While I agree that ST VI is a great send off for the OG crew, that film is riddled with plot holes, which puts it below voyage home for me. But still top 5.
@@stephentg1I still say Best of Both Worlds was the ultimate Trek episodes. The Inner Light was the most soulful scifi story though. I really wish the implications of that story had been referenced after thst episode a few times. The concept was revisited in a dark way in one of the classic "O'brien must suffer" DS9 episodes "Hard Time" where he lives out a horrific 20 year prison sentence in the span of 30mins and royally fucks him up.
I saw this on its opening night in Dublin with my friend. Then we went to the pub to discuss it. After an hour, we went back to the cinema to watch it again. One of the best Star Trek movies ever made IMO.
First Contact and Wrath of Khan are my favorite Star Trek movies. Picard telling the crew to not let the Borg touch them gives me chills. The scene when Worf says "assimilate this" is absolutely badass.
My favorite moment in this film is when Worf says “PREPARE FOR RAMMING SPEED.” He is never out of the fight, even when the ship is literally blowing up around him. True warrior.
I think Riker picked up a little Klingon inspiration from his time spent as an exchange officer with the Klingons back in TNG. As he also called for "Ramming Speed" against the Borg in "Best of both worlds" part 2.
God his one liners in this were so great. I loved when Cochranes associate sees him on the bridge and he just says completely matter of fact like "I am a Klingon" 😂
Patrick Stewart’s performance is imo his best part from all good things. The sense of PTSD from his experience as Locutus is perfectly done. You really feel Picard’s pain
The moment the Enterprise E is revealed with that beautiful backdrop as it slowly turns - ingrained in my memory forever. The E was just as much a character as the main cast in this movie.
Exactly. My wife suffers from it from a trauma in her childhood that she thought she had come to terms with. It is rational and it doesn't obey human rationality.
Why does it always have to be PTSD with you people? He hates the Borg He has good reason to hate the Borg! He's not some traumatized victim! His hatred and anger are fully justified.
I deployed to Iraq on 4 deployments ( all combat related ) my first one was in 2005,also did 2 tours back-to-back. This stuff is mental and it's never ending,but,you still have to live your life and do the best you can.
@@Hiraghm Sorry to disappoint with the perception of 'us people' however I'm not someone who thinks everything is traumatic. I served with several combat veterans who had such issues, from extreme events that happened to them during war. It doesn't occur within everyone, but when people have it, it's very noticeable. Sorry if my post caused some PTSD. 🙃
I always thought he was that way because he knew firsthand how dangerous the Borg are and would stop them at any cost. I never considered it vengeance or revenge as much as knowing what happens if they fail.
The Vulcans landing at the end was done so well. It got me a little emotional that I actually appreciated Cochran being a fool and hitting the juke box to lighten things up.
@@Francois424 I'm binging Enterprise again, been years. I'm just starting season 4, I guess that happens in this season? I remember a few episodes back to back in the mirror universe, mainly because they changed the intro song. I hate the intro song so much lol. .
First Contact was absolutely apex Modern Trek. Everything about this movie hit the mark. When First Contact released in November 1996 DS9 had started Season 5 which arguably was their best overall and Voyager was finally hitting its stride in Season 3. Not to mention there were so many fun Trek novels being written and published like William Shatners “The Return”. I was about 13-14 years old at the time and looking back I’ve never enjoyed Sci-Fi more then at this time.
I don't know if it deliberate, but I really appreciated that this is the 2ndTNG movie and it mirrors the 2nd TOS movie in many ways. In Wrath of Khan, Khan quotes Moby Dick and he is an Ahab character obsessed with getting revenge on Kirk. In First Contact the roles are flipped and Picard is the Ahab character obsessed with the Borg. Picard is only narrowly able to avoid Ahab and Khan's fate because of his character qualities. He realizes what he is becoming and regrets his choices. The writing was top notch IMO.
Star Trek movie makers keep trying to 'remake' The Wrath of Khan. Nemesis, Star Trek 2009, Into Darkness. First Contact might be the only one that worked.
@@smartalec2001 I think the reason it works is because they DIDN'T try to remake the wrath of Kahn. They used some of its themes but it's clearly a different movie. This is back when writers could write.
First Contact was the first Star Trek movie I went to see with friends. When Crusher activated the EMH everyone in the theatre cheered and it was such a great feeling. I couldn't imagine anyone cheering for any new Trek characters, which is sad. Great review, Dave! Loved the trivia about the first drafts, which I didn't know about.
The first thing that caught my wife’s attention to start watching star trek (she is now a TNG fan) was hearing me play that intro music on my CD player.
Absolutely; while I adore the Nebula Battle music in Wrath of Khan, First Contact opening theme just has something about it that makes you happy and sad at the same time, I always get goose bumps and feel and little teary eyed when I hear it. I used to use it as a 'test' for my surround sound setup - probably just an excuse to play it loudly like Worf does with his Klingon Opera!
I remember watching this this movie for the fifth or sixth time as a kid, off school sick with a migraine (again) and I had normally never paid much attention to the opening credits. This time however I was blown away by how utterly gorgeous the score was. This film really awoke in me a love for film scores and I could never watch films the same way after that.
First contact is really my most favorite ST movie... the cross over with DS9 and VOY, Sovereign class, effects, new uniforms borgs being overwhelming finally in our quadrant of the galaxy... THIS was the peak of Star Trek for me in movie form.
@@igg3937 You're wrong. Wrath of Khan is the second best Star Trek film due to its epic ending. Undiscovered Country is tied for top five with Voyage Home because it is important to the lore but nothing else makes it outstanding from the original films. Search For Spock and Nemesis are three and four. First Contact is the best Star Trek film. I get the feeling you have not seen First Contact or have some emotional discrepancies in this particular instance.
I converted my best friend into a trekkie by showing him STFC. It was the best of times and I think the intervening years thereafter until Picard season 3 really proved how special that era of star trek was.
There is so much reward for this movie that the Enterprise series made sure to bring James Cromwell back to reprise his role. You can see Zefram Cochrane's story progression from the unenthusiastic pioneer to a man who's happy to be received as Earth's hero. You sadly don't really see that as much in movie/tv series connected lore.
Having JLP come to see the metaphorical relationship with himself and Cpt. Ahab was a nice touch. JLP would have of course been familiar with Moby Dick, and the fact that Lily introduces the concept as a jab toward JLP is hilarious, having never actually read the novel herself.
I disagree. The Moby Dick/Captain Ahab analogy seems ham-fisted and forced. But Firat Contact is easily my least favorite Star Trek Films (not including the JJ Abrams films, but those aren't actually Star Trek). I find Firat Contact tedious and boring. Their lame attempt to make a serious movie involving time travel is insulting to the intelligence of the audience. First Contact is not a terrible film, but it's not good.
Maybe the simplification of the time travel element was to allow cinemagoers to enjoy and recommend the film and not make it only accessible to Star Trek fans.@@justinchetelat9962
First Contact presented the Borg at their most physically terrifying, and really demonstrated how horrifying assimilation is. Unfortunately Voyager really took the claws out of them.
Voyager was the lowest point of Berman Trek. But only after experiencing the destruction of this franchise can I look back and say Voyager was terrible, but I would give anything to have it being the Trek that’s made today.
They were terribly mismanaged. You can't have a vast, indomitable enemy be a persistent existential threat AND be handily defeated every time they are encountered.
@@Bow-to-the-absurd Yes, while TNGs seventh season still had a few gems (Pegasus, Lower Decks, Preemtive strike and of course all good things) the overall quality was bad, more and worse misses than any season. Its often attributed to resources being split to also accomodate DS9s first season.
First contact was one of the first and only movies I went to see at the theater multiple times. Later in 1997, I fell rather ill during the holidays. I received a VHS copy as an early Christmas present and I remember the joy it gave me. I would just listen to it even when I was too weak to keep my eyes open.
I remember going to the theater to see this movie in it's opening weekend.. When the Enterprise E was first shown on screen, the entire theater went absolutely BONKERS, I have never experienced anything like it before.. When the fleet destroyed the Borg cube, the audience cheered loudly.. Never again in my life have I ever had an experience like "First Contact". I'll never forget it.
