Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture 5-Movie Collection (Blu-ray)

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Product Description Star Trek: The Next Generation: Generations Star Trek: The Next Generation: First Contact Star Trek: The Next Generation: Insurrection Star Trek: The Next Generation: Nemisis desertcart.com First ContactEven-numbered Star Trek movies tend to be better, and First Contact (#8 in the popular movie series) is no exception--an intelligently handled plot involving the galaxy-conquering Borg and their attempt to invade Earth's past, alter history, and "assimilate" the entire human race. Time travel, a dazzling new Enterprise, and capable direction by Next Generation alumnus Jonathan Frakes makes this one rank with the best of the bunch. Capt. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his able crew travel back in time to Earth in the year 2063, where they hope to ensure that the inventor of warp drive (played by James Cromwell) will successfully carry out his pioneering warp-drive flight and precipitate Earth's "first contact" with an alien race. A seductive Borg queen (Alice Krige) holds Lt. Data (Brent Spiner) hostage in an effort to sabotage the Federation's preservation of history, and the captive android finds himself tempted by the queen's tantalizing sins of the flesh! Sharply conceived to fit snugly into the burgeoning Star Trek chronology, First Contact leads to a surprise revelation that marks an important historical chapter in the ongoing mission "to boldly go where no one has gone before." --Jeff ShannonGenerationsThere were only two ways for "classic Trek" cast members to appear in a movie with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation: either Capt. Kirk and his contemporaries would have to be very, very old, or there would be some time travel involved in the plot. Since geriatric heroes aren't very exciting (despite a welcomed cameo appearance by the aged Dr. McCoy), Star Trek: Generations unites Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in a time-jumping race to stop a madman's quest for heavenly contentment. When a mysterious energy coil called the Nexus nearly destroys the newly christened U.S.S. Enterprise-B, the just-retired Capt. Kirk is lost and presumed dead. But he's actually been happily trapped in the timeless purgatory of the Nexus--an idyllic state of being described by the mystical Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) as "pure joy." Picard must convince Kirk to leave this artificial comfort zone and confront Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowell), the madman who will threaten billions of lives to be reunited with the addictive pleasure of the Nexus. With subplots involving the android Data's unpredictable "emotion chip" and the spectacular crash-landing of the starship Enterprise, this crossover movie not only satisfied Trek fans, but it also gave them something they'd never had to confront before: the heroic and truly final death of a beloved Star Trek character. Passing the torch to the Next Generation with dignity and entertaining adventure, the movie isn't going to please everyone with its somewhat hokey plot, but it still ranks as a worthy big-screen launch for Picard and his stalwart crew. --Jeff ShannonInsurrection Star Trek fans were decidedly mixed in their reactions to this, the ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise, but die-hard loyalists will appreciate the way this Next Generation adventure rekindles the spirit of the original Trek TV series while combining a tolerable dose of New-Agey philosophy with a lighthearted plot for the TNG cast. This time out, Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his executive crew must transport to a Shangri-la-like planet to see why their android crewmate Data (Brent Spiner) has run amuck in a village full of peaceful Ba'ku artisans who--thanks to their planet's "metaphasic radiation"--haven't aged in 309 years. It turns out there's a conspiracy afoot, masterminded by the devious, gruesomely aged Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham, hamming it up under makeup resembling a cosmetic surgeon's worst nightmare), who's in cahoots with a renegade Starfleet admiral (Anthony Zerbe, in one of his final screen roles). They covet the fountain-of-youth power of the Ba'ku planet, but because their takeover plan violates Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference, it's up to Picard and crew to stop the scheme. Along the way, they all benefit from the metaphasic effect, which manifests itself as Worf's puberty (visible as a conspicuous case of Klingon acne), Picard's youthful romance with a Ba'ku woman (the lovely Donna Murphy), the touching though temporary return of Geordi's natural eyesight, and a moment when Troi asks Dr. Crusher if she's noticed that her "boobs are firming up."Some fans scoffed at these humorous asides, but they're what make this Trek film as entertaining as it is slightly disappointing. Without the laughs (including Data's rousing excerpt from Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore), this is a pretty routine entry in the franchise, with no real surprises, a number of plot holes, and the overall appearance of a big-budget TV episode. As costar and director, Jonathan Frakes proves a capable carrier of the Star Trek flame--and it's nice to see women in their 40s portrayed as smart and sexy--but while this is surely an adequate Trek adventure, it doesn't quite rank with the best in the series. --Jeff ShannonNemesisThe sacrifice of a beloved character is just one of many highlights in Nemesis, the 10th feature in the lucrative Star Trek franchise. Enigmatically billed as the beginning of "A Generation's Final Journey," this richly