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Visitors Review

fairygal 2013-06-18 12:11:53

not the best star trek ever...but good

as a star trek fan i have to say that the next generation movies aren'tthe greatest in general - the originals were much better. kudos to theRick Berman for still being able to come up with an idea for yetanother film though and this is a fantastic story line for bothexperienced and unexperienced trekkers. whilst for the unexperiencedtrekker can enjoy the what the film says about the human race and thechoices/actions that shape our world the experienced trekker can revelin the history being given to all the films and series we've alreadyhad. picards relationship with the Borg is interesting and put acrosswell, especially in the initial sequence however one gets a littletired of his attitude towards the end of the film. whilst generationsremains the all time best next generation film (ruined only by the lackof Leonard nimoy) first contact steams ahead of its following filminsurrection in the sense of the action and the fantastic impression ofthe bond between the crew and their captain, and the captain and hisship. watch out for the moby dick quotes.

Geoff Bannister 2013-06-17 20:18:34

Just great

Like any film series, some are better than others. One of my earlynominations for best was "Wrath of Khan" but, as others appeared,I felt"TheUndiscovered Country" came equal, but "First Contact" tops my personallist.(The following paragraph may include a spoiler.)It has all the menace and appeal of the TV series Borg episodes, but, forme, two scenes are the absolute highlights. The first is the space walk onthe Enterprise's hull (which brought back incredible memories of seeing"Destination Moon" when I was 10). The tension and unreal quality of thefight under zero gravity was superb. The second scene was the scenebetweenLily Sloane and Picard in the ready room which climaxes in Picard'ssmashingof the display cabinet. This scene is absolutely pivotal to thedevelopmentof the plot.The Borg, courtesy of the big screen, are able to be more dangerous andnasty than their TV counterparts and the special effects involving themaresecond to none.

2013-06-13 09:08:17

"The line must be drawn HERE!"

"Star Trek: First Contact" is the best of the films that feature the cast of "The Next Generation." It features all the classic "Trek" elements, while injecting horror, humor, and a bit of "Trek" history into the mix. Clever writing, superb acting, and spectacular visual effects and action make this one a "Star Trek" film not to be missed. And now, the film has received the ultimate treatment with the "Special Collector's Edition" DVD! The featurettes are great, and the two commentary tracks (The first by Actor/Director Jonathan Frakes, and the second by screenwriters Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga) are both informative and very funny. Fans of the film, or of "Star Trek" for that matter, will not want to miss assimilating this one into their DVD Collections.Movie/DVD Grade: A+

2013-06-12 19:58:12

The villains are more interesting than the heroes.

It seems at times that the Star Trek franchise is getting tired. The stories are becoming lengthy, (or the pacing is too slow). Here is a convoluted plot with stock characters. Unfortunately, the cardboard cut-outs come from the crew of the Enterprise. The supporting cast seems to walk through this story as if they're just as disinterested in the action on Earth (of past) as we are. Also, there was no real sense of imminent danger and an urgent need to get that ship off the ground. (Which leads to another issue--how much can a Starfleet Captain break the rules of the Prime Directive. It always seems to change with each movie and tv episode. Whatever's convenient to give Starfleet the upper hand.)The real thrill ride comes from what goes on up in the skies on the Enterprise! The fear and hatred that Picard has for the assimilating Borg is exciting. Alice Krige is AMAZING as the Borg queen--seductive and grotesque at the same time. Who knew? The meancing Borge gives us the real sense of danger and suspense, as with each scene they get dangerously close to taking over the ship and conquering. Perhaps this contributes to the failure of the second half of the storyline? With the great story and plot devices occurring up in the stars, it's a let down every time the film cuts to the goings on down on the Earth's surface. It could be a problem of the director's (Jonathan Frakes) editing choice, or a problem with the screenplay. The viewer gets the feeling that the parallel plot is just an excuse to get the rest of the actors involved in the movie.In terms of special effects, this one is amazing. They just keep getting better and better. This is definitely a worth seeing, if not for Alice Krige and her attempts at seductively taunting Data.

