We're moving on to the first true TNG movie--no Kirk and Co. interference. First Contact is all about the Borg, time travel, and Zephram Cochrane--inventor of the warp drive.
- As expected, Starfleet whipped up an Enterprise-E to replace the ship destroyed in Generations
- La Forge now has direct corneal implants--no more visor for LeVar Burton. Also, Data can now turn off the emotion chip at will--maybe they should have added that ability that in the last movie?
- Cochrane is played by James Cromwell, He's not the hero Trek history made him out to be, so Riker has to convince him to make history happen. Sirtis even gets to do a drunk comedy bit.
- Meanwhile, Picard plays "Die Hard" back on the Enterprise vs. the Borg, who are a lot more creepy with movie-budget effects. The Borg Queen (Alice Krige) was added, which frankly reduces the threat by giving them a conventional villain to fight. She tries to ensnare and seduce Data with new emotions.
- We also get a cameo by the holographic doctor from Voyager (Robert Picardo), and Barclay (Dwight Schultz) drops by as well
- Zephram's assistant Lily (Alfre Woodard) ends up on the ship as well--Picard talks her down and they end up fighting together. At one point, Picard explains to her that mankind has evolved past the need for money--what about latinum?
- Picard pulls the old holodeck trick on the Borg, hiding inside "The Big Goodbye", and then fights the Borg in zero G outside the ship.
- This film introduces escape pods to the Enterprise. Again, these would have come in helpful in previous adventures.
- In the final battle, technobabble gas wipes out the Borg, with Picard and Data's help
- RIker and Geordi end up flying the first warp vessel along with Cochrane, and we get to see Earth's "first contact" with the Vulcans. Somehow, all this tampering with the past doesn't crew things up. Screw the Prime Directive!
We'll move onto ST: Insurrection next. Star Trek: First Contact is available on Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon.