STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT

STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT. Jonathan Frakes, dir. USA: Paramount, Nov. 1996. Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore, story and script. Rick Berman et al., prod. Next Generation cast, cameo by Robert Picardo of ST: Voyager as "The Doctor." Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), SpFx.

The Enterprise crew go back in time to the 21st c. to fight a Borg attempt to conquer Earth and assimilate her people by preventing First Contact between Terrans and (peaceful, generous, Vulcan) aliens. See for (cy)borgization of a number of the Enterprise crew, including attempted borgization of Mr. Data, which involves having him pinned down (with an electronic-halo effect around his head), invoking his emotion chip, grafting organic skin onto him, and some sex for the first time since early STNG. Significant portions of the Enterprise itself are turned into a Borg hive, taking the style from Modern clean-cut to postmodern funky, and we get to see the Borg Queen at some length: a very independent, intelligent, and sexual female cyborg, who attempts to seduce Data by appealing to his desire to become more flesh and blood (Mr. Data thinks himself more humanized after this sexual encounter). We also see the first Terran warp-speed ship, a converted Titan ICBM, and the craft that carries the Vulcans who make first contact with Terrans. Cf. and contrast the Alien hive and Alien Queen in ALIENS; for the battle for the hearts and minds of the movie-going public, note the summer 1996 film Independence Day (q.v.). For production and other background on STFC, including the reality of the Titan missile and missile silo, see cover-story coverage in Cinefantastique 28.6 (Dec. 1996): 16-31

5. DRAMA, RDE, 24/XI/96