IMDb user comments for
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

advertisement

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 23:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Index

223 comments in total

---

52 out of 57 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best sci-fi movies ever!, 15 November 1999

Author: rghawki from Toronto, Ontario

This is one of the two best Star Trek movies ever made (the other being "Wrath of Khan"). Everything about this film is superb.... acting, set design, special effects, plot, and action. The story progresses at a breathtaking pace, and from the first 10 minutes when the Enterprise is locked in a life-and-death struggle with one of the best villains in all of sci-fi history (the Borg), to a perfect ending; there isn't a wasted or redundant moment. This is a film that both trekkers and non-trekkers can enjoy because the film explains enough about the back-story to get non-fans up to speed, and does it in a way that will keep the fans interest (check out the excellent opening sequence that introduces Picard's first encounter with the Borg and explains much of his implacable and obsessive attitude towards them throughout the film).

In addition to fine performances from the crew (highlighted as always by Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard), the supporting cast is more than equal to the task. Its too bad that the crew didn't bring Alfre Woodward back home with them........ she's one of the very few actors/actresses in Star Trek history who have been able to match Patrick Stewart's personality, acting skills, and histrionics. Also, I thought I detected a touch of romance between the two that could have been further developed at another time.

James Cromwell makes a perfect Zefrem Cochrane. It was a humorous touch to portray him as somewhat of an anti-hero, in contrast to the god-like reverence with which the characters in the film viewed him from a distance of 300 years.

The protagonists in the film, the Borg, have never looked more dangerous. I'm glad that this film returned them to their "roots", unlike their last few appearances in the television series in which they were becoming a little too domesticated.

This is a film to savor for any science fiction fan. 9.5/10.0 !

---

46 out of 51 people found the following comment useful :-
Perhaps the best Star Trek film to date, 29 January 2003
Author: Colin Tucker from Canberra, Australia

Star Trek: First Contact represents, at least to me, the pinnacle of the Star Trek movie franchise. This film was, in my opinion, -by far- the best of the "next generation" outings, and perhaps the finest from the entire collection of silver-screen Treks.

The Borg, a futuristic race of half-man, half-machine cyborgs from the other side of the galaxy, try once again to conquer the Federation, by attacking it at it's very core, our beloved Earth. This time, however, the Borg have a "plan B" up their sleeve. After the destruction of their main vessel, they send a small group of Borg back in time to 2063, a time when Earth is vulnerable after suffering massive casualties due to World War III. Once there they intend to prevent "first contact", an event that dramatically changes the course of human history, when friendly aliens discover humankind has learned how to travel faster-than-light, and make contact with the inventor of the warp drive, Dr Zefram Cochrane.

Of course the Enterprise crew must once again save humanity from certain destruction, by "following them back and repairing whatever damage they've done". When they reach the 21st century, however, the Borg find resistance is not so futile, and begin to take over the crippled Enterprise, deck by deck. Directing every move is the evil Borg Queen, played excellently by Alice Krige.

Patrick Stewart is, as always, fantastic as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart's background in the dramatic arts shines as he convincingly portrays a somewhat troubled and vengeful Picard, determined to destroy the insidious Borg once and for all.

The direction of Jonathan Frakes is flawless considering this film was his first attempt at directing on the big screen. In a few scenes I get the feeling that Frakes was committed to squeezing the absolute best out of Stewart, and this he did, apparently with ease (earning him the nickname "Two-Takes Frakes" from production members).

This film has it all. A well-conceived, intricate and dramatic plot, excellent acting, fantastic special effects, and real emotion on-screen. Picard's chilling "the line must be drawn here" monologue to Lily represents a scene with such dramatic quality that is rarely seen in science-fiction films. You can completely suspend disbelief and feel the anger, the pain, the sheer hunger for revenge in this broken man. You are there with him, the future of humanity is on the line, and not for a second will you think otherwise.

Whether you are a "Trekkie" or not, this is a film you will enjoy, and while there are references to previous Trek happenings in the film (such as when Picard was captured and assimilated by the Borg several years earlier), non-Trekkie's should definitely be able to follow what's going on.

All-in-all this is one of my favourite films of all time, and one that I can watch over and over and never get tired of. If you haven't seen it, why not grab a copy and check it out? I give it a well-deserved 9 out of 10.

