STAR TREK
FIRST CONTACT

"We are the Borg"

As a Borg cube tries to break through Earth's defences, a sphere ship leaves the battle and heads towards the planet below. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart) and the crew of the newly commissioned Enterprise E arrive in time to pursue the sphere but just as it is about to approach Earth a vortex opens up and the Borg ship passes into it. The Enterprise crew then witnesses the Earth change into a Borg planet as they stuck in the wake of vortex. Their only option is to pursue and stop the Borg vessel.

The even numbered Star Trek movies are considered the best of the series but does 'First Contact' live up to the standard set by 'The Wrath of Khan', 'The Voyage Home' and 'The Undiscovered Country'?

The eighth movie in the 'Star Trek' franchise and the second to feature the crew of the 'Next Generation' TV series is the best of their big screen outings. The reason for this is simple, The Borg. By far the best villain in the Next Generation universe, the cybernetic race of assimilators make resistance futile when it comes to creating tension, action and suspense. 'First Contact' is also one of the best written of all the Star Trek movies, advancing characters, especially Data and Picard and making the Borg an even more terrifying villain than they ever where in the TV series.

This is why the film works so well. While some may argue that you need a knowledge of the Borg episodes from the TV series (especially 'Best of both Worlds') to get the most out of the film, the script is structured so that the casual or non fan can still understand the Borg and its connection to Jean-Luc Picard. The excellent script by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore serves the Borg, Picard and Data extremely very well, opening up more of the history and structure of the cybernetic enemy, showing Picard's more vulnerable side and dealing with Data's quest to become more human.

It is the Borg that takes centre stage however. From the astonishing opening confrontation with a Borg Cube to the introduction of one of the great Star Trek villains, The Borg Queen, the Borg show why they are the most feared adversary in the galaxy. Played to perfection by Alice Krige, the Borg Queen is one of the best lead villains ever created for Star Trek and even through out science fiction. From her amazing introduction, to her banter with Data, through to the final confrontation with Picard, she is a captivating character and strangely sexy to boot.

Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner are exceptional as Picard and Data. Each of their characters has the most development of the 'Next Generation' crew. Here we discover how much the events of 'The Best of Both Worlds' affected Picard both mentally and physically. For the first time we see the unflappable Captain been vulnerable and showing his true feeling about those terrible events. Data also goes through a dramatic change as he becomes tempted by the Borg Queen and the advances to his quest to become human she can promise him. Both Stewart and Spiner excel and prove they are the best actors and characters of the 'Next Generation'.

The rest of the cast also contribute however. With many of the films, most of the crew don't really have as much screen time as the now considered leads. 'First Contact' doesn't really change this but they do have enough to do keep the fans happy. Michael Dorn is as excellent as ever as Worf. The Klingon warrior gets to take the fight to the Federation's most feared enemy. Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and LeVar Burton become a slightly comedic trio as they try and keep first contact on track. The only crew members that really suffers from a lack of screen time is Beverley Crusher but she is probably the worst character in the series anyway. They are also some noticeable cameos from Star Trek favourite recurring characters that fans will enjoy.

Joining the established cast are James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard. Cromwell plays the father of Warp drive technology, Zefram Cochrane. He plays the reluctant historical figure with his usual skill and brings even more class to the production. Woodard plays Lilly, Cochrane's assistant who gets drawn into the conflict between Picard and the Borg. She almost becomes Picard conscience in the piece in a role that she plays extremely well.

'Star Trek First Contact' is one of the best movies in the franchise and easily the best to feature the 'Next Generation' crew. It is also a great science fiction film that fans of the genre can enjoy, even if they don't consider themselves Trekkers.

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic with Dolby Digital 5.1 and dts soundtracks, the transfer is extremely good.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Audio Commentary by director and actor Jonathan Frakes
Commander William Riker himself provides the commentary for his first Star Trek film as director. He tries to have some fun with the track, talking about the cast and crew and the visual effects of the film. The problem is that he really needs to have someone with him as he struggles to keep talking for the full duration of the movie, which is a shame as he has some interesting facts to pass on.

Audio Commentary by screenplay writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore
This informative and interesting commentary allows the writes of the film to reveal how 'First Contact' came to the silver screen. The pair talks about the development of the story, the time travel elements and how the film goes back to the true beginning of Star Trek history with Zefram Cochrane's first flight. They talk about the new Enterprise, the Borg redesign and the invention of the Borg Queen. This is a fascinating commentary for all Trekkers and is good listen for fans of the film.

Text Commentary by Michael Okuda and Dennis Okuda
Throughout the movie fascinating facts about the production of the movie and how it relates to the TV series are displayed in screen. These facts are every interesting and really enhance your watching of the film if you are a Trekker.

Disc 2

• Jerry Goldsmith: A Tribute
• The legacy of Zefram Cochrane
• First Contact: The possibilities
• The Borg Collective: Unimatrix One
• The Borg Collective: The Queen
• The Borg Collective: Design Matrix
• Making First Contact
• The art of First Contact

---

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

CLASSICS