It's time. Thanks to this '90s Trek Re-Watch I've been doing; I'm back in the mindset of when I was watching Star Trek in the '90s and I'm looking as forward to watching
First Contact as I was back in 1996. I couldn't wait for it. Right from the time
Entertainment Tonight did a behind-the-scenes story and I got my first look at the Enterprise-E bridge, the new uniforms, and everything else. I first joined the Internet in the months leading up to the movie, I saw a partially leaked script, which made me even more excited. And so did the reveal of the exterior of the Enterprise-E.
Opening night in 1996, I was there watching
First Contact in the theater. And it was just as great as I thought it would be. It became my gold standard for TNG Movies. Because of how good
First Contact was, it disappointed me a lot when
Insurrection and
Nemesis didn't live up. To this day, I think
First Contact is the best Star Trek movie to come out in the past 30 years. Period.
And then there was the Official Trailer!
To go with this movie, I have a Margarita Pizza that I got from one of my favorite fancy restaurants and Smoke Tree Chardonnay. If Chateau Picard were real, I would've grabbed that. But anyway, time to grab the Blu-Ray, turn on the Projector, turn off the lights, and put on...
"Star Trek: First Contact" (1996)
Two hours later. Just finished as of this typing and what a movie. Still love it just as much as I did when I was 17. Still the best TNG Movie. It's not even close. Right up front, if there was going to be a sequel to "The Best of Both Worlds", it
had to be a movie, since taking the story to next level required a movie-level scale and a movie-level budget. There was a ton of stuff in here that was never done on TNG as a TV Series. For one thing, it's great to have Jerry Goldsmith back as the Composer. His score is mesmerizing when it needs to be, dramatic when it needs to be, and uplifting when it needs to be. It's up there with Star Trek's best musical scores.
As Picard is having a nightmare about when he was assimilated, the inside of the Borg Cube is depicted in a way that never could've been accomplished on TV. As the needle is about to go into Picard's eye, it's truly terrifying. Then he wakes up, and then the surprise that he's
still in the dream as he's woken up again. First, he's in a nightmare reliving his assimilation, then he's in another nightmare where he's still a Borg, then he wakes up to hear is worst nightmare, what he's been dreading for six years: that the Borg have returned. It's three levels of nightmare, two from within, one from without, and none that he can escape.
Then an exterior shot of the Enterprise-E, which looks both majestic and gives a sense of the passage of time, taking Starfleet further in its design evolution. I like the Enterprise-D (even though the A is my favorite) but, as much as I like the D, the E was absolutely needed for this movie. Looking at it, watching
First Contact, I think there needed to be a true separation between the series and the movies. More than what
Generations gave, and
First Contact did that. With both a new Enterprise and new uniforms. Plus Geordi and Beverly's new hairstyles. And Geordi's ocular implants. After what happened in the last movie, it makes perfect sense why Geordi wouldn't want to have the VISOR anymore.
Admiral Hayes decision to sideline the Enterprise while the Borg attack Earth is something that I can understand on one level. On paper, it makes sense that someone who was captured and assimilated by the Borg shouldn't be put in a position where he'll face them again. The only problem is that I think it's short-sighted. The Borg adapt. Whatever Starfleet had in mind, the Borg would've adapted. And that's exactly what sounds like happened, as the Enterprise is listening to the audio transmissions from the battle. Starfleet doesn't stand a chance. So, Picard decides to disobey orders and charge to the rescue. When Data says, "I believe I speak for us all when I say to Hell with our orders," it obviously echoes Spock's, "If I were Human, I believe my response would be go to Hell." Both times it works.