---

44 out of 52 people found the following comment useful :-
Not just the best Star Trek film, 23 February 2005

Author: ashley-120 from United Kingdom

Probably my favourite film of all time. The thing about First Contact is that it's not just about Star Trek. If you don't like Star Trek but can live through the first 20 minutes you'll find a gem of a movie which is as much about the future of humanity & an invention so wonderful as it is about Yet More Star Trek Plot.

Warp Speed - they've been saying that since Captain Kirk. But how did it happen? and why might it all not happen, our future could be in ruins and one flight of one makeshift spacecraft some time after world war III will make all the difference.

The on-screen relationship between Picard & Lily is totally magic, as is the relationship between the Enterprise crew members - you get a sense of team, of family.

First Contact is one film I enjoy watching again & again. The flight of the Phoenix is one scene I totally love, along with the end scenes.

The only sad thing about the movie is that you come away and deep down you know there is no Cochrain, no FTL engine around the corner. Well, not yet!

"I envy you, the world you're going to" "I envy you, taking these first steps"

---

30 out of 37 people found the following comment useful :-
The Next Generation's Finest Moment..., 2 December 2003

Author: Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada

Star Trek's successor to Gene Roddenberry, Rick Berman, never allowed the poor reviews for STAR TREK: GENERATIONS to upset him; he had been given an 'obligation' to provide a transition film between the original cast's series, and his own 'Next Generation' films, and 'killing' James Kirk freed him to focus on the film he REALLY wanted to make, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. And he created a classic, a film that for many fans has become the 'definitive' STAR TREK movie.

From the opening scenes, which re-introduce the 'Next Generation's' greatest villains, the Borg, finally achieving their long-time goal of attacking Earth, and literally tearing Starfleet to shreds, as Picard and the Enterprise are ordered to stand down (Picard had been 'assimilated' once by the cyborgs, and the success of his 'deprogramming' was in question), there was an intensity that 'Trek' films hadn't shown since THE WRATH OF KHAN. When Picard decides to disobey orders and go 'in Harm's Way', you nearly want to cheer! Turning the battle around, the Enterprise sees victory at hand...until they discover that the 'core' of the Borg mother ship has plunged into Earth's atmosphere, and gone back in time. As the crew glimpses a 'changed' Earth, with humanity totally assimilated by the Borg, they plunge after the mother ship, to prevent history from being rewritten.

Quite an opening scene!

The film breaks into two stories, each entertaining. In an era two hundred years earlier, with Earth reeling from internal wars that have devastated much of the planet, Picard realizes that the Borg is attempting to prevent warp drive creator Dr. Zefram Cochrane from ever completing his prototype spaceship, thus denying the galaxy to the human race, and leaving them defenseless against the Borg. As First Officer Riker and most of the series' regulars protect the feisty engineer (first introduced in the original 'Trek' TV series by hunky Glenn Corbett; in FIRST CONTACT, the role is played by James Cromwell, hawk-nosed, antisocial, and hooked on ancient Rock n' Roll music), Data and Picard must deal with the growing Borg infiltration and assimilation of the Enterprise, and the imperious Borg Queen (lovely Alice Krige), who seduces Data with a chance to become 'human'.

Jonathan Frakes proves an excellent director, balancing the action, comic, and dramatic elements with sensitivity and skill. While most of the series' regulars have little to do (a problem that would never be resolved in the 'Next Generation' films), Frakes still manages to give each a bit of on-screen time to at least remind fans that they are present, and he even manages to provide a brief but funny cameo by semi-regular fan favorite Dwight Schultz, as the terminally shy Lt. Reggie Barclay.

FIRST CONTACT has so many memorable moments that it is nearly impossible to pick a single favorite one out. Cochrane's use of Steppenwolf's 'Magic Carpet Ride' as launch music for his guided missile/spaceship...Alfre Woodard's Lily Sloane, hiding in terror from the Borg, but still able to lecture Picard on doing the 'right thing'...'Star Trek: Voyager' regular Robert Picardo in a cameo as his medical hologram character, at a key moment...Data delivering the famous Borg 'tag line'...the Vulcan science party (led, although unmentioned, by Sarek, Spock's father), bemused at meeting the 'new kids on the block' for the first time...this movie has it all!

