Michael Dorn Thinks First Contact Is The Best Star Trek Movie - And Picard Shares Its Greatest Strength
Move over, "Star Wars" fans. As much as the grand-daddy of all sci-fi franchises still inspires a never-ending supply of debate over which movie in its over 45-year history ought to be considered the best, it has nothing on the conversation surrounding its more cerebral counterpart. Similar to the George Lucas-created series and "The Empire Strikes Back," "Star Trek" has one go-to consensus pick that most everyone would agree with as the absolute peak of the franchise: 1982's "The Wrath of Khan." But with a fanbase as varied and diverse as this one, the breadth of different reactions and perspectives can lead to some fascinating responses.
Take franchise legend Michael Dorn, for example, who is making his grand return in "Star Trek: Picard." As the actor behind the beloved Klingon warrior Worf, it's only natural that he'd be a little biased about which big-screen adventure is his own personal favorite. In the March 2023 issue of SFX Magazine, Dorn revealed his choice for the high-water mark of the franchise:
"I always thought that 'The Wrath Of Khan' was the best 'Star Trek' movie, until 'First Contact.' I thought 'First Contact' was great for a lot of reasons, but one of the main reasons was that everybody contributed, everybody had a story. It was very complete, nobody was left out."
1996's "Star Trek: First Contact," of course, followed the original crew from "The Next Generation" such as Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Frakes' William Riker, Marina Sirtis' Deanna Troi, Brent Spiner's Data, LeVar Burton's Geordi La Forge, and, yes, Dorn's Worf. The movie deals with an action-heavy plot, but it also expertly balances its ensemble cast to go along with it. To Dorn, that's one major similarity it shares with the ongoing third (and final) season of "Picard."
'Everybody's story is well-written'
As a dyed-in-the-wool nerd, it should come as little surprise that Michael Dorn knows his "Trek" history. As he regaled to SFX Magazine, "I'm a big fan of the original [series], like, a huge fan. I know every episode, I know all the characters and all the actors. I'm one of those people that would be in a production trying to tell people who each character is." So when someone of his stature singles out a particular movie as the best of the bunch, it's worth paying attention to.
His appreciation for "First Contact" doesn't end there, however. The actor goes a step further and draws parallels between what made the Jonathan Frakes-directed film so effective and the success of "Star Trek: Picard." Particularly, it had to do with the fact that the series devotes plenty of time to each and every character in the story. According to Dorn:
"I think that ['Picard'] is the same thing, that everybody's story is well-written. It couldn't have been easy writing for this many people, but I think they did a very nice job."
The final season of "Picard" is still in its early going, but fans have been champing at the bit to see the now-aged Klingon warrior back in action and reunited with his friends. At the very least, Dorn's comments ought to indicate that this "The Next Generation" nostalgia tour won't simply be a series of cameos. The original crew deserves one last adventure worthy of their status in the franchise, and it seems like that's exactly what they get.
"Star Trek: Picard" airs new episodes every Thursday on Paramount+.