gavin6942 2013-06-08 23:08:28

A Sequel and a Prequel at the Same Time

The Borg have returned and this time they're seriously determined tostop the Federation. So determined, in fact, they travel back in timeto when Earth made "first contact" with the Vulcans, where the Borghope to destroy the first warp drive and take over (assimilate) all ofhumanity. Picard, who had been ordered to stand down, doesn't acceptthis and follows the enemy with his crew in tow.I hate to say it, but this is one of the more pointless Trek films. Iloved "The Next Generation" and I'd watch a film with the cast nomatter how awful or stupid it was. So I enjoyed this one, as well. Butgenerally speaking, it is just full of questionable situations andseemed more like a desire to cash in than any serious attempt toprovide the fans with something substantial.After the series ended and we had "Generations", the time travel ideais really played out. The only reason to add it here is to tell a storyabout how man met Vulcans. But it's really better to do this in aprequel or something. Adding Riker and Troi to a crucial moment inhistory just seems to cheapen it for me. Why can't it happen withoutsuch big names involved? And I didn't care for the character of the thewarp drive inventor (I love James Cromwell, but this was not a greatrole). And the Steppenwolf? Over a century later? Very out of sync withthe series.The Borg revisionism was questionable, too. We have the Borg Queeninserted into the Locutus story, which she wasn't in originally. Hercharacter in general is interesting but takes away from the concept ofthe Borg race. At least for me it does. The Borg, aside from Q, areprobably the most interesting species on "The Next Generation" but Ididn't think their presentation here was true to their being.Lastly, I was mixed on how to feel about Data being made more human. Iunderstand we have to continue down the path of making him more andmore like a human (adding knowledge first, then emotions and now pain).But it seemed so forced. Each film in the series has'a subplot of Datagetting more human. Why so fast? On the show, it slowly progressed overyears and years and then the movies came and made it a constant part ofthe story.After these complaints, you'd think I hated the movie, but I don't. Iliked it quite a bit, and as I said I'm always ready to see the crewtogether again. I just got the impression this was a weak film."Generations" was superior, as were many of the episodes. And when atelevision show is better than its movie, that's not really saying muchfor the film. It just seemed to be not in the spirit of the show. Butif you like "Next Generation" (and I'm assume you do), you'll have tosee this at some point. You probably already have.

2013-06-08 04:54:20

Excellent.

I've read the other reviews from other who have purchased this DVD, and I think overall the operative phrase is: "Suspend your belief for a few hours and enjoy the film." Going to the movies, in general, is to get out of reality for a little while and to be first and formost entertained. If you can leave the theater inspired, then you received an extra added and possibly an unexpected bonus. Until Insurrection, this was my favorite of all the previous installments of Star Trek. True, I believe there were a couple of duds, but for the most part the film makers have stayed true to the genre. First contact has everything that that makes Star Trek, Star Trek. A plausible story line (granted the technology is impossible, but isn't most sci-fi?), action, suspense, appropriate comedy, and of course the special effects to make everthing believable. Star Trek fans will not be disappointed. I purchased the video in VHS format, but still purchased it in DVD after I acquired a DVD-rom. The DVD format has alot of bonuses that the other formats do not have, making this Star Trek on DVD a treat to own.

2013-06-07 10:26:55

"I'm a Doctor, not a doorstop"

This review is from: Star Trek - First Contact (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition) (DVD) Finally, the TNG characters have a movie on thier own and it's a good one. I've been waiting for this moive to come out on the Special Collector's Edition for some time. And now, I'll get this fairly soon. The Borg are back and ready to assilimate the Federation. However, Captain Picard knows all about the Borg (because he was once a Borg himself) and quickly destorys the Borg ship. But, an escape pod from the Borg ship has traveled back in time to prevent Earthlings making first contact. The Enterprise goes back in time to make sure first contact happens. Jonathan Frakes is at the helm as director and makes an execellent movie.

