'Star Trek: The Next Generation' may not be quite as influential or as ground-breaking as the original 'Star Trek' series (though it certainly has those elements), but quality-wise it is every bit as good with a few improvements.The first "Next Generation" 'Star Trek' film, 'Generations', was to me not that bad but was frustratingly uneven (namely the treatment of Kirk and the emotion chip subplot). The next film, 'First Contact', was a significant improvement and highly deserves its reputation as the best film based of 'The Next Generation' series and one of the best 'Star Trek' films overall. Giving some of the supporting characters, like Worf and Crusher, more to do rather than giving them little screen time and not having them do much, was pretty much the only thing that 'First Contact' could have improved on.'First Contact' is one of the best looking 'Star Trek' films, feeling more expansive and cinematic and benefiting from significant technology advances. The cinematography is intimate, colourful, brooding and immersive, while the sets rich in detail and the special effects are first rate with a real sense of awe. Bringing Jerry Goldsmith back was a good move, and he and his son Joel produce a score that's rousing, haunting, menacing, melancholic and sometimes even pastoral. Oh and the main theme tune is a classic.Writing-wise, 'First Contact' is one of the best written and balanced of the films. The humour is genuinely funny and sometimes affectionate with the in-jokes, the emotional moments have real poignancy and a grandiose sweep and there is a real tension at times too. The story is perhaps the best paced, with no wasted or extraneous scenes and the one that gets to the point the most. The action is simply thrilling, and while some characters are underused there is still some interesting character development and interaction, namely a more conflicted Picard (in a way that's reminiscent of Captain Ahab), the scene between him and Lily and Data and the Borg Queen.Patrick Stewart gives his most intense and moving performance of all the 'Next Generation' films, and still has the commanding presence and the dignified gravitas. Brent Spiner is strong too, and he is much more restrained here with Data significantly better written. Jonathan Frakes is compelling as Riker but does even better in the director's chair, he doesn't lose any of what makes the series so great in the first place or what makes it so influential while showing some freedom to show his own style and open things up.Alice Krige is on seductive and deliciously slimy villainous form, while the Borgs are genuinely fearsome even now. James Cromwell and Afre Woodard excel in atypical roles to the work they're best known for, Cromwell in particular.In conclusion, first rate and a high point of the 'Star Trek' franchise. 9/10 Bethany Cox

After 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 contained 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 acquaint you to the show.

Star Trek: First Contact is often considered to be one of the best Star Trek films and the best films featuring The Next Generation cast. This statement is justified because as someone who has never watched any Star Trek involving the TNG cast it does stand alone side the best 'Trek' films.Star Trek: First Contact is set six years after Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) had been rescued from the Borg and he is stilled plagued with nightmares and flashbacks. Now the Borg have started to invade the Federation and the battle is only won by the Enterprise's late intervention. However the Borg have a trick up the sleeve and travel back in time to conquer Earth. The Enterprise crew is unaffected and it is up to them to travel back to stop the Borg conquest and help the legendary Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) who achieved the first wrap flight and made contact with an alien race.Like 'Wrath of Khan' 'First Contact' was a continuation of a critically acclaimed episode, but even if you haven't seen it 'First Contact' works on its own terms and finds that sweet spot to appeal to fans and non-fans alike and matching the two tones the franchise has straddled, dark and brooding and light-hearted and funny. The film has with a dark image of Picard being assimilated into the Borg and his eye about to drilled before waking up and all the half of the film that features the Borg is the most atmospheric. The Borg are great villains, a near unstoppable hive a races that have been conquered, a collective that all linked together who work as one unit.Picard's assimilation with the Borg is both an advantage and disadvantage. Picard knows how the Borg operates and their tactics, so knows how to fight them, but he desire for revenge make Picard irrational. It's like Khan who could have been free after capturing the Enterprise in 'Wrath of Khan' but his want for revenge against Kirk is his downfall. Stewart gave a passionate speech about not sacrificing the Enterprise to the Borg.The Borg's assimilation of the Enterprise makes for a dark and dank atmosphere compared to the more brightly lit environments of the Enterprise. It is this sector of the film where we saw the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), the voice and personification of the Borg collective. Her introduction was impressive, her human body being lowered into a cybernetic body, CGI effects that still hold up today. Most of the Borg Queen's interactions are with Data (Brent Spiner), trying to convince him to join the collective, making him more human to attractive this.The cliché perspective of Star Trek from non-fans is that it a slow, boring franchise that only appeals to a hardcore fanbase. "First Contact" blows that perspective out of the water - it starts with a huge space battle between the Federation and the Borg as the alien hive try to invade Earth and there are sprinklings of actions scenes throughout the film. One of the best is scene when three members of the Enterprise crew having to stop the Borg from creating a satellite dish - it was a tense scene that was similar to the assassination of the Klingon Chancellor in "The Undiscovered Country".The action on Earth where Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) help Cochran with the first warp flight is more lighter in tone. The more comedic approach combined with the time travel story, cultural clash and essentially revealing the future to Cochrane made this half of film similar to "The Voyage Home". Cochrane is hailed a hero by everyone in the Federation, a man whose action united Earth, made a scientific breakthrough and made his planet a player in galactic politics but the reality was he was a drunk, he wanted to make money and is overwhelmed by finding out what his future holds. It made the character more human as he has to accept his destiny and James Cromwell, being the professional that he is was brilliant at humanising the character as he drunkenly dances and having the deal with the weight on his shoulders."First Contact" is a film that works for both fans and non-fans alike, having action, being able to balance a dark plot with lighter moments and working as a continuation and a standalone film, being a strong sci-fi film in its own right.

