly brilliant film that comes close to sensory overload at times. True, Capt. Picard's climactic head-butting scene with the sharp-tongued stowaway Lily goes dangerously over-the-top at one point (and eventually would be parodied in the hilarious "Fingerbang" episode of "South Park"), but it STILL works. Everything else in this film does, too. Jonathan Frakes did a splendid job in creating the highest-budget STAR TREK film yet (a reported $80 million) in record time, earning himself the nickname "Two-Takes Frakes" from his fellow cast members and the admiration of a new generation of STAR TREK fans. Also, he earned well over the magical $100 million mark for film studio Paramount, making the studio moguls happy in the process! Unfortunately, he couldn't quite match this success with the next series installment, the lighter-toned STAR TREK - INSURRECTION (1998); however, with this film, Jonathan Frakes achieved something of a series masterpiece, of which he should always be proud. Don't get me wrong; I loved STAR TREK GENERATIONS (1994), but in STAR TREK - FIRST CONTACT, the "Next Generation" crew hold their own, and our complete undivided attention, for the nearly-two-hour film. This would easily be the greatest of the "Next Generation" movies, and quite possibly, the best in the entire franchise. MOST RECOMMENDED
Rating:
Summary: The Origin of Warp Drive
Review: STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT is one the best of the Star Trek franchise. A nifty time travel story that includes an inventive origin story of humans first meeting with "Vulcans" (i.e. Mr. Spock) and using a major nemesis from the tv-series "the Borg". The "Next Generations" crew is on hand for an above-average adventure yarn along with a great character created as the point of origin, Zefram Cochrane played perfectly by James Cromwell (BABE, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) along with Alfre Woodard (as Lily Stone) and finally a great villianous turn as the Borg Queen is Alice Krige (GHOST STORY). Director/starring Jonathan Frakes knows these characters very well and with many things going on at once, there is no sag in the storytelling and everything seems to be in sync. One aspect that the screen writers took into account was the toning down of Data's (Brent Spiner) "emotion chip" that was so annoying in the 'ST-GENERATIONS' film and the character is able to redeem himself as one of the heroes in the story. Enough can't be said of Patrick Stewart whose Picard is the glue that holds the movie/crew together. The scenes with he and Michael Dorn (as the Klingon Cmdr Worf) are some of the best. Overall, a Star Trek movie that holds its own to WRATH OF KHAN, THE VOYAGE HOME, and THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY due to some ingenious plot devices, great characters, good special effects, and excellent direction.
Rating:
Summary: The best of a mediocre "Next Generation" movie lot
Review: The Next Generation movies in the Star Trek series, generally speaking, stink. Which is unfortunate, since in some ways the TNG series was better than the original Trek. However, the movies generally vary from pure cheese to holier-than-thou piffle. First Contact is a good, fun movie overall, with pretty good effects shots and plenty of generally well-executed action. However, it also has some defects that can really get on your nerves. -The plot is dumb. Time travel has been done to death in Trek, and is a real groaner when you realize that it is being done yet again.
-The movie beats into the ground the Star Trek plot gimmick of "we've found a mysterious energy field, let's duplicate it/follow it/etc." We've gone from the first Star Trek movie (crappy in other ways), which at least gave a nod to real science, to the end of TNG, where they just make up fake scientific-sounding B.S. AT WILL as a plot fix.
-Picard acting like Ahab from "Moby Dick" is way overdone, the worst acting by Stewart EVER. Pure scene-chewing cheese, and the PC bit of having the skinny black chick talk reason into him is just dumb and annoying, since she was a throw-away moron of a character. If you are going to be PC for no reason, at least have Geordi do it, we've established that LeVar Burton's character has a brain, and he can actually ACT, unlike what's-her-face.
-Making the Cochrane character such a total jerk was a BIG mistake. Yes, it was intentional, but it was a bad decision... it makes you hope he gets shot in the head instead of fulfill history, and makes the whole middle section of the movie drag. Overall, however, it is a fun movie and the only TNG movie worth watching.
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