Star Trek - First Contact

Rating:
Summary: Two takes Frakes makes the best Star Trek TNG movie.
Review: The action of this flick awes all other trek films to sit back and watch for themselves. It added the missing ingredient to the universe of TNG. The added element of big budget action, flawlessly directed in pace and punction. It also stirs a laughable question, "don't you guys ever use the bathroom?" Refering to the inside joke of the series where you're never shown the bathrooms of the future. I suppose with the defibrillating opening sequences they could have shown anything and i would have walked away high on praise. The new, high defination star ship bore the bright lights of the silver screen where the old ship could not (the reason why they went with destroying the old D-model). The ships design lacked the organic feel of the old, romantic, D-ship. I was Very happy they didn't go with a computer image, rather than a model for the new ship. The special effects of the time would not have allowed the detailed pull of the zoom! This music of this film is hands down the best in the universe of Star Trek. If you buy one Soundtrack, make it first contact. I believe they set the borg back on the right track also, with this film. They made the borg impassioned, dulling the threat of their presence with "i borg"! Here a revealing of the one sentient element of the borg, the queen.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated, it deserved to be better and easily could have.
Review: Looks like a great package for fans, but I've got real problems with this movie, given that they had 2 years in which to make it.

The teaser advert I saw on television looked suspenseful and gripping, and even gritty - all things I love. Of course, it used music from The Wrath of Khan (which was an instant 'red flag' for me), but I didn't let it distract me. I was hyped and eager to see this new film.

So, I went to the theatre to watch this flick... didn't feel I needed to see it again. (I saw VI 3 times, Generations 2 times, and Insurrection 3 times... Nemesis 1 time and I nearly walked out, but that's for another review...) But because it was on clearance, I ultimately bought the LaserDisc edition in '99...

The good:

Jonathan Frakes' direction. He really is good with camerawork. Especially for the Borg intro, his direction is spot-on and even delivers the goods. Overall, he's the right guy... but you can tell he had to do a LOT with some material that proved itself to be low quality fluff.

I'm glad they kept him for Insurrection, an eminently better produced film that, unusually for a Next Gen film, doesn't rely on its established lore and dares to tell a new story rather than feeding fans more of the same... but I digress.

Picard/Borg subplot: The Federation is proven right as Picard becomes more and more paranoid and is determined to exterminate the Borg at all costs. (think of it as a reversal of "The Wrath of Khan). If only the movie spent more time on this aspect, because this was when the movie ditched all of the supposed 'ha-ha' moments and actually try to provide thrills and chills... The Ruby/Picard confrontation is the zenith of this subplot and it is both sublime and superlative.

Special effects: They're good. But by 2005, people will re-visit the movie and think that the effects look cheap. Then they'll try getting into the plot and some of them might ask "Why did I like this slop? That's why basing a movie on its effects never works; special effects always become dated. The plot and characterizations don't.

The bad:

The Picard/Borg subplot: Let's figure this out: The Federaton gives Picard their new flagship and then tells Picard to go play tiddleywinks on the Romulan border just as the Borg invasion commences. Now if the Federation execs can't trust Picard whenever a Borg dare spouts off the usual dreary dialogue drivel, why give him the supposedly best ship out there?! Isn't that, well, dumb?

More intersting is this: The "E" is situated at the Romulan border and the Borg strike. They hear over subspace comm that the Feds are losing. Picard and Data do their little song and joke and 'disobey orders' and head to Earth. That's EARTH. Hardly the neighbor of the Romulan neutral zone. Even at warp 9.9, it's BOGUS to think for even one attosecond that they'd make it back in time to save the day. This is very sloppy writing, and we're not beyond the first 10 minutes yet!!

Most interestingly of it all - given the previous statement, how come all the Federation ships instantly obey Picard who breaks orders (with Data being a 2nd rate Spock, no less in an awful so-called humorous moment) to go concentrate their firepower on the one area of the Borg ship?

And for a species that proclaims to be able to rapidly adapt, the Borg keep sending o n l y o n e c u b e to take over the Federation. Having been in tussle against the Federation before, you think they'd send TWO cube ships and be done with it, but nooooo. Worse, the usual issue of conveniently being able to kill Borg in one scene, followed by a scene where they adapt, and then later another scene where lo and behold they can kill some more Borg again became tiresome.