I wish Chief O'Brien had been on the Defiant. It would have been so awesome to see him cameo, and as Colm Meaney's O'Brien was IN TNG, it would be fitting. It would have given more consistency to have another DS9 character on the Defiant, added continuity AND gravity to the scene. And for those that argue who no Sisko, Sisko's absence wouldn't be unusual...he'd have been ordered to stay on high alert at DS9, and if the Federation didn't want Picard in the engagement due to being potentially compromised due to being assimilated, likewise the Federation may not have wanted a man who lost his wife at Wolf 359 massacre to lead the defiant, despite Sisko's impressive military skill. Sending Worf in his stead makes perfect sense. So, no Sisko, no plot hole. Kira's absence as well as Odo's is logical...it's not Bajoran/DS9 business. Bashir hypothetically could have then been assumed to be on board, but would likely be in the med bay, busy tending to casualties. So, apart from Dax, none of the other DS9 mains needed to be aboard or on screen, but, argh, such a missed opportunity to see the Chief. Additionally, O'Brien could easily have been written out of the remainder of the movie with a throwaway line like he had to stay aboard the drifting Defiant to try and get it back up and operational/battle ready. It's such a nitpick, but honestly it's always bothered me as it seemed like such an easy/logical cameo opportunity, and also logic as to why none of the other officers/main DS9 characters were present. In a movie that was clever enough to write in a logical EMH cameo, and had Barclay cameo, it just seems odd and frustrating for me that a TNG supporting character and DS9 main character didn't appear in such a perfect scenario.
I always found it odd that there were no other DS9 main characters on the Defiant. Worf in command makes sense. At this point he commanded missions on Defiant regularly. But seeing oddly placed starfleet randos at the helm and in the background felt so disjointed. At a minimum you should have had Dax at the helm like she was most often. And having the chief would have added value to the plot point of the Defiant being at the battle to bring Worf back. I agree with you. It always bothered me. It is a small critique of one of the greatest Star Trek movies in the end though.
There's one thing I would have done differently in respect to the Borg in First Contact. With the Borg as thr villain of this film, there really did need to be greater interaction beyond simply the drones to carry thr film, hence the introduction of the Borg Queen. I would have made the Queen an attempted adaptation by the Borg to deal with their loss to the Federation, and a collective fear that humanity could be the ones that finally stop their plans for 'perfection.'. The adaptation of a Queen could have been shown to be a backfire, and helped lead to their undoing.
That does make more sense. People think the "queens" of eusocial insect colonies control the rest of the hive, when it's the exact opposite. The Borg don't need a centralized reproductive system, so having them evolve with a "queen" doesn't really track.
Really? I always saw it as her being basically a Gestalt Entity. She IS the Borg Hive Mind. It is speaking through her, she's just the physical representation of it.
That's why it would've made more sense for the collective to try to adapt to the problem of Humanity by selecting a singular representative to deal with them, as opposed to her just always having being there. They touched upon that concept when they created Locutis, and they could've kept going with the Queen, but I think the producers wanted that weird corrupted sense of "intimacy" between she and Picard.
@@atomicninjaduck9200no she was a lame injection to give 'an baddy' to focus on. They gotta have a 'queen'. Why? The borg WERE the hive. Thats the whole point. Not a group 'led' by an obvious individual. Its just cheap writing.
@@sugarnadsIt took away the Borg's uniqueness as an adversary. It lowered them to the level of Sela in a lazy attempt to make them as memorable as Khan. They could get angry, be fearful, gloat, etc just like any Kazon or Pakled.
Alfre Woodard is always a great addition to anything she's involved in. It was awesome to see her find a place in Trek lore. Her _"You broke your little ships"_ and _"...I think you got him"_ are such classic her. She had a recurring role in the 80s drama St. Elselwhere as an OBGYN surgeon then years later reprised the role in an episode of Homicide: Life in the Streets as a burnt out mercy killer. A startling contrast but Elsewhere was notorious for doing that to its characters. And it continued the producers carrying characters over into other series creating a continuity string that went all the way back to the 70s series The White Shadow.
I really love how they deconstructed Zefram Cochrane in this movie, breaking him down from the mythic depiction in TOS' _Metamorphisis_ to be a much more flawed and human individual, with less altruistic desires. It's a sharp contrast to similar attempts we've seen in recent years with other series, because it feels like they are adding to his character rather than taking something away from it. It is the _Subversion of Expectations_ trope done properly.
12 year old me said "That is NOT Zefram Cochran" when I saw this is in the theaters. But I warmed up to it. This Zefram Cochran is far more believable, interesting, and makes for a better movie. An altruistic do-gooder would have been boring. The fact that he reluctantly evolves into a man proud of his accomplishment and wanting to see more exploration for altruistic means in Enterprise is the cherry on top.
This speech needs to be made at the Republican National Convention. Along with Malcolm Reynold's speech from "Serenity", "So no more running; we aim to misbehave".
This movie is neck and neck with Wrath of Kahn for best Trek film, everything about it felt "Big". In addition to having very early roles for Neal McDonough and Adam Scott, the holographic bouncer in the Big Goodbye scene was played by Ethan Phillips.
Great review as always, Dave. I can add a couple of details about a late (but not final) draft of that script. In the 1990s, my best friend was a props and collectibles dealer, and had a lot of connections in Hollywood and on the Paramount lot. We were actually lucky enough to tour the DS9 sets and also be on set during the filming of one of the Enterprise-B scenes in “Star Trek: Generations.” And several months before First Contact was released, my friend got a late draft of the script that was pretty close to what the final film turned out to be, with a couple of exceptions. The main difference was with the Zefram Cochrane character, who was much more of an unstable drunk in the draft that I read. What struck me - especially considering how movies are made today - is that in the draft I read, the Lily character (played by Alfrie Woodard) was shown to be the main inventor of the warp drive. Zefram Cochrane was portrayed as more of a frontman who took the credit, but Lily was actually the brains behind the invention. I can only assume that the writers came to their senses and correctly realized that Trek fans wouldn’t like seeing a figure as iconic to Trek lore as Zefram Cochrane being shown as a mere fraud who just took credit for her work. So they tweaked the script to the final version, where Cochrane was definitely flawed and maybe a bit unstable, but he was still undeniably the genius who invented warp drive. Had the movie been made today, they no doubt would have doubled down on the whole idea of Lily being the true inventor of warp drive, and Cochrane would have been sidelined as little more than a clownish fool who could only wish to be as awesome as his strong female superior. Very glad they changed that. The other difference is that the Defiant was pretty much destroyed in the battle with the Borg Cube at the beginning of the movie. The copy of the script I read had Worf and the surviving crew being beamed off just before the Borg hit it, and described the Defiant as a gutted, burning wreck. No doubt the producers of Deep Space Nine weren’t too happy about that, so the final version of the movie just says that Defiant was damaged, but could be recovered. I miss the days when my friend’s connections got us access to things like that. Although considering the state of Star Trek today, I doubt I’d be thrilled to get my hands on an advance script of any current Trek production.
I absolutely loved First Contact, for quite a number of reasons. For one thing, it had genuine stakes, the characters all work hard to achieve victory, and the antagonists are genuinely intimidating in a way that rarely exists in Sci-Fi Films -- The Borg here are almost like completely-competent Stormtroopers, but crossed with "bionic zombie" qualities (as Lily puts it), and the fact that they are all unwilling participants, having been assimilated rather than recruited makes them more terrifying, as does the fact that they don't have any long-range capabilities; if you can't kill them with your weapons (which they can adapt to), they're going to take you down with their own hands, many of which have been replaced with sharp instruments (and are likely cold to the touch). With that, it does a great job of using Zefram Cochrane as a perfect allegory of how we distort Historical figures, while making him a great character, himself worthy of respect in addition to being incredibly entertaining. While I do wish that the Earth-based crew got more to do in regards to plot, they did each get moments to shine, including Barkley, and I love how Cochrane tried to run when he discovered he was going to be a legend. It was a bit over-the-top, but it is an understandable response. Visually the movie is spectacular, and not only in regards to the Visual Effects (this being only John Knoll's first or second film in charge of the VFX as a whole, later doing things like the Pirates trilogy, Pacific Rim and Rogue One) -- The cinematography is some of the best of any Star Trek film, using intense camera angles at times of intensity (incorporating a semi-fisheye when the Borg are present is a nice touch), and both the production design and lighting are genuinely outstanding. I also absolutely love the musical score and own it on CD - the main theme itself is so good that I recall hearing it during a post-Gold Medal montage during an Olympic event a few years later (yes, really)! I also absolutely love the climax, with Data's double-betrayal being a uniquely triumphant moment in the film, him using a slight bit of his Anger within his still-enabled emotion chip, and I love how when he punches the container that would destroy the Borg Queen and Drones, the spewing material almost makes a screaming sound as it blasts out, as if it too was full of fury. Lastly, that scene between Picard and Lily in his ready room was absolute gold, and every line leading to his emotional outburst perfectly added to his internal fire. He tries to be civilized but is barely holding onto his inner rage and Lily sees that he's compromised, and in trying to talk sense into him, she only sets him off. I also adore the little touch on how he quotes Moby Dick to her as she starts to leave, herself using the analogy earlier, after which she confesses she never actually read it - his very subtle smirk afterwards is wonderful. I also love how the last line of the scene was about Ahab: "I guess he never knew when to quit." -- I also loved the short follow-up where she leaves him behind on the Enterprise and the escape pods leave, the scene of them blasting off being a surprisingly potent one. A fun fact: Supposedly, the Medieval-Borg screenplay leaked somehow, and Mad Magazine got a hold of it, and their Star Trek First Contact spoof was made using that, meaning that they literally spoofed the wrong version of the movie.. (This was mentioned by Braga in the Commentary)
Hail Dave, you've summed it up very nicely and I pretty much agree with you about this film. Saw it in the cinema in 1996 and loved it. I feel it's aged well and as you say strikes a perfect balance between light and dark moments. What also becomes apparent is how close as friends the cast were. Frakes ' nickname was "Two takes Frakes" probably because he had the genuine support and goodwill of the cast.
