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Nebs
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:01 pm Posts: 6385
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Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First ContactQuote: Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s. The primary cast for First Contact is from the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, to which the film's producers added Alice Krige, Neal McDonough, James Cromwell and Alfre Woodard. In the film's plot, the crew of the USS Enterprise travel from the 24th to 21st century to save their future after the cybernetic Borg conquer Earth by changing the timeline.
After the release of the seventh film, Star Trek Generations, in 1994, Paramount tasked writers Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore with developing a sequel. Braga and Moore wanted to feature the Borg in the plot, while producer Rick Berman wanted a story involving time travel. The writers combined the two ideas; they initially set the film during the European Renaissance, but changed the time period the Borg corrupted to the mid-21st century after fearing the Renaissance idea would be too kitschy. After two better known directors turned down the job, cast member Jonathan Frakes was chosen to direct to make sure the task fell to someone who understood Star Trek. It was Frakes' first theatrical film.
The script required the creation of new starship designs, including a new USS Enterprise. Production designer Herman Zimmerman and illustrator John Eaves collaborated to make a sleeker ship than its predecessor. Principal photography began with weeks of location shooting in Arizona and California before production moved to new sets for the ship-based scenes. The Borg were redesigned to appear as though they were converted into machine beings from the inside-out; the new makeup sessions took four times as long as on the television series. Effects company Industrial Light & Magic rushed to complete the film's special effects in less than five months. Traditional optical effects techniques were supplemented with computer-generated imagery. Jerry Goldsmith and his son Joel collaborated to produce the film's score.
First Contact was the highest-grossing film on its opening weekend, making $30.7 million. The film made $92 million in the United States and an additional $57.4 million in other territories, for a theatrical run of about $146 million worldwide. Critical reception was mostly positive; critics including Roger Ebert considered it one of the best Star Trek films. The Borg and the special effects were lauded, while characterization was less evenly received. First Contact was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Makeup and won three Saturn Awards. The film has been released on videotape, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-ray home video formats. Scholarly analysis of the film has focused on Captain Jean Luc Picard's parallels to Herman Melville's Ahab and the nature of the Borg.
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:55 am |
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_axiom
The Wall
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2005 10:50 am Posts: 16163 Location: Croatia
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I gave it a C. I'm not a fan of ST movies... The movies are just baaaaad, and First Contact is probably the one I've enjoyed the most, so it's not hard to conclude I really don't like other ST movies.
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:44 am |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Easily the best of the Next Generation movies and second best of all the Star Trek series after STIV: Voyage Home...
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:57 am |
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Gulli
Jordan Mugen-Honda
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 9:53 am Posts: 13400
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bradley witherberry wrote: Easily the best of the Next Generation movies and second best of all the Star Trek series after STIV: Voyage Home...
Ditto.
Picard is pleasingly angry in this one.
_________________ Rosberg was reminded of the fuel regulations by his wheel's ceasing to turn. The hollow noise from the fuel tank and needle reading zero had failed to convay this message
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:59 am |
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zennier
htm
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2005 2:38 pm Posts: 10316 Location: berkeley
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Great movie. One of two ST movies I'd recommend to nonfans.
I really, really love it as an action/adventure film. Fine acting and SFX.
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 1:38 pm |
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Levy
Golfaholic
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:06 pm Posts: 16054
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Best Trek Ever. A
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 2:03 pm |
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MGKC
---------
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:42 pm Posts: 11808 Location: Kansas City, Kansas
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Ya, only Star Trek film I really liked. Awesome flick.
Grade: A-
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:18 pm |
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Jonathan
Begging Naked
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:07 pm Posts: 14737 Location: The Present (Duh)
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Probably my fave Trek. Entertaining throughout, lacks the layer of cheese that makes it hard for me to truly love the other Trek films, and has plenty of surprisingly good performances (Alice Krige and Alfre Woodard in particular). Such a good movie.
***.5/****
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Wed May 09, 2007 12:22 am |
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Thegun
On autopilot for the summer
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 10:14 pm Posts: 21641 Location: Walking around somewhere
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Easily the strongest of TNG cast, which I thought almost all were pretty good. It's just a simple survival movie and it works so well.
A
_________________Chippy wrote: As always, fuck Thegun. Chippy wrote: I want to live vicariously through you, Thegun!
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Wed May 09, 2007 9:24 am |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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The real question is: If they knew how to make a ST:TNG movie this good, how in the world did they screw up the next two so very, very badly?
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Wed May 09, 2007 9:51 am |
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Nebs
Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:01 pm Posts: 6385
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bradley witherberry wrote: Easily the best of the Next Generation movies and second best of all the Star Trek series after STIV: Voyage Home...
More Voyage Home love? :O
Agreed with every word.
_________________ ---!!---!!!!!!-11!!---!!---11---11!!!--!!--
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Wed May 09, 2007 4:01 pm |
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Jonathan
Begging Naked
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:07 pm Posts: 14737 Location: The Present (Duh)
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bradley witherberry wrote: The real question is: If they knew how to make a ST:TNG movie this good, how in the world did they screw up the next two so very, very badly?
Insurrection wasn't awful, but it lacked the scope to really make it cinematic. It could've just have easily been an episode of the regular series.
Nemesis was The Wrath of Khan redux, this time with a far less fun to watch duo facing off and far less eventful "death."
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Wed May 09, 2007 4:46 pm |
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Johnny Dollar
The Lubitsch Touch
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:48 pm Posts: 11019
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Yeah, I didn't think Insurrection was awful either. Nemesis definitely was.
First Contact is thrilling stuff. It's not as good as Khan, but what is?
_________________ k
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Sun May 20, 2007 12:44 am |
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Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
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A-
My favorite Star Trek flick as well here. Just a great thriller/sci-fi/adventure. Suspenseful, nice action, interesting throughout.
Insurrection, I agree, wasn't terrible, but nothing about it stood out.
Nemesis, IMO, had great parts (the spaceships battle) and incredibly boring and sleep-inducing parts (a lot in the mid-section of the film). Very uneven and on the whole a little worse than Insurrection.
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
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Mon May 21, 2007 5:40 pm |
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Bradley Witherberry
Extraordinary
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 1:13 pm Posts: 15197 Location: Planet Xatar
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Re: Star Trek: First Contact
This is how you make a Star Trek movie!
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Mon Jul 01, 2013 8:49 am |
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