Star Trekking - Redux

I liked 90’s UPN with their Marvel cartoons & anime. First place to air Dragonball Z — before Cartoon Network/Toonami.

I remember watching UPN for Malcolm and Eddie in the 90's. I enjoyed that show.

Then UPN got to a point where they were airing something called "Shasta McNasty," and I was like "Are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?"

The plot of First Contact is borne out of/tied back into a particular two-parter of The Next Generation show, The Best of Both Worlds. I did make sure to watch those episodes before First Contact, and they did help in catching me up enough on the film's villains, The Borg. The story here concerns the machine-infused Borg race traveling back in time to the day humanity first made contact with extraterrestrial life, stopping the event from happening and thus assimilating Earth to the Borg hive mind. The Enterprise crew follows them and tries to, in turn, stop the Borg assimilation and ensure First Contact.

Already, this film has a very cinematic quality that definitely works in its favor, as well as a story that's not AS dependent on having seen any of the show beforehand. Yes, watching The Best of Both Worlds helps get you up to speed on The Borg and Picard's history with them, but I also think the plot would still work well enough, but admittedly not to the desired degree. Regardless, I think First Contact also benefits from the fact that by now, the TNG crew feels well-established enough for a relative noob like me to have a working understanding of who everybody is beyond their names and ranks. I think that ties back into how the story works, because everybody's purpose within it is clear, and that in turn allows for each person's signature traits to shine through. Picard's resistance up on the Enterprise against a contingent of Borgs who have infiltrated the ship is tense and exciting while Riker and his crew on Earth attempting to help the scientist (James Cromwell in a good performance) is lighter but just as engaging while also tapping on some interesting ideas. Also quite engaging Is Data's storyline in this movie, as he becomes the prisoner of the Borg Queen and has to confront difficult questions of his humanity, however much he has. It's all a tasty cocktail and while some of the cuts back and forth feel a little jarring, it's always an entertaining blend.

This also marks the directing debut of Jonathan Frakes, who'd also go on to direct the next film, Insurrection -- which, at the time of my writing this, I've already gone ahead and watched. For a debut, it's really solid and ambitious, and Frakes mostly pulls it off. Again, I think some of the transitions between the different plot threads could've been smoother, but he nonetheless handles everything admirably. And if I have any other complaint, it's that the film could've maybe benefitted from a bit more establishment/build-up.

That's supposed to be the entire film series. The general consensus was Motion Picture - boring, Wrath of Khan - Great, Search for Spock - Meh, and so on.

Then it's commonly accepted that Galaxy Quest threw the "Trek Curse" out of whack. Since that was a great Trek satire, it skipped, and Nemesis was crap, Trek '09 - Fun, Into Darkness - A Mess, Beyond - Enjoyable.

The next Trek movie is due to be a bad one.

I think Beyond is a really fun movie with clever touches, and the anti-gravity action scene at the climax is pretty creative. It's probably middle of the pack for me overall, but if I want to watch something with Star Trek characters that's more or less just a ride, that's the film I go to.

Insurrection has concepts, but it never really develops them in a satisfactory way nor is it really that fun to watch. It might be my least favorite of the series next to Final Frontier.

I'm probably not a normal Trekkie though. First Contact and Undiscovered Country are my faves, and I think Wrath of Khan is pretty good, but doesn't really step up too much for me. I'm also that freak that loves Enterprise, as we've already established in this thread. I also like Discovery, and while I haven't seen too much of Picard, the episodes I've watched are pretty good.

Hot Take: I don't think Nemesis is as bad as everyone says. It has bad elements, but I think it's a pretty okay movie overall. But I haven't watched it in maybe ten years.

I read about that after the fact, yeah.

PhantomKnight is appalled at your absence of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets on your good list.

I'm appalled at lack of Reign of Fire also on said list.

I was 18 and I'm still on for Reign of Fire.

Shit, 2002 me was all about two movies: Spider-Man and Reign of Fire. Nothing else existed.

And Minority Report.

Catch Me If You Can was a fantastic date movie, and is a great movie overall.

Few of my favorite Hanks and DiCaprio performances.

I also really like Minority Report.

Crazy how well that "grounded future" holds up.

I like Minority Report better today than I did back then. Catch Me If You Can was just more fun.