100% agree with your video. For me, this was my favorite Star Trek movie. My dad and I used to brainstorm how we’d beat the Borg. Lots of good memories around these times. 😊
I was fortunate enough to see this when it released in cinemas. My dad was a Trek fan so we saw this and Generations there. I wasn't really into Star Trek so couldn't appreciate or understand the characters. But I do remember enjoying it. Fortunately I started watching TNG this year and I'm enjoying that too. So hopefully it'll bring me greater appreciation for it when I watch FC again. Plus it's like having my old man next to me again while I watch it.
I used to watch First Contact the most on VHS as a kid. It has a wonderful balancing of tones, especially with regards to the maturity of the themes while retaining an optimistic outlook on the future. Still one of my favourite Star Trek movies
There are two scenes that make this my second favorite Star Trek movie after Wrath of Khan (discounting the Search for Spock and Spock saves the Whales which I only liked because of a small part of the messaging). Second is the scene with the launching of Cochrane's ship. When he panics and puts in the mix-tape, and "Magic Carpet Ride" starts playing... that was just great. And first, above all else in this movie, much of which was very enjoyable... the Ahab scene with Lilly. First, Picard was _right_ about not blowing up the Enterprise. Launch escape pods and and Borg can get away. And there is no guarantee that blowing up the ship will destroy _all_ of the Borg. If one makes it to Earth, game over. And in blowing up the Enterprise, you've destroyed your only means of fighting the Borg. But I have lost track of how many times I have paraphrased Picard's speech, how many times I've linked to it in the ongoing war with socialist slavery. Here's my version: "We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our cultures and we fall back. They assimilate entire societies and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And _I_ will make them pay for what they've done!" Picard could not possibly, by any stretch of the imagination, hate the Borg as much as I hate socialist slavers. So the Borg murdered a few tens of thousands of people. Big deal. Socialist slavers have murdered my entire world.
I was never a Star Trek fan and never saw an episode of tng until my friends dragged me to the theatre to see this and boy did this turn me into a fan quickly. The movie is just that good where I didn’t really need to see previous tngs but it did help to have my friends give me a quick drunken summary on the way to the theatre. It’s pacing is close to perfect, acting was great, effect were great, story was great.
Just watched this tonight based on your recommendation. I was 16 when this came out and too cool for Star Trek Next Generation because my Dad liked it so this was a first viewing for me. WOW, what a great movie. I struggled with the Cochran character because my simple brain wants to put people into easy categories of “good, bad, hero, etc” like many of the crew. Making him a complex human with vices and virtues was a great move. Definitely makes him relatable to the audience and a stark contrast to the equanimity and grace of River & LaForge. Thanks!
This is undoubtedly the best of the TNG films. My younger self was irritated with what I saw as disrespecting continuity: the Borg had seemingly been dealt with by the end of the series, Picard had dealt with what the Borg had done to him, the Defiant was seemingly presented as Worf's ship, and both the Borg Queen and Data being able to turn off his emotion chip seemed silly. However, I've come to appreciate the film so much more since then, and the reasoning behind many of these decisions and the reality of how severe trauma really can be only heighten that appreciation.
When it first came out I didn't like the idea of the Borg Queen, but I've come to appreciate it more over time. What still irks me is her interest in Data in First Contact. In Best of Both Worlds part 2, Locutus designates data as obsolete from the Borg POV. By First Contact he's not upgraded all that much beyond his emotion chip, so why would the Borg Queen care about him, much less seek to convert him.
Uhm!.... There's LOTS of Really good Truth drops in Star Trek 'has anyone ever seen The Janeway NDE scene a false light [entities presenting as relatives].,It's worth revising If you have trouble finding it you'll find it on : Machine Sanity The 👈 the, Creator of th chanel and does Brilliant (Analysis).
Nah, I still hate the idea of there being any kind of hierarchy in the Borg. It goes completely against their original concept, and undermines the reason why they were so terrifying in the first place. If there's any doubt to this, just listen to Guinan talk about the Borg in "Q Who." The Borg story arc doubled down on her words, and it did so effectively until this film.
Great video and bit of trivia! I remember seeing this in the cinema and loving it. It's been tough for Trekkies these past couple of decades but we should also be grateful for the experiences of the old movies and episodes. They really are a gift and I'm so grateful to have enjoyed them at the time of their release and over the years.
I saw First Contact twice at the cinema in 1996 - first with my brother and then with my best mate. When it came out to buy I watched it so many times I wore out the VHS cassette. I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who was blown away by First Contact.
I’m not a Star Trek fan as much as I am into sci-fi. But the Borg have always been intriguing to me. I enjoyed First Contact greatly. Pleasantly surprised.
I made my eight year old, Star Wars fanboi son sit and watch this film. I assured him he would like it. When it was over he turned to me and said "That was awesome". I cried a tear of joy. Victory.
Calling him 'of Alpha Centauri' could have had to do with his influence in a long range warp test, a first colony, or Earth's first interstellar military action, so knowing he was born on Earth never bothered me. A greater departure was changing him from a moral old-schooler, the essence of the courageous, civilized explorer, to a (very well acted) hedonistic worshipper of capitalist-science.
@@AmbassadorFox A side story to flesh out the Cochran story had him on Alpha Centari. His people were in contact with Earth and were telling Earth about a faster than light travel method that Cochran had invented.
@@rangerone8813 The story came out many decades ago when his story was fleshed out. Alpha Centari was in contact with Earth and Cochran told them that he had an idea for a faster than light travel method.
I remembered that as well. So did Stan and Fred Goldstein who wrote the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology in 1980. They based a whole first-contact event based on the fact of Cochran being from AC. However, it wasn't considered canon which was too bad because it was very detailed in its "history".
This star trek movie had a alien franchise feel to it almost. The green lightning on the ship and just the overall tone of the film. This is definitely sci fi horror.
This is the NexGen version of “Wrath Of Khan.” Just as most people didn’t totally love the first film they had to really bring it for the second film, and they did it.
I was twelve years old and a huge Trekker when FC was released. What a great time to be alive when Trek was at it’s best. 1996 also saw the release of Trials And Tribbelations and the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. So this movie was in a sense a lightning in a bottle. The people behind Star Trek were highly motivated. I mean it was the 30th anniversary and they did all that wonderful stuff! If Trek would have ended in 1996 it would’ve been hailed as the greatest SciFi franchise of all time. That’s how good the year 1996 was for Trek
After the Wrath of Khan, First Contact is easily the best Star Trek movie to date. I remember going to see as a birthday treat and it did not disappoint. To this day i can still remember how excited i felt before going to see it. It's story, effects, music and CGI are just superb. I also love the creepiness, something we seldom see in Star Trek. That scene in the Jefferies tube still sends shivers down my spine. My only criticism is that it felt a little short. I would have loved more scenes with the Borg assimilating the Enterprise, and the space battle could have been a little longer. The Borg truly are one of if not the scattiest villains in the entire franchise. It is hard to believe that this movie is almost thirty years old. But it is still vastly superior to most modern movies, Star Trek or otherwise.
@@shlomokallner3180 Do I dare to say it? I honestly think that "Undiscovered Country" is superior to "Wrath of Khan". Simply because of how brilliantly it concludes Kirk's story and his "conflict" with the Klingons. ("Generations" is non-canon fan-fic in my world. Try changing my mind! 😉)
@@martinfiedler4317 I disagree. Even with all the "Grand Scale" and truly amazing CGI in ST6, when it comes to raw story telling ST2 is way better.. although thinking again about that "Grand Scale" thing.. you could have sold me if not simply for the sole aspect of Kahn being, on his own, a Superior Story Villian. Especially when you compare him to the conniving simpletons of ST6.. no match for Kirk. Simply put: if you want a really good story place in it a Villian who truly tries your Hero. Kahn does this for Kirk. The Conspirisy of Valeris, Kang, etc. with their able-to-fire-torpedoes-while-cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey, cannot match Kirk, they can only slow him down a little.