2013-06-07 02:06:07

Great Movie, OK DVD

Star Trek: First Contact is a first-rate movie. The enterprise, ordered to stay out of the conflict with the borg violates orders and comes in at the last moment to save the day. Picard takes command of the task force and destroys the borg ship. But wait -- a small sphere broke away from the cube at the last moment. The enterprise follows it back into time to undo the damage that the borg have done A.K.A. assimilating earth. There the meet the witty Zephran Cochran and Riker & Geordi partake in the first test of the warp engine while Picard tries to get the borg off of his ship. While there is some humor, it is done much more tastefully than Generations (which at some points seemed more like bad stand-up than a star trek movie). The DVD is somewhat lacking: it, of course, contains the movie -- which looks great -- but it lacks in extras such as cut scenes, behind the scenes shots, etc. It could be a lot better as a DVD but the movie is the best Trek film to date!

2013-06-06 08:04:31

One of the best Star Trek movies...

Ok, it isn't saying much to say that First Contact is one of the best Star Trek movies, but it is nevertheless.Although it wouldn't be Star Trek without some cheesy lines like "You're all astronauts, on some kind of star trek!", this movie is saved by the fact that it's got a pretty decent pace with a good amount of action keeping things going. To top it off, you also have the one thing that ever made any Star Trek movie or episode good: a rejection of the notion that humans in the future have evolved so that they are inherently "better" than people who live today.Because Captain Picard is a flawed man who is pursuing vengeance for something that was done to him, he is an approachable character who makes morally questionable decisions, and that keeps this movie interesting.I don't know if a non-Trekkie would find this movie all that great, but I'd guess it's one of only a few that has a chance.

jhuni_x 2013-06-06 00:43:17

You might like this film if you are beyond reason

However, if you are reasonable, let me point out two ridiculous thingsthat firmly set Star Trek in the area of fantasy rather then sciencefiction: the Q continuum and time travel (the basis of this movie).Time travel is ridiculous in too many ways to count. The first of whichis if it is possible where are the time travelers? If it were possibleit would be the most devastating thing ever. The first group to inventit would go back in time to when everyone else was still bacteria andconquer the galaxy.The way the Borg would go about using their time travel technology isthey would go back as far in time as possible and upload to the earlierhive mind their knowledge of time travel, futuristic technology, andenemy cultures. The Borg would then construct several more timemachines and go back in time again with fleets of spheres and conquerthe galaxy and then the universe.And if those points weren't enough, what makes the time travel in thisfilm completely ridiculous is that by going back in time and meetingthe humans of the past they would've completely altered the future andthe entire structure of the federation and the Star Trek universe, butthat didn't seem to happen.Additionally, this film completely ruined the Borg. In the Best of BothWorlds they seemed to be an irresistible force of nature, however, inthis film the real identity of the Borg is revealed, they are actuallya bunch of mindless idiotic zombie beings without any goals likeperfection. And they have a queen too now, what is up with that? The queen servesno practical purpose and she has nothing to do with the Borgphilosophy. She was just stuck in there as a plot device and to furthertransform the Borg into a silly joke, not to be taken seriously. Inessence the Borg died with this film.And what the heck is the Borg queen doing talking? I thought the Borgwere beyond that. Sound is an incredibly inefficient means ofcommunication, it is slow, it cannot travel across long distances oracross space (which raises the question of how do they hear externalsounds on the enterprise? Do they have artificial sound?), it is hardto decipher, and you cannot transfer very much data with it. Thereforethe Borg use more efficient mediums. Namely they use radio wavecommunication like what we use today with the Internet except theyextended into interstellar space by using subspace channels.In conclusion if you intend to watch this film shut off your mind as alack of critical thinking we make this film far more enjoyable.

2013-06-05 15:10:50

When Zefrem Cochrane was a young dude...

This film deals with time travel by Picard and his merry men back to the dawn of Warp Drive to thwart an evil attempt to get in the way of that discovery. We had only met Cochrane once before, "in the autumn of his years", on the Original Series, when a non-corporeal being he knew only as "the Companion" fell for him heavily enough to make him immortal (and later to give up her own immortality for him). In this film, Cochrane is a tinkerer in the mode of a latter-day Edison, about to make the biggest breakthrough in space travel since the Atlas rocket, but the scene that I remember most is when Counselor Troi, usually the Enterprise's hub of charming sensibility (we should all be so lucky as to have such a shrink), is served real booze by Cochrane (remember, the crew is only used to synthehol) and gets as plastered as Lucy Ricardo in that classic "Vitameatavegimin" episode. When old flame Riker sees her that way, he only partially suppresses a grin of affectionate amusement.

