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Another film revisited for the long gestating update to my top 100 list.
This also acts as a rebuttal of sorts to Rodent's views on the film which he detailed here. Now in general Rodent and I share quite similar taste in films. However when it comes to Star Trek we differ wildly. While this is my favourite of all the Trek films, Rodent ranks this as his least favourite. The fool!!!
Plot - Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), once assimilated by the alien Borg, now senses that they are about to return. He is proved correct when the Collective engage the Enterprise E in battle, only to escape through a temporal vortex into the Earth's past. Picard and his crew glimpse an alternative Earth which is dominated by the Borg and, in an attempt to find out how the Borg have altered the timeline, follow them back to the year 2063, one day before Zefram Cochran made the first warp drive journey. It was this event that attracted the attention of some passing Vulcans and established Earth's 'first contact' with alien life. While Riker (Jonathan Frakes) leads an away team to prevent the Borg from tampering with the Earth's history, Picard must repel a Borg invasion of the Enterprise.
Without a doubt a large reason as to why I'm such a fan of this film, and why it's my favourite amongst all the Trek films, is down to the crew at its helm. While I love the whole world of Trek (well not Voyager so much) the Next Generation TV series and its cast is by far and away my most beloved of all the series that have been created so far. A large part of why Next Generation has such a place in my heart is down to the character of Jean-Luc Picard as portrayed by the national treasure that is Patrick Stewart. He was absolutely terrific throughout the show's seven year run and surely deserved awards recognition if it weren't for the snooty opinions that so many awards shows seem to have for genre shows. He built such a strong, rich and layered character during the show and was then able to carry it on into the films. Before Next Generation premiered back in 1987 it would have seemed infeasible that any Star Trek captain could come along to challenge Captain Kirk in terms of popularity, and yet Stewart was able to at least match, and arguably surpass the character of Kirk that was so vividly created by William Shatner. And here in First Contact both the character and Stewart himself are given great prominence and absolutely shine.
While I imagine that even newcomers to the world of Trek could enjoy this film, First Contact certainly holds greater rewards for viewers who are well versed with the exploits of Picard and company. The film acts as a sequel of sorts to the classic two-part story, “The Best of Both Worlds.” That story, spread over the third season finale and fourth season opener, concerned the Borg assimilating Captain Picard and converting him to Locutus, a being that would act as an intermediary for the human race and attempt to facilitate their own assimilation. And while his crew were able to save and restore him, the event had a lasting impact upon Picard as can be seen here in First Contact. Generally renowned for being a great leader, this time he allows his personal feelings of revenge towards the Borg to cloud his vision and risk the lives of his crew. References and allusions to the literary classic Moby Dick were a recurring theme throughout the history of Star Trek. Alongside numerous small name drops across all the shows, the story provided the basis really for both Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and here in First Contact. As well as direct references to the novel and its characters both films detail characters who have become so obsessed with the destruction of another individual(s) that it is to the detriment of both themselves and those around them. In Wrath, it is Khan who after being stranded on a desolate planet by Kirk takes on the role of Captain Ahab and becomes immersed with the thought of killing Kirk. While here it is Picard who inhabits the role of Ahab, attempting to slay his own personal white whale in the form of the Borg
So as a result we get quite a different Picard than we became accustomed to. In the conception of Next Generation one of the main issues was making the captain a more believable character, not having him leave the ship all the time, getting into scraps and putting himself in danger as Kirk did. So Picard was more of an intelligent man prone to reason and negotiation. Here however that gets thrown out of the window; this Picard is a bad ass! He's not sending any away teams to do the dirty work here, he's out and blasting away the Borg all by himself. I love the moment where he furiously mows down a couple of Borg with a tommy gun. We also see quite a dark, hard-edged side to Picard at times; at one point unflinchingly killing one of his own men who has been infected by the Borg because there is nothing else he can do for him. He really is all-action. In fact at one point he goes for the full-on John McClane look by sporting a vest. And throughout the film Stewart is just excellent, a real tower of strength.
