STAR TREK:TNG-GREAT SERIES!!!December 16, 2009 Joy L. Hunter(HYATTSVILLE, MD) STAR TREK: TNG IS BEST STAR TREK SERIES SINCE THE ORIGINAL!!! FOR ALL TREKKIES OUT THERE-GET THIS DVD THAT SHOWCASES MEMORABLE EPISODES THAT WE ALL LOVE!!!
This is what makes the show great!June 16, 2009 J. Harriss(Minnesota) ST-TNG has always been a cerebral show, filled with all kind of philosophizing about problems that might someday arise, given the right developments in technology. The episode I remember the most is on this set - is the android Data a person or property - what my friend called the Dred Scott episode. They really do cover all the potential issues with intelligence, warmth and humor. Plus there's an episode dealing with potential time-travel issues, and two with Jean-Luc dealing with the Borg - gotta love Patrick Stewart with robotics in his face! If you don't want the whole series, this is a great way to get the best of it for a small price.
Fuzzy AND No Frills?June 15, 2009 Mookie(Washington, D.C.) 2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The disk only contains four episodes: "Best of Both Worlds, Parts I & II", "Yesterday's Enterprise", and "The Measure of a Man", and doesn't have any special features, bonus footage, commentary, etc. So why does it look like it was video recorded from a television station using an analog signal and then transferred from a worn out video cassette to a DVD disk? With today's digital technology, there is no reason for a DVD to be sold looking this bad. Especially since the entire disk has less than four hours of viewable content.
"Best of" is a bit generous.June 13, 2009 Hombre Divertido(www.maskedmoviesnobs.com) 18 out of 23 found this review helpful
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Less than a week after the new motion picture hit the big screen, Paramount rushed two single disk "Best of" DVD releases to the store shelves with no bonus material, and a mere four episodes per disk. One might accept four episodes chosen out of the 79 episodes from the original series, but, one could reasonably expect more episodes to be included in "The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation" considering the complete series consists of more than twice as many episodes as its predecessor. One might also expect better episodes than the four included. These four aren't terrible, but all represent writing that rush the all to convenient endings almost as much as the releases were rushed into production.
The four episodes include a two part outing featuring the relentless Borg, a story revolving around the rights of Data to control his "life", and a story with time travel at it's center, which has become a tired theme in the Star Trek franchise.
The first offering in the collection is "The Best of Both Worlds" (Part 1) which aired on June 18th, 1990 and served as the cliffhanger conclusion to season three of this iconic series. In this episode, which was written by Michael Piller and directed by Cliff Bole, we find the Federation unprepared for the inevitable encounter with the hostile Borg with whom we became familiar in episode sixteen "Q Who" of season two. In part one of "Best of Both Worlds" Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) is captured by the Borg and assimilated. Riker (Jonathan Frakes), who is dealing with an aggressive up and coming officer who is after his job, and concerns about his career choices, must give the order to blow up the Borg vessel with Picard (Now called Locutus of Borg) aboard.
"The Best of Both Worlds" (Part 1) is a fine episode that will set the stage for many storylines to come including the war between the Federation and the powerful Borg, the after affects of Picards assimilation, Rikers career choices, and more. The aspects of the production are good, though there are some disappearing Borg drones between the assimilated Picard and the away team when he is first spotted, that create a distraction.
Season four opens with the second part of "The Best of Both Worlds" and finds that Riker did indeed pull the trigger on the Borg cube, but the weapon failed and the Borg, and the assimilated Picard live on.
Unfortunately the writing (Still Cliff Bole) in the second installment is more reflective of the other two episodes in this "Best of" release than part one of this story, in that the plot simply gets resolved all too conveniently i.e.: Picard is rescued, de-assimilated, Borg ship destroyed, etc. The facts related to the respective accomplishments are too convoluted, and the impact of the battle between the Federation and the Borg ship is not truly dealt with in this episode, though the impact will be felt in future Star Trek endeavors.
"The Best of Both Worlds" is one fine story, but not worthy of taking up half of the "Best of" release.
Next up on the "Best of" menu is "Yesterdays Enterprise" which aired on February 19th, 1990. Directed by David Carson with numerous writers involved, "Yesterdays Enterprise" deals with a rift in the space/time continuum that allows for a previous enterprise ship to come 22 years into the future, changing the timeline and the lives of the current enterprise crew. The Federation is now at war with the Klingon Empire, some characters are gone, and others have returned. This paradox creates a very interesting story. Unfortunately the story is far too reliant on the fact that Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) is the only one who is aware that the timeline has changed, must convince the Picard that the previous Enterprise must return to its own time even though it is doomed, and she is unable to be specific regarding her knowledge. This aspect of the story is annoying as are references to what current history records reveal about the history of the visiting ship.
"Yesterdays Enterprise" is the most enjoyable episode in this release, despite the previously mentioned flaws, simply because it has more depth of story than the others.
The final episode on the disk was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Robert Scheerer, and aired on February 13th, 1989. In "The Measure of a Man" Datas rights as a sentient individual are put on trial with Picard defending Data, and Riker reluctantly leading the opposition.
This episode has some of the best dialog in the release, but simply does not go deep enough and is resolved too easily. The story fails to adequately play out the concept.
Recommendation: There is enough Star Trek The Next Generation fun here for the price, but no bonus material, providing only four episodes, two of which are one story, and ignoring seasons five through seven is inexcusable. Good, but should have been much better.
Good selection of Next Generation programsJune 3, 2009 B. Stewart(Las Vegas, NV USA) 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This had a good selection of some of the best Star Trek Next Generation programs.
