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DVD : Star Trek - First Contact (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) |
- A Return To ActionAfter chasing God in Star Trek V, reenacting the Cold War in IV, and being offered an ultimate "fantasy life" in Generations (all very philosophically-themed films), Star Trek: First Contact shifted its focus to action/adventure, and was better served for it. Plus, not only was the film a rousing adventure, but also containted the emotions to back it up.
In this film, the Next Generation crew is reunited with the Borg (whom, perhaps with the exception of Klingons, are the most compelling villain race in the Star Trek cannon). This reunion touches an extremely raw nerve in Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who once was captured and tortured by the Borg, setting up the emotional drama of the film. The "Picard meltdown" scene is one of the best in the entire Star Trek series as far as emotional conflict is concerned. While trying to stop the Borg from changing the entire course of human space travel (the main plot of the film), Picard must balance his intense hatred of the one-eyed automatrons with the safety and well-being of himself, his crew, and the entire human race.
Besides that strong emotion, though, the other aspect of the film that succeeds is its ability (much like the II-IV movies) to give all the Enterprise crew something important (and interesting) to do. Worf tries to secure the ship from the Borg, Data is heavily drawn into the Borg's plan (being a cybernetic being himself), while Riker, Geordi, and Troi must help Zefram Cochrane gain the confidence to lift off on the most important of all manned space flights. Each story is just as compelling as the other, with Worf providing the bulk of the action, Data adding more emotional conflict, and Riker/Geordi/Troi pushing the main plot forward as well as adding doses of humor.
To conclude, Star Trek: First Contact is easily the best Star Trek film featuring the Next Generation cast, and I would argue rivals movies II and IV as the best in the entire series. With its combination of action, emotional drama, time-travel plot (those always keep you thinking!), and sly humor, this film combines all the positive aspects of the Star Trek cannon and tops things off with a great script and spot-on acting. If you have never seen a Star Trek movie and could care less about the "old guys" (The Original Series cast), this is the movie to start with. If you were introduced (albeit rather poorly) to the Next Generation crew in Star Trek: Generations, this movie will properly aquaint you to the show.
Rating:
- Lots of fun, but not for the uninitiatedEnjoyable, action-filled, but if you haven't watched the series, you might be a bit at sea.
So let's see: um, Picard once got bitten by a cyborg race called the Borg and developed Space Lime Disease, and oh yeah, Warf is on that spin-off show Deep Space Nine, so that's why he's on that little ship (with nobody else from that show, apparently). Oh, and there's this guy named Zephram Cochrane from the ORIGINAL series who created warp drive, and later became immortal, sort of.
But if you can chew through that or ignore it, there's the nasty Borg queen, played by Alice Krige with scene-stealing glee, nifty space battles, fun with the holodeck, mercy killing, and the always effective Alfre Woodard. And don't forget James Cromwell, just a few years after that little piggy movie got him a much better agent.
Jonathan Frakes, (Commander Riker) directed, quite capably. The film moves along at a nice pace, rarely stalling (usually only when Patrick Stewart is having a "SERIOUS ACTING!" moment). There's the story on the ship, battling the Borg, and the story on the planet, where half the crew is trying to get the reluctant Cochrane up in the air in his rickety warp ship, on schedule. Balancing the two stories is really quite a feat.
Compare the editing and cutting between the two stories with Lucas's dismal Episode One: I would have gladly killed little Anikin, Jar-jar, Amidala and her bully-boys myself just so we could get back to the climactic light saber duel.
This Trek movie is enjoyable, but if the second paragraph above make you go "huh?", better get a trekkie on the couch to ask questions when you watch this.
Rating:
- First Contact-The best of the New Gen Flicks!Another of my "retro-reviews","Star Trek:First Contact" is by far and away the best of the new generation movies made.
The movie sets the mood and pace almost right from the get go.The Earth is being assaulted by a Borg cube ship but the Enterprise is told to stand down and is sent to a remote section of the quadrant to do some star mapping.This step has been apparently taken by the Earth governing hierarchy due to Picards' assimilation by the Borg years before.
The battle is listened to closely by the bridge crew and all is not going well.When Picard cannot take anymore he hurries back to Earth to help.They arrive in the nick of time and help to destroy the cube ship.But a Borg escape pod gets away and hurls earthward.The Enterprise pursues and goes through the same time portal the escape pod creates.They are taken back to the year 2063 and it seems the Borg are here to stop Zephram Cochran(inventor of warp drive)from taking his first flight(due to be the next day) and conquer Earth itself;to change the future for their own purposes.
