An explosive space adventure.
Cast member Jonathan "two takes" Frakes directs his first theatrical film, a $45-million dollar
science fiction action story that made a hundred million in proceeds following its release
in November of 1996.
The PG-13 rated story sees Captain Picard and crew traveling through time to stop the
dreaded Borg from assimilating Earth in the past.
But this "past" is actually the year 2063 - making "First Contact" one of the rare few
(perhaps only?) time travel films that goes backward, to the future.
Frakes thankfully forgoes a lengthy introduction to the newly rebuilt Enterprise-E - a sleeker
and sexier starship, instead he drops the audience right into the action.
Casting off the anchor of the original series, "First Contact" boldly goes forward on its
own merit, and succeeds wonderfully.
Patrick Stewart leads the group once more, and delivers a scene-stealing performance,
as his intimate trauma with the Borg make him myopically focused on revenge.
When confronted with the possibility of retreat, he bursts into a fit of anger, yelling, "The
line must be drawn here!
This far, no further!
And *I* will make them pay for what they've done!".
As you no doubt saw in this episode's intro sketch, these words - delivered by anyone
else - would just seem hokey and over-the-top.
But Stewart sells this passion as believable and frightening.
His relentless quest for payback draws referenced parallels to "Moby Dick", and it's truly fascinating
to see the normally dispassionate Picard giving in to his baser instincts.
Even though his behavior is somewhat justified, to have to wonder; how far is he willing to
take this?
Rather than an interchangeable "alien-of-the-week", the Borg are positioned as a metaphor for
his own personal struggles.
Making the central conflict of "First Contact" much more than good vs. evil, or saving the
world - but about conquering those dark demons that exist within us all.
Brent Spiner deals with this as well, as he quiets his desire to taste Borg perfection.
Elsewhere, their television castmates return as well, with each given a few key moments
to really shine; whether it's Marina Sirtis' drunken flirting, or LeVar Burton finally
afforded the opportunity to emote without his VISOR in the way.
Alfre Woodard does marvelous work as a frightened and dubious ally they meet along the way,
while James Cromwell is excellent as a cynical selfish drunk... who also happens to be the
brilliant scientist responsible for faster-than-light travel.
There's even a bevy of fan-pleasing cameos from "Star Trek: Voyager"'s Ethan Phillips
and Robert Picardo; to Adam Scott as a helmsman and Dwight Schultz as his familiar Barclay
character.
Lastly, we have Alice Krige as the seductive and determined Borg queen, who looks convincing
in her Oscar-nominated make-up.
The writers' decision to recon this decentralized army of autonomous cyborgs into a hive-mentality
with an individual leader was met with controversy from Trek fans.
But I for one appreciate the move; it allows the story to flourish with more expansive
dialogue and opportunities.
And fortunately for purposes of expository explanations, Data is just as curious as the
audience.
The one-hour and fifty-one minute narrative makes fantastic use of the futuristic setting,
including one thrilling showdown on the underside of the ship's hull... as Picard and company
blast their Borg adversaries into the vastness of space.
Between demonstrations of force-field technology, explanations of 24th-century currency, or
self-destruction protocols; the eighth Star Trek film has plenty of great moments for
folks who enjoy the "sci" part of sci-fi.
There are some unfortunate errors however, including a lazy contradiction regarding the
Enterprise's size.
One moment, the Borg have taken control of deck 26, but minutes later Stewart says the
ship only has 24 decks.
This feels like a nit-picky "CinemaSins"-mistake, but it's just too dumb not to mention.
By reworking his classic theme into a more romantic and patriotic ballad, Jerry Goldsmith's
score for "First Contact" might be the best thing he's ever done - and that's saying something.
The goose bump inducing theme swells during all the best moments, and remains my favorite
work from the late film composer.
This is Trek at its best, a thrilling and rewatchable film all fans need to see.
Speaking of which - let's see what the Movie Night audience had to say.
You loved this one as much as I did.
"Star Trek: First Contact" is smart and exciting action with authentic characters.
It's an AWESOME movie, and easily the best of the "Next Generation" series.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!