@@shlomokallner3180 That's fair. I don't expect my personal preference to be shared. For me, the point is that in "Undiscovered Country", the true antagonist for Kirk is he himself. He has to overcome his own prejudices and embitterment... That - and Plummer's sheer enjoyment of his role as Chang - compensates me for the many, many faults the movie has 🙃
Star Trek: First Contact was one of my best cinema experiences. Opening night with a cinema full of fellow Star Trek fans. I remember everyone cheering and clapping [myself included] when the aliens at the end revealed themselves to be Vulcans.
I remember being so sad and shocked in Generations when Kirk died and when all of the rest of the Enterprise blow up. My young mind couldn’t comprehend. They should have had the balls to keep it all that way, IMO
I will never forget 1996. Going to this film with my mum. Was enchanted then and still continue to be enchanted. Alfre Woodard - what a performance. The fear of that initial borg scene that she experienced with Picard. And saying "sounds Swedish" this is what a person would say in this era! Yes pacing, the CGI models - the balance of different settings. Acting. Humor and intense. A+
Ive never really got the criticism of the Borg Queen. First of all, the character is not the Borg Queen - she is never referred to as such by anyone in the film. This is just a name applied afterwards. I get the argument that giving them a face and a personality reduces the fear somewhat, but her role and position is spelt out in the movie. Data asks if she is their leader and she scoffs at his limited comprehension and tells him that she *is* the Borg. She is a gestalt entity, the Collective in one body. I find it remarkable how few people seem to get this. Likewise, I see her as an adaptation for dealing with humanity just as Picard says when discussing his assimilation as Locutus, a pseudo-individual within a hive mind. The concept works in this film but they went way too far with it subsequent TV series (looking at you Voyager).
First contqct was a great story. Especially how it later tied in into the enterprise series. A shame current trek chooses di ver sity over quality story
Star Trek has really always been "woke" and identity politics. It played a part in diversity a lot since the 60s. These days the writers of ST refuse to look at the past to build inspiration. Instead they are bringing other cookie ideologies into it. Ideologies that even Gene Roddenberry was against, because it made terrible storytelling and outcomes.
I attended the Royal Premier in Leicester Square dressed as Will Riker, Brent Spiner & Jonathan Frakes gave a brief talk before the movie started! Definitely the Best TNG Movie, "Great Times!"🤔😁👍
First Contact is brilliant in so many ways! I loved the breaking of the 4th wall moment when Zefram Cochrane says: "And you people, you're all astronauts... on some kind of Star Trek." That got a good laugh from the audience in the theater. Also, James Cromwell (who was already a Star Trek veteran at the time, much like David Warner) was not the studio's first choice to play Zefram Cochrane, they wanted Tom Hanks who was a Star Trek fan himself. Hanks unfortunately was unavailable at the time because he was busy filming "That Thing You Do". Can you imagine Tom Hanks in a Star Trek film? That would have just been incredible!
The Battle at the start is one of the best most exciting space battles on film imo. The Enterprise E covering the defiant, the different ship classes buzzing round.... Oh boy.... Right! Now I've gotta watch it again!
Dave, when you put this video out, I had forgotten this gem was released almost 30 years ago. I'm going to rewatch it today. If only hollywood would realize how much they lost.
Well said Sir.... I couldn't agree with you more. I remember leaving the cinema when this first screened with a huge smile on my face. Star Trek has never been the same since
I saw First Contact on opening night as a 14 year old, dressed up in full makeup with my Klingon fan group. It was a memorable night for me all around, and along with Star Trek VI remains my favorite ST movies.
Small detail that I appreciated: despite the obvious casualties, the Federation fleet actually managed to inflict heavy damage to the Borg cube, even before the Enterprise arrived. It shows how far they've come since Wolf 359.
I loved that film as a kid, and I still like it. Best ST episode/film ever to me. My favourite scene is where Picard looses it and then as he calmes down starts to quote Moby Dick. That scene is somehow burned into my memory.
First Contact was the first Star Trek movie I got to see at the cinema and it blew me away! I have also seen it countless times since and it's always the first thing I recommend to people who have never seen Star Trek before.
"They invade our space, and we fall back, they assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. No more. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And I, will make them PAY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!!!" Epic, truly Shakespearian.
I wasn’t really a Star Trek fan, nor am I now, but I agree with about every point you make. I love this film. I saw it back in the 90s and I must have seen it a dozen times at this point over the years.
"First Contact", "The Undiscovered Country" and "Wrath of Khan" are the best Star Trek films in my view.
Thanks for the video Dave.
You are not alone with that 👍
( Was pondering if "Voyage Home" could deserve a place under the top 3, but I concluded that it is a clear nr. 4)
While I agree that ST VI is a great send off for the OG crew, that film is riddled with plot holes, which puts it below voyage home for me. But still top 5.
2, 3, 4 (a great trilogy), plus 6 as a wonderful send off... and First Contact. "Inner Light" is the best Star Trek television episode.
@@stephentg1I still say Best of Both Worlds was the ultimate Trek episodes. The Inner Light was the most soulful scifi story though. I really wish the implications of that story had been referenced after thst episode a few times.
The concept was revisited in a dark way in one of the classic "O'brien must suffer" DS9 episodes "Hard Time" where he lives out a horrific 20 year prison sentence in the span of 30mins and royally fucks him up.
A fellow man of culture I see (tips hat).
I saw this on its opening night in Dublin with my friend. Then we went to the pub to discuss it. After an hour, we went back to the cinema to watch it again. One of the best Star Trek movies ever made IMO.
wow. That is awesome
A night to remember. 👍👍
Man I don't really know anybody around me who is into star trek. I don't know where they are except on the internet. 😞
I rewatched this so many times on vcr. It was such a good film.
First Contact and Wrath of Khan are my favorite Star Trek movies. Picard telling the crew to not let the Borg touch them gives me chills. The scene when Worf says "assimilate this" is absolutely badass.
Worfs line always reminds me of Elmer Thud. Perfect.
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617 Who is Elmer Thud?
@@wearetomorrowspast.5617I thought it was Elmer Fudd from the Looney tunes 😂
His best line is… “If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand!”
That line was pure PTSD terror. You can imagine somebody who got taped saying "don't let them touch you"
My favorite moment in this film is when Worf says “PREPARE FOR RAMMING SPEED.” He is never out of the fight, even when the ship is literally blowing up around him. True warrior.
Adam Scott (future Ben from Parks and Recreation) is the Defiant's helmsman in that scene!
@@kingofthorns203 "I just wanted to study comeeeets!"
I think Riker picked up a little Klingon inspiration from his time spent as an exchange officer with the Klingons back in TNG.
As he also called for "Ramming Speed" against the Borg in "Best of both worlds" part 2.
God his one liners in this were so great. I loved when Cochranes associate sees him on the bridge and he just says completely matter of fact like "I am a Klingon" 😂
Defiant actually getting used for what it was designed for as well.
Patrick Stewart’s performance is imo his best part from all good things. The sense of PTSD from his experience as Locutus is perfectly done. You really feel Picard’s pain
Absolutely, hands down, 100% my favorite Star Trek movie or episode...
Probably 3rd for me behind Khan and Undiscovered. But's a great movie that really allowed the TNG crew to shine.
Favorite ST movie for sure. Best ST episode is "In the Pale Moonlight".
mine too
ST: FC is my fav ST movie. Unfortunately, things took a downturn after this.
@@mtlreiner Hard...
The moment the Enterprise E is revealed with that beautiful backdrop as it slowly turns - ingrained in my memory forever. The E was just as much a character as the main cast in this movie.
It was never the D or the A or the original... and unlike those, it never, ever became "a character"
People who say that Picard had already made peace with his Borg experience, and that his anger is bizarre, really don't understand how PTSD works.
Exactly. My wife suffers from it from a trauma in her childhood that she thought she had come to terms with. It is rational and it doesn't obey human rationality.
Why does it always have to be PTSD with you people?
He hates the Borg
He has good reason to hate the Borg!
He's not some traumatized victim! His hatred and anger are fully justified.
I deployed to Iraq on 4 deployments ( all combat related ) my first one was in 2005,also did 2 tours back-to-back. This stuff is mental and it's never ending,but,you still have to live your life and do the best you can.
@@Hiraghm
Sorry to disappoint with the perception of 'us people' however I'm not someone who thinks everything is traumatic.
I served with several combat veterans who had such issues, from extreme events that happened to them during war. It doesn't occur within everyone, but when people have it, it's very noticeable.
