| Title : |
First Contact |
Rating : |
 |
| First Aired : |
1 Jan 1996 |
Stardate : |
50893.5 |
| Director : |
Jonathan Frakes |
Year : |
2373 |
| Writers : |
Brannon Braga, Rick Berman, Ronald D. Moore |
Season : |
8 |
| Rating : |
5.0000 for 2 reviews | Add your own review |
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| Reviewer : |
Indefatigable |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
Absolutely amazing! That's all I can say about this film. It was the first Trek film I saw at the cinema, and surely the best one to start with. There were great moments from the beginning. Picard's nightmare about the Borg, then waking up to see an implant bursting through his cheek, I nearly jumped out of my seat. Then the sheer scale of the Cube on the big screen as it approaches Earth. Whoa! After that, the spacewalk scene was good, although I would have done it in without the sound effects to suggest the silence of space (I always turn the sound off when watching it). Picard and Lily's scene in the Ready Room was really the key to the film, and is truly a great scene. Finally, I loved the moment when the Titan booster separated and the Phoenix flew clear. If it ever really happened, it would be as great a moment as the Wright Flyer leaving the ground. It was quite clever of them not to show us the Borg for thirty minutes, although you know they were there. I also notice some very neat redresses of Voyager sets, and the EMH's cameo was very neat. Still, it's never perfect. I'm really not sure about quite a few things. Firstly, the new Enterprise seems far too dark. She's sleek enough on the outside, but far too dark inside. Secondly, the hard-drinking, rock'n'rolling Cochrane. I just can't take him seriously as the pioneer of warp drive. Finally, the Vulcan ship. It looks alien enough, but it doesn't look Vulcan. Where's the logical philosophy of a design like that? Still, I can excuse them all these things. This is by far the best TNG film, and perhaps the best of them all. |
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| Reviewer : |
Bob |
Rating : |
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| Review : |
First Contact remains my all-time favorite Trek film, and for good reason. You get a healthy dose of action, right from the initial Borg Cube battle, to the tense "Die Hard in space" atmosphere when the crew repel the Borg trying to assimilate the ship. There's also Trek's ever-present optimism to be found, as Zefram Cochrane, with much prodding, transforms from self-centered drunk to the great man history records. Picard exorcises his personal demons, up to his great speech and meltdown - Moby Dick is indeed an apt analogy for his attitude toward the Borg. Cochrane's "engage" order is a nice touch. If anyone noticed, the row of blinking lights underneath the Phoenix's cockpit windows are an excellent homage. The moment of First Contact with the Vulcans never fails to elicit a smile on my face. Data has some interesting chemistry with the Borg Queen; I especially love her line "Don't be tempted by flesh". The entire movie is superbly written and excellently paced. Each of the characters gets his/her own moment to steal the show. Patrick Stewart, in particular, deserves a commendation for his deeply emotional performance as a battered, rage-consumed Picard. As for the visual effects, this movie introduced us to two wonderful starship designs - the sleek, magnificent Enterprise-E, and the ever popular Akira class. The spacewalk and battle at the deflector dish was very well done, as were the various Borg-related make-up and special effects. Overall, one of the best, if not the best, Star Trek movies. |
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