2013-06-05 03:08:03

one of the best

A Star Trek movie good enough for even non-Trekkies. Not as good as TWOK, but close enough. Lots of action, not too much corny Data dialog, and no Wesley!

johnny-08 2013-05-26 08:40:15

"Borg? Sounds Swedish. "

I'm not a huge fan of "Star Trek" but I can recognize a good movie whenI see it. Personally, my favorite Captain is Jean-Luc Picard and I knewthat movie with Patrick Stewart in this role couldn't be bad. I had agreat time watching it and every movie that holds my attention for thatlong is good. Every movie of this type. There are some serious problemsthat this movie is putting on. Like possible Third World War, all themankind erased and many more of topics that could happen in our future.Movie is made in 1996. and year 2065. that is mentioned in moviedoesn't seem that far. Is it possible that some sort of disaster willhappen to us in near future? That's the one of the reason why I likedthis movie. Topics from today can be recognized in a plot like that.Jonathan Frakes directed this movie and it is very important to saythat he's also starring in this one. As you all probably know he'sCommander William Riker. Why I mentioned this? It's because after yearsof working together actors needed some director that they can relay onand I think that Jonathan Frakes did amazing job. Patrick Stewart isonce more brilliant in his role and he's the best actor in this team. Ialso liked two actress: Alfre Woodard and Alice Krige. Alice Krigespecially as Borg Queen. Also James Cromwell has important role in thismovie.Music. People listen to rock in 2065! Great, I'm glad to hearthat.There are also lots of funny scenes. Most of them include Lt.Commander Data (Brent Spiner). Something interesting. When PatrickStewart is talking about "Moby Dick" and Ahab in this movie. He didn'tknow that one day he'll play Ahab in a movie.I really enjoyed this one and I hope that all of "Star Trek" fansweren't disappointed. For me, great way to start taking more noticeabout some other "Star Trek" movies. Go on Picard, you're great. AndMr.Stewart, thank you.

2013-05-25 15:07:48

Star Trek: First Contact

This movie had excellent action and special effects, and a captivating plot to match. I loved to see Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo, here as the Emergency Medical Holographic Program (Emergency Medical Hologram, EMH). I also think that all the so called "inconsistences" could be caused by slight temporal changes caused by the crew of the Enterprise E.

Li-1 2013-05-15 18:16:38

Wrath of Khan be cursed, this is the best film of the series.

*** out of ****Wow. I don't recall the original crew ever getting anywhere near thisphysical. Star Trek: First Contact, which features the Next Generationcrew in their first solo outing, is an action-packed adventure thatsets a pinnacle of achievement for this series. Much of the appeal ofthe Star Trek is that it favor ideas and dialogue over action scenes,both of which are elements I heartily enjoy. First Contact is best ofthe series because it successfully blends both approaches into oneexhilarating thrill ride.The Borg, the most dangerous villains in Star Trek lore, have returnedand have set a course for Earth. This time, they mean to assimilate theplanet by going into the past to prevent Earth from achieving warpdrive. Also caught in the temporal vortex, the Enterprise-E, led byCaptain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), follow in pursuit,determined to keep the Borg from destroying the human race. From there,the movie splits into two narratives. There is the crew's attempt tokeep the warp drive operative and Picard's battle to keep the invadingBorg from taking over the Enterprise.Star Trek: Generations was a very enjoyable first outing for the Trekcrew on the big screen, a promising start for what would hopefully leadto even bigger and better things. As a direct sequel, First Contact isindeed superior to not just Generations, but all its predecessors. Withits complex plot and amazing special effects, the film is anintelligent, fast-paced thriller. The abundant action sequences are tense and exciting. From thespectacular opening space battle to the phaser fights and thehand-to-hand combat, this is easily the most thrilling Trek adventureto date, and it's an added bonus it's also the most ingeniouslyplotted. The standout sequence, a battle on the hull of the Enterprise,is a lengthy, suspenseful action setpiece, and perhaps the bestsequence of the entire franchise. With Patrick Stewart's riveting performance and Brent Spiner'sexcellent portrayal of Data, the movie also boasts compelling drama, anelement lacking in most other entries. Jerry Goldsmith's rousing scorenicely accompanies the action and the final minutes even manage todeliver a sense of awe that the best of science fiction aspire to.First Contact is exciting sci-fi action and a must see, even if youaren't a fan of Star Trek.