At the battle, among the other ships is the Defiant. It makes sense that the Defiant is there. It was originally built and designed to fight the Borg. What doesn't make sense is Worf being the only one of the main characters from DS9 on the Defiant, but not a problem. It makes way more sense for Worf to be here in
First Contact than it did in
Insurrection when they didn't even try to come up with a reason. After the Defiant and its crew is rescued by the Enterprise, Worf rejoins the Enterprise crew on the bridge. Having the TMP Klingon Theme while Worf walked onto the bridge was EPIC. Just like having that music while the Defiant was fighting the Borg. I think it's funny that Worf complained in "The Way of the Warrior" (DS9) about how a new Enterprise wouldn't be the same and that his Enterprise was gone. The Enterprise-E seems
much more like Worf's type of ship than the Enterprise-D ever did. My father laughed when Riker jokingly asked Worf, "You do remember how to fire phasers, right?"
Picard knowing exactly where to hit the Borg Cube put a short end to the battle. Seeing all the new-looking Starfleet ships firing quantum torpedoes alongside the Enterprise to destroy the Borg was one of my favorite sequences in the movie. Among several. Although you'd think by now the Borg would learn to send more than one cube. Another great shot is the Borg Sphere escaping the Cube's destruction. So awesome was it that I saw it on one of several monitors with other video footage over the very top of a stage at an Ozzy Osbourne concert I went to in the Summer of 2001. Yes, it's true. And it's the last place I ever expected to see that footage! But it looked cool there too.
As the Sphere goes back in time, changes history, and the Enterprise follows to stop Earth from becoming all Borg. Which brings us back to 2063, 10 years after the end of World War III. Mark that in the calendars! I can't wait to spend my retirement years on Post-Apocalyptic Earth. Most major cities destroyed, 600 million dead... actually,
on second thought... The Enterprise-E is quick to destroy the Borg Sphere, but not before it tries to attack the site from which the Phoenix is to be launched, and not before the Borg manage to beam onto the Enterprise and begin working to take over the ship.
The set designers did great work making their facsimile of Montana look like it's Post-WWIII. Zephram Cochrane and Lily Sloane are instantly memorable and clearly defined right from the get-go. Zephram Cochrane is as eccentric as he is a genius. Yes, I know he was previously introduced in "Metamorphosis" (TOS), but I'm treating him like a new character and an avatar for Gene Roddenberry. More on that later. Lily is headstrong and I assume she's the one keeping Cochrane in focus and on track.
As Picard and Data look at the Phoenix, it's easy to get lost in the moment and feel as if they're looking at a true piece of history. Zephram Cochrane repurposing what was originally a missile for exploration sums up both the negative and the positive of Humanity. It sums up Humanity as a whole as it's on the cusp of embarking on a new chapter. As Picard and Data admire the Phoenix, the perfect line from Troi to snap them out of it is, "Would you three like to be left alone?"
Zephram Cochrane is nowhere to be found, but Lily is around and she thinks the Enterprise crew is who attacked. When she shoots at Data and it has no effect on him, not only is it a good scene, but it also shows to a casual movie-going audience how strong Data is. The movie always keeps those not familiar with the series, or Star Trek in general, in mind, and gives everyone enough information to follow along. Now that I think about it, it also shows that Data's more powerful than individual Borg Drones, because they can be gunned down and Data can't.
After Lily falls unconscious, Beverly's in true form telling Picard they have to help her, Prime Directive or not, but promises she'll keep her unconscious. Yeah, right.
The first scene of the Borg being on the Enterprise feels like something straight out a horror movie. The Borg attack and assimilate Porter (I remembered his name!), he screams, then his crewmate checks to see what happened to him, "Paul? Paul?!" and she gets assimilated too! "AAAHHHHH!!!!!!!" It's quick, fast, and Picard picks up on it immediately, and returns to the ship. Sharp, quick, a little funny in a black-humor sort of way, gets right to the point, and gets Picard back onto the ship. And back into the nightmare he can't get away from.
This movie was very effective in taking advantage of TNG's command structure by having Riker lead the mission on Earth while Picard leads the mission on the Enterprise to take back the ship from the Borg. From here on out, it makes for a good contrast. Whenever the A-Story needs a break, it cuts to the B-Story. Just like episodes of TNG, DS9, and VOY except in movie form. Hearing
Oobie Doobie as Troi gets drunk and Zephram Cochrane dances away is a great way to break the tension from Picard confirming the Borg are on the Enterprise and then having to put together a battle plan.
