Assimilate this!
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Casting a sad glance towards the impending end of "Enterprise", the only active television series based on the Star Trek universe on the air right now, I approach my review of the new Special Collector´s Edition (SCE) 2-DVD set of "Star Trek: First Contact" with a slight sense of irony. The eighth Star Trek motion picture in the series of ten, "First Contact" tells the inspiring story of the single most important event in Star Trek history--the making of first contact with a technologically-advanced alien race that eventually heralded a new era of peace for the human race. That pivotal moment hinged on an unknown rocket scientist named Zefram Cochrane making the first warp-enabled space flight, signaling the arrival of the human race at the threshold of spectacular technological advancements. That the writers would bravely use three Vulcans (in place of the three wise men) during the film´s first contact sequence--virtually creating sort of a Trekkie Nativity scene--seem to allude to the fact that "First Contact" would become the guiding light for all future Star Trek films, one that fans would hold up as the measuring stick.
It was then no surprise to me that when the "Enterprise" TV series was announced in 2001 (to replace "Star Trek: Voyager"), its story would be based on an era before the formation of the Federation, in the mid-22nd century, approximately a hundred years after Cochrane´s historic warp flight. Instead of following basic Star Trek tenets and basing the new series further into the future (post-Voyager), producer Rick Berman boldly went where no other Star Trek producer had gone before--backwards to an era where humans are on the cusp of space exploration. Therefore, the recent shocking announcement of the premature end of "Enterprise" leaves me with a bittersweet feeling, seeing that "Star Trek: First Contact" is considered by me as one of the best films in the Star Trek franchise.
Well, enough of the sad news. Fellow Trekkies, the time has arrived for us to rejoice! Working its way slowly across its entire Star Trek movie library in a chronological pattern, Paramount´s Special Collector´s Edition (SCE) 2-DVD set makeover has finally reached what is undoubtedly the best Star Trek movie that features the Next Generation crew. Like all the other previous SCE DVD´s in the Trek franchise, "Star Trek: First Contact" is also loaded with plenty of DVD extras that was sorely lacking in its previous DVD incarnation.
After the mess that was "Star Trek: Generations", long-time Star Trek writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore were given another chance to redeem themselves. This time starting with a clean slate (unlike "Generations" which required that several parameters be followed in order to visualize onscreen the virtual passing of the baton between the original and the Next Generation crews), Braga and Moore are able to let their creativity and imagination take over and the final script reflected that bright spark immensely. Also, having Jonathan Frakes on board as the director of "First Contact" brought a strong sense of familiarity with all things Trek to the film. This is the first solo Next Generation film and Frakes definitely brought it home for the fans of the TNG TV series. The winning combination of Rick Berman, Braga, Moore, Frakes and the rest of the TNG crew made "First Contact" more than just a Star Trek movie. It became a true sci-fi action adventure film with not only all the familiar trappings of the Trek universe at full bore but was also able to bring the excitement and experience of a Star Trek movie to non-Trekkies. This is mainly achieved through the story that brings moviegoers to the beginnings of the Star Trek story and gives them a good idea of what the Star Trek philosophy is all about, per creator, Gene Roddenberry´s own vision.
Rightly so, the use of the Borg as the menacing new villain in "First Contact" gives the story an edgier and decidedly more dangerous context than relying on the usual suspects of Romulans, Klingons, etc. A foe that has a single-minded approach to annihilating entire species for the sole purpose of adding their biological and technological distinctiveness into its own collective, the Borg proves to be the most dangerous enemy yet to ever go against the Federation. First introduced in the second season episode titled "Q Who?" of the Next Generation TV series, this new big screen incarnation of the Borg has evolved significantly from its low budget beginnings. Looking more like a scary disembodied version of Pinhead (from "Hellraiser"), the new Borg looks more intimidating but unfortunately still moves like lumbering zombies. New this time around is the appearance of an individual, a leader in the Borg collective in the shape of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), an unusual contradiction that could have weaken the story but instead pushes it into the realm of plausibility due in great part to the outstanding performance by Krige. An attractive yet frighteningly amoral character, the Borg Queen proves to be a worthy adversary who is only ultimately let down by her own glaring human-like imperfections, a flaw that the Borg thinks it has eliminated with its many previous assimilations.
