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Star Trek - Insurrection

Star Trek - Insurrection

List Price: $19.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A spectacular sight yet lacking in story
Review: Star Trek Insurrection, the ninth movie in the Star trek movie franchise was eagerly anticipated by me. As a devoted Trek fan I of course liked it but was a little disappointed in the story. It seemed like a big bugeted TV episode and when you have to wait two years in between Star Trek The Next Generation appearences a glorified episode doesn't quite live up to par. On the other hand the special effects were incredible. With most of the SF shots being computer generated it was nice to see the reality that can be achieved (as you know, coming this summer, Lucas' Star Wars I is mainly digital too). Needless to say the Movie itself was entertaining and I'm sure that the average viewer will get a kick out of it. However, for us fans it fell a little short of the mark.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ITS GOT IT ALL
Review: This time they have come back with a movie that is truly Star Trek it brings an epic story that holds your attention and draws you into there world. It has drama comedey action adventure you name it its got it I highly recommend this movie to all people.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Not the best Trek, but still as entertaining.
Review: I believe this movie was done well. I think it could have been better in the script and what went on the cutting room floor, but it did come out as an entertaining movie with a cast that you respect and love. The efects are good, some are better than others. I have only seen it in theaters and it probably would look better on the home video version and DVD. Hopefully there is another movie because this ending cannot end the "Next Generation" crew. Please purchase the widescreen version. If you have not seen a widescreen or letterboxed movie before, try it. It may seem wierd at first, but then watch the pan and scan version and you'll see the difference. Pan and scan sucks!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: When better is possible, good is not enough
Review: As a devoted Star Trek fan, I must say I enjoyed this film. It was the most humorous of all the Star Trek films and the special effects were great. However, it was not without flaws. The script was mediocre and the plot had holes in it. The new enemies, the Son'a, were not nearly as entertaining as the villanious Borg from the last Star Trek film, Star Trek: First Contact. They seemed more like cranky old men rather than space villains. This was a pretty good movie, but it wasn't as good as First Contact, or it would have done better at the box office. I guess the odd numbered Star Trek movie curse struck again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: COOL
Review: This movie was great! The acting was excellent and so where the FX

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: INSURRECTION
Review: INSURRECTIO

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: STAR TREK Lightens Things Up A Bit, To Mixed Results...
Review: For STAR TREK: INSURRECTION (1998), unfortunately famous for Data saying the ultimate cheesy one-liner, "Lock & Load" (*cringe*), Jonathan "Two-Takes" Frakes, back in the director's chair, makes the atmosphere decidedly lighter. That's a good thing; however, after all is said and done in this, the ninth installment in the legendary STAR TREK film saga (and the third one featuring the "Next Generation" cast of characters), there is really not much meat on the bone. In this episode, which begins jarringly with a sudden murderous rampage by a malfunctioning android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner, in not one of his finer moments as an actor here), the crew of the Enterprise "E" have beamed down to Planet Ba'ku and rather quickly become familiar with the peaceful residents of this planet. This planet is nicknamed "Paradise," correctly so because it has magical regenerative powers which prevent its people from aging and dying. These people, numbering only 600, are peaceful and seem to have a kind of neo-religious quality to their personalities, as they live in total harmony with nature and openly reject any kind of technology. (This leads to what is probably the best scene in the entire movie, as the Enterprise is revealed to be camouflaged to blend in with the lush surroundings!)

Anyway, as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (the always-wonderful Patrick Stewart) begins to get friendly with one of the eligible female Ba'ku residents, and Commander Will Riker (Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) get friendlier with each other (leading to a surprisingly sensual hot-tub scene), there is trouble brewing in Paradise: an incredibly ugly band of aliens known as the So'na, led by the especially monstrous Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham), who intends to displace the peace-loving Ba'ku residents and take over the planet for themselves, so as to de-uglify themselves (I'm not making this up). Not only that, but they are given full authority to do so by a suspicious Federation admiral (Anthony Zerbe, in his final film role). Because this order clearly violates the Prime Directive (which forbids the interfering of any sovereign planetary civilization), this puts Capt. Picard & crew into a conundrum: do they follow orders like good little Starfleet soldiers or do they uphold the Prime Directive to protect these peacemongers? Put it to you this way: Based on the title alone, plus what you know about the Next Generation characters, what do you THINK they will do??? Duh...Lock & Load!!!

Jonathan Frakes had an obviously daunting task: following up the incredible STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (1996), one of the very best in the entire STAR TREK film saga. STAR TREK: INSURRECTION looks really nice (the visuals are, once again, truly amazing), but alas, there is not really much to care about here. F. Murray Abraham is one of the finest actors of our time, but he must have really needed the money in order to agree to fill a role in which he's not only unrecognizable, but also the recipient of the worst movie makeover in recent big-screen history. STAR TREK: INSURRECTION is certainly not the worst STAR TREK film ever made (that honor would unquestioningly go to the William Shatner-directed misfire STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER), but it's definitely not among the best. See it if you're a fan.

