Star Trek: First Contact
American Broadcasting Company (ABC) | Release Date: November 22, 1996 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Blessed with clever plot devices and a villainous horde that makes the once-dread Klingons seem like a race of Barneys, First Contact does everything you'd want a "Star Trek" film to do, and it does it with cheerfulness and style. Read full review
90
VarietyJoe Leydon
Having earned his stripes by directing a few TV episodes, Frakes makes an auspicious debut as a feature filmmaker, sustaining excitement and maintaining clarity as he dashes through a two-track storyline. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Certainly the best in its technical credits, and among the best in the ingenuity of its plot. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
By the time Worf (Michael Dorn), knocking off a slimy attacker, growls a Schwarzeneggerish ''Assimilate this!'' we've already done so, with pleasure. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
First Contact, written by Ric Berman, Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore, pulsates with great imagination, amusing characters and the fundamental optimism handed down by "Star Trek" founder Gene Roddenberry. Read full review
80
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
The script by Brannon Braga and Ronald Moore provides all the background necessary for viewers unfamiliar with the characters' previous movie and TV-series exploits, but not so much as to annoy fans. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Corliss
Under the suave direction of Jonathan Frakes, who also plays the Enterprise's second-in-command, the movie glides along with purpose and style. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
First time director Jonathan Frakes (who also plays Riker, the Enterprise's second-in-command) injects some badly-needed energy and inventiveness into a series that, prior to this effort, was sinking under its own weight and boldly going nowhere. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
The fine quality of the new film is good news for anyone disappointed by "Star Trek Generations," which got the new "Star Trek" feature film series off to a shaky start two years ago. Read full review
75
San Francisco ExaminerGeorge Powell
Even those unfamiliar with the entire "Star Trek" phenomenon (it's now been 30 years since the original TV show sprang from the fertile mind of creator Gene Roddenberry) will find this a clever action movie, with a well-written screenplay and tight direction of a fine cast. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff(not credited)
Like most Trek movies, it's a bit talky and a bit thin, unless you come to it with an extensive background gleaned from the series. But then, who but a fan would be going anyway? Read full review
75
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
Note this in your Starlog: Tacky toupees are out. Chrome domes are in. And not only is the future in safe hands, so is the "Star Trek" franchise. [22 Nov 1996 Pg.05.D]
70
Washington PostLloyd Rose
The excitement comes from Frakes's direction -- his liveliness, and his pleasure in looking at, and showing us, events and images. Read full review
60
EmpireAngie Errigo
Unfortunately, left alone on the big screen, distinctly thin characterisation and a plot that looks like a distended television episode, let the new crew down slightly but there are still enough classic moments to keep fans happy. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubJohn Krewson
Of course, these movies are supposed to be big, but First Contact is the kind of porky, clumsy thing that would be ignored if it didn't come complete with an enormous guaranteed audience—and if it weren't actually kind of fun in spite of itself. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Not in itself a bad thing -- the "Star Trek" films have long come under friendly fire for being too heavy on the philosophizing and not enough so on the deep-space car chases -- but oddly, the film feels soulless and hollow, despite best intentions to the contrary. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The action is carefully calculated to captivate a wide audience while allowing hard-core trekkies to savor nuances of plot and personality. Read full review
40
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
The series now lacks all of its original stars and much of its earlier determination. It has morphed into something less innocent and more derivative than it used to be, something the noncultist is ever less likely to enjoy. Read full review
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