Speaking of the scene where Picard is coming up with the battle plan, the soundtrack was perfect for that. It had a militaristic sound which was needed to evoke the mood. Worf and Data give their input. Picard tells them not to be afraid to kill assimilated crewmates. "Believe me, you'll be doing them a favor." He wants to spare them the misery he went through. Way back in 1996 or 1997, I read a parody of this movie online, where the crew of the Saluco from
Aliens was in the scene. Hicks, Vasquez, Apone, Hudson, you name it. And I really can picture them in this line-up. Picard would be like Ripley, even though he's male. Data would be like Bishop. But enough about
Aliens and back to just
First Contact!
I think this Chardonnay is catching up to me, but I'm going to continue on anyway! 
The Borg are loose on the ship, they reach Sickbay, Lily is woken up, Beverly activates the EMH, and Bob Picardo has the best cameo of an actor from another series in these movies ever. The Borg continue to advance through the ship and they capture Data while Lily (who's escaped) captures Picard. So now the A-Story is split in half. Data is introduced to the Borg Queen while Picard introduces Lily to the 24th Century. In both cases, it's a matter of "show, don't tell". Picard shows Lily how the Enterprise is in orbit around Earth and it's her first look at Earth from space. It changes her perspective. Just like it'll later change Zephram Cochrane's perspective. Given how eccentric Zephram Cochrane is, Lily is truly the one who stands in for a regular person who might be potentially introduced to Star Trek for the first time with this movie. This works in parallel with Zephram Cochrane simultaneously being told about how important his mission is by Riker, Geordi, and Troi.
In the case of the Borg Queen, some say having her ruined the Borg. I disagree. If the Borg are a hive mind, then it makes sense that the hive would have a Queen, just like bees. The Borg Queen is the Queen Bee. She wanted to make use of Picard when she had him transformed into Locutus, but now she's moved on to Data. To be blunt, I think the Borg needed to have someone to speak through. I mentioned this in
my review of "The Best of Both Worlds". Locutus was the mouthpiece there, the Borg Queen is the mouthpiece here, and taking it even further back, the idea of having someone speak for an ominous threat in Star Trek goes back to
The Motion Picture with the Ilia-droid speaking for V'Ger. On top of that, I think the Borg Queen makes for a charismatic villain. The use of Data's emotion chip works far better here than it did in
Generations in that the Borg Queen uses those emotions to try to take advantage of Data. With emotions he can be seduced, he can be tempted, and he can be made vulnerable. All things that wouldn't have been possible without emotions. If this weren't a PG-13 movie, I imagine the seduction would've gone a
lot further and Data would probably have skin grafted a certain somewhere else. "I am fully functional. Programmed in multiple techniques."
Having the Borg assimilate large portions of the Enterprise adds to the horror movie vibe
First Contact has a little bit of. Seeing movie-budget Borg walking down the Borgified hallways looks and feels creepy. As do the shots of Enterprise crewmembers being assimilated and having Borg implants added. Lily looks truly horrified at the sight of them. Then Picard's direct knowledge of the Borg comes in handy for the second time in the movie. He gets the Borg to chase him and Lily into the holodeck, hides in the Dixon Hill program, and uses it to ambush the Borg, steal a component from one, and figure out what the Borg are planning to do. That all sounds cut-and-dried, but what isn't cut-and-dried is Picard's rage finally coming out as he shoots the Borg with a tommy gun and starts screaming like Rambo. Despite the scene being mocked by some, I think it was a quick cinematic shorthand to convey just how deep Picard's PTSD from being assimilated runs. The Dixon Hill program really adds to the scene. And not just because it looks like they're at a fancy joint in the 1940s. In the series, Picard uses Dixon Hill as escapism. Here, he's using it to literally escape. Although also in the series, he'd use Dixon Hill program to avoid his problems. "Manhunt" being a prime example. Here, he's using the holodeck to attack his problems head on. Except it's clear just how deeply those problems have damaged him.