While Star Trek on television doesn't necessarily need a fantastic villain to keep the viewer enthralled, it seems that the series will be at its best on the silver screen if it does. Khan had been undoubtedly the greatest villain that Trek had seen up to this point, but the Borg arguably rivals the old 20th century super- genius for that title. And in comparison to Khan, who was made into a great character because of the performance of Ricardo Montalban, the Borg is a merciless villain with an intriguing take on society attempting to achieve perfect unity. It may be The Next Generation's greatest contribution to the franchise, so it was the right choice for this crew's first film without the original crew.Of course, Star Trek needs to not just have great villains and action in order to appease the fans. It also needs to make us think. This is where the Borg succeeds. They/It is a collective, a group of individuals fused into one mind, doing whatever is necessary for the progress of the Borg. It sounds like Communism at its most efficient: no free will, but everyone is working for the greater good. Obviously, this is a taboo concept in American thinking, so it is interesting to also hear Picard discuss with the 21st century stowaway, Lily, how the Earth did away with money and became focused on doing everything for the betterment of the world. That's Communist thinking too, isn't it? It just sounds much less sinister this time. But I digress…While the Borg itself is great in this film, it was the right choice to give the collective a mouthpiece with the Borg queen, leading to interesting scenes between her and our emotional android, Data. But there is another plot line in this film which is given so much screen time that it really is not a subplot: that being Riker & Co's quest to ensure the historical moment of First Contact with alien life is not thwarted by the Borg. This story is not as engrossing as the Borg, but James Cromwell's acting as warp-speed man Zefram Cochran keeps it entertaining. It's hard not to think during the movie that Riker, Troi, and Geordi are extremely lucky to not be up on the Enterprise dealing with the Borg though.First Contact uses much of the same elements that made the previous quality Star Trek films (2, 4, & 6) enjoyable. A strong and ruthless villain, intriguing concepts about the progress of society and cooperation, literary allusions (Captain Ahab, again!), and even time travel. I appreciated the simplified take on time travel in this film, however, compared to The Voyage Home. It's probably best to not spend time explaining something that is implausible, so just go with it like it's an easy thing. The high points in this come with seeing the Next Generation crew members have their own moments to show that they can hold their own in a Star Trek film, especially Capt. Picard and Worf. This is such an exciting film with strong acting that I wonder if it is even better than Wrath of Khan, making it the best Trek film, but I'm not sure I'm ready to make such a bold statement after some considerations below.Some final thoughts: It makes sense that Vulcans would be the first alien life to make contact with humans on Earth, but why would they be speaking English?! I would think being above radioactive gas would still be lethal, but apparently it takes more of a "hot lava" approach. Data and the Borg Queen discussing sexual pleasure is a little gag worthy, though it is interesting that even cyborgs know this is how you get a man to do what you want. While it is realistic and probably a correct prediction, it's depressing to think that humans will only achieve unity and begin looking to the stars after we have decimated each other in World War III. Ugh…*My film rating follows the soccer player rating measure of 6 as a baseline: you did what was expected of you. This film is a 9 because First Contact keeps the viewer on the edge of the seat for any scene involving the Borg. The plot involving Zefram Cochran's forced quest to achieve warp speed might be unnecessary, but still makes for an intriguing look into how humanity changed for the better.