DVD The Borg are back and its up to Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to save mankind....again.
Details
When a Borg Cube launches an assault on Earth, Starfleet orders the USS Enterprise to remain well away from the battle. The Federation fears that Captain Jean-Luc Picard's previous assimilation by the Borg may cloud his judgement, leaving him emotionally vulnerable at the worst possible moment.
Unable to ignore the unfolding disaster, Picard disobeys his orders and leads the Enterprise into the battle. Although the Borg Cube is eventually destroyed, a smaller Borg Sphere escapes and travels back through time, altering Earth's history before humanity has the opportunity to make its historic first contact with an alien race.
The Enterprise follows the Sphere into the past, arriving on Earth just before Zefram Cochrane's pioneering warp flight. Realising that the Borg intend to prevent this crucial moment in human history, Picard and his crew must protect Cochrane long enough for history to unfold as it should.
Whilst Riker, Geordi and Troi work on the surface to ensure Cochrane's flight goes ahead, Picard remains aboard the Enterprise where the Borg begin systematically assimilating the ship. As the crew fight to regain control, Picard is forced to confront memories of his own encounter with the Collective, threatening both the mission and his own judgement.
With Earth's future hanging in the balance, the crew race against time to stop the Borg before history is changed forever.
Picture & Sound
Unlike some of Paramount's earlier releases, First Contact benefits from an anamorphic 2.35:1 transfer. Picture quality is generally very good, with a consistently high bit-rate producing a sharp and detailed image for much of the running time. There are occasional moments where the darker scenes appear a little grainy, but these are relatively minor complaints and never become overly distracting.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is where this DVD really shines. The opening battle, Borg weapon effects and Jerry Goldsmith's superb score make excellent use of every speaker, creating a wonderfully immersive soundtrack that ranks amongst the best currently available on DVD. Dialogue remains consistently crisp and clear throughout.
Menu & Extras
As seems customary with Paramount releases, the extras are extremely disappointing. Listing two trailers as bonus features is stretching the definition somewhat, and considering the popularity of the film it deserved a far more comprehensive package. The static menus are attractive enough, but ultimately there's very little here to keep fans occupied once the credits have rolled.
Overall
Although unquestionably one of the strongest looking and sounding Star Trek DVDs currently available, the film itself left me with mixed feelings. The story contains some excellent action sequences and Patrick Stewart delivers another commanding performance as Picard, but much of the plot feels more like an extended television episode than a feature film.
The script also assumes that the audience is already familiar with Picard's previous encounter with the Borg. Long-time fans will immediately understand his determination and personal conflict, but newcomers may find themselves wondering why he reacts so strongly to the events unfolding around him.
That said, there is certainly plenty here to enjoy. Alice Krige makes an excellent Borg Queen, the action rarely lets up and the special effects remain impressive throughout. Fans of the series will also appreciate spending another adventure with the Next Generation crew, particularly during some lighter moments away from the action.
If you're a Star Trek fan you'll almost certainly want this in your collection, if only for the outstanding soundtrack and another outing for Picard and company. Just don't expect a cinematic reinvention of the series. Oh, and yes... you also get to see Deanna Troi drunk, which is worth at least a smile.
Special features
- Teaser Trailer
- Theatrical Trailer