If Picard is trying to confront his problems, Zephram Cochrane is trying to run away from his fears. The more he hears about how he'll be honored and remembered in the future, the less he wants to have anything to do with it. "I don't want to be a statue!" The contrast between Picard's part of the story and Riker's couldn't be made more clear during this part of the film. Picard's gunning down a Borg while screaming in rage. Riker zaps Zephram Cochrane probably not even on Setting 1. Probably more like Setting 0.1! Then he tells Geordi, "You told him about the statue?!" I know the original idea for the film was to have Picard on the surface and Riker on the ship, but they absolutely 100% made the right call by switching their roles. Picard has a lot to work through with the Borg, Riker doesn't. Picard isn't jovial, Riker is. And the dramatic sparks between Picard and Lily a highlight, which makes they're being on the same page that much more satisfying whenever it happens. "Watch your caboose, Dix."
Which leads into Picard, Worf, and Hawk having to stop the Borg from setting up an interplexing beacon to communicate with the Borg of the 21st Century in the Delta Quadrant. As soon as Beverly mentioned the Borg were in the Delta Quadrant, I knew that they'd eventually appear on
Voyager. Months before they actually would, because I figured they'd mention it for a reason. And I
love that Picard, Worf, and Hawk got into space suits. Something we NEVER saw on TNG. Them in space suits and on top of the deflector dish is just something was something completely new for this crew. Much like
The Motion Picture, it felt like they were truly out in space. The music sold it. And fighting the Borg in outer space made this super feel like a science-fiction movie, more so than usual. Too bad Hawk was assimilated, but Worf really shines here when he rescues Picard, finishes disconnecting the beacon, takes aim at it, and says, "Assimilate this!"
Unfortunately, the victory is short-lived. The Borg Queen changes her plans and wants to destroy the Phoenix. And the Borg are still in control of the Enterprise. Worf recommends destroying the Enterprise. What does he care? He has no attachment to this ship. Beverly agrees. Lily thinks it's a great idea. "If we can get off this ship and then blow it up, let's do it!" But it's the one thing that sets Picard off.
Way off. It's one more thing to lose to the Borg, and he refuses. Things get raw, Picard calls Worf a coward for wanting to run, and then Worf delivers the line, "If you were any other man, I would kill you where you stand!" It's insane. They've been pushed to the absolute edge, and Picard tells Worf, "Get off my bridge!" Then Lily follows Picard into the Briefing Room, where I assume Picard's trying to modify their weapons, things go from bad-to-worse, Lily yells at Picard to "blow up the damn ship!!!" and Picard screams, "NO!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" and smashes the glass containing the models of all the previous Enterprises, one of them is broken, paralleling what happened to the Enterprise-D in the previous movie, and then Picard says too many sacrifices have been made, they keep falling back, and "the line must be drawn here! This far and no farther!" Then he finally drops the bombshell, "And I will make them PAY for what they've done!" Brilliant acting on Patrick Stewart's part. Alfre Woodard does a fantastic job of keeping up with him as well. Comparing Picard's fixation with Captain Ahab from
Moby Dick was an apt comparison. And referring to
Moby Dick is something that I'm sure would make Nick Meyer proud. It was a very bold choice to have the hero feel vengeful instead of the villain, which makes
First Contact the opposite of
The Wrath of Khan, in a way.
