Subject: REVIEW: STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (1996)

From: syegul@!ix.netcom.com (Serdar Yegulalp)
Date: 6 Jan 1997 14:18:10 GMT

[Note that followups are directed to rec.arts.movies.current-films and
rec.arts.movies.startrek.current only, not to rec.arts.sf.movies.  -Moderator]

                           STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT
                       A film review by Serdar Yegulalp
                        Copyright 1997 Serdar Yegulalp

CAPSULE: The Even-Off Rule holds up once again; this is easily the best
"Trek" yet. Do not wait for video.

Ask any Star Trek devotee about the Even-Odd Rule of Trek Movies, and
you're likely to get one of the oddest bits of movie folklore this side of
the man who allegedly hanged himself on the set of "The Wizard of Oz".

The Even-Odd rule is simple: all of the odd-numbered Star Trek movies
stink, and the even-numbered ones are wicked cool. Think for a minute:
since when has anyone actually admitted to liking Star Trek: The Motionless
Picture? Or Trek 3, the Search for Cash? Trek 5 (about which the less said,
the better)? And wasn't the first Next Generation Trek movie a bit of a
letdown?

The reverse also seems to hold true: Treks II, IV and VI all hold up well
on repeat viewings -- not just as Trek movies, but as movies, period. My
personal votes go for Trek II -- and now Trek VIII, or "First Contact", as
the wags at Paramount have chosen to dub it.

If you didn't follow "Star Trek: The Next Generation" when it was on TV,
you may miss a few things, but the opening five minutes cover that
territory without too much trouble. That, and we get *easily* one of the
most amazing opening shots I've ever seen: basically, a pull-back shot that
starts at the near-microscopic level and ends up giving us a view of
something about the size of a small planet. It's something else.

The story settles into place quickly. The Borg, a monolithic race who fused
technology and biology milennia ago, are even more hellbent on assimilating
the Federation's space than ever. Not good. To that end, they've employed a
dastardly plot that ultimately involves time travel -- to say more would
spoil the fun -- and the crew of the Enterprise decide to defy orders and
follow them.

The movie quickly bifurcates into the familiar away team / up-on-the-ship
plot threads, although each one of them develop in totally different
directions. The ship becomes the center of a swarming Borg invasion
(something like "Die Hard" in space), and the away team find themselves
having to adapt to rather primitive surroundings (oh, and there's this
little problem with the locals...) I'm being deliberately vague to avoid
ruining a good many surprises -- not the least of which involves Data's
newly-installed emotion chip (you remember that, right?) and the Borg
queen. The less said about her, definitely the better.

(This movie may also settle some bets among Trek enthusiasts: "So what
would happen in a Borg and Data got into an arm-wrestling match?" Or a Borg
and Worf, for that matter? Watch and learn...)

The cast is in fine form. Memorable scenes include Deanna Troi (Marina
Sirtis) getting royally drunk on *real* alcohol for a change, and Data's
increasingly tense exvhanges with the Borg queen. The supporting actors are
also good. Alfre Woodard is especially well-used (her funniest line about
the Borg: "Sounds like they're Swedish..."), and she and Patrick Stewart
have one amazingly well-written and -played scene together near the end.

Jonathan Frakes, the actor who portrays William Riker in the series, was
given the helm this time. According to the press notes, he studied films
like "Blade Runner", "2001" and the earlier "Star Trek" films for notes an
inspiration. The homework paid off: this is easily the best of the "Trek"
movies, and a standalone triumph, too.

Three and a half our of four phasers.
____________________________________________________________________________
[email-masked]                                       EFNet IRC: GinRei
http://serdar.home.ml.org                          another worldly device...
____________________________________________________________________________