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Star Trek - First Contact

Star Trek - First Contact

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $15.99
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Star Trek: First Contact
Review: This movie had excellent action and special effects, and a captivating plot to match. I loved to see Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo, here as the Emergency Medical Holographic Program (Emergency Medical Hologram, EMH). I also think that all the so called "inconsistences" could be caused by slight temporal changes caused by the crew of the Enterprise E.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: dear leod
Review: Hey glad you noticed my post. Actually you have made a subtle mistake. If the Borg had taken the earth in the past THERE WOULD BE NO ENTERPRISE. Get it? No Picard, No Kirk. Nothing. That is what I meant by my post. Its quite possible I didnt explain it properly in my post and I apologize. However to assume I didnt have the volume up is just rude.

From a warm place,

Wayne

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Star Trek Comes Of Age.
Review: Jonathan Frakes is hands-down one of the best directors Star Trek has ever had. This talented man needs more work! Give the guy a big film, someone! If Spielberg is too busy to helm another 'Indiana Jones', then I respectfully suggest Mr Frakes. He does a fine job on 'First Contact' with a story that pays homage to Trek folklore. The cliches are all there; time travel, a threat to Earth and the existence of the Federation. But Frakes dances with the cliches instead of stepping on their toes. We have an exciting voyage that finally makes use of the big-screen potential of The Borg. There are only a couple of flaws to the story and the production itself. How does someone living in a virtual shanty-town build a starship in his back yard and why do the space battle scenes only last 55 seconds? Movies are supposed to give you what you CAN'T get from television. So why does the average TV episode of 'Deep Space Nine' have far more space battle action than a two hour big-budget film? Quibbles for sure, but worth noting anyway. This movie is well worth the money and effort but with the quality of the TV shows so relatively high it makes you wonder how much longer they excellent performances of the whole cast. And yay! Rock and Roll music finally gets some respect in Star Trek. To hear them tell it, you'd think that classical and jazz were the only forms of music in their century! And finally; have you ever noticed how many Star Trek films are based on, or have major scenes on the planet Earth? ALL OF THEM EXCEPT 'Insurrection'. For heavens sake, stay AWAY from the Earth and seek out those life forms and civilisations! How can Star Trek movies be so much about the Earth? Trek the STARS some more, guys.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If only all Trek were this good . . .
Review: If this is the death rattle of the Trek franchise, then it deserves to be mourned, because Mr. Frakes pulled something rather special out of his hat with this one. From the moment the truly beautiful score starts up, this film is polished, exciting, engrossing, and slick.

Special effects are a tad patchy, but at their best rival anything short of 'The Matrix', with CGI finally pulling Trek into blockbuster realm. Acting is solid, and is raised to extraordinary heights during one scene between Picard and Lily in the Captain's Ready Room, which is simply superlative drama. It may be the best scripted- and acted- scene in Trek.

So the humour falls a little flat at times, and the normal Trek mantra of thoughtfulness and caring-sharing gets pushed to the rear. So what? This is a stylish, smooth addition to a legendary genre, and is the 90s equivalent of The Wrath of Khan. If only they could have kept it up . . .

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Trek Heaven
Review: Star Trek is often accused of being inaccessible, limiting the audience to those who religiously follow the television series. This is a fair enough criticism, but part of what makes Star Trek so good is the fact that every element builds on the last and produces a world of immense detail. It's absorbing, so much so that you can easy get swallowed up by it. Another benefit is that the core cast know each other and their characters so well, that the performances simply ooze out of them. Patrick Stewart, always the diplomat, always level headed, gives us his best performance to date as Captain Picard. He ignites the film right from the off, and never lets the flame die out. The plot may not be particularly original, especially for Star Trek, but it doesn't matter, it's also superbly written and full of spine tingling excitement and bone breaking tension. Special effects, as you might expect, are breathtaking without ever being dominating, and the sound is suitably powerful (and eerie). It's the best piece of work from the Next Gen cast and arguably the best film of the lot; it's also one of the most accessible, so don't snub it, or you'll miss out on a rare treat.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Making "Contact" with Trek history....
Review: This is a film that is strong on the surface, often all the standard viewing public is looking for. Jonathan Frakes does a fabulous job directing this film (provided he is not in the scene). Great special effects and a straight-forward plot are attractive to most science fiction audiences (as well as other genre audiences).

Star Trek is different. It is a science fiction sub-genre that mandates a bit more commitment a sophistication on the part of the audience. Dealing with broader issues than zap-guns and spaceships, this genre must not only please audiences, but enlighten them. Unfortunately, this film fails in this department.

Sadly, the strengths in this film dissolve when put to the test of Star Trek history and ideology. As with most Berman-headed Trek ventures (Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager), continuity with Trek past is ignored.

According to the original Star Trek series:

* Zefram Cochrane was born in 2030 and was a man of average height and weight; yet in this film, in 2063 he is a tall man (as he is taller than Will Riker who is nearly six and a half feet in height) in his late 50's to early 60's.

* The first human warp flight by Zefram Cochrane was on March 15th, 2061, during which Cochrane traveled to the Alpha Centuri system, stayed a few days and did some surveying and then returned to Earth. (Thus, going to April 4th and 5th of 2063 is going to be over two years after the event. Also, the event depicted with Cochrane not going to Alpha Centuri and istead looping around the solar system is inconsistent with Kirk-era history and thus inconsistent with that of the Picard-era).

* Basic warp design used a matter-antimetter integrator design and not a warp-core (which is technology that was not even invented in the 23rd century). (Hence, references to warp-cores are very likely possibly to cause Cochrane to perhaps alter his designs and thus accelerate the historic development of technology by at least 250 years and thereby undermine the "past" that Picard and company are looking to protect).

* Zefram Cochrane had no assistant named Lily Sloane.

* Zefram Cochrane's warp ship research facility was not based out of a missle complex in central Montana.

* Zepfram Cochrane's warp ship was not a retro-fitted nuclear missile.

* By the 21st century, even during and in the years after the third world war, space travel was common enough to have technology that could detect vessels with the solar system. (Hence, the Enterprise-E remaining in orbit for over a day undetected is impossible. Also, a Vulcan ship travewling through the solar system and not being detected prior to the launch is not very likely either).

According to Star Trek: The Next Generation:

* The Borg are a species with technology that is far superior to those in the Federation. They can assimilate an entire vessel in a matter of hours, with or without computer control over the consume material (as it will be consumed in any event). (Understand all the computer records have onb them are the personal files of the crew and copies of Starfleet databases. Thus, as exciting as accessing Picard's captain's logs, the food suppliments Data feeds Spot, and so forth, and the database files that have transpired since at worst the assimilation of Ivore Prime, the Borg are unlikely to be halted because of a lack of access to them. They don't need computer control of navagation, weapons, etc., as they will be ripping those systems appart and installing Borg technology instead anyway, using the matter from the materials to contruct them in the same way they use the physical bodies of crew via direct assimilation, hyper-fertilization, and cloning to create more Borg).

* Borg cubes are decentralized. There is no propulsion system, weapons array, etc., like on most ships. To this end, Borg cubes can not be disabled easily. Afterall, in "best of Both Worlds", the Borg cube took on an entire fleet of 40 ships and emerged undamaged, having totally destroyed all opposing ships, killing all of their crews (except Sisko, Jake, and a few that escaped). (Thus, a fleet of Federation ships could not destroy a Borg cube by centralizing their fire on a specific point of the cube which is somehow going to damage a centralized system which will in turn cause the Borg cube to explode).

* The Borg have transwarp technology, and thus can outrun any ship from any established race in the Alpha or Beta quadrants.

* "Best of Both Worlds" took place in the final days of December of 2366 and first days of January of 2367. (Thus, "First Contact" circa mid November 2373 is nearly 7 years post that episode and not nearly 6).

* Borg life signs can not be detected with sensors as they do not organically register and are considered collectively like restistors in a machine rather than like individual parts.

* Earth is at least a day or so from the Romulan Neutral Zone. (Thus, for the Enterprise-E to warp from the Romulan Neutral Zone to Earth in a matter of a few minutes is impossible. And if it took them a few days, they would have gotten to Earth to find the fleet overrun and Earth assimilated and not have been able to join the on-going battle).