In addition to touching back on that classic story there are also a number of smaller nods to the show that will put a smile on the faces of long time fans. The use of the Dixon Hill program on the holodeck and the brief cameo for blundering crewmember Reginald Barclay for example. In particular I get a real kick out of the Dixon Hill sequence. While it only featured a small handful of times during the series (3 or 4 episodes I'm thinking) it was always a real favourite of mine. There are also a couple of cameos for non-Next Generation Star Trek alumni in the form of Robert Picardo's holographic doctor and Ethan Phillips (played Neelix in Star Trek Voyager). While even the main plot point goes right back to Starfleet's very beginning with Zefram Cochrane achieving warp drive for the first time. And touching on its past also came into play when it came to the decision of who should direct the film. While he had directed several episodes of all three Trek series that run during the 90s, First Contact marked the feature directorial debut for Jonathan Frakes. And as with Leonard Nimoy before him (The Voyage Home) it proves a very smart appointment. After seven years on the show he is completely aware and informed of all the actors and their characters and fully understands the world of Trek, whilst also proving a dab hand at handling the action sequences
As you would expect given all their years of experience with the characters, pretty much all the actors who are reprising their roles are completely comfortable with them. And going by the TV series it should come as no surprise that the strongest performances come from Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, while the weakest emerges from Marin Sirtis. James Cromwell is a great deal of fun as Zefram Cochrane, delivering a character completely atypical of what the cast and the audience are expecting given the legend and legacy of the character and his achievements. For the characters of Geordie and Riker it is quite an eye-opening experience and a real example of the whole sentiment that you should never meet your heroes. Expecting to find a man of great intelligence and vision they instead discover that the man they all learned about at school and idolised was in reality a bit of a drunk and a man whose motivations for travelling to the stars were purely fiscal. Cromwell gives us quite an endearing mix of genius and trailer trash. The other main addition to the cast not already known from the TV series is Alfre Woodard as Cochrane's assistant, Lily Sloane. She gives a nice, colourful performance and enjoys a fun dynamic with Patrick Stewart. Her character also proves vital to the story, providing the viewpoint of an outsider and the voice to challenge Picard on his wayward actions.
Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, the Gorn, the Ferengi, the Jem'Hadar, the Q Continuum. Throughout the decades and numerous incarnations that Star Trek has taken on they were never short of great, iconic villains. In my eyes however all of them pale in comparison to the villain that features in First Contact; the Borg. They were a brilliant creation. In fact they're amongst my favourite ever villains period, no matter the TV show or film; although they were rather de-fanged by Star Trek: Voyager. Their concept and modus operandi is intriguing, while visually they were quite a spectacular and captivating design. They are like a fusion of futuristic technology and good old-fashioned zombie. George A. Romero gave us zombies at night, during the day, at dawn and in their own land. Had he given us zombies in space they make have looked a lot like the Borg. They really are so much more creepy because of their passive nature and slow shuffling movement. As well as zombies the other touchstone for me would be an ant colony, all working together as one entity towards a single goal. Jonathan Frakes utilises them to try for a much more horror-tinged instalment of Star Trek. Even though fans will know exactly what they are like from the TV show the film contrives to keep them hidden offscreen for a considerable amount of time to build up their threat and suspense before finally revealing them. For this outing of the Borg a new character was introduced; the Borg Queen who was portrayed by Alice Krige in quite a delicious and hammy fashion. While the character is a lot of fun it did prove a bit of a contentious addition for Trekkies as it didn't really seem to fit with the base intentions of the Borg.
