Star Trek: First Contact

Starring: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frankes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell, Neal McDonough
Directed by: Jonathan Frankes
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Science Fiction
1996

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: The Borg are determined to travel back in time and prevent an inventor (James Cromwell) from creating warp drive and ushering Earth into First Contact with alien races. The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise must travel back in time to stop the Borg and keep the historical timeline intact.

Review:

Tim: This is the first true film featuring the Next Generation cast (free of any lingering William Shatner or James Doohan cameos) and they capitalize on the opportunity. I criticized the previous film, Star Trek: Generations because it felt like a clumsy transition movie. The transition is complete, and this film works. No, it is not perfect, but it is a solid entry into the Star Trek franchise.

I really liked that this film centered on Captain Picard and his quest for vengeance from his earlier assimilation with the Borg. It took a big, complex plot and made it real and personal. I was less concerned with the whole time-traveling aspect of the plot (although it mostly works) and much more interested in Picard and his emotional journey toward revenge. This is why the movie works.

Truth be told, the Borg are kind of a stupid villain. They definitely have some chilling moments, but as a whole, they just don't work. Yes, I love the "Resistance is Futile" tagline, but they aren't exactly menacing. They are too easy to kill individually, which prevents the film from developing some real suspense and thrills. The "leader" of the Borg is a sufficently strong villain, however.

I also really enjoyed the scenes of the Enterprise crew interacting with James Cromwell's character. It is fascinating to watch them, having traveled back in time, interacting with a man whose place in history is assured. I wondered how I would react if I had the opportunity to go back in time and meet a man whom I respected and who effectively changed the scope of history. These scenes are interesting, strong, and fun.

I never really watched the television show, so I am not intimately familiar with the characters. I liked that the film spent considerable time with Picard, Data, and Riker. However, I felt like the rest of the supporting cast didn't have enough to do. We didn't spend sufficient time with them, so they don't make a huge impact on the film. I always liked that the first six Star Trek films always seemed to have enough for the entire cast to do. This film felt like they ignored some of the supporting characters a bit too much.

Star Trek: First Contact is far from a perfect movie, but it is an improvement over its immediate predecessor. The franchise needed a strong film from its new cast, and this movie delivered. I didn't love this movie, but I did enjoy it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Generations