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Is "First Contact" not really true to the spirit of "TNG"?

posted 8 years ago by TMC-4
24 replies | jump to latest

https://dejareviewer.com/2014/10/14/10-good-sequels-that-sowed-the-seeds-for-their-series-destruction/

I love Star Trek: First Contact. It’s a fun ride that pays homage to Aliens, Die Hard, and other great action films. I also like the side of Captain Jean-Luc Picard that it explores. However, that is not a side of Picard that has ever been shown before or since, so it just winds up feeling completely out of character for him.

Sure enough, the next film, Star Trek: Insurrection, didn’t show an emotionally scarred Picard seeking peace among the simple-living Ba’ku, but the regular old Picard who’s as duty-bound as ever.

After First Contact’s success, expectations were high for its follow-up. But rather than continuing the story, the next film just felt like an absurd distraction from everything that was happening with the Dominion War. First Contact is a good movie, but it really threw off the rest of the series as filmmakers tried to figure out how to either mimic or counterbalance its more violent and sexual themes. Sadly, the TNG films never recovered, and First Contact will always be its best and yet most out-of-place entry.

[–] captain-bryce 8 years ago

However, that is not a side of Picard that has ever been shown before or since, so it just winds up feeling completely out of character for him.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nechOG2fD3g

Sure enough, the next film, Star Trek: Insurrection, didn’t show an emotionally scarred Picard seeking peace among the simple-living Ba’ku, but the regular old Picard who’s as duty-bound as ever.

But we already saw the emotionally scarred Picard in this episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuzoxcErOc8

Did whoever wrote this even watch the TV show?

After First Contact’s success, expectations were high for its follow-up. But rather than continuing the story, the next film just felt like an absurd distraction from everything that was happening with the Dominion War.

But wasn't the the point? I mean DS9 was already going on when Insurrection took place. Why tell the same story in a film that takes place concurrently with DS9? That makes no sense. The whole point in doing a film is to tell a DIFFERENT story that what we saw on TV. And why would they continue the FC storyline when FC pretty much wraps everything up at the end. The Borg Queen was dead, all the Borg are destroyed, the timeline was restored, and everyone lives happily ever after. What more story is there?

First Contact is a good movie, but it really threw off the rest of the series as filmmakers tried to figure out how to either mimic or counterbalance its more violent and sexual themes. Sadly, the TNG films never recovered, and First Contact will always be its best and yet most out-of-place entry.

I agree that it was the best of the Next Generation films. As for everything else this writer says, NONSENSE! The failures of Insurrection and Nemesis has NOTHING to do with the storyline of FC, the success of FC, or the tone of FC. It has to do with Insurrection just being a boring rehash of several TNG episodes (Who Watches the Watchers; Homeward; Journey's End; etc) cobbled together for a bland story that we've already seen before. Nemesis had specific failures in writing, direction, and timing.

This artist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMPvcgejKpw

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

I don't think Picard was out of character in FC. His ship was taken over, and he saw the Borg assimilated Earth. Of course horrible memories are going to come rushing back. I think the movies after FC had Picard acting out of character.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

I like all TNG movies.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Matt Roberts. You were great.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

Well no he is acting out of character in all TNG movies in GEN he suddenly lost his marbles and suffered from temporary stupidity making those Godawful decisions when he is in the Nexus.
In FC he is acting very over the top when he has his "I will make them pay"- moment Picard is taking it personal and he never showed(despite that scene in I Borg)that he took his interaction with the Borg personal.Also his attitude changed in that specific episode (that was the whole point of the episode)to show that Picard was an enlightened commander able to overcome his personal feelings,grudges and conceptions,even of the Borg.Plus shooting assimilated crewmen is not something Picard would order he will never give up on a crew member as long as there is a chance to save him/her,it is the reason why Picard was even there in the first place.When Picard was assimilated Riker and Co didn't say "shoot the captain you'll be doing him a favour? "
INS;Picard is acting opposite of how reacted to a similar case in the series (Journey's End),but because there is some teasing MILF on the planet he throws everything established overboard and acts like a gun-toting hypocrite.Plus Picard was never an "action hero" in the series (also see NEM).

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

I disagree Nexus. The events of FC would have been extremely stressful. First in the wake he saw Earth assimilated, then he saw his ship being assimilated along with crew members. Given his previous experience in BOBW, it would make sense for him to unravel a bit. As for shooting a Borgified member of the crew, it was the right thing to do. Even one Borg drone is a threat.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

Should've done that with Hugh.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Matt Roberts. You were great.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

There was hope for Hugh.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

But before going in a tantrum he should have realized he was partly to blame for the situation in FC,had he decided otherwise in I Borg.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

Agreed, Nex. Damn Crusher, and Guinan.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Matt Roberts. You were great.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

But before going in a tantrum he should have realized he was partly to blame for the situation in FC,had he decided otherwise in I Borg.

Their virus wasn't going to take down more than one cube.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

Their virus wasn't going to take down more than one cube.

Do we really know that for certain?,but the fact remains that he didn't even try it.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

He should've tried it for sure. Damn Crusher and Guinan.

Movie Theater: Young Frankenstein 10/10. RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

Do we really know that for certain?,but the fact remains that he didn't even try it.

He thought Hugh's individuality would work as a virus, which it did. But it only infected one cube.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

Probably because when Borg show signs of individuality it is noticed quite easily a virus that slowly and anonymously infects the Borg system is probably harder to detect.Plus if the virus can be "programmed" to stay dormant for a long time probably raises the chance of infecting a large part of the Borg community.And the virus probably can be "programmed"to interact with specific functions within the Borg making it almost invisible for detection which would give it ample time to infect as many Borg as possible.If I had been Picard I would have tried both because when the virus hits ,the Collective might actually be more receptive for the individuality since with individuality comes the need for self-preservation which a Borg society in chaos could use very well.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

Interesting, Nex. You maybe into something.

Movie Theater: Young Frankenstein 10/10. RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

With the Borg targeting so many species, it's highly unlikely that humans would be the first to try and infect them with a virus. Icheb was used to infect the Borg, but he only destroyed the cube he was on.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

i don't believe the species that Icheb was from was that advanced as Starfleet and since genetic engineering already is a fact one can imagine the possibilities mankind would posses in three hundred years from now.Like I said Starfleet probably can develop custom made viruses with all of the abilities I described previously and such a virus would be far more lethal.Make a retrovirus (like HIV)and it takes a long time before the virus becomes active and because of their nature are prone to mutation(because of the conversion from RNA to DNA) which makes one singular cure very unlikely.A virus which has a long dormant phase is far more dangerous and with risk of greater contagion because one can be carrier without knowing it while in the mean time infecting others.

[–] cjh8504 8 years ago

Dr. Nex over here.

Movie Theater: Young Frankenstein 10/10. RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time.

[–] Nexus71 8 years ago

Well that part was part of my education since micro-organisms are what I was taught.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

His species was advanced in genetic engineering.

[–] User_474 8 years ago

His species were advanced in being bastardarseoles. There is a slight difference.

[–] User_474 8 years ago

His species were advanced in being bastardarseoles. There is a slight difference.

[–] RubyHypatia 8 years ago

Yeah, a nice kid shouldn't have such a$$hole parents. No way would I value a planet over my own kid.

[–] User_474 8 years ago

Now imagine the Borg take an axe to your own species and what would survive the the first , second and third onslaughts, how would they fight back? Now picture people hiding behind phasers and shields and hope, how would they fight back after the first, second and third onslaughts? Technology can be lost and forgotten about.