This thoroughly entertaining movie is probably the best of the Star Trek movie series, thanks to a fast pace and a complex plot which throws in a number of different ingredients into the brew and keeps things moving at a speed, without ever becoming too technical or confusing. While the film is clichéd in places (that old "countdown to self-destruction" is pulled out of the stock ideas closet AGAIN) and guilty of being a rip-off in others, the sheer quantity and quality of the action, acting, set design, and fluid direction make it a rip-roaring adventure in the best old fashioned sense. Only a few times does it throw in some sickly sentimentalising, which is another plus.The main problem with the film is the lack of characterisation - as there are so many characters and situations packed into so little time, a lot of people get left out. A good portion of the film is made up of action and events, which leaves us little time to get to know the characters. Female crew members Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden are near forgotten and get only a few lines after the inclusion of Alfre Woodard as a tough female heroine, who is admittedly good but hogs too much of the limelight. Meanwhile, Jonathan Frakes and Levar Burton are relegated to near-cameo roles after being earthbound for most of the movie. This is understandable with Frakes, as he was busy directing after all, but it doesn't give much opportunity to check out Burton's cool robotic eyes very much.Patrick Stewart is as good as ever as Captain Picard, and here he's given plenty of opportunity to be tough and sweatily frightened in equal measure. The character of Data, the android, is also explored, which is quite interesting as he is mainly used as simple comic relief. Michael Dorn is wasted as Worf, the klingon member of the crew, and has little to do aside from run around and grunt a lot. Non crew-members include James Cromwell as the drunken inventor (very different role here) and Alice Krige who gets to play the chief villainess - a memorably slimy addition to the baddies, who gets a memorable introduction via her head and spine being inserted into the rest of her body.As time travel is used as a plot device, there are the expected number of plot holes which have been brushed over smoothly with lines of jargon as throwaway explanations, something which annoyed me a little. My favourite parts of the movie involve the crew exploring the parts of their ship which have been taken over by the Borg, including quite a few spooky moments which resemble the best bits of ALIENS. The Borg are an impressive army of cyborg killers, and the scenes of them being put together are a lot of fun in a grisly-but-tame kind of way. As a special effects-laden blockbuster (the CGI is incidentally pretty good), this movie is action-packed enough to appeal to both fans and non-fans of the series, and a lot of fun to watch - just don't expect anything too heavy.

The first real mission for the new generation of Enterprise fleet and for me this was an outstanding entry in the franchise. Bye bye to the annoying Data like in Generations welcome to the real Data. Not only that, this delivers also on the part of effects.Not only was the story great because it's full of action from the first minute until the end. It was watchable due the great effects not only in space but also on the make-up. Borg looked stunning and all cyborgs did work out fine. Sure, you will be reminded of Species (1995) and The Terminator (1984) when you see the Borgs but never mind, it isn't a copy.If you don't are a Trekkie geek this one surely can be watched without knowing a thing about the Enterprise. Great flick.Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

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.