Sorry if my post caused some PTSD. 🙃
I always thought he was that way because he knew firsthand how dangerous the Borg are and would stop them at any cost. I never considered it vengeance or revenge as much as knowing what happens if they fail.
The Vulcans landing at the end was done so well. It got me a little emotional that I actually appreciated Cochran being a fool and hitting the juke box to lighten things up.
Oobie Doobie!
They even used that for the ST:Enterprise in the episode: "In a MIrror, Darkly"
It really was an awesome moment indeed, in First Contact
It basically symbolizes the relationship Humans and Vulcans would go on to have. We were always the rough, swashbuckling one in the relationship
@@randynutt5660 lmao
@@Francois424 I'm binging Enterprise again, been years. I'm just starting season 4, I guess that happens in this season? I remember a few episodes back to back in the mirror universe, mainly because they changed the intro song. I hate the intro song so much lol. .
I Protest Sir! I Am NOT a Merry Man!
First Contact was absolutely apex Modern Trek. Everything about this movie hit the mark.
When First Contact released in November 1996 DS9 had started Season 5 which arguably was their best overall and Voyager was finally hitting its stride in Season 3.
Not to mention there were so many fun Trek novels being written and published like William Shatners “The Return”.
I was about 13-14 years old at the time and looking back I’ve never enjoyed Sci-Fi more then at this time.
Agree 100%. I was around the same age.
Apex it was, maybe of SciFi itself because I’ve not seen better since
The golden age of Star Trek
@@thehammer9599 remake battlestar galacta defo as good.
I don't know if it deliberate, but I really appreciated that this is the 2ndTNG movie and it mirrors the 2nd TOS movie in many ways. In Wrath of Khan, Khan quotes Moby Dick and he is an Ahab character obsessed with getting revenge on Kirk. In First Contact the roles are flipped and Picard is the Ahab character obsessed with the Borg. Picard is only narrowly able to avoid Ahab and Khan's fate because of his character qualities. He realizes what he is becoming and regrets his choices. The writing was top notch IMO.
Never thought that deeply into the connection. Good point. I hope it was deliberate.
Star Trek movie makers keep trying to 'remake' The Wrath of Khan. Nemesis, Star Trek 2009, Into Darkness. First Contact might be the only one that worked.
@@smartalec2001 I think the reason it works is because they DIDN'T try to remake the wrath of Kahn. They used some of its themes but it's clearly a different movie. This is back when writers could write.
First Contact was the first Star Trek movie I went to see with friends. When Crusher activated the EMH everyone in the theatre cheered and it was such a great feeling.
I couldn't imagine anyone cheering for any new Trek characters, which is sad.
Great review, Dave! Loved the trivia about the first drafts, which I didn't know about.
Such a great point. I love that part! Just shows what great character development there was. Did discovery have anyone with 10% of that love?
The into theme music to First Contact is spectacular, and right up there with Wrath of Khan in musical quality.
The first star trek score album ever I bought.
Absolutely beautiful score.
The first thing that caught my wife’s attention to start watching star trek (she is now a TNG fan) was hearing me play that intro music on my CD player.
Absolutely; while I adore the Nebula Battle music in Wrath of Khan, First Contact opening theme just has something about it that makes you happy and sad at the same time, I always get goose bumps and feel and little teary eyed when I hear it.
I used to use it as a 'test' for my surround sound setup - probably just an excuse to play it loudly like Worf does with his Klingon Opera!
I remember watching this this movie for the fifth or sixth time as a kid, off school sick with a migraine (again) and I had normally never paid much attention to the opening credits. This time however I was blown away by how utterly gorgeous the score was. This film really awoke in me a love for film scores and I could never watch films the same way after that.
First contact is really my most favorite ST movie... the cross over with DS9 and VOY, Sovereign class, effects, new uniforms borgs being overwhelming finally in our quadrant of the galaxy... THIS was the peak of Star Trek for me in movie form.
This isn't even a patch on Wrath of Khan or Undiscovered Country.
@@igg3937 You're wrong. Wrath of Khan is the second best Star Trek film due to its epic ending. Undiscovered Country is tied for top five with Voyage Home because it is important to the lore but nothing else makes it outstanding from the original films. Search For Spock and Nemesis are three and four. First Contact is the best Star Trek film. I get the feeling you have not seen First Contact or have some emotional discrepancies in this particular instance.
Exactly @@igg3937 this flick is mediocre at best, not even as good as SearchForSpock or VoyageHome
@@onevastanusNo he's right, and it seems you're the one with emotional discrepancies about Khan & Undiscovered ✅️
I converted my best friend into a trekkie by showing him STFC.
It was the best of times and I think the intervening years thereafter until Picard season 3 really proved how special that era of star trek was.
There is so much reward for this movie that the Enterprise series made sure to bring James Cromwell back to reprise his role. You can see Zefram Cochrane's story progression from the unenthusiastic pioneer to a man who's happy to be received as Earth's hero.
You sadly don't really see that as much in movie/tv series connected lore.
Having JLP come to see the metaphorical relationship with himself and Cpt. Ahab was a nice touch. JLP would have of course been familiar with Moby Dick, and the fact that Lily introduces the concept as a jab toward JLP is hilarious, having never actually read the novel herself.
And Patrick would then go on to play Ahab!
that was a holodeck adventure @@gunsharck
I disagree. The Moby Dick/Captain Ahab analogy seems ham-fisted and forced. But Firat Contact is easily my least favorite Star Trek Films (not including the JJ Abrams films, but those aren't actually Star Trek). I find Firat Contact tedious and boring. Their lame attempt to make a serious movie involving time travel is insulting to the intelligence of the audience. First Contact is not a terrible film, but it's not good.
Maybe the simplification of the time travel element was to allow cinemagoers to enjoy and recommend the film and not make it only accessible to Star Trek fans.@@justinchetelat9962
@@NitpickingNerd No, Patrick Stewart would literally go on to play Captain Ahab in a TV miniseries of Moby Dick in 1998, no joke!
This is one of THE best STAR TREK films ever made. Jonathan Frakes is a fantastic directory. The opening pull-back shot is epic!
First Contact presented the Borg at their most physically terrifying, and really demonstrated how horrifying assimilation is.
Unfortunately Voyager really took the claws out of them.
TNG 'The Descent' started that ball rolling.
Voyager was the lowest point of Berman Trek. But only after experiencing the destruction of this franchise can I look back and say Voyager was terrible, but I would give anything to have it being the Trek that’s made today.
They were terribly mismanaged. You can't have a vast, indomitable enemy be a persistent existential threat AND be handily defeated every time they are encountered.
I concur.
@@Bow-to-the-absurd Yes, while TNGs seventh season still had a few gems (Pegasus, Lower Decks, Preemtive strike and of course all good things) the overall quality was bad, more and worse misses than any season. Its often attributed to resources being split to also accomodate DS9s first season.
First contact was one of the first and only movies I went to see at the theater multiple times. Later in 1997, I fell rather ill during the holidays. I received a VHS copy as an early Christmas present and I remember the joy it gave me. I would just listen to it even when I was too weak to keep my eyes open.
I remember going to the theater to see this movie in it's opening weekend.. When the Enterprise E was first shown on screen, the entire theater went absolutely BONKERS, I have never experienced anything like it before.. When the fleet destroyed the Borg cube, the audience cheered loudly.. Never again in my life have I ever had an experience like "First Contact". I'll never forget it.
My wife and I love first contact enough that we used the first contact theme and the end credits/TNG theme for our wedding. Excellent film
I wish Chief O'Brien had been on the Defiant. It would have been so awesome to see him cameo, and as Colm Meaney's O'Brien was IN TNG, it would be fitting. It would have given more consistency to have another DS9 character on the Defiant, added continuity AND gravity to the scene. And for those that argue who no Sisko, Sisko's absence wouldn't be unusual...he'd have been ordered to stay on high alert at DS9, and if the Federation didn't want Picard in the engagement due to being potentially compromised due to being assimilated, likewise the Federation may not have wanted a man who lost his wife at Wolf 359 massacre to lead the defiant, despite Sisko's impressive military skill. Sending Worf in his stead makes perfect sense. So, no Sisko, no plot hole. Kira's absence as well as Odo's is logical...it's not Bajoran/DS9 business. Bashir hypothetically could have then been assumed to be on board, but would likely be in the med bay, busy tending to casualties. So, apart from Dax, none of the other DS9 mains needed to be aboard or on screen, but, argh, such a missed opportunity to see the Chief. Additionally, O'Brien could easily have been written out of the remainder of the movie with a throwaway line like he had to stay aboard the drifting Defiant to try and get it back up and operational/battle ready. It's such a nitpick, but honestly it's always bothered me as it seemed like such an easy/logical cameo opportunity, and also logic as to why none of the other officers/main DS9 characters were present. In a movie that was clever enough to write in a logical EMH cameo, and had Barclay cameo, it just seems odd and frustrating for me that a TNG supporting character and DS9 main character didn't appear in such a perfect scenario.
