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Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

·1 hr 3 min·5 clips
Captain Picard executes a former crew member who knows his name, revealing his ruthless desperation against the Borg.
The episode begins with hosts Gene Lyons and Big D introducing the podcast and the film Star Trek: First Contact, commissioned by listener Jeremiah. They provide background on the film, noting it is the eighth Star Trek movie and directed by Jonathan Frakes. The hosts share their personal histories with Star Trek, with Gene being a fan of The Next Generation TV show but not the films, while Big D recalls his evolving interest from Star Wars to Star Trek. They play the trailer and summarize the plot, focusing on the Borg threat and time travel to 2063. A major discussion point is the comparison between Star Trek and Star Wars, covering villains, technology, and fan bases. The hosts critique the film's production, especially the Borg costumes and makeup, which they find unconvincing. They analyze key scenes, such as Picard's order to liquefy the engineering department and Data's interaction with the Borg Queen, highlighting moral and sexual themes. The conversation touches on the character Zefram Cochrane and his imposter syndrome, as well as the optimistic ending involving Vulcan first contact. The hosts debate whether this optimism is realistic, given human nature. They conclude by giving their wipe scores: Big D awards 1.5 wipes, praising the film's balance of elements, while Gene gives 4 wipes, criticizing its execution compared to the TV series. The episode ends with a teaser for next week's review of The Matrix Reloaded.

As heard by us

Picard's trauma and a stiff bar scene fuel a funny argument about Star Trek's human touch.

Gene Lyons and Big D, Dick Ebert, return to Star Trek: First Contact with a complaint that keeps circling back to tone. Picard's reactions to the film's bleakest turns can feel oddly out of step with the danger around him, and the episode stays with that friction through his…

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Why you'd press play

You want First Contact revisited through Picard's trauma, Lily's panic, the Phoenix, and one very skeptical read of that bar scene.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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