* The Sovereign-class vessel is one of 24 decks. (Not 26).

* The Borg Collective extends all the way to the Central Node on the Borg homeworld Delta Quadrant. (Thus, no interplexing beacon is needed to call for reinforcements. The Borg can just want it and they reinforcements will come within at worst a few hours. As a matter of fact, the instant they entered the 21st century, the Borg of the era knew about it. This is even confirmed by an episode of Voyager).

According to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine:

* Deep Space Nine and the Defiant are based some weeks away from Earth at maximum warp. (Therefore, assigning the Defiant to a combat mission against the Borg at Earth and the Typhon system is foolish in a waste of resources, especially when the Defiant is the only ship between the Dominion and Alpha Quadrant. It is also quite impossible as the events that lead to the battle seemingly occur in a matter of days and not weeks).

* Benjamin L. Sisko is the commanding officer of the Defiant. Occasionally, he sends the Definat out on a mission without him, but never without a few of his command staff on board. (Thus, Worf theorically could have commanded the Defiant on a mission to confront the Borg cube, assuming Sisko didn't go, yet he would have had with him a few among Kira, Dax, O'Brien, Bashir, Odo, Nog, Rom, etc.).

As Voyager rarely is even self-consistent, I won't even bother approaching discontinuities with that series (as they are no doubt due to weaknesses in that series and not this film).

This film boasts the great Ahab conflict, which has been visted too many times in too many films. It worked once with Kirk in "Obsession"; it worked well with Sisko and the need to catch a traitor on DS9; but, Picard is not the same sort of character as those two and thus it doesn't work at all here. As this is the only real sociological commentary that this film possesses (aside from a brushing on the overdetermination of historical figures in the B-story), the film fails in maintaining the enlightening ideology of Star Trek.

In conclusion, "Star Trek: First Contact" is a film that successfully entertains audiences, yet hardly works from a narrative persepctive. It has to violate may canon conventions of Trek to establish its action and drama. While it is visually captivating and stirring, the plot is weak and, as common with Berman ventures, the saga continuity is ignored. The film earns high ranks for visual effects and an opening few minutes that draws you in to the weaker remaining hour and 35 minutes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: its the works
Review: I think that there is no better way to enjoy the quality that your trusty little DVD player can give than to watch this film on, it a must have buy and watch, A nice presentation of menu screens and one or two little extras all help to boost the appeal of this little baby!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: First Contact is locked on target!
Review: Along with Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, this is the Star Trek film with the most "mass audience appeal." A thrilling action-adventure suspense ride, Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes deliver a one-two punch with a great story and fantastic acting by this ensemble cast. In particular, Patrick Stewart is at his very best here. In a film filled with stunning, suspenseful action scenes and breathtaking visuals, Stewart's portrayal of Cpt. Picard shines above all. The best scene in the film is not an action or f/x sequence, but one played between Stewart and Alfre Woodward near the conclusion. It's worth the price of the whole movie. Jonathan Frakes does a fantastic job creating suspense, action, humor, and fun in just the right balance. There is a storyline being played out on two fronts, and director Frakes does a great job moving between the two and keeping the viewer interested in both.

To date, this is "The Next Generation's" finest moment, and my second favorite of them all behind "Wrath of Khan"

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ohhhhh Yeahhhh
Review: Oh Yeah this was one of the best movies I have ever seen. This puts all the other Star Trek movies to shame. The movie has everything, action, comedy, drama, and even a little emotion. It has the best supporting cast of any of the other movies. Star Trek fan or not you must see this movie.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Next Generation is getting their act together.
Review: Somehow, Star Trek movie sseem best, when the cast goes back in time to present day. I am not quite sure what it is, but the actors seem to enjoy their work more. First Contact, like The Voyage Home is a typical example of this rule. Much better then Generations, this movie, while not quite as good as some of the original series movies is at least up to standard. The cast does a better job, the story is more interesting and the charactres have obviously been around for some time, aquiring a bit of personality. Good special effects and an excellent role by Alice Kriege as the Borg Queen make this an enjoyable movie for everybody.


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