I always found it odd that there were no other DS9 main characters on the Defiant. Worf in command makes sense. At this point he commanded missions on Defiant regularly. But seeing oddly placed starfleet randos at the helm and in the background felt so disjointed. At a minimum you should have had Dax at the helm like she was most often. And having the chief would have added value to the plot point of the Defiant being at the battle to bring Worf back. I agree with you. It always bothered me. It is a small critique of one of the greatest Star Trek movies in the end though.
There's one thing I would have done differently in respect to the Borg in First Contact.
With the Borg as thr villain of this film, there really did need to be greater interaction beyond simply the drones to carry thr film, hence the introduction of the Borg Queen.
I would have made the Queen an attempted adaptation by the Borg to deal with their loss to the Federation, and a collective fear that humanity could be the ones that finally stop their plans for 'perfection.'. The adaptation of a Queen could have been shown to be a backfire, and helped lead to their undoing.
That does make more sense. People think the "queens" of eusocial insect colonies control the rest of the hive, when it's the exact opposite. The Borg don't need a centralized reproductive system, so having them evolve with a "queen" doesn't really track.
Really? I always saw it as her being basically a Gestalt Entity. She IS the Borg Hive Mind. It is speaking through her, she's just the physical representation of it.
That's why it would've made more sense for the collective to try to adapt to the problem of Humanity by selecting a singular representative to deal with them, as opposed to her just always having being there.
They touched upon that concept when they created Locutis, and they could've kept going with the Queen, but I think the producers wanted that weird corrupted sense of "intimacy" between she and Picard.
@@atomicninjaduck9200no she was a lame injection to give 'an baddy' to focus on.
They gotta have a 'queen'. Why? The borg WERE the hive. Thats the whole point. Not a group 'led' by an obvious individual.
Its just cheap writing.
@@sugarnadsIt took away the Borg's uniqueness as an adversary.
It lowered them to the level of Sela in a lazy attempt to make them as memorable as Khan. They could get angry, be fearful, gloat, etc just like any Kazon or Pakled.
The escape pod scene still looks amazing almost 30 years later!
Not only that.
The whole movie still looks exceptionally well today. CGI-technology may have improved, but definitively not it's usage...
The line must be drawn HERE! This far..no further!!! ..and IIII will make them pay for what they’ve done!!
Alfre Woodard is always a great addition to anything she's involved in. It was awesome to see her find a place in Trek lore. Her _"You broke your little ships"_ and _"...I think you got him"_ are such classic her.
She had a recurring role in the 80s drama St. Elselwhere as an OBGYN surgeon then years later reprised the role in an episode of Homicide: Life in the Streets as a burnt out mercy killer. A startling contrast but Elsewhere was notorious for doing that to its characters. And it continued the producers carrying characters over into other series creating a continuity string that went all the way back to the 70s series The White Shadow.
I really love how they deconstructed Zefram Cochrane in this movie, breaking him down from the mythic depiction in TOS' _Metamorphisis_ to be a much more flawed and human individual, with less altruistic desires.
It's a sharp contrast to similar attempts we've seen in recent years with other series, because it feels like they are adding to his character rather than taking something away from it.
It is the _Subversion of Expectations_ trope done properly.
12 year old me said "That is NOT Zefram Cochran" when I saw this is in the theaters. But I warmed up to it. This Zefram Cochran is far more believable, interesting, and makes for a better movie. An altruistic do-gooder would have been boring. The fact that he reluctantly evolves into a man proud of his accomplishment and wanting to see more exploration for altruistic means in Enterprise is the cherry on top.
I do really love this movie, I’m glad to see it given the praise it deserves
The line must be drawn HERE! This far, no further!
And I will make them pay for what they've done!
You broke your little ships.
This speech needs to be made at the Republican National Convention.
Along with Malcolm Reynold's speech from "Serenity", "So no more running; we aim to misbehave".
@@Hiraghm [applause]
This movie is neck and neck with Wrath of Kahn for best Trek film, everything about it felt "Big". In addition to having very early roles for Neal McDonough and Adam Scott, the holographic bouncer in the Big Goodbye scene was played by Ethan Phillips.
Great review as always, Dave. I can add a couple of details about a late (but not final) draft of that script.
In the 1990s, my best friend was a props and collectibles dealer, and had a lot of connections in Hollywood and on the Paramount lot. We were actually lucky enough to tour the DS9 sets and also be on set during the filming of one of the Enterprise-B scenes in “Star Trek: Generations.” And several months before First Contact was released, my friend got a late draft of the script that was pretty close to what the final film turned out to be, with a couple of exceptions.
The main difference was with the Zefram Cochrane character, who was much more of an unstable drunk in the draft that I read. What struck me - especially considering how movies are made today - is that in the draft I read, the Lily character (played by Alfrie Woodard) was shown to be the main inventor of the warp drive. Zefram Cochrane was portrayed as more of a frontman who took the credit, but Lily was actually the brains behind the invention. I can only assume that the writers came to their senses and correctly realized that Trek fans wouldn’t like seeing a figure as iconic to Trek lore as Zefram Cochrane being shown as a mere fraud who just took credit for her work. So they tweaked the script to the final version, where Cochrane was definitely flawed and maybe a bit unstable, but he was still undeniably the genius who invented warp drive.
Had the movie been made today, they no doubt would have doubled down on the whole idea of Lily being the true inventor of warp drive, and Cochrane would have been sidelined as little more than a clownish fool who could only wish to be as awesome as his strong female superior. Very glad they changed that.
The other difference is that the Defiant was pretty much destroyed in the battle with the Borg Cube at the beginning of the movie. The copy of the script I read had Worf and the surviving crew being beamed off just before the Borg hit it, and described the Defiant as a gutted, burning wreck. No doubt the producers of Deep Space Nine weren’t too happy about that, so the final version of the movie just says that Defiant was damaged, but could be recovered.
I miss the days when my friend’s connections got us access to things like that. Although considering the state of Star Trek today, I doubt I’d be thrilled to get my hands on an advance script of any current Trek production.
I absolutely loved First Contact, for quite a number of reasons. For one thing, it had genuine stakes, the characters all work hard to achieve victory, and the antagonists are genuinely intimidating in a way that rarely exists in Sci-Fi Films -- The Borg here are almost like completely-competent Stormtroopers, but crossed with "bionic zombie" qualities (as Lily puts it), and the fact that they are all unwilling participants, having been assimilated rather than recruited makes them more terrifying, as does the fact that they don't have any long-range capabilities; if you can't kill them with your weapons (which they can adapt to), they're going to take you down with their own hands, many of which have been replaced with sharp instruments (and are likely cold to the touch).
With that, it does a great job of using Zefram Cochrane as a perfect allegory of how we distort Historical figures, while making him a great character, himself worthy of respect in addition to being incredibly entertaining. While I do wish that the Earth-based crew got more to do in regards to plot, they did each get moments to shine, including Barkley, and I love how Cochrane tried to run when he discovered he was going to be a legend. It was a bit over-the-top, but it is an understandable response.
Visually the movie is spectacular, and not only in regards to the Visual Effects (this being only John Knoll's first or second film in charge of the VFX as a whole, later doing things like the Pirates trilogy, Pacific Rim and Rogue One) -- The cinematography is some of the best of any Star Trek film, using intense camera angles at times of intensity (incorporating a semi-fisheye when the Borg are present is a nice touch), and both the production design and lighting are genuinely outstanding. I also absolutely love the musical score and own it on CD - the main theme itself is so good that I recall hearing it during a post-Gold Medal montage during an Olympic event a few years later (yes, really)!
I also absolutely love the climax, with Data's double-betrayal being a uniquely triumphant moment in the film, him using a slight bit of his Anger within his still-enabled emotion chip, and I love how when he punches the container that would destroy the Borg Queen and Drones, the spewing material almost makes a screaming sound as it blasts out, as if it too was full of fury.
Lastly, that scene between Picard and Lily in his ready room was absolute gold, and every line leading to his emotional outburst perfectly added to his internal fire. He tries to be civilized but is barely holding onto his inner rage and Lily sees that he's compromised, and in trying to talk sense into him, she only sets him off. I also adore the little touch on how he quotes Moby Dick to her as she starts to leave, herself using the analogy earlier, after which she confesses she never actually read it - his very subtle smirk afterwards is wonderful. I also love how the last line of the scene was about Ahab: "I guess he never knew when to quit." -- I also loved the short follow-up where she leaves him behind on the Enterprise and the escape pods leave, the scene of them blasting off being a surprisingly potent one.
