Paramount+ Theatrical Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

[Adam Lenhardt]

Title: Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Tagline: Resistance is futile.

Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Thriller

Director: Jonathan Frakes

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, James Cromwell, Alfre Woodard, Alice Krige, Neal McDonough, Dwight Schultz, Cameron Oppenheimer, Robert Picardo, Adam Scott, Ray Uhler, Eric Steinberg, Joey Anaya, Don Stark, Patti Yasutake, Jack Shearer, Michael Horton, Ethan Phillips, Majel Barrett

Release: 1996-11-22

Runtime: 111

Plot: The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.

Star Trek Movie Threads:

1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
3. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
4. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
5. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

After an epic battle against the Borg (cybernetically-enhanced life forms), Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise follow the Borg Sphere back into the 21st century to prevent the Borg from contaminating Earth's timeline and preventing Earth's first contact. Picard and the crew must work together to battle the Borg Queen before she assimilates all of mankind and changes history forever. Resistance is futile.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I revisited this one tonight on Ultra HD disc, and it really holds up. While this is very much a Jean-Luc Picard movie, rather than a true ensemble piece, I felt like the rest of the TNG cast got at least a few moments to shine.

And while I still think the Enterprise-D was the better designed ship, the way the Enterprise-E is shot in this movie makes it look like a million bucks. I love the near white color of the hull, and wished they'd utilized it more in the post-TNG era.

I don't like the way First Contact changed a lot of the things about the Borg. They were a lot cooler in the television episodes. The original idea was for them to be an impersonal, amoral, faceless enemy. As you pointed out, the movie makes them into more-or-less typical villains. The Borg Queen is simply an atrocious idea that goes against everything we learned about the Borg in the episodes, and the ability of the individual drones to just instantly assimilate people is hackneyed. The movie pales in comparison to the two-part episode, The Best of Both Worlds. Why the writers of the movies can't just go with what worked in the episodes is beyond me.

I understand this criticism to an extent, but I also think Trek had exploited all it could with the original conception of the Borg. The Borg were a cancer, metastasizing across the galaxy. That made them a unique challenge, because there was no one and no thing to negotiate or reason with. But it also made them extremely one note. You either defeated them, or you didn't. And every time you defeated them, it made them feel like less of a threat the next time around.

By personifying the Borg in the form of a queen, it opened up dramatic storytelling possibilities that were utilized to great effect in this movie, "Voyager", and "Picard". And "The Best of Both Worlds" arguably laid the groundwork for a Borg Queen. After all, Locutus wasn't just another drone. He was specialized. He had an individualized purpose within the collective.

And as good as it may seem, First Contact doesn’t even live up to “The Best of Both Worlds” episode from which it sprang. In that episode, at least, there was a real sense of tragedy and permanence that are the hallmarks of all great dramas. Not so in this movie. What the writers failed to realize was that while it might be entertaining to show characters in jeopardy and risking it all so save the Earth (again), it doesn’t amount to very much if there is no real impact on their lives afterward.

It's interesting to revisit this comment now, many years later, in the context of three seasons of "Picard". It's pretty clear that this movie did have a pretty major impact, at least on Picard.

Jonathan Frakes steps behind the camera to direct. He’d directed a number of episodes during the series’ television run, including greats like Cause and Effect and The Drumhead. Frakes, like Leonard Nimoy before him, was a smart choice to direct a Trek feature and he brings his steeped experience working in Trek and turns it into something creatively, visually, and emotionally powerful.

It's just a really well-directed film, and Frakes's decision to bring in Poltergeist cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti pays real dividends: It's the first film in the franchise that looks like a modern motion picture. The TOS films look like something out of an earlier era of filmmaking, because they were, and Generations has its own look that is distinctive but not entirely effective.

If the Birg had really wanted to be “cunning and deadly,” they would have done the time travel FIRST (in their part of the galaxy) and THEN done the space travel. There would have been no chance for the Federation to be aware of the attack; no chance for the Enterprise to reverse the damage.

It seemed fairly clear to me that going back in time was a last ditch Hail Mary after their original plan failed. They wanted to assimilate the Federation in the 24th century because the Federation had a lot more to offer technologically and culturally. But once the flagship Borg cube was destroyed, it became about defense rather than offense. They gave up on assimilating the Federation, and instead settled for assimilating primitive humanity to prevent the Federation from ever being created and becoming a threat.

I watched this last night in 4k, and it looks amazing. Top notch job; best the film has ever looked on home video and the best since I saw it in the theater these many years ago.

Where the HDR really pays dividends is in the space shots. The blue of the oceans on Earth is really something special.

Crusher and Troi get the short end of the stick as usual though.

