The Film
Just in case you aren't investing enough of your AV budget into all things Star Trek, Paramount has decided to release the two-part "Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger as a separate Blu-ray release. Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds has season three's cliffhanger and its conclusion all on one disc.
If there were a pair of TNG episodes that deserved a separate release, this would be the two. Without a doubt, these episodes are amongst the series' best.
The double episode has the deadly Borg out there somewhere. Naturally, they're angry, but they're angry (and gutsy) enough to actually abuct and "alter" Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). If that wasn't enough stress for Riker (Jonathan Frakes), he's got Shelby (Elizabeth Dennehy) gunning for his job -- and this kitty has some serious claws.
The Best of Both Worlds offers up a very exciting 85 minutes for Star Trek fans. However, it may be difficult to justify buying this single disc, when both of the episodes will appear on each season's respective Blu-ray set.
The Picture
If you have any of Star Trek: The Next Generation on Blu-ray, you won't be surprised with the stellar quality of this 1.33:1 image. Sort of interesting is that the main menu makes note of the fact that "3 seconds of the original film elements starting at 1:00:50 into the episode have not been located. Therefore, the 3 seconds of standard definition, as broadcast, video footage has been carefull upconverted to a high-definition signal." If you're looking for those flaws, you're going to need a stopwatch and some type of special glasses -- like the kind they sell in the back of comic books next to the X-ray specs. The image is wonderful, with great colors and details. Those uniforms are especially red, rich and textured. It's exactly like the image on Season Three, and I have zero complaints about that.
The Sound
Like the image, this release picks up its audio track from Season Three. That's a wise move, given the immersive qualities of the DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 mix. Dialogue is always very bold and clear, but it's the special effects that make this track. When the Enterprise hits warp speed, when the crew fires off lasers, and everything else just make this a really full, really fun listening experience.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
It seems a little greedy to double-dip on the cliffhanger, especially when those Star Trek: The Next Generation sets are so comprehensive and so pricey. However, fans will probably want Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Best of Both Worlds anyway. First of all, it puts the two episodes together like a full-length movie. It also means that you don't have to wait another four months to see the conclusion. It's a bonus that the set includes the same stellar audio and video as Season Three and a few additional extras.
Product Details
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