Also explored further in this film are the previously unknown long-term effects and the emotional and mental scars of Captain Picard´s (Patrick Stewart) past assimilation by the Borg in the TNG Season 3 cliffhanger episode "The Best of Both Worlds". Given that Picard still maintains a residual link to the collective gives him both an advantage against the Borg but also an unpredictability that could undermine his own ability to command the Enterprise and her crew. Even the always-dependable Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner)--always striving to become more human like a futuristic Pinocchio--may have very nearly met his match in the Borg Queen, who tempts Data with the very thing that he seeks to attain--the ability to feel emotions and experience pleasure like a human being. Ever ready with his innocent yet wry wit, Data´s intellectual banter with the Borg Queen proves to be one of the highlights of this film, culminating with a great comeback line by Data, who proclaims, "Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind."
The two guest actors, James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard who play Zefram Cochrane and Lily Sloane (Cochrane´s assistant) respectively, provide some powerful and even amusing moments that will forever be remembered in Star Trek lore. Take for instance Cochrane´s line when told that the Enterprise crew are space explorers from the future, "So you´re all astronauts...on some sort of...star trek?" or Lily´s response when told about the Borg, "Borg? Sounds Swedish." Of course, not everything is light and funny. You just have to watch Lily as she tries to rationalize with Picard his orders for his crew to stand their ground against the Borg´s advance even though he knows their chances for survival are slim, to really appreciate the deep characterization of a revenge-fueled starship captain and a woman from the supposedly more barbaric 21st century. Cochrane, a revered character in the Star Trek version of earth´s history and lovingly known as the father of the warp engine and worshipped by millions, is sort of the antithesis of a hero in this film. Rather than portraying Cochrane as an iconic figure seeking the betterment of the human race, the writers make Cochrane plunge down from his idealistic perch, putting forward a tragically flawed man whose work on the warp drive was actually driven more by the economic returns than anything else. For the 24th century characters, the chance to meet the very person who is revered as a savior of the human race and to find him as flawed as everyone else, is both transformative and sobering. As Zefram so aptly puts it, "You think I want to go to the stars? I don´t even like to fly. I take trains!"
"First Contact"´s success at the box office can be attributed to its two connected storylines that are equally interesting but are vastly different in tone. The main story, which revolves around Picard´s and Data´s struggle with the Borg on the Enterprise are dark character studies that explores the upper limits of loyalty and rationality. As Picard rants so forcefully, "The line must be drawn...HERE!", we see a controlled man who is letting his previously contained rage against the Borg get the better of him and uncharacteristically spiral out of control. The other parallel story of Commander Riker and the engineering team making sure that Cochrane makes his maiden warp flight on the Phoenix, provides plenty of lighthearted moments that contrast so wildly with the main Borg story. Together, both plots play off one another beautifully, providing plenty of thrills, humor and heart, in a sci-fi adventure for the ages. The stars that govern the Star Trek universe have never been so aligned before. "Star Trek: First Contact" is a rip-roaring sci-fi romp that is highly entertaining and has a crossover appeal that many other Trek movies lack.
Lt. Commander Worf puts it best when he said, "Assimilate this!" before blowing away a Borg. "Star Trek: First Contact" sure is a fun ride.
Video:
Like the previous DVD release of the same title, the new 2-disc Special Collector´s Edition of "Star Trek: First Contact" features an anamorphic widescreen presentation, measuring in at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Comparing both DVDs visually, I noticed a slight improvement in picture quality in the new transfer. Gone is the slightly grainy look of the previous DVD, offering a much brighter picture with vivid colors and excellent image details. That´s the good news. The bad news is, the specks of dirt that you see on the previous print are unfortunately still present and accounted for. Subtitle options offered on this DVD include English and Spanish.
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[release]15003[/release]