I don't disagree, but I did enjoy Crusher's reluctant and unconventional use of the EMH, and Troi getting absolutely hammered trying to match Cochran drink for drink as she tried to win him over.

Patrick Stewart gets a lot to play with here, and his Moby Dick outburst is terrific, albeit out of character. We're clearly meant to see that he's lost it where the Borg are concerned, and while he does indeed save the fleet in the beginning of the film, it seems the admiralty was correct in keeping him away from the battle. He's unhinged.

My only issue with the Moby Dick motif was that it was already done, and done well, in Wrath of Khan. But I appreciated that Picard (after a nudge from Lily) learned from the lesson of that novel, as opposed to Khan who committed to the same foolhardy end as Ahab.

Alfre Woodard is great here, but as a companion and (surrogate) love interest, her character prevents real character development among the characters like we've seen in Picard season 3.

In this case, though, I think her character was necessary. The surface storyline had Cochran as its personification of the 21st century perspective. The ship storyline needed Lily's outsider to balance it out. She is also able to say things to him that his loyal crew wouldn't. I also appreciate the impossible quality of their dynamic. They're clearly attracted to one another, but they also both clearly know that they don't have a future together.

He's also having a lot of fun as Riker. You can't fake the huge smiles he had on camera.

The cast is allowed to have a lot more fun period in this movie.

Every time they do the "make Data more human" thing, I just want him to be Data, the android that is without feeling and who makes stoic comments on the rest of humanity. In giving Brent Spiner room to showcase his considerable talents, we lose more of the Data we love. It was frustrating in the first TNG film, and only a little less so here.

I couldn't stand emotional Data in Generations; he was mostly used for comic relief that felt very cringe. I thought they struck a much better balance here, in a way that spoke directly to the journey he was on through the entire run of TNG. The temptation that the Borg Queen offered felt so unique and specifically targeted. You couldn't have told that story about anyone else, and that's what made it so compelling for me.

Also, Krige's character was revisited several times, despite her demise in this movie: We see her in Voyager, in Picard season 2 (albeit in an altered timeline) and in season 3. There was never a great explanation that I'm aware of regarding how she could transfer her consciousness across 70,000 light years. (If there is a second or a third queen, how do they retain the memories of this one?)

It's always been my sense that there are multiple Borg Queens. When one dies, the Collective creates another to take her place. The Borg Queens played by Susanna Thompson and Annie Wersching are definitely different than the Alice Krige Borg Queen here. But I even think the Alice Krige Borq Queen in the "Voyager" series finale and the final season of "Picard" is different than the Alice Krige Borg Queen here. I do think that the Borq Queen's memories are constantly backed up into the Collective, so that when a new Borg Queen is created she remembers everything that the previous Borg Queens knew.

Star Trek has used the Borg enough now: Six episodes of TNG, a few seasons of Voyager, the First Contact movie, the premiere of DS9, an episode of Enterprise, all three seasons of Picard, and I'm probably missing something. I would be happy to see them retired.

I agree. The qualities that made them such a terrifying threat also limit what you can do with them. The "Voyager" finale knocked them down, and the "Picard" finale snuffed them out. If we do see the Borg going forward, it should only be the Agnes Jurati flavor, which recruits rather than conquers.

I've also wondered why they didn't try to assimilate the other major races near Federation space: Romulans, Klingons, and Cardassians. Especially the Romulans, given that the currently accepted wisdom seems to be that the mysterious goings on in the Neutral Zone late in TNG S1 was the result of a Borg incursion.

It's a worthwhile question. Presumably the Federation was seen as the softest target in that corner of space, or perhaps the Federation had technology and culture that the Borg found more enticing than what those other races had to offer.

 

[RMajidi]

I revisited this one tonight on Ultra HD disc, and it really holds up. While this is very much a Jean-Luc Picard movie, rather than a true ensemble piece, I felt like the rest of the TNG cast got at least a few moments to shine.

And while I still think the Enterprise-D was the better designed ship, the way the Enterprise-E is shot in this movie makes it look like a million bucks. I love the near white color of the hull, and wished they'd utilized it more in the post-TNG era.


I understand this criticism to an extent, but I also think Trek had exploited all it could with the original conception of the Borg. The Borg were a cancer, metastasizing across the galaxy. That made them a unique challenge, because there was no one and no thing to negotiate or reason with. But it also made them extremely one note. You either defeated them, or you didn't. And every time you defeated them, it made them feel like less of a threat the next time around.

By personifying the Borg in the form of a queen, it opened up dramatic storytelling possibilities that were utilized to great effect in this movie, "Voyager", and "Picard". And "The Best of Both Worlds" arguably laid the groundwork for a Borg Queen. After all, Locutus wasn't just another drone. He was specialized. He had an individualized purpose within the collective.