One criticism that has often been levelled at Star Trek's cinematic output is that too often they just feel like extended episodes of the TV shows from which they sprang. Certainly in my eyes I feel that First Contact was able to sidestep that problem both in terms of the scale of its story and how the stakes have been raised in terms of effects. I think First Contact is able to successfully walk the line between feeling like we're still in the same world that was created on the TV screen, but also making it grander for the big screen. We see this right from the start with great effects developing an excellent opening scene which places us in a Borg ship before zooming out to reveal the sheer scale of it. The larger budget and more impresive effects mean that shots of the ship flying through space past planets and galaxies are richer and more beautiful than they have ever been before. I think giving the crew a new ship to inhabit since we last saw them was a smart move. With both the Star Trek: Enterprise TV show and J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot one of the issues was how to redesign the ship to make it look modern and sleek, while still retaining the basic feel. The new ship allows them to build a new bridge which has more depth and scale to it without stepping on the toes of the old ship from the TV series.
Although in terms of its story it is rather like a classic staple of TV with the film split into two distinctive storylines. The A plot details the efforts of Picard, Worf and assorted crew members to battle against the Borg drones, while the B plot covers the efforts of Riker, Geordie and others at helping Zefram Cochrane to fulfil his destiny as the man who will initiate humanity's first contact with an alien race. The B storyline provides laughs and an interesting little storyline (I always love a time travel story) while the A plot delivers the action. In particular I love the rather unique action sequence set outside of the ship in zero gravity. It's also in the A plot that the impressive effects are seen at their fullest. Which is not to say that it doesn't deliver in terms of depth, with Picard's struggles providing much of the meat of the film. And while it's not explored to it fullest potential there is also an interesting dynamic between Data and the Borg Queen which has a slight hint of sexuality about it. As I already said Krige is entertaining and the same can most certainly be said for the great Brent Spiner as Data who provides a lot of the film's humour and charm. In fact the whole film is just really good fun.
Conclusion - First Contact is generally credited as being the best of the Next Generation films and one of the best of all the Trek outings, though most people would have it behind at least Wrath of Khan and perhaps one or two more. For me however this is without a doubt my favourite outing for the Enterprise. With a strong central performance from Patrick Stewart this is thrilling, action-packed stuff which is still able to retain a touch of the charm and wonder that defines Star Trek.
This also acts as a rebuttal of sorts to Rodent's views on the film which he detailed here. Now in general Rodent and I share quite similar taste in films. However when it comes to Star Trek we differ wildly. While this is my favourite of all the Trek films, Rodent ranks this as his least favourite. The fool!!!
|
|
Year of release
1996
1996
Directed by
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Written by
Brannon Braga
Ronald D. Moore
Brannon Braga
Ronald D. Moore
Starring
Patrick Stewart
Brent Spiner
Jonathan Frakes
LeVar Burton
James Cromwell
Alice Krige
Patrick Stewart
Brent Spiner
Jonathan Frakes
LeVar Burton
James Cromwell
Alice Krige
Star Trek: First Contact
Plot - Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), once assimilated by the alien Borg, now senses that they are about to return. He is proved correct when the Collective engage the Enterprise E in battle, only to escape through a temporal vortex into the Earth's past. Picard and his crew glimpse an alternative Earth which is dominated by the Borg and, in an attempt to find out how the Borg have altered the timeline, follow them back to the year 2063, one day before Zefram Cochran made the first warp drive journey. It was this event that attracted the attention of some passing Vulcans and established Earth's 'first contact' with alien life. While Riker (Jonathan Frakes) leads an away team to prevent the Borg from tampering with the Earth's history, Picard must repel a Borg invasion of the Enterprise.
Without a doubt a large reason as to why I'm such a fan of this film, and why it's my favourite amongst all the Trek films, is down to the crew at its helm. While I love the whole world of Trek (well not Voyager so much) the Next Generation TV series and its cast is by far and away my most beloved of all the series that have been created so far. A large part of why Next Generation has such a place in my heart is down to the character of Jean-Luc Picard as portrayed by the national treasure that is Patrick Stewart. He was absolutely terrific throughout the show's seven year run and surely deserved awards recognition if it weren't for the snooty opinions that so many awards shows seem to have for genre shows. He built such a strong, rich and layered character during the show and was then able to carry it on into the films. Before Next Generation premiered back in 1987 it would have seemed infeasible that any Star Trek captain could come along to challenge Captain Kirk in terms of popularity, and yet Stewart was able to at least match, and arguably surpass the character of Kirk that was so vividly created by William Shatner. And here in First Contact both the character and Stewart himself are given great prominence and absolutely shine.
