Flying off half-cocked
"Wing Commander"
Overall Rating: **
There is nothing new about adapting work originating in one medium for another. Shortly after it was published, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was adapted as a play; when movies were invented, both plays and novels quickly became a source for movie plots (a silent film version probably saved Moby Dick from perpetual obscuity). Television and video games only added new media to sponge off each other. While movies have spawned dozens of video games ("Star Wars" alone has inspired at least five games), few video games have inspired movies. It happened once before with "Super Mario Brothers," now "Wing Commander" is another video game turned movie.
"Wing Commander" has a canned action film plot. The Kilrathi are warlike aliens bent on exterminating the human race. When they attack Pegasus station--a military space colony--they capture a navigational computer that will allow them to find and attack Earth. The situation is bleak since the Kilrathi fleet is 40 hours from Earth, while Earth's fleet is 42 hours away. So Lt. Christopher Blair (Freddie Prinze Jr.), an outcast because his mother was a "pilgrim" (early space colonists who went to war with Earth and are now hated by most people), must prove himself by helping deliver information about the Kilrathi attack to the Earth ship Tiger Claw, engage the Kilrathi in various space dogfights, and find time to fall in love with his commanding officer (played by Saffron Burrows).
As one might gather from the description, "Wing Commander" is crammed with special effects. Space battle after space battle blazes across the screen, in the most impressive Hollywood manner. If you enjoy seeing spaceships blast each other, then this movie is for you. In addition to the exterior shots of the battles, there's also an impressive stunt sequence where Blair is almost sucked out into space through a hull breach. The action never stops.
And that's fortunate for "Wing Commander," because if the action did stop, you'd have time to think, and the poor movie would never survive. The thematic content is limited to "evil aliens want to kill us for no reason;" "Wing Commander" desperately wants to be "Starship Troopers" or "Independence Day" but falls far short of both. The acting, too, is barely adequate; if any of this film's stars are looking for Oscars, they'll have to keep looking. While the acting is mediocre, to be fair to the mostly young cast, the actors weren't given that much to work with: the characters, representing a wide range of stock military characters, have all the depth of a kiddie pool.
Weak characters aren't the only problem with the script; I can't begin to count the plot holes. For instance, unless there's a black hole somewhere in our solar system, or a fighter can fly in minutes where it takes its carrier more than a day to travel (even though both have "jump" engines), then the final sequence makes no sense whatsoever. Add to the mix some questionable science (quasars in our galaxy, for instance) and the only conclusion is the filmmakers behind "Wing Commander" played for stunts and did a shoddy job on everything else.
Like most action films, "Wing Commander" has its share of violence, though mostly special effect violence, we see one character die on screen, another threatens to execute a third for treason. It also has a fair amount of bad language and the obligatory sex scene (though both characters are clothed from the camera perspective and there is no nudity).
"Wing Commander" doesn't appeal to the intellect so much as to testosterone. It has plenty of explosions, and is momentarily diverting; but in the end it's trite tripe. If you're thinking of seeing it, my advice would be to rent "Independence Day" or "Starship Troopers" instead; they have everything "Wing Commander" has going for it, but lack most of its flaws.
Title: "Wing Commander"
Release date: March 12, 1999
Overall Rating: **
There is nothing new about adapting work originating in one medium for another. Shortly after it was published, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein was adapted as a play; when movies were invented, both plays and novels quickly became a source for movie plots (a silent film version probably saved Moby Dick from perpetual obscuity). Television and video games only added new media to sponge off each other. While movies have spawned dozens of video games ("Star Wars" alone has inspired at least five games), few video games have inspired movies. It happened once before with "Super Mario Brothers," now "Wing Commander" is another video game turned movie.
"Wing Commander" has a canned action film plot. The Kilrathi are warlike aliens bent on exterminating the human race. When they attack Pegasus station--a military space colony--they capture a navigational computer that will allow them to find and attack Earth. The situation is bleak since the Kilrathi fleet is 40 hours from Earth, while Earth's fleet is 42 hours away. So Lt. Christopher Blair (Freddie Prinze Jr.), an outcast because his mother was a "pilgrim" (early space colonists who went to war with Earth and are now hated by most people), must prove himself by helping deliver information about the Kilrathi attack to the Earth ship Tiger Claw, engage the Kilrathi in various space dogfights, and find time to fall in love with his commanding officer (played by Saffron Burrows).
As one might gather from the description, "Wing Commander" is crammed with special effects. Space battle after space battle blazes across the screen, in the most impressive Hollywood manner. If you enjoy seeing spaceships blast each other, then this movie is for you. In addition to the exterior shots of the battles, there's also an impressive stunt sequence where Blair is almost sucked out into space through a hull breach. The action never stops.
And that's fortunate for "Wing Commander," because if the action did stop, you'd have time to think, and the poor movie would never survive. The thematic content is limited to "evil aliens want to kill us for no reason;" "Wing Commander" desperately wants to be "Starship Troopers" or "Independence Day" but falls far short of both. The acting, too, is barely adequate; if any of this film's stars are looking for Oscars, they'll have to keep looking. While the acting is mediocre, to be fair to the mostly young cast, the actors weren't given that much to work with: the characters, representing a wide range of stock military characters, have all the depth of a kiddie pool.
Weak characters aren't the only problem with the script; I can't begin to count the plot holes. For instance, unless there's a black hole somewhere in our solar system, or a fighter can fly in minutes where it takes its carrier more than a day to travel (even though both have "jump" engines), then the final sequence makes no sense whatsoever. Add to the mix some questionable science (quasars in our galaxy, for instance) and the only conclusion is the filmmakers behind "Wing Commander" played for stunts and did a shoddy job on everything else.
Like most action films, "Wing Commander" has its share of violence, though mostly special effect violence, we see one character die on screen, another threatens to execute a third for treason. It also has a fair amount of bad language and the obligatory sex scene (though both characters are clothed from the camera perspective and there is no nudity).
"Wing Commander" doesn't appeal to the intellect so much as to testosterone. It has plenty of explosions, and is momentarily diverting; but in the end it's trite tripe. If you're thinking of seeing it, my advice would be to rent "Independence Day" or "Starship Troopers" instead; they have everything "Wing Commander" has going for it, but lack most of its flaws.
Title: "Wing Commander"
Release date: March 12, 1999
MPAA rating: PG-13
Overall rating: **
Overall rating: **
Aprox. run time: 100 min.
Director: Chris Roberts
Writers: Chris Roberts (characters and story), Kevin Droney (screenplay)
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard (plays Todd "Maniac" Marshall), Saffron Burrows
Original URL:
Director: Chris Roberts
Writers: Chris Roberts (characters and story), Kevin Droney (screenplay)
Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard (plays Todd "Maniac" Marshall), Saffron Burrows
Original URL:
Added to blog site: 8/5/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 3/15/1999 04:29:00 AM
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