Almost 29 years ago, on November 22, 1996, Star Trek: First Contact hit theaters. The 111-minute production had a $45 million budget and made $146 million at the box office. With actors like Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, and more, the cast was beyond star-studded.

We know that franchise fans loved the film, but what about critics? They can be brutal. Their word choices and sometimes overall opinions are too much, especially if they are unpopular. Was the Star Trek: First Contact cast just sitting around waiting to get a positive post from them? Probably not. However, we know there was some excitement when they realized many critics praised the film.

In an article from The Morning Call titled "'Star Trek: First Contact' shimmers with scary effects, thrills," Features Editor Paul Willistein wrote a lengthy review about his first impression. He started the article by saying that the movie connected Trekkers and non-Star Trek fans, adding that it was Jonathan Frakes's great directorial debut, and that First Contact was "a very satisfying science fiction film."

Willistein said the movie had the potential to go No.1 at the box office but to do that; it would've had to knock off Michael Jordan's Space Jam (which opened the weekend before at No. 1) and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Jingle All the Way, which opened November 22 as well. First Contact was the highest-grossing film on its opening weekend.

Throughout the article, Willistein praised everything from its "classy quality" to the "spectacular special effects," the acting, and the directing.

David Hunter of The Hollywood Reporter also praised the cinematography and effects but added that the movie was "a complex puzzle, the pieces don't fall together, while some of the humor is clunky."

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