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There's war between the Terran Confederation and the evil Kilrathi, who are so evil they want to destroy the whole universe. (They probably aren't thinking that through very clearly. But then they're evil.) They've stolen the Pegasus Navicom A.I. device that enables them to "jump" behind enemy lines and destroy the Earth part of the universe. Freddie Prinze Jr. stars as Blair, a Pilgrim, which means he's hated by everybody for having this film's answer to the Force. His pal Matthew Lillard plays Maniac (his usual role). So you've got two guys with a Top Gun complex, bent on preventing the Kilrathi from destroying Earth. You'd expect lots of action from these combat-ready flyboys. But there's scant little of that, and lots of static dialogue scenes, including one cinematic quote of Howard Hawks's classic Only Angels Have Wings to explain how pilots handle the death of one of their own. Presumptuous. All it would have taken to make this film a success is a series of action set pieces and a thin plot to hang them from. What director Roberts needed was a Navicom device to help him "jump" behind Hollywood lines. That and a decent script. --Jim GayRead full review
I am a major sci-fi and WWII war movie fan, but this cheesy movie absolutely cracks me up because the attention to detail to incorporate as many aspects of the WWII genre into a sci-fi adventure is actually pretty impressive. It is a WWII submarine turned aircraft carrier turned British spaceship. They left no detail behind, even including Jurgen Prochnow of Das Boot fame in the supporting cast. Pay close attention to the sights and sounds: launching space fighters in zero G drop off the end of the deck like planes at the end of a catapult launch; lasers sound and look like firing 50-caliber machine guns; radar sweeps sound like sonar pings; bombing runs, torpedo attacks, straffing runs, the list goes on and on. Make no mistake about it, this is a cheesy movie that is absolutely entertaining for all the wrong reasons. This is one of my guilty pleasure movies I can watch over and over because I'm always picking up some additional detail I missed on previous viewings. Throwing it in the DVD player whenever no one is around always puts a smile on my face. Whenever I view it with friends I always emphasize exactly what I described. Add some beers and snacks and everyone has a great time.Read full review
It is the year 2654 and an interstellar war is raging between the Terran Confederation and the cat-like alien Kilrathi. Christopher Blair (Freddie Prinze, Jr.) and Todd Marshall (Matthew Lillard) are cocky young pilots assigned to the small merchant ship Diligent, commanded by Commodore Taggart (Tchéky Karyo). A massive Kilrathi armada attacks a remote human base and captures its navigation computer, through which it will be able to locate Earth. Admiral Tolwyn (David Warner) orders the Diligent to proceed to the carrier Tiger Claw. He directs Blair, whose parents he knew, to carry orders to the Tiger Claw to fight a suicidal delaying action to let the rest of the Terran fleet reach Earth. Along with the awkwardness of joining a new unit, and continual pranks that require discipline from wing commander Deveraux (Saffron Burrows), Blair fights the distrust of his crewmates because of the drastic orders he brings from the Admiral, and because his mother was a "Pilgrim", a strain of humans who had fought against the Confederation. Pilgrims have the innate ability to navigate space by feel despite obstacles such as black holes. Tiger Claw personnel successfully attack and destroy the Kilrathi command ship. In the attack, they also find the stolen navigation computer and learn the space-jump the Kilrathi fleet will use to approach Earth. The Tiger Claw, however, is disabled and can do nothing more to prevent the assault, except to send Blair in a fighter to find his way back to Earth. If he can alert Earth to the Kilrathi's plans, Earth forces can destroy each Kilrathi ship before it can get its bearings after the space-jump; if not, Earth will surely be overwhelmed.Read full review
This movie was touted as "Starship Troopers meets Top Gun in this no holds barred battle for the far reaches of space". This movie definately falls far short of that lofty description. Starship Troopers had far better special effects and Top Gun had better acting and the best jet fighter (dog fight) sequences of any movie. Wing Commander features Freddi Prince Jr and a lot of overacting by his virtually unknown supporting cast. In brief the movie centers around the Earth locked in a war with the Kilrathi, a vicious race bent of our utter destruction. Enter Freddie Prince Jr who is a hybrid of a human and "Pilgrim" who has the ability to out-think navigation computers. The Pilgrims, who once revolted against the rest of humanity, are held in suspicion and Prince Jr must overcome these feelings as he joins his new comrades in battle aboard the Tiger Claw. While the story line, Earth vs the evil aliens, is obviously well used, Wing Commander puts enough wrinkles in it to keep the movie interesting. The battle sequences are fun to watch, if a bit silly, and the aliens are deliberately kept out of focus as they appear to be bad Halloween masks propped up on mannequins. The music is annoying and the sound effects of the earth fighters firing their weapons, which incidentally sound like machine guns, is enough to force you to keep hitting the mute button over and over. The acting is nothing short of horrendous and it looked as if the "actors" were just there for a paycheck. The movie is entertaining in a campy sort of way, like watching Godzilla movies on a Saturday afternoon, but only the most intense Sci Fi fan will likely enjoy the movie.Read full review
I've always liked this movie. It is funny ,campy,si fi. I can't believe it took so long to find. I looked on my cables demand for years. I finally had to buy it so i could watch with my daughter . Now if I could get this qthing to stop changing what I type! Lol
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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