It's interesting to revisit this comment now, many years later, in the context of three seasons of "Picard". It's pretty clear that this movie did have a pretty major impact, at least on Picard.


It's just a really well-directed film, and Frakes's decision to bring in Poltergeist cinematographer Matthew F. Leonetti pays real dividends: It's the first film in the franchise that looks like a modern motion picture. The TOS films look like something out of an earlier era of filmmaking, because they were, and Generations has its own look that is distinctive but not entirely effective.


It seemed fairly clear to me that going back in time was a last ditch Hail Mary after their original plan failed. They wanted to assimilate the Federation in the 24th century because the Federation had a lot more to offer technologically and culturally. But once the flagship Borg cube was destroyed, it became about defense rather than offense. They gave up on assimilating the Federation, and instead settled for assimilating primitive humanity to prevent the Federation from ever being created and becoming a threat.


Where the HDR really pays dividends is in the space shots. The blue of the oceans on Earth is really something special.


I don't disagree, but I did enjoy Crusher's reluctant and unconventional use of the EMH, and Troi getting absolutely hammered trying to match Cochran drink for drink as she tried to win him over.


My only issue with the Moby Dick motif was that it was already done, and done well, in Wrath of Khan. But I appreciated that Picard (after a nudge from Lily) learned from the lesson of that novel, as opposed to Khan who committed to the same foolhardy end as Ahab.


In this case, though, I think her character was necessary. The surface storyline had Cochran as its personification of the 21st century perspective. The ship storyline needed Lily's outsider to balance it out. She is also able to say things to him that his loyal crew wouldn't. I also appreciate the impossible quality of their dynamic. They're clearly attracted to one another, but they also both clearly know that they don't have a future together.


The cast is allowed to have a lot more fun period in this movie.


I couldn't stand emotional Data in Generations; he was mostly used for comic relief that felt very cringe. I thought they struck a much better balance here, in a way that spoke directly to the journey he was on through the entire run of TNG. The temptation that the Borg Queen offered felt so unique and specifically targeted. You couldn't have told that story about anyone else, and that's what made it so compelling for me.


It's always been my sense that there are multiple Borg Queens. When one dies, the Collective creates another to take her place. The Borg Queens played by Susanna Thompson and Annie Wersching are definitely different than the Alice Krige Borg Queen here. But I even think the Alice Krige Borq Queen in the "Voyager" series finale and the final season of "Picard" is different than the Alice Krige Borg Queen here. I do think that the Borq Queen's memories are constantly backed up into the Collective, so that when a new Borg Queen is created she remembers everything that the previous Borg Queens knew.


I agree. The qualities that made them such a terrifying threat also limit what you can do with them. The "Voyager" finale knocked them down, and the "Picard" finale snuffed them out. If we do see the Borg going forward, it should only be the Agnes Jurati flavor, which recruits rather than conquers.


It's a worthwhile question. Presumably the Federation was seen as the softest target in that corner of space, or perhaps the Federation had technology and culture that the Borg found more enticing than what those other races had to offer.

This was a scholarly post, not only in the way you set out your views and findings, but also in your research references to posts from multiple sources (threads), some dating back to early this century.

I enjoyed your take on the various aspects that you commented on, as I love First Contact, and it’s always nice to read reinforcing views, is it not?

The Borg Queen seemed a completely logical extension of the Borg collective. The drone designation in the series left no doubt that this community was akin to bees, their cubes were the bee hive, their thinking the hive-mind etc. So, a bit peculiar that the notion of a queen evidently troubled some as seeming out of step.

Really liked your explanation on why the Borg left time travel as a last ditch option, as their principal goal was assimilating advanced technology more than merely species.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Thanks for the kind words, Ramin!

I watched the movie again this evening with the writers' commentary featuring Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore. Whereas their commentary for Generations is a bit of an exploration of what went wrong, with this one they are both justifiably proud of this movie and how it turned out.

What I found interesting was the time in which it was recorded, midway through the run for "Enterprise". As burnt out as the fans were of the Berman/Braga era of Trek at that point, it's pretty clear that Braga was pretty burnt out from working on Trek, too. There's definitely a sense that he was aware that things weren't working as well as they had, and that the popularity of the franchise was waning. The discussion between Braga and Moore about what the franchise could do to reinvent itself actually aligns fairly closely with the approach J.J. Abrams took with the Kelvin timeline movies. Also interesting: Braga at one point mentions that First Contact was his then-assistant Terry Matalas's favorite Trek movie, which explains why the plot of this one plays so heavily in events of the third and final season of "Picard".