Rating: 
Summary: Just another wartime fleet action set in space?
Review: "Wing Commander" is the type of movie that should include the following warning: "If you don't appreciate wartime combat drama, historical war movies, or sci-fi/fantasy action, then don't even try to like this movie!" Too many people who don't like such genres go to watch these types of movies in which they don't understand much of what is being shown. Then they start badmouthing it, tsk tsk. Please, judge the movie based on its premise and don't try to fit it into something it isn't. Only the true afficionados know enough about the genre to talk about it's details, don't you think?Like all true war stories, Wing Commander has the quality of having "long periods of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror" (this is really how war veterans describe combat). However, much of the "slow and boring" scenes involve setting the cultural and personal background of the characters, discussions of strategy and logistics, vignettes in the barracks life of fighter pilots, tedious waiting while hiding from the enemy, etc. This might seem pretty humdrum to most civilians but I