Let's see, "Star Trek: First Contact" is the eighth "Star Trek" motion picture and the second featuring the "Next Generation" cast. And since both of those numbers are even, that must mean this is one of the better installments.
For whatever reason, the even-numbered "Star Trek" films ("The Wrath of Khan," "The Voyage Home" and "The Undiscovered Country," the second, fourth and sixth ones, respectively) have been better - much better in some cases - than the odd-numbered ones (anybody remember "The Final Frontier," the fifth movie featuring the original series cast?).
24 And let's face it, "Generations," which passed the baton from the first show's Captain Kirk to Captain Picard of "Next Generation," wasn't quite as good as it could (or should) have been.
But "First Contact" proves that, as in the television series, the second Enterprise crew can definitely hold its own with the first. In fact, if anything, this film may be the most rewarding one of the bunch, and it's certainly the most thrilling.
Deftly combining parts of "Alien," "Moby Dick" and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "First Contact" starts quickly and doesn't let up. If the movie has a fault, it's that it is too intense for younger audiences and that some non-Trekkies may find some of the in-jokes flying over their heads.
As the film opens, the halfhuman, half-robot Borg have again invaded Federation space, hoping to "assimilate" Earth's inhabitants into their shared consciousness - thereby removing all free will - which the insectlike race has already done to several worlds.
Things don't look too promising until Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise crew disobey orders and enter the fray - since Picard was once partially assimilated into the Borg and now knows their weak points. But as the Federation closes in on the Borg ship and destroys it, another, smaller ship emerges and disappears into a temporal vortex.
And in the confusion, the Enterprise's scanners reveal that whatever the Borg are attempting, it's evidently working, as Earth's entire population has been changed into cyborgs.
Following the Borg back in time, the Enterprise arrives at 21st-century Earth, where Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell of "Babe") is about to make the first warp engine spaceflight - the event that resulted in the formation of the United Federation of Planets.
The Borg have already damaged Cochrane's ship, a rebuilt ICBM missile, and are about to kill the inventor when the Enterprise takes out the second Borg vessel. But while the landing party attempts to repair Cochrane's craft and sober up the space pioneer, the Borg have sneaked about the Enterprise, hoping to use it to finish the job.
What follows is enthralling, exciting and even scary at times, though some well-timed comic relief keeps things from getting too overwhelming. Jonathan Frakes (who also plays Commander William Riker) does a good job putting Brannon Braga and Ronald Moore's well-crafted story on the screen.
In addition to some extremely clever nods to the other "Star Trek" series and some "Next Generation" episodes - the movie does include Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn), who's now on "Deep Space Nine" - the film also manages to touch on some noble values, including bravery, loyalty and sacrifice.
Of course, things are also definitely helped by superb performances from the "Next Generation" cast - none of whom get short shrift this time around - and Cromwell and Alfre Woodard, who plays another 21st-century human helping the crew.
However, best of the bunch are Stewart, who's absolutely riveting playing a modern-day Captain Ahab, and Alice Krige in an alternately creepy and sexy turn as the Borg Queen, who attempts to seduce Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), the ship's indispensable android officer.
"Star Trek: First Contact" is rated PG-13 for intense violence, including phaser fights and hand-to-hand combat, some profanity and one vulgar gag.