There is only one major continuity error; the Borg, as cyborgs, depend on their human 'host' bodies to survive (a key factor in the film's climax), yet in one whole sequence they operate in the vacuum of space WITHOUT spacesuits! I cringe each time I see the scene, but I STILL love the movie!

One other key element of the film cannot be praised enough; Jerry Goldsmith's score is one of his finest, combining the best elements of the STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE theme with a sweeping inspirational hymn for Cochrane, and eerie, discordant music for the Borg. The score is so profoundly moving that it could stand alone, as a symphonic work.

Sadly, Berman and company never achieved the same heights with either of the subsequent 'Trek' films, but at least we have FIRST CONTACT, to show that a 'Next Generation' feature could be done 'right'.

---

22 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
The "Action" Entry, 15 December 2002
Author: bross-1 from Halifax, Canada

Many of the Star Trek Films have relied heavily on character interaction, dialogue, and suggested events to tell the story. Star Trek: First Contact breaks from this tradition by producing a sharp, fast paced action film that never relents from beginning to end. There are moments of reflection for the characters, but the movie has an inertia that makes the other entries in the franchise seem as if they plod along at five miles an hour. The result is one of the most satisfying films in the series.

Part of the appeal of Star Trek: First Contact, is that the central enemy is the Borg Collective, which has surpassed all other villainous races in the Star Trek universe in popularity. The central villain in this chapter is the Borg Queen, played by the chilly yet seductive Alice Krige. Krige is confident, convincing, and absolutely threatening in her performance, and seems to almost border on a character from a horror film. She lends an edge that is unique from other villains in the series, and is perfectly suited to the nature of the Borg. The design for both the Queen and the rest of the Borg is unsettling, and the story line and history of this race serves to illicit an emotional continuity between the events in the television show and the films.

Star Trek: First Contact probably has the widest appeal of all of the episodes, in much the same way as Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home did in 1986. It is action packed, filled with decent visual effects, clearly plotted, and supplies a threatening villain. This is definitely the best Next Generation film to date, and one of the strongest movies in the entire series.

---

25 out of 32 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best Trek Film, 18 November 2002
Author: Big Movie Fan from England

Star Trek:First Contact is the best Star Trek film in my opinion. Far better than the average Star Trek:Generations or any of the films featuring the original crew.

I won't go into the plot too much because I hate spoiling it for fans and it is easy sometimes to give away too much. Let's just say that the cast of The Next Generation take on the inhuman Borg, one of the best race of Star Trek villains ever.

There are no slow spots in this film. It is one big long action fest and every character is utilized. There are some terrific scenes and there is quite a bit of tension between the crew, particularly Worf and Picard. Picard has some harsh words for Worf at one point in the film and it really does look as though Worf will hit Picard. You could cut the tension in this film with a knife.

I'd also like to mention the great job done by the beautiful Alice Krige as the Borg Queen. Again, there is not a wasted moment in this film and Krige does a brilliant job as the Borg Queen.

I strongly recommend Star Trek:First Contact-it is the type of film which you finish watching and feel as though you have spent your money well.

---

17 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Finally!, 3 December 2005

Author: russem31 from United States

Star Trek VIII: First Contact - Stardate: 50893.5

Finally, after the dismal Generations outing, they got it right with this one! First Contact indeed is on par with the very best of the Star Trek films - The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country. Unfortunately, they won't get it right again to the present day (with the above average but still not as good Insurrection and awful Nemesis). The script is very solid, the acting above par (with kudos going to Alice Krige as the seductive Borg Queen and Alfre Woodard as the trusting Lily Sloane), and the score by Jerry Goldsmith again another hit. All of that combined with visual effects that service the story and not is the story makes this outing a spectacular success - a solid 9 out of 10!

---

13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
The Next Generation's best film hands down, 17 June 2005

Author: movieman_kev from United States

The next generation crew of the Enterprise star in their best movie. Picard and his crew hitch a ride back in time to save the Galaxy from being infested with Borg, by saving the drunkard who invented Warp Drive from being killed by the Borg. This Star Trek movie is nuanced enough for the 'trekkies' to get into, while still being very accessible to the rest of the cinema going public. Johnathon Frakes, for all of his smarmy, cocky demeanor, still I have to admit that he hits a home-run in this initial outing (now his "Insurection" is a whole nother story, one for a different day) This film is action-packed, features good performances, and is just plain fun. All those aforementioned traits easily puts it among the top echelon of Trek films.

