Patrick Stewart’s Favorite Star Trek Movie Blends Action & Heart Perfectly

“Star Trek” has been boldly going strong for nearly 60 years at this point. Though it started as a TV show, it was only a matter of time before Starfleet would make its way to the big screen. That began in 1979 with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” but it’s a tradition that continues to this day. As such, when “Star Trek: The Next Generation” wrapped up its seven-season run in 1994, it seemed appropriate that Captain Picard would lead the crew of the Enterprise to the world of major motion pictures.

Ultimately, the cast of “Next Generation” made four movies from 1994 to 2002. Those movies are of varying quality and the merits of each are regularly debated amongst fans. But which one of them does Patrick Stewart prefer? Stewart, who played Picard on all seven seasons of the show as well as the movies, has a clear favorite.

“I think the second movie, which was the one Jonathan Frakes directed, First Contact, I think was outstanding and was the best of our four movies,” Stewart said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2020 while promoting “Star Trek: Picard.” The actor later reaffirmed his position on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in 2024, saying the following:

“After we finished recording our seven seasons of ‘Next Generation’ we made four ‘Star Trek’ movies of varying qualities, the best one being [‘First Contact’], directed by Jonathan Frakes. He was one of the people who had the most influence on me on the show because of his experience and his understanding of the complexities and how bringing different qualities onto the stage was very, very important in diversity and change.”

The “TNG” cast kicked off their silver screen run with the ambitious crossover “Star Trek: Generations,” which was merely a modest hit despite its ambitions. The film served as a way for the old cast led by William Shatner’s Captain Kirk. It was a mixed bag but when Frakes, who played Riker on the show, took over the director’s chair, magic happened. That magic took the form of “First Contact.”

For those who may not be familiar, “Star Trek: First Contact” hit theaters in 1996. It picks up after an epic battle against the Borg, with Picard and the crew of the Enterprise following the aliens back into the 21st century to prevent them from contaminating Earth’s timeline and preventing humanity’s first contact with alien life. Picard and the crew must work together to battle the Borg Queen before she assimilates all of mankind, altering history forever.

“First Contact” has become a fan-favorite over the years, with many viewers largely agreeing with Stewart’s assessment. Though it is not mentioned nearly as often as “The Wrath of Khan” as far as the best “Star Trek” movies are concerned, it is absolutely near the top of the list. For one, Frakes brought all of his knowledge both in front of and behind the camera to the proceedings, which made it feel very authentic. At the same time, it also felt very cinematic, as opposed to a longer episode of the show with a slightly bigger budget. It truly feels like a movie.

I say this as someone who is, admittedly, not a Trekkie. Yet, “First Contact” is by far my favorite movie of the bunch. Yes, the action is great and the Borg makes for great villains. Also, the great James Cromwell gives one of his best performances in the film. His presence never hurts. But the film does a masterful job of balancing the big-budget sci-fi action with the heart, centered on its characters.

One thing about this movie that makes it sing is that it works well as a straight-up science fiction film, even if one is only tangentially familiar with “Star Trek.” That certainly helped make “First Contact” a big box office success in its day. It’s a complete story and a wildly satisfying one at that. That only comes together when everything is working. Great sci-fi relies on great characters, with a story that matters. Action is just a bonus. This one has it all, and that’s why it rules.

You can grab “Star Trek: First Contact” on 4K, Blu-ray, or DVD from Amazon.