The line is drawn here (Star Trek: First Contact (DVD))

Member Name: xBorgx

Product:	Star Trek: First Contact (DVD)
Date:	17/05/09 (62 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: One of the best Star Trek films

Disadvantages: Not too many

Star Trek... boldly going with dazzling effects, big budget and those 'Bionic Zombies,' the Borg - what a creation, my favourite Star Trek enemy of all time. Obvious, really, seeing as my user name is Borg! No, I am not a Swedish tennis fan, after all...

Now you all know what Star Trek is, right? If you haven't, then (very quickly) it was a sci-fi series first shown in the 60s. It starred William Shatner as Captain Kirk and Leonard Nemoy as Spock. Kirk was the captain of the star ship Enterprise, which travelled the galaxies in search of new life and 'new civilisations.' The show finished, but the films began to be made, such as 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' and 'The Wrath of Khan.' Then the new series began in 1987: 'Star Trek - The Next Generation.' This was classy series with great effects and great story lines. It was inevitable that we would see this series leap to the big screen too, and that it did, firstly with the disappointing 'Generation,' and then the film I am reviewing now. AKA Star Trek 8... where the crew are pitted against their biggest enemy for the first time on the big screen.


The Borg are attacking Earth, but Captain Picard and his crew of the Enterprise E have been told to stay on the neutral zone to look out for any Romulan activity - but this is just an excuse. The Borg are a race of beings that are half man and half machine. They travel the galaxies assimilating worlds, conquering and taking on various traits from the worlds they triumph over. Not only that, once they kill their foe, then make them into their own. Just like those 'Bionic Zombies.'

Picard was captured by the Borg six years before and assimilated, so the Federation do not want him there. But Picard and his crew defy orders, mainly because Picard seems to be able to 'hear' what the Borg are saying. They set course and reach earth space. The Borg ship creates a kind of vortex and travels back in time to the mid 2160s (about three hundred years before), just before earth launched its first ship capable of warp-drive, 'The Pheonix.' A ship passing by then apparently spotted the ship, then initiated First Contact. But the Borg assimilates Earth and all this does not happen and nor does the setting up of the Federation of Planets.

Picard and the Enterprise travel back at the same time to stop this happening. The Borg ship begins shooting missiles at earth, but the Enterprise manages to destroy the Borg ship before any more damage can be done. It so happens that the Borg ship has been trying to destroy the original warp ship. Some of the crew go to Earth to ensure that the Phoenix is still intact and still launches so that First Contact still takes place. But when the Borg ship is destroyed, the Borg beam onto the Enterprise without the crew knowing and start assimilating everyone.

Meanwhile down on Earth, Commander Riker and several other members of the away team meet up with Dr. Zefram Cochrane, the legendary pilot of the Phoenix. They must try to talk him into going ahead with the launch. This is no easy task, and not everyone think the away team are friendly and one of Cochrane's friends Lily is injured, but is beamed aboard the Enterprise.

On the Enterprise, more of the crew are being assimilated and Lily has to come to terms with the fact that she is aboard a space ship and that she is in danger and must trust Picard to stay alive. He explains the situation, but she likens his obsession for revenge like that of Captain Ahab's was for Moby Dick. Commander Data, the android of the crew strives to be more human, is taken by the Borg and meets up with the Borg Queen, who tries to gain information from him by using his biggest weakness...

This is the best Star Trek film, in my opinion. It is much better than its predecessor ('Generations') and I always felt the original series starring Shatner and co were too tongue in cheek. Sadly, though, the following two movies did not hit the same mark - although they were all right. It is a saddening thought that there will probably be no more films staring the Next Generation crew. I would have liked to have seen many more, particularly with the Borg. But this looks like it will not be.

Boring bits...
Main cast:

Patrick Stewart .... Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes .... Commander William T. Riker
Brent Spiner .... Lt. Commander Data
LeVar Burton .... Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn .... Lt. Commander Worf
Gates McFadden .... Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis .... Counselor Deanna Troi
Alfre Woodard .... Lily
James Cromwell .... Dr. Zefram Cochrane
Alice Krige .... Borg Queen
Michael Horton .... Security Officer
Neal McDonough .... Lt. Hawk
Marnie McPhail .... Inge Eiger
Robert Picardo .... Holographic Doctor
Dwight Schultz .... Lt. Barclay

Run time - 110 minutes.

Directed by Jonathan Frakes
Writing credits:

Gene Roddenberry (television series Star Trek)
Rick Berman (story) &
Brannon Braga (story) &
Ronald D. Moore (story)
Brannon Braga (screenplay) &
Ronald D. Moore (screenplay)

For fans of the series... here are a few bits about what your favourite characters do in this film...

Captain Jean-Luc Picard spends most of the film aboard the ship fighting off the Borg and looking pretty annoyed that they have managed to get on board his ship.

Commander William T. Riker is on earth most of the time, soaking up the atmosphere and looking at Cochrane admiringly.

Lt. Commander Data is captured by the Borg, is given human skin and gets laid (we think! Shock)

Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge sports new eyes - the visor is gone. He looks admiringly at Cochrane too.

Lt. Commander Worf is aboard the ship with Picard, helping the good fight against the Borg.

Dr. Beverly Crusher, also on the ship. Doesn't do a lot.

Counselor Deanna Troi doesn't do much on earth, but looks very nice (as always).

All in all the film is great and Picard's acting is best (as always), but the Borg Queen played by Alice Krige is perfect for the part. Creepy, slippery, mean and bloodless...


By the way, if any of you are wondering why I kept referring to the Borg as 'Bionic Zombies,' it is because Lily refers to them as such to Picard and I thought it was a very good analogy.

Also written for Ciao Uk by me as 'Borg...'

Summary: Beam yourself a copy... good fun...