My Grade: B+

DVD Extras: Disc 1) Commentary with director/actor Jonathan Frakes; Second commentary with writers Brannon Braga and Ronald Moore; Text Commentary with Michael and Denise Okuda Disc 2) 12 featurettes (Making 'First Contact', The Art Of 'First Contact', "The Story, The Missile Silo, The Deflector Dish,From 'A' to 'E', Jerry Goldsmith: A Tribute, The Legacy Of Zefram Cochrane, 'First Contact': The Possibilities, Unimatrix One, The Queen, and Design Matrix); 3 Scene Deconstruction;Storyboards, Photo Gallery; Teaser & Theatrical Trailers; and Trailer for the Borg Invasion Hilton show in Vegas

3 Easter Eggs: In the Main Menu, click on the sun for a list of all the alternative titles considered; In the Star Trek Universe menu highlight a circle for an interview with Ethan Philips; In The Borg Collective menu highlight a circle for an interview with Alex Jaeger

---

13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Easily the best Star Trek Movie., 18 August 2002
Author: Luka2095 from Las Vegas, Nv.

This movie is a winner in many departments. First of all is the storyline. Picard wants to get revenge with his all time enemy, the borg. The borg had abducted Picard earlier in the television series, and he had a traumatic recovery from that. Now, however Picard wants to destroy the borg queen and try to put an end to the borg. The music in this film is great, it's quickly paced and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The villains are great. I mean the borg are so cold-hearted and ruthless, they are the best villain Star Trek has ever created. Special effects are phenomenal in this movie as well. The borg look creepier, and slimier then ever. Also seeing officers turn slowly into borg, and watching the Enterprise slowly turn into a maggot nest for the borg is superb. I also find the action in this film to be sensational. You can't miss a minute of the action. Other than that I really have no gripes about this film. First Contact is nothing like the more tranquil, Insurrection, but it breaks away from the episode- like movie, Generations. A truly remarkable film that is easily the best Star Trek movie to date.

---

16 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
Enjoyable mix of light TV touches and sci-fi drama, 21 December 2003
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

When the Borg launch an attack on Earth, the Enterprise is sent to the neutral zone due to the Admiralty's mistrust of Picard's abilities as he had been assimilated in the past. The Enterprise however, disobeys and returns to help destroy the Borg ship. However a smaller ship escapes and travels back in time, causing the assimilation of Earth in the future. The Enterprise follow the ship back in time and have to undo the damage the ship did on the surface to an experimental warp drive unit that will led Earth to it's first contact with alien life. Meanwhile, on the Enterprise, survivors of the Borg ship begin to assimilate decks within the ship itself.

The trend of the `even good, odd bad' continues in Star Trek with this good entry in the series. Linking to previous story lines, the film starts immediately and continues at a good pace. Where the previous time travel excursion for the crew was more funny than anything else, this film goes down a more dramatic route with the main plot not turning out to be on the ground (as I first thought it would be) but on the ship where the crew struggle to contain the Borg's advances. This aspect works well - it is not edge of the seat stuff, but it is dramatic and involving.

In contrast the stuff on the surface is more a side issue that is used well to contrast with the pace on the Enterprise itself. There aren't many laughs but it does have a nice little bit of self mocking humour that raises it's head occasionally. The cast (crew?) all do good work, but it is Stewart's film and his Borg past help to enrich his character well. Frakes does an able enough job as director but as an actor he has little to do, as indeed do most of those on the Earth aside from a cameo from Cromwell who adds humour. Woodard is OK in her role but not as good as I've seen her be in other things.

Overall this is a solid Star Trek film, which although not excelling in any one area, has a strong backbone of drama and action aboard the ship that works well with the lighter stuff on the earth.

---

---

Page 1 of 23:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Amazon.com summary	Ratings
Awards	Newsgroup reviews	External reviews
Parents Guide	Official site	Plot keywords
Main details	Your user comments	Your vote history