LostInWoods1990
Good music. Good times. Good action. I like the naval theme. Classic cheesy sci-fi romp. Have fun. Don't take it too seriously. This movie is way underrated. I've watched it many times & it never gets old! I like the actors and acting despite any goofs or factual errors. The cat aliens are a little bit goofy however they're bad ass in their own right. Classic late 90's movie! The warp jumps are fun. The battles are pretty cool with their dog fighting and air craft carrier style combat in space with other vessels such as crusiers, destroyers plus a com-ship! The space freighter the Diligent is pretty sweet in it's own right. The tension between characters was palpable when they argue over blood feuds. Freddie Prince Jr. and Matthew Lillard were actually pretty good in this and of course Saffron Burrows and that guy with the accent, Tcheky Karyo! He's the most bad ass of all! Even the supporting characters and extras played their parts well!
Helio Copter
First of all, no, Wing Commander is not a great film. It has some problems, the most notable being the very underwhelming (to say the least) portrayal of the Kilrathi. However, this is not a terrible film, and if you are a certain type of sci-fi fan, it's not just passable but genuinely enjoyable. Anyone who says that this film is horrible is being a bit more pessimistic than necessary. It may not seem like a serious film, but internally within its own structure, I find it very respectable. For its target audience, it does not totally fail.The visual design, when it works, is very interesting. The opening title sequence, in particular, is simply one of the best that you will find in any such genre film, in my opinion. A truly captivating, beautiful creation. To give another visual example, the ship interiors feel like what deep space battleships would actually be like. That may be just the sort of niche quality that suggests an appeal to video gamers and/or sci-fi enthusiasts, but it ties into this film's atmosphere, which when you factor in the mostly excellent cast and solid script, is fairly realistic feeling.There is also a rather unique, compelling mythology at work in the background of this film's story. It may not be wholly original (I detect some influence from the novel Hyperion, for example) but as far as movies go, this one has a certain quality that sets it apart. On a basic level, yes it appeals to the fascination with being a starfighter pilot in the vein of the first Star Wars film and the Wing Commander video game source material. But there is something more to it, something that is mostly untapped in sci-fi cinema.There is a great group of characters. I do not know how closely all of them tie into the games, but they feel like real people and again the cast is for the most part very good. Tcheky Karyo, Saffron Burrows, David Warner, Jurgen Prochnow. That's some real talent right there. And the presence of Hugh Quarshie can't help but lead me to note that Wing Commander is parsecs better than the Star Wars prequels in every way except for visual effects budget. The trio of fighter pilots consisting of lead Freddie Prinze Jr, Matthew Lillard and Ginny Holder play more into an "attractive teen movie" trope that takes away from the film just a little, but Holder and Lillard especially do a great job of generating some true emotional resonance in the heavy scenes.Problems? The Kilrathi, who should have been the frightening counterpoint to the human characters, mostly provide unseen menace and when they do make the screen, it is one of the biggest letdowns in any film. Also, some of the Rapier (starfighter) graphics are less than stellar. Those and a few other glitches are what kept this film from being solidly respectable, but they don't keep it from being a lot of fun nonetheless.I will say again that this is really one of the most unique-feeling sci- fi films that I have seen, and it fills a surprising gap in the number of similarly-themed movies about starfighter pilots. With a bigger budget and maybe a different lead actor, Wing Commander could have been something serious. As is, in spite of its flaws, it's a real gem of a genre film, and well worth checking out if you focus on the positives. Great cast, good story, interesting graphics, fuel for imagination.
Davyd Teather
Wing Commander has to be one of the worst video game adapted screenplays to be released of all time, along with Street Fighter. The visual effects very abysmal, the acting and performances were atrocious, and the look of the whole movie is just atrocious. However I did like the performances by Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Saffron Burrows. This movie looks like it was made by somebody who was high off of his butt. What was the director thinking. Of all the people to direct it, it was directed by the guy who created the video game which got very good reviews. If you want to see a good video game adapted screenplay, I would recommend the first Mortal Kombat movie. Not the second one. That one is a total disaster like this movie. Do not bother with Wing Commander one. It is just a waste of time.