A fun fact: Supposedly, the Medieval-Borg screenplay leaked somehow, and Mad Magazine got a hold of it, and their Star Trek First Contact spoof was made using that, meaning that they literally spoofed the wrong version of the movie.. (This was mentioned by Braga in the Commentary)
Hail Dave, you've summed it up very nicely and I pretty much agree with you about this film. Saw it in the cinema in 1996 and loved it. I feel it's aged well and as you say strikes a perfect balance between light and dark moments. What also becomes apparent is how close as friends the cast were. Frakes ' nickname was "Two takes Frakes" probably because he had the genuine support and goodwill of the cast.
100% agree with your video. For me, this was my favorite Star Trek movie. My dad and I used to brainstorm how we’d beat the Borg. Lots of good memories around these times. 😊
I was fortunate enough to see this when it released in cinemas. My dad was a Trek fan so we saw this and Generations there. I wasn't really into Star Trek so couldn't appreciate or understand the characters. But I do remember enjoying it. Fortunately I started watching TNG this year and I'm enjoying that too. So hopefully it'll bring me greater appreciation for it when I watch FC again. Plus it's like having my old man next to me again while I watch it.
I used to watch First Contact the most on VHS as a kid. It has a wonderful balancing of tones, especially with regards to the maturity of the themes while retaining an optimistic outlook on the future. Still one of my favourite Star Trek movies
I remember watching this in theaters. I miss the 90s 🤣 and TNG
me to, I am utterly a child of the 90's.
There are two scenes that make this my second favorite Star Trek movie after Wrath of Khan (discounting the Search for Spock and Spock saves the Whales which I only liked because of a small part of the messaging).
Second is the scene with the launching of Cochrane's ship. When he panics and puts in the mix-tape, and "Magic Carpet Ride" starts playing... that was just great.
And first, above all else in this movie, much of which was very enjoyable... the Ahab scene with Lilly.
First, Picard was _right_ about not blowing up the Enterprise. Launch escape pods and and Borg can get away. And there is no guarantee that blowing up the ship will destroy _all_ of the Borg. If one makes it to Earth, game over. And in blowing up the Enterprise, you've destroyed your only means of fighting the Borg.
But I have lost track of how many times I have paraphrased Picard's speech, how many times I've linked to it in the ongoing war with socialist slavery.
Here's my version:
"We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our cultures and we fall back. They assimilate entire societies and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And _I_ will make them pay for what they've done!"
Picard could not possibly, by any stretch of the imagination, hate the Borg as much as I hate socialist slavers. So the Borg murdered a few tens of thousands of people. Big deal.
Socialist slavers have murdered my entire world.
Same and I like the parallel with our current woke tyranny. It is time to stand up and say no.
A brilliantly efficient and tightly written script. So much happens in the first sequence alone
I was never a Star Trek fan and never saw an episode of tng until my friends dragged me to the theatre to see this and boy did this turn me into a fan quickly. The movie is just that good where I didn’t really need to see previous tngs but it did help to have my friends give me a quick drunken summary on the way to the theatre. It’s pacing is close to perfect, acting was great, effect were great, story was great.
"COCHRANE: And you people, you're all astronauts, on some kind of star trek?". I can still hear the groans in the theater lol
That was the original "what are we, some kind of Suicide Squad?" 20 years earlier
There’s always been exactly 1 issue I’ve had with this film:
Sisko wasn’t on the Defiant and didn’t play off Picard regarding the Borg.
Just watched this tonight based on your recommendation. I was 16 when this came out and too cool for Star Trek Next Generation because my Dad liked it so this was a first viewing for me. WOW, what a great movie. I struggled with the Cochran character because my simple brain wants to put people into easy categories of “good, bad, hero, etc” like many of the crew. Making him a complex human with vices and virtues was a great move. Definitely makes him relatable to the audience and a stark contrast to the equanimity and grace of River & LaForge.
Thanks!
One of the best sci-fi films ever made. The stakes couldn't have been higher, and the plot was just genius.
Definitely an all time favorite, up there with Undiscovered Country and Wrath.
@@chonconnor6144 personally I think First Contact is the best, but Wrath is still a sci fi classic
Yep, by far my favorite Trek movie. We'll never have it again.
This is undoubtedly the best of the TNG films. My younger self was irritated with what I saw as disrespecting continuity: the Borg had seemingly been dealt with by the end of the series, Picard had dealt with what the Borg had done to him, the Defiant was seemingly presented as Worf's ship, and both the Borg Queen and Data being able to turn off his emotion chip seemed silly. However, I've come to appreciate the film so much more since then, and the reasoning behind many of these decisions and the reality of how severe trauma really can be only heighten that appreciation.
I remember seeing the Enterprise-E on the big screen for the 1st time in '96. What a beauty to behold!
When it first came out I didn't like the idea of the Borg Queen, but I've come to appreciate it more over time. What still irks me is her interest in Data in First Contact. In Best of Both Worlds part 2, Locutus designates data as obsolete from the Borg POV. By First Contact he's not upgraded all that much beyond his emotion chip, so why would the Borg Queen care about him, much less seek to convert him.
I think the Borg Queen’s interest in Data was that he locked the computer system and he was the only one who had the command codes.
@@thallus23 The seduction part wasn't good though. I would have loved to see more of a battle of the minds with competing logic processes.
Uhm!.... There's LOTS of Really good Truth drops in Star Trek 'has anyone ever seen The Janeway NDE scene a false light [entities presenting as relatives].,It's worth revising If you have trouble finding it you'll find it on :
Machine Sanity The 👈 the, Creator of th chanel and does Brilliant (Analysis).
Nah, I still hate the idea of there being any kind of hierarchy in the Borg. It goes completely against their original concept, and undermines the reason why they were so terrifying in the first place. If there's any doubt to this, just listen to Guinan talk about the Borg in "Q Who." The Borg story arc doubled down on her words, and it did so effectively until this film.
It’s a Borg woman’s prerogative to change her mind.
Great video and bit of trivia! I remember seeing this in the cinema and loving it.
It's been tough for Trekkies these past couple of decades but we should also be grateful for the experiences of the old movies and episodes. They really are a gift and I'm so grateful to have enjoyed them at the time of their release and over the years.
I know alot of people say it's to much of an action movie but it makes the Borg and how they work scary I always enjoy watching it
This was definitely my favorite next gen movie out of the bunch
I just wished that the space battle against the cube was shown more. They designed new ships just for this movie, and we barely get to see them.
I saw First Contact twice at the cinema in 1996 - first with my brother and then with my best mate. When it came out to buy I watched it so many times I wore out the VHS cassette. I'm so glad I wasn't the only one who was blown away by First Contact.
I’m not a Star Trek fan as much as I am into sci-fi. But the Borg have always been intriguing to me. I enjoyed First Contact greatly. Pleasantly surprised.
Thank you for doing your thing, Havbe a happy New Year. Its one of my favourite films as well.
Lilly is a perfect example of a strong female (of color as well) character done right.
You didn't need to write "of colour". Her ethnicity added nothing to the story nor to this conversation.
She’s BLACK, and her colour is irrelevant.
Why would you even bring that up? What's wrong with you?
@@igg3937 Because people on the left do. lol But it’s also to contrast her with Michael Burnam.
@@spinlok3943 Fair enough. But the more people bring this stuff up the more it will perpetuate.
I made my eight year old, Star Wars fanboi son sit and watch this film. I assured him he would like it.
When it was over he turned to me and said "That was awesome".
I cried a tear of joy. Victory.
One big diversion from the original series was that they made Zephrim Cochran from Earth, instead of Alpha Centuri.
Lol. How could an alien be on Earth and invent warp drive before Earth ever made contact with any aliens?
Calling him 'of Alpha Centauri' could have had to do with his influence in a long range warp test, a first colony, or Earth's first interstellar military action, so knowing he was born on Earth never bothered me. A greater departure was changing him from a moral old-schooler, the essence of the courageous, civilized explorer, to a (very well acted) hedonistic worshipper of capitalist-science.
@@AmbassadorFox A side story to flesh out the Cochran story had him on Alpha Centari. His people were in contact with Earth and were telling Earth about a faster than light travel method that Cochran had invented.
@@rangerone8813 The story came out many decades ago when his story was fleshed out. Alpha Centari was in contact with Earth and Cochran told them that he had an idea for a faster than light travel method.
I remembered that as well. So did Stan and Fred Goldstein who wrote the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology in 1980. They based a whole first-contact event based on the fact of Cochran being from AC. However, it wasn't considered canon which was too bad because it was very detailed in its "history".