Skeletors_Hood 2013-05-15 06:32:41

Awesome film!

Okay folks, let me state one thing first...I side with the Next Generationseries over the older one. The older series has a sterility and/orblandness that prevents it from being totally engrossing. I liked the oldshow, but TNG is so much better, and its movies follow par in thatsuit.Generations was a great film that handed the movie reins to TNG, and FirstContact shows how well they can pilot the movies. Wonderful action mixedwith drama in a well paced movie. This is one that I can watch over andover again. You don't have to be a fan of the series to enjoy this one. Among all themovies, it can stand on its own two feet, without any support from theothers.

2013-05-06 15:44:43

The Line Must Be Drawn HERE! Picard vs The Borg.

This is THE best Star Trek movie. Far superior to Wrath of Khan or Voyage Home. In fact, even my non-Star Trek fans loved this movie. If you like the Borg, or Picard, or The Enterprise-E, or just action, this movie is for you. If you are a Trekkie, you have no doubt already seen this and loved it. What more can one want than Picard, yet again, saving humanity? All else to be said has been said by previous reviewers.The Line Must Be Drawn HERE! And I...Will Make Them Pay!! Brilliant!

2013-05-06 08:42:40

Of all the STAR TREK films, this one tops them all!!!

It pretty much had all that was to be expected in a good movie. Drama, action scenes and comedic moments. It also gave us a more in-depth view of the Borg culture, which by far are the coolest villians around! All the special effects only helped in carrying the movie forward. And my "non-trek" friends had no problem following the story. Patrick Stewart gave an amazing performance as Capt. Picard as did Alfre Woodard. The producers of the STAR TREK series have out-done themselves with this one.

2013-05-04 01:04:03

Great Extras

The movie is fine, as always, I enjoyed the extras that were on the second dvd.

2013-05-03 10:19:24

A Good film but it lost its potential...

Trekkies will love this movie. Even the most on critical of these species will enjoy the 8th outing of this classic franchise, including myself.In what is a bold attempt to darken its sci fi universe and make it more complient with that of the X-Files and Alien movies, First Contact introduces to the big screen the Borg. A self replicating army of cybernetic zombies that are hell bent on assimulating the Universe.The philosopy of Romeros Dawn and Day of The Dead zombies are carried effectively into this movie, as it draws on modern suburban fears of social conformity {or was that national fears of social communism?} as a force to be afraid of. However its potential is waisted when this army of mindless and souless individuals who have a collective consciousness are found to have a 'new' previously unseen figure head, who is the Borg Queen.ST:First Contact deals with darker issues of humanity and social responsibilty in a sometimes blatent manner and sometimes in a very subtle manner. Compared to most of the other Star Trek movies, this film is surprisingly mature and darker than one would expect and is only let down at times by a slightly self endulged directing, courtesy of Johnathan Frakes {who is also one of the lead actors in the movie}..i mean come on, how many times do we actually need to see a shot of his face on the screen??Quest stars Woodard and Krige put in movie star performances, as what you would expect from Hollywood A Listers and of course Patrick Stewards acting is very convincing and gives the film additional weight. It makes you wonder why he doesnt take more serious roles instead of playing with the sci fi genre. Personally I believe if you give him the correct script he can pull in an Oscar performance somewhere else....The films primary let down is ironically the Star Trek Universe itself as the makers of First Contact were perhaps to afraid to push the envelope even further by making this film as dark as it should of been. Instead the script waisted to much time on the Tired Star Trek philosophying and ideals of its planned future utopia and way too much attention is payed towards Data. Am I the only trekkie who thinks this characters quest for humanity boring and time consuming?With that said, it is still entertaining and by far, its the best out of the entire series of Movies. It far outweighs its sequel, the terrible Insurrection but is only one notch better than Generations and Nemesis.