While I imagine that even newcomers to the world of Trek could enjoy this film, First Contact certainly holds greater rewards for viewers who are well versed with the exploits of Picard and company. The film acts as a sequel of sorts to the classic two-part story, “The Best of Both Worlds.” That story, spread over the third season finale and fourth season opener, concerned the Borg assimilating Captain Picard and converting him to Locutus, a being that would act as an intermediary for the human race and attempt to facilitate their own assimilation. And while his crew were able to save and restore him, the event had a lasting impact upon Picard as can be seen here in First Contact. Generally renowned for being a great leader, this time he allows his personal feelings of revenge towards the Borg to cloud his vision and risk the lives of his crew. References and allusions to the literary classic Moby Dick were a recurring theme throughout the history of Star Trek. Alongside numerous small name drops across all the shows, the story provided the basis really for both Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and here in First Contact. As well as direct references to the novel and its characters both films detail characters who have become so obsessed with the destruction of another individual(s) that it is to the detriment of both themselves and those around them. In Wrath, it is Khan who after being stranded on a desolate planet by Kirk takes on the role of Captain Ahab and becomes immersed with the thought of killing Kirk. While here it is Picard who inhabits the role of Ahab, attempting to slay his own personal white whale in the form of the Borg
So as a result we get quite a different Picard than we became accustomed to. In the conception of Next Generation one of the main issues was making the captain a more believable character, not having him leave the ship all the time, getting into scraps and putting himself in danger as Kirk did. So Picard was more of an intelligent man prone to reason and negotiation. Here however that gets thrown out of the window; this Picard is a bad ass! He's not sending any away teams to do the dirty work here, he's out and blasting away the Borg all by himself. I love the moment where he furiously mows down a couple of Borg with a tommy gun. We also see quite a dark, hard-edged side to Picard at times; at one point unflinchingly killing one of his own men who has been infected by the Borg because there is nothing else he can do for him. He really is all-action. In fact at one point he goes for the full-on John McClane look by sporting a vest. And throughout the film Stewart is just excellent, a real tower of strength.
In addition to touching back on that classic story there are also a number of smaller nods to the show that will put a smile on the faces of long time fans. The use of the Dixon Hill program on the holodeck and the brief cameo for blundering crewmember Reginald Barclay for example. In particular I get a real kick out of the Dixon Hill sequence. While it only featured a small handful of times during the series (3 or 4 episodes I'm thinking) it was always a real favourite of mine. There are also a couple of cameos for non-Next Generation Star Trek alumni in the form of Robert Picardo's holographic doctor and Ethan Phillips (played Neelix in Star Trek Voyager). While even the main plot point goes right back to Starfleet's very beginning with Zefram Cochrane achieving warp drive for the first time. And touching on its past also came into play when it came to the decision of who should direct the film. While he had directed several episodes of all three Trek series that run during the 90s, First Contact marked the feature directorial debut for Jonathan Frakes. And as with Leonard Nimoy before him (The Voyage Home) it proves a very smart appointment. After seven years on the show he is completely aware and informed of all the actors and their characters and fully understands the world of Trek, whilst also proving a dab hand at handling the action sequences
Film Trivia Snippets - Originally Tom Hanks was under consideration for the role of Zefram Cochrane, and as an avid Trekkie Hanks was all for it. However his commitment to writing and starring in That Thing You Do meant that he was forced to pass. /// It only took 30 years but First Contact marked the first occasion where the actual phrase “star trek” was uttered in Star Trek history. It was said by James Cromwell's Zefram Cochrane. /// Here's one of the geekiest in-jokes you'll ever come across. Part of the Borg's uniform consists of an eyepiece which has flashing lights. Throughout the film it uses Morse code to flash the names of people who were associated with the production. /// As I note later on, the film goes for a bit more of a horror tinge than was usually attempted in the TV series. And this is shown up in terms of some of the films that Jonathan Frakes watched before filming for inspiration. He viewed Alien, Aliens, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner and Jaws. /// While the producers settled on Frakes due to his experience within the world of Star Trek, he was not apparently the first choice. Reportedly, both Ridley Scott and John McTiernan turned down approaches about directing.
Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, the Gorn, the Ferengi, the Jem'Hadar, the Q Continuum. Throughout the decades and numerous incarnations that Star Trek has taken on they were never short of great, iconic villains. In my eyes however all of them pale in comparison to the villain that features in First Contact; the Borg. They were a brilliant creation. In fact they're amongst my favourite ever villains period, no matter the TV show or film; although they were rather de-fanged by Star Trek: Voyager. Their concept and modus operandi is intriguing, while visually they were quite a spectacular and captivating design. They are like a fusion of futuristic technology and good old-fashioned zombie. George A. Romero gave us zombies at night, during the day, at dawn and in their own land. Had he given us zombies in space they make have looked a lot like the Borg. They really are so much more creepy because of their passive nature and slow shuffling movement. As well as zombies the other touchstone for me would be an ant colony, all working together as one entity towards a single goal. Jonathan Frakes utilises them to try for a much more horror-tinged instalment of Star Trek. Even though fans will know exactly what they are like from the TV show the film contrives to keep them hidden offscreen for a considerable amount of time to build up their threat and suspense before finally revealing them. For this outing of the Borg a new character was introduced; the Borg Queen who was portrayed by Alice Krige in quite a delicious and hammy fashion. While the character is a lot of fun it did prove a bit of a contentious addition for Trekkies as it didn't really seem to fit with the base intentions of the Borg.
One criticism that has often been levelled at Star Trek's cinematic output is that too often they just feel like extended episodes of the TV shows from which they sprang. Certainly in my eyes I feel that First Contact was able to sidestep that problem both in terms of the scale of its story and how the stakes have been raised in terms of effects. I think First Contact is able to successfully walk the line between feeling like we're still in the same world that was created on the TV screen, but also making it grander for the big screen. We see this right from the start with great effects developing an excellent opening scene which places us in a Borg ship before zooming out to reveal the sheer scale of it. The larger budget and more impresive effects mean that shots of the ship flying through space past planets and galaxies are richer and more beautiful than they have ever been before. I think giving the crew a new ship to inhabit since we last saw them was a smart move. With both the Star Trek: Enterprise TV show and J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot one of the issues was how to redesign the ship to make it look modern and sleek, while still retaining the basic feel. The new ship allows them to build a new bridge which has more depth and scale to it without stepping on the toes of the old ship from the TV series.
Although in terms of its story it is rather like a classic staple of TV with the film split into two distinctive storylines. The A plot details the efforts of Picard, Worf and assorted crew members to battle against the Borg drones, while the B plot covers the efforts of Riker, Geordie and others at helping Zefram Cochrane to fulfil his destiny as the man who will initiate humanity's first contact with an alien race. The B storyline provides laughs and an interesting little storyline (I always love a time travel story) while the A plot delivers the action. In particular I love the rather unique action sequence set outside of the ship in zero gravity. It's also in the A plot that the impressive effects are seen at their fullest. Which is not to say that it doesn't deliver in terms of depth, with Picard's struggles providing much of the meat of the film. And while it's not explored to it fullest potential there is also an interesting dynamic between Data and the Borg Queen which has a slight hint of sexuality about it. As I already said Krige is entertaining and the same can most certainly be said for the great Brent Spiner as Data who provides a lot of the film's humour and charm. In fact the whole film is just really good fun.
Conclusion - First Contact is generally credited as being the best of the Next Generation films and one of the best of all the Trek outings, though most people would have it behind at least Wrath of Khan and perhaps one or two more. For me however this is without a doubt my favourite outing for the Enterprise. With a strong central performance from Patrick Stewart this is thrilling, action-packed stuff which is still able to retain a touch of the charm and wonder that defines Star Trek.