First Contact is the only ST film I like enough to watch over and over and over.
Back when Star Trek was written by people who respected the lore. Also seeing a serious Federation fleet is still cool.
The new classes of ship really made Starfleet feel more vibrant and dynamic. I fell in love with the Akira.
This star trek movie had a alien franchise feel to it almost. The green lightning on the ship and just the overall tone of the film. This is definitely sci fi horror.
It’s a evergreen movie still holds up
I just watched this again for the umpteenth time but this time listening to Frakes’ commentary and it was BRILLIANT. He’s so enthusiastic
Tough little ship
Little?
This is the NexGen version of “Wrath Of Khan.”
Just as most people didn’t totally love the first film they had to really bring it for the second film, and they did it.
This isn’t part of my programming. I’m a doctor, not a doorstop.
Perhaps you’d like an analgesic cream.
I was twelve years old and a huge Trekker when FC was released. What a great time to be alive when Trek was at it’s best. 1996 also saw the release of Trials And Tribbelations and the 30th anniversary of Star Trek. So this movie was in a sense a lightning in a bottle. The people behind Star Trek were highly motivated. I mean it was the 30th anniversary and they did all that wonderful stuff! If Trek would have ended in 1996 it would’ve been hailed as the greatest SciFi franchise of all time. That’s how good the year 1996 was for Trek
After the Wrath of Khan, First Contact is easily the best Star Trek movie to date. I remember going to see as a birthday treat and it did not disappoint. To this day i can still remember how excited i felt before going to see it.
It's story, effects, music and CGI are just superb. I also love the creepiness, something we seldom see in Star Trek. That scene in the Jefferies tube still sends shivers down my spine. My only criticism is that it felt a little short. I would have loved more scenes with the Borg assimilating the Enterprise, and the space battle could have been a little longer. The Borg truly are one of if not the scattiest villains in the entire franchise.
It is hard to believe that this movie is almost thirty years old. But it is still vastly superior to most modern movies, Star Trek or otherwise.
Naw... Star Trek 6 The Undiscovered Country is number 2 (after The Wrath of Kahn) on my list! But I agree with all the rest of what you wrote.😊
@@shlomokallner3180 If it was not for the fact that the Borg are my favourite Star Trek villains, i would probably agree with you.
@@shlomokallner3180 Do I dare to say it?
I honestly think that "Undiscovered Country" is superior to "Wrath of Khan". Simply because of how brilliantly it concludes Kirk's story and his "conflict" with the Klingons.
("Generations" is non-canon fan-fic in my world. Try changing my mind! 😉)
@@martinfiedler4317 I disagree. Even with all the "Grand Scale" and truly amazing CGI in ST6, when it comes to raw story telling ST2 is way better.. although thinking again about that "Grand Scale" thing.. you could have sold me if not simply for the sole aspect of Kahn being, on his own, a Superior Story Villian. Especially when you compare him to the conniving simpletons of ST6.. no match for Kirk.
Simply put: if you want a really good story place in it a Villian who truly tries your Hero. Kahn does this for Kirk. The Conspirisy of Valeris, Kang, etc. with their able-to-fire-torpedoes-while-cloaked Klingon Bird of Prey, cannot match Kirk, they can only slow him down a little.
@@shlomokallner3180 That's fair. I don't expect my personal preference to be shared.
For me, the point is that in "Undiscovered Country", the true antagonist for Kirk is he himself. He has to overcome his own prejudices and embitterment...
That - and Plummer's sheer enjoyment of his role as Chang - compensates me for the many, many faults the movie has 🙃
Star Trek: First Contact was one of my best cinema experiences. Opening night with a cinema full of fellow Star Trek fans. I remember everyone cheering and clapping [myself included] when the aliens at the end revealed themselves to be Vulcans.
I remember being so sad and shocked in Generations when Kirk died and when all of the rest of the Enterprise blow up. My young mind couldn’t comprehend. They should have had the balls to keep it all that way, IMO
Kirk is still dead and the enterprise D resurrected doesn't use it's original star drive
I will never forget 1996. Going to this film with my mum. Was enchanted then and still continue to be enchanted. Alfre Woodard - what a performance. The fear of that initial borg scene that she experienced with Picard. And saying "sounds Swedish" this is what a person would say in this era! Yes pacing, the CGI models - the balance of different settings. Acting. Humor and intense. A+
Ive never really got the criticism of the Borg Queen. First of all, the character is not the Borg Queen - she is never referred to as such by anyone in the film. This is just a name applied afterwards. I get the argument that giving them a face and a personality reduces the fear somewhat, but her role and position is spelt out in the movie. Data asks if she is their leader and she scoffs at his limited comprehension and tells him that she *is* the Borg. She is a gestalt entity, the Collective in one body. I find it remarkable how few people seem to get this. Likewise, I see her as an adaptation for dealing with humanity just as Picard says when discussing his assimilation as Locutus, a pseudo-individual within a hive mind. The concept works in this film but they went way too far with it subsequent TV series (looking at you Voyager).
Agreed. First Contact is incredible on so many levels and holds up extremely well today.
First contqct was a great story. Especially how it later tied in into the enterprise series. A shame current trek chooses di ver sity over quality story
Star Trek has really always been "woke" and identity politics. It played a part in diversity a lot since the 60s. These days the writers of ST refuse to look at the past to build inspiration. Instead they are bringing other cookie ideologies into it. Ideologies that even Gene Roddenberry was against, because it made terrible storytelling and outcomes.
This is my favorite of the next generation films.
YES!!! My daughter and I watched that when she was 11 (it was a big deal bc my children are pretty sheltered) she loved it!! ❤❤❤
I attended the Royal Premier in Leicester Square dressed as Will Riker,
Brent Spiner & Jonathan Frakes gave a brief talk before the movie started!
Definitely the Best TNG Movie,
"Great Times!"🤔😁👍
My favorite Star Trek movie.
First Contact is brilliant in so many ways! I loved the breaking of the 4th wall moment when Zefram Cochrane says: "And you people, you're all astronauts... on some kind of Star Trek." That got a good laugh from the audience in the theater. Also, James Cromwell (who was already a Star Trek veteran at the time, much like David Warner) was not the studio's first choice to play Zefram Cochrane, they wanted Tom Hanks who was a Star Trek fan himself. Hanks unfortunately was unavailable at the time because he was busy filming "That Thing You Do". Can you imagine Tom Hanks in a Star Trek film? That would have just been incredible!
My brother and I watched this film twice in a row on the same evening at the cinema when I came out. Such a good movie.
Story, soundtrack, CGI, characters...all I can say is, that this one of my favourite Star Trek movies and Sci-Fi movies in general.
A truly great movie and a great Star Trek product.
One of my favourite Star Trek movies.
The Battle at the start is one of the best most exciting space battles on film imo. The Enterprise E covering the defiant, the different ship classes buzzing round.... Oh boy.... Right! Now I've gotta watch it again!
Dave, when you put this video out, I had forgotten this gem was released almost 30 years ago. I'm going to rewatch it today. If only hollywood would realize how much they lost.
Saw this in the cinema with my friend. Also saw The Undiscovered Country on the same day for the first time. My little mind was blown away.
saw this in the theater on my 17th birthday... still my favorite Star Trek movie.
Well said Sir.... I couldn't agree with you more. I remember leaving the cinema when this first screened with a huge smile on my face. Star Trek has never been the same since
Good work Dave. Happy new year.
One of those rare movies I can always watch and enjoy. Never get tired of it!
I saw First Contact on opening night as a 14 year old, dressed up in full makeup with my Klingon fan group. It was a memorable night for me all around, and along with Star Trek VI remains my favorite ST movies.
Hey!
I now need to rewatch it. I've seen it like 20 or more years ago and hardly remember. I just remember it was one of my favourite Star Trek films.
Small detail that I appreciated: despite the obvious casualties, the Federation fleet actually managed to inflict heavy damage to the Borg cube, even before the Enterprise arrived. It shows how far they've come since Wolf 359.
I loved that film as a kid, and I still like it. Best ST episode/film ever to me.
My favourite scene is where Picard looses it and then as he calmes down starts to quote Moby Dick. That scene is somehow burned into my memory.
First Contact was the first Star Trek movie I got to see at the cinema and it blew me away! I have also seen it countless times since and it's always the first thing I recommend to people who have never seen Star Trek before.
Terrible thing to recommend.
"They invade our space, and we fall back, they assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. No more. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And I, will make them PAY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE!!!" Epic, truly Shakespearian.
I wasn’t really a Star Trek fan, nor am I now, but I agree with about every point you make. I love this film. I saw it back in the 90s and I must have seen it a dozen times at this point over the years.