As the most distinctive alien race of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ it is only right and proper that one of the Picard-era movies should be based around the Borg. Just as everyone’s favourite race of cyborg space-zombies set out to combine the best elements of machine and organic life forms, so ‘First Contct’ emphasises its link with the grey-skinned cube-dwellers by merging the most mainstream aspects of Trek appeal (space battles, phasers and general sci-fi action hi-jinx) with a setting and plot that roots the movie firmly in established continuity. Not only does this effectively act as a concluding instalment of ‘The Best of Both Worlds’ but it also serves to canonize some fundamental but previously unseen details of Trek lore, namely first contact with the Vulcans.

At heart the film is a hybrid of sci-fi blockbuster, ‘Alien’- style suspense thriller and ‘Die Hard’ on a space ship. The set-pieces are numerous, exciting and well-executed and it builds to a suitably explosive climax. At the same time the story provides a solid prologue to the whole ‘Star Trek’ universe, thanks to James Cromwell’s inspired turn as reluctant hero and prophet Zephram Cochrane. There are also the better in-jokes of the movie series, including a tommy-gun massacre in the holodeck and a Robert Picardo cameo showing exactly how much mileage there was in ‘Voyager’s holographic doctor (about 5 minutes it turns out).

This is a film to satisfy all-comers, though among Trek fans it is perhaps aimed more at the iconoclasts (who are particularly likely to enthuse at the nonchalance with which Riker and his away team piss the prime directive up a wall). For the more po-faced there’s plenty of Picardian pretension and perhaps the only occasion where Data’s agonizing over what it is to be human doesn’t come across as tedious.

There’s less pomposity than most of the other films and ‘First Contact’ is canny in actively celebrating one of the least appreciated attractions of 'Star Trek', its role as pure ephemeral entertainment. There may be objectively better Trek films (‘Undiscovered Country’ and ‘Wrath of Khan’ immediately suggest themselves) but none are as constantly engaging and enjoyable as ‘First Contact’ is.

Stephen Lavington is the author of a critical guide to the work of Oliver Stone.