This gives Lily the perfect opening to call bullshit on Picard's claim that Humanity is more evolved in the 24th Century, asking where his evolved sensibility was when he was shooting Borg on the Holodeck. It was an idea in TNG, especially
Early-TNG, that Humanity is evolved. But in practice, it's rarely seemed that way. Whenever an outsider came onto the Enterprise, it wasn't uncommon to see this outsider have friction with the crew. On DS9 and VOY, the characters are prone to interpersonal conflict. It happens on a regular basis. They don't need to be at each other's throats but they can have differences of opinion and just not like each other. And when pushed far enough, the idea of how much more evolved Humans are goes out the window. Including with Picard right here. It took courage for the writers to take what had been preached for years on the show and hold it up to a harsh mirror in the movie.
And before that, the heated exchange between Picard and Worf was one of Michael Dorn's most powerful scenes in all of the TNG Movies. Rivalled only by the scene that comes next, with Picard apologizing to Worf and calling Worf the bravest person he's ever known. The good use Worf is put to in
First Contact shows exactly how much he was underused and
misused in the other TNG Movies.
Picard relents and finally agrees to self-destruct the Enterprise. If this were the series, we'd know the Enterprise was in no serious danger of destruction. But because it's the movies, and the Enterprise
can be destroyed, for a little while, when I first saw this movie, I was wondering, "Are they really
actually going to destroy the Enterprise-E?!" Deep down I didn't think so, but there was a kernel of doubt in my mind that would've have been there if it were the show. The shot of the escape pods evacuating the Enterprise made for a great shot, along with music that accompanied it. My mother said the escape pods looked like piano keys. This is the last Star Trek movie she saw before she died the following year.
While everyone else evacuates, Picard stays behind the rescue Data from the Borg. It's a role reversal from "The Best of Both Worlds", where it was Data who rescued Picard. I liked how Data fooled the Borg Queen into letting her think he was on her side, as he deactivated the destruct sequence. Before you know he's only pretending to be on her side, for a moment it looks like the Phoenix might be destroyed, just like for a moment it looked like the Enterprise-E might be destroyed. But it's not, Data says "resistance is futile", some flesh-tearing gas is released, Picard swings for the wires like he's in a jungle, and Data drags the Borg Queen to her "death". Yes, I know I'm thinking in three-dimensional terms, since she retroactively survived "The Best of Both Worlds" as well and will be back for
Voyager. But for
this movie, she's defeated and so are her plans. My father laughed when Picard asked Data how long he was tempted by the Borg Queen's offer and he said "0.68 seconds." Translation: he wasn't even tempted for a second!
Intercutting between fighting the Borg Queen, the Phoenix jumps to warp, after blasting off to the sound of
Magic Carpet Ride, and it feels both exciting and inspiring. Zephram Cochrane is blown away physically, while they're at warp, and mentally when they come out of warp and he sees how small Earth is in the grand scheme of things. This might've been the beginning of Zephram Cochrane coming around when before he said he only built the Phoenix so he could make money and retire to a tropical island filled with naked women. For sure that was all a reference to Gene Roddenberry, who Ron Moore and Brannon Braga had to have known at least a little bit towards the very end of his life.
Actually showing Vulcans make First Contact with Humans was something truly worthy of a movie that happened to be coming out on Star Trek's 30th Anniversary. It showed the very beginning how the Star Trek story came to be in-universe. It was a masterstroke to have the Vulcan give the "live long and prosper" salute, followed by Zephram Cochrane giving him a handshake. Even after what she's seen, Lily still envies Picard for the world he's going to, and Picard envies Lily for taking these first steps. I feel a little bad for the Vulcans when Zephram Cochrane starts playing
Oobie Doobie, but hey. Everything has to start somewhere!
Overall, I think Ron Moore and Brannon Braga brought the best out of each other for this movie. It looks at TNG's ideals, puts them to the test and under a microscope, and makes great utilization of an adversary designed specifically for TNG. All while building on top of what came from TNG and still making it easily accessible for the general audience. Great directing from Jonathan Frakes as well!
I give it a 10.
I know I said I'd look at
First Contact from DS9 and VOY centric angles in their respective threads after the general review for the movie, but it's getting so late it's early now, so I'll leave it here for now, and go back to that later on.
