It’s the borg!

There has always been a message at the heart ofStar Trekthat resonated with different cultures and different generations.

you could be better.

Nothing more fancy, nothing more complicated.

Just that we can all be better.

The execution of this message, however, metamorphosed somewhat in the mid-90s, largely down toDeep Space Nine.

After Roddenberrys death, however, the door was opened for conflict between characters.

This was not an abandonment of the franchises principles, but a maturation.

Star Trek: First Contacttakes this message and runs with it.

It is in this respect thatFirst Contactis the most idealistic of allTrekfilms, even while being the darkest.

Not that youd know it from the surface, forFirst Contactis an action-horror film.

So, who would tell this story?

Rookie director Jonathan Frakes, who hoped to go Full-Nimoy and become a respected director in his own right.

Or at least, so the story goes.

Frakes direction was so quick and efficient he was dubbed Two Takes Frakes, and it really shows.

Suck on that, the present.

Whats more startling about the opening is just how much imagination there is.

Some of these shots dont even seem like they should have been possible in 1996.

A rare thing indeed.

Every single one of these situations gives rise to conflict about how betterment should be achieved.

The most striking of these is Lilys pairing with Picard.

Lily is an expert on humanitys darker side, and she sees it in Picard of all people.

In fact, its arguable that she upstages Patrick Stewart in the famous you broke your little ships scene.

And what of the Borg?

After all, who would disagree to being better?

Only someone evil, thats who, therefore anyone who disagrees must be destroyed.

I am in no way comparing the Borg to a subset of people on Twitter.

No way, Jose.

(Thats exactly what Im doing.)

Where others see conquerors, she sees unifiers.

Where others see violation, she sees integration.

Where others… you get the idea.

She even helps Data get closer to humanity by installing realistic skin and giving him half a hair cut.

It is the perfect continuation of his character arc thatGenerationswas not.

Humanity gone wrong, but perhaps that is still a form of humanity in itself.

It just so happens that his great moneymaker will usher in humanitys golden age, but he doesnt care.

In the end, the roles become reversed.

Then again, as Q told us, paradoxes are just part of how the universe works.

Which brings us back to the 24th century ideals.

An irony that humanitys golden age began in such darkness.

While some argue this cynicism represents the opposite ofTrek, I say the deconstruction strengthens it.

After all, Zefram Cochrane is the only character inTrekhistory to use the words Star Trek.

It is, after all, primarily an action film.

You know the bartender in the holodeck scene?

Even Picards final outfit is a nod to famous vest wearing action hero.

The music too plays a massive part in bringing the film together.

Jerry Goldsmith returns, bringing with him theMotion Picture/Next Generationtheme.

But what a beautiful autopilot it is.

An effect that would not have been achieved with The Beastie Boys.

Ultimately, what you get out ofFirst Contactis how much you are willing to delve into its themes.

We will be better.

We just dont know what better is yet.