The Enterprise closes in on the pod which is firing Earthward and destroys it.Unbeknownst to the crew though,a party of Borg transported aboard the ship,seconds before its' destruction.The Enterprise crew lands on Earth and meets the warp drive inventor and assists him in every way possible so he makes the all important flight.Besides the flight being a first test for warp drive it will also lead to a first contact situation with intelligent alien life which in turn will lead the Earth on its' path towards permanent space exploration.
During all this time with Cochran the crew slowly realizes and starts to come to grips with the Borg threat aboard the Enterprise.
Several crew members are taken hostage and assimilated including Data.Picard eventually gives himself to the Borg who are lead by a queen.
It's touch and go but Picard with Data's help,eventually defeats the queen and her coterie.The ship is saved from destruction and Cochrans' historic flight takes place as it should with the positive resultant effects.
The movie rarely stops for a moment as the pace is relentless and it keeps you focused all the time.All of the new gen crew are there who do a good job playing the characters to a tee from the TV show and even DS9 is given a nod as Worf comes aboard after having lead an almost fatal attack against the Borg on the Defiant.The queen Borg is played by Alice Krige who gives a great performance with just the right amount of omnipotence and menace coupled with a good measure of faux sincerity in her voice and body language.
There are some very minor drawbacks here and there in this film.The biggest one however is Zephram Cochran himself.Anyone in the least familiar with Star Trek,and the original series in particular,knows about Cochran.Captain Kirk met Cochran on a far away planet in one of the better known eps.There are slight differences in detail from the Cochran of Picard and the one of Kirk.Not the least of which being their physical appearances and mannerisms.There is very little if anything one can match up between the two actors or their characters,only that we are supposed to believe that they are one and the same Cochran.The writers knew they were taking a chance with this aspect and while over-all plot wise it works,with me there's always that thing in my head that keeps saying:"No,these are just NOT the same people".And that always creates that "bump" in an otherwise smooth ride.
Technically the print is crisp and clear and the transfer was very good.The two disc set here has alot of features to offer and should satisfy all the Trek fans.
In conclusion this is overall a really good movie and a worthy entry in the Star Trek cannon.Its' plot is quick and well thought out and the acting is spot on throughout and Ms.Kriges' performance as a Borg queen is a standout.If your a Star Trek fan this movie deserves a spot on your shelf.It's just too bad the follow ups to this didn't come close in script and execution.
Rating:
- The beginning of the Star Trek story line.....I watched the original episodes and watched most of TNG and when they ended. I felt DS9, Voyager and Enterprise were nothing but a bunch of spin off meaning the title (star trek being used in each of them). I didn't understand DS9 and Voyager at the time and didn't follow Enterprise.
It wasn't until later when I've collected them all! Every single star trek episode and movie to date that I realized it's telling one big story.
Which bring me to this movie. I now consider this film being the first episode in the story I mean. I'm sure a lot of you have seen it already if you haven't you won't understand the series Enterprise. I HOPE THIS GRABS YOUR GUYS ATTENTION!! I'll continue with my review on Enterprise season one
Rating:
- Brilliant installment of the franchise!Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew (Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates Mcfadden, and Marina Sirtus) have been given orders not to interfer in the battle between the Borg ship and the Federatuib ship. But the sinister Borg race with their sexy leader (Alice Krige) have a dastardly plan to go back in time so they can enslave the human race on Earth in the 21st century, the Enterprise follows them as their only chance in stopping the borg is to find the creator of warp drive known as Zefram Cochran (James Cromwell) and his assistant Lily (Alfe Woodard) and stop the Borg's plan.
The greatest ST sequel since "Wraith of Khan" and yet the most satisyfying! The acting and special effects are fantastic, the storyline is well constructed and director/actor Jonathan Frakes has really made the movie into one of the best sci-fi movies ever. Ms. Krige is quite a dish for a cybernetic villainess in this movie, Jerry Goldsmith's score soars high as one of his best and is the best film of the Next Generation part of the ST franchise, a real winner in my books.
This 2-Disc DVD set contains excellent sound and picture that is better then the original DVD all the way! extras include audio commentaries, Text Commentary from Denise and Michael Okuda, Teasers and Trailers, Scene deconstruction, A tribute to Jerry Goldsmith and featurettes.
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