MODERATELY RECOMMENDED; AGES 10 & UP

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "Insurrection" rocks in my opinion!
Review: While the last 2 "Next Generation" movies were good entries in the series, I regard this one as a very excellent film because it does go back the spirit of what the show meant to us. In "First Contact" we got to see Captain Picard(Patrick Stewart) be a man of action, but in this film we see the "Real Picard" when when he must defy Starfleet to save a race known as the Bak'u. The theme is very-light-hearted as we learn the Bak'u inhabit a fountain of youth planet which means millions of Federations citizens will benefit from its regenerative qualities. However, this will mean that Starfleet must force the Bak'u off the planet. Picard's only hope in both preserving the dignity of Starfleet, and preserving the peaceful Bak'u is none other than to rebel. Great feeling of home with the other TNG charaters, and Riker(Jonathon Frakes)& Troi(Marina Sirtis) renew their love for each other. What makes it even better is F. Murray Abraham's performance as the vengeful Ru'afo. I can't wait for the crew to come back in the next movie to be called "Star Trek: Nemesis!"

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Probably the weakest cinematic "Trek" yet
Review: "Star Trek: Insurrection" is, in my opinion, the weakest in the long-running series of feature films based on Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek" mythos. (For anyone who has lived in seclusion for the last 35 years, the "Trek" films and TV series chronicle science fiction adventures in a future of starships and deep space exploration.) In this installment, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew from the "Next Generation" TV series attempt to save the Baku, a pastoral people who inhabit a small colony, from sinister plans by a race known as the Sona.

There are a lot of good elements in "Insurrection," but the film is severely hampered by a weak script, among other flaws. The plot is basically a collage of elements "ripped off" from past episodes of the "Next Generation" TV series (most notably, "Homeward," a later episode guest-starring Paul Sorvino). The plot is also filled with too many weak contrivances and unexplained elements; it just doesn't make sense in retrospect.

The Sona and Baku are probably the two most poorly conceived alien races in the entire history of the "Trek" mythos. The Sona seem to primarily be a bunch of beauty parlor addicts (ooh! There's a frightening motivation!). The Baku, about whose fate we are supposed to care, come across as an arrogant bunch of technophobes who like to spout New Age-y platitudes.

A central element of "Insurrection" is a romantic attraction between Picard (played by Patrick Stewart, who also shares associate producer credit) and Anij (Donna Murphy), a Baku woman. But I find this attraction totally unconvincing. This relationship is quite a disappointment after seeing the dynamic chemistry between Stewart and Alfre Woodard in the previous "Trek" film ("Star Trek: First Contact").

Despite the film's shortcomings, "Insurrection" does contain elements that make it worth seeing. There are some superb action sequences (most notably the opening sequence, which blends some great science fiction elements with more conventional hand-to-hand combat). The make-up designs of two minor races, the Sarlac and the Ellora, are quite striking (although underutilized by the camera). The "Next Generation" cast is as great as ever, and have wonderful chemistry in their scenes together. If you're a loyal "Trek" fan, give it a try.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Lighten up, fellow Star Trek fans!
Review: In a TV series, especially a sci-fi series, you expect a certain number of shoot-em-up shows. You expect to see our heroes conquer evil aliens while overcoming seemingly impossible odds. but will someone please show me where in the rulebook it says every show should be about this? Some of the original series and TNG's best showswere about political, romantic, and/or humorous exploits of our favorite characters. "The trouble with Tribbles" is almost always in a listing of the top 5 shows whenever TV guide or simply a group of trekkies talk about their favorites, and "The city on the edge of Forever" won a Hugo for crying out loud and neither one of them were slashed with phaser fire. Yes, Insurrection may have been a little uneven in spots plotwise but I've not seen any you could drive a semi through. And the central theme of the displacing of a small group of people to satisfy the demands of a larger group as being a terrible injustice as well as a clear violation of Trek's prime directive is right on par with the overall vision of Star Trek. I don't think Roddenberry will turn over in his grave because of this one and neither should a true Trek fan get all disappointed just because the Borg, the Romulans, the Dominion or any other "traditional" Star Trek villian is not involved. In fact, I think this film breaks the so-called legacy of "odd-numbered" trek films being not so good as "even-numbered" films. No, Insurrection is no "Wrath of Khan" but it is a solid entry in the series. After all, Johnathan Frakes himself said they wanted to have to have some fun with this one and I think they accomplished that while still making an entertaining movie that lives up to Star Trek's ideals.


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