plotted Next Generation adventure maintains the "even number rule" regarding Trek's feature quality, and it's one of the best in the series. It hits its brisk stride when Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his Enterprise-E crew encounter Shinzon (Tom Hardy), a younger clone of Picard, rejected by the Romulans as the human weapon of an abandoned conspiracy. Raised on the nocturnal Romulan sister planet Remus, Shinzon now plots revenge against Romulus and Earth but needs Picard's blood to carry out his scheme. A wedding, a childlike "duplicate" Data named B-4 (Brent Spiner), spectacular space battles, and uncommon acts of valor make this a tautly-paced action thriller, poised to pass the franchise (but not quite yet) to a new generation of Starfleet personnel. Die-hard Trekkers will not be disappointed. --Jeff Shannon Review: Excellent packaging to house movies I already love (except Nemesis). - Package design: I love it. All disks are in individual bluray slimcases, in a heavy cardboard cover or holder. A clear plastic sleeve slips over the whole thing to keep them from sliding out. I really appreciate movie sets that are released this way. It protects the movies and makes them so much easier to deal with on the shelf. Plus, I can just grab the whole thing if I want to take it somewhere. If you have the Alien Anthology [Blu-ray ] or The Ultimate Matrix Collection [Blu-ray ] set, its just like that. The movies themselves: I already own all of the ST movies in a DVD set I bought many years ago. So that is what I am comparing these to. I have only watched "Generations" so far. I am very happy with it. I have seen all these movies so many times, and yet it was almost like watching something new. Picture is very clear and sharp. Colors were very bold and vibrant. I often find that bluray versions of older movies or shows look harsh and often mood lighting is diminished and they end up looking like poor videotape. That is not the case here. The movie itself is just as good as always. Special features were mostly things I had not seen before. I especially liked the alternate ending footage which I liked better even though the released ending is certainly good too. I will update as I watch the other ones, unless they are just as good and then I'm not sure there is a point. Bottom line: If you want these movies on bluray, this is well worth the money. I bought it on a Gold Box sale, but I'm guessing the regular price would be worth it as well. Update: Just watched "First Contact" and I have the same things to say as "Generations". Wonderful, beautiful picture with gorgeous color and beautiful detail. No harshness or lost lighting. I can see so much more on the ships and effects, especially sparkly ones like the transporter effect, energy weapon fire and going into the temporal rift. Update Insurrection: Same thing. Visually this is one my favorite ST movies anyway. The space scenes in the Briar Patch look amazing. Everything else superb. Review: Best Star Trek Blu-Ray Collection To Date - The Star Trek: TNG Blu-Ray Movie Collection is nothing short of great. All the films are presented in crystal-clear, high definition format, and the sound quality is really amazing. The special features on each disc (as well as the Evolutions bonus disc) provide great background on not only the films themselves, but also general Trek background, personal feelings of the cast members, etc. All in all, you're really getting the most for your money with this blu-ray package. As far as the films go, I'll give you my little Trek rant on what I think about them... It's generally known that the even-numbered Star Trek movies are better than the odd-numbered ones. With Star Trek: Generations, I feel that that's the best odd-numbered Trek film of them all. It really grows on you with repeated viewings. Malcolm McDowall played an excellent villain, and who can beat seeing the destruction of the Enterprise-D? The Nexus phenomenon was a little ehhh, but overall, I really enjoyed this movie after the 2nd and 3rd times watching it. Star Trek: First Contact is the best movie out of all the Next Gen films. The Borg has got to be the best and greatest Star Trek villain ever created. You don't even have to be a full-blown Trekkie to really appreciate how great this film is from a sci-fi point of view. As far as Insurrection is concerned, that one's definitely the weakest in the bunch. I would rate it as the second to last worst Trek film ever created (the worst being Star Trek V: The Final Frontier). I agree with what was said in the special features about this movie: It should have been a two-part Next Gen episode. The film is noted for its moral and ethical components regarding the Prime Directive, but I don't think a Star Trek movie should be all about that. It just seemed weak overall. With Star Trek: Nemesis, now THIS one was good! It's the second best of all the Next Gen films. I enjoyed the storyline immensely, the villain and his viceroy were really good, you got a good taste of Romulan lore, and the battle scene with the Enterprise-E and the Scimitar was the best space battle I've ever seen in a Trek movie. Personally, I thought this film was a lot better than Star Trek II with Khan. Granted, Nemesis borrowed many elements from that movie, but I think they pulled it off nicely here. Overall, I would rate the Trek films as follows, from best to worst (only with the first few listed): 1) First Contact 2) Nemesis 3) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 4) Generations After these films, it's anyone's game as to where you want to rank the rest of them. Second to last is Insurrection, and the worst being Star Trek V: Final Frontier. All that aside, if you're a Star Trek fanatic, pick up this collection immediately.