Most critics welcome Star Trek: First Contact as an energetic science-fiction adventure, with praise clustering around Jonathan Frakes’ direction, the special effects and the Borg’s threatening presence. The shipboard infiltration sequences draw approval for their tension and horror elements, while Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner receive repeated praise. Several reviews find that the film gives the series a convincing cinema scale without losing its humour, intimacy or interest in humanity and artificial intelligence.
The reservations concern accessibility, characterisation and the mechanics of the plot. Empire finds enough memorable sequences to satisfy fans but sees thin characterisation and an extended television episode; The New York Times is more dismissive, finding the story convoluted and the imagery familiar. The AV Club’s otherwise favourable assessment questions the Borg Queen and Picard’s lingering trauma. The spread is broadly positive, though critics differ over how successfully the film moves beyond television and how much it offers newcomers.