Time travel. How many more times do we need to see a sloppily written way to get everybody back in time. Even better, with the Enterprise heavily damaged and having its deflector removed, I'd wonder HOW they could get back to the 24th century so easily...

"Watch you're future's end" says the Queen. Never mind that the Queen is totally incongrous with what we've been led to believe about the Borg in the past. Her comment is stupid. Picard and the gang have already ecounted the Borg and even have lives. Had this scene been in the 24th century, it might be passable. But with using time-travel (WHY? There is no need to except to deliver us the means to add the Zephram Cochrane subplot which is utterly atrocious and pointless), this big phrase of hers loses all meaning because we already know they're going to win. More sloppy writing, if there hadn't been enough at this point!

The comedy, it shouldn't be called 'humor': Ever since Trek IV, Paramount seems intent on ensuring every Trek movie gets a huge dose of humor (except for 'Nemesis', which is ironically the biggest joke of them all...). Guess what? It ain't funny in this one. It's so awful, it's even embarrasing in scenes. This movie was presented to me as being a suspenseful adventure and what we truly got was this farce?! Oobie doobie this!

The music. Jerry Goldsmith is not at his best here. One example is the Borg battle music's intro; it's B-material at best, overly pompous and embarrassing to listen to at worst. Something about the music doesn't fit the movie. Goldsmith's done better (namely the first Trek film) What was wrong with Dennis McCarthy's style? Or, better yet, why not get Ron Jones to do the music? Oh yeah, he was fired because his style was too lively and engaging and didn't put people to sleep while watching the show.

Continuity flubs: They exist in great numbers here. Non-trekkies won't care because they won't see the goofs. Trekkies who like the Kirk era WILL care. (Obviously I prefer the Kirk era, generally, but Insurrection Special Edition hasn't been released yet...) Fans of the Next Generation will love anything it all regardless. (try to sit through 'Nemesis' and you'll know quickly what I mean...)

Production flubs: Barclay's toupee and some other trifling bits, there's a surprisingly good scene where Ruby is threatening Picard with a phaser. He ultimately gets her to stand down, but when she hands him the phaser you can see it light up. Why didn't Picard die as he did say it was set to kill?

And worst of all: Cameos from two of Star Trek Voyager's cast for no reason: The McCoy ripoff hologram doctor... and Neelix minus his makeup in the holodeck ballroom recreation. Just when you thought that Michael Dorn's butting into Trek 6 was bad enough, now we get two from a far worse spinoff. (not to dis Mr. Dorn, I rather liked how they were making continuity... and for once not wilfully breaking it, as can be seen in Generations and 1st Contact...)

Along with time travel, other bogus conveniences include how easy it is to turn off the holodeck safety mechanism (which should also mean that when one exits the holodeck, any bullets would also vanish, yes?)

Ultimately? Go buy "Generations" instead. It feels even more like an overlong TV episode, but despite its problems it's at least got the humor part done well.

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: 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: 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: Easily the Best TNG Film
Review: While "Star Trek: First Contact" rewrites too much of the original TV series' history--a debilitating addiction the current production people can't seem to shake--it delivers a rollicking adventure that is more in keeping with Captain Kirk's episodes than any other "TNG" film. That's really good because on TV, talky Captain Picard and crew often seemed better suited for Monday morning board meetings than the intergalactic perils of space opera. In this one, a race of cybernauts called the Borg decide to revise Earth history by stopping the first human excursion with warp drive. Picard and crew follow the aliens back in time, meeting with a cynical, drunken inventor (a laconic James Cromwell) who revises their assessment of his place in history. Unlike the other TNG films, this one's plotted more like a film than a TV show, meaning that the pace is less likely to put you to sleep, even if Star Trek still can't quite escape cornball humor or pure cheese. (How many times does Data have to discover his humanity or Worf be told he's a warrior worthy of respect? Why do characters rely so often on a pregnant pause and one last line before exiting? Just how much technobabble can we really take?) The regular cast is as good as it's always been--which is to say, adequate--but Alice Krige stands out as the creepily sexy Borg queen and though she's frequently bug-eyed with excitement, Alfre Woodard deserves more screen time as Picard's potential love interest. The real stars here, though, are Jonathan Frakes as director, who seems to actually understand and respect the material he's working with, and Jerry Goldsmith, whose score is among the better in the series. When the humans meet up with a surprise alien race at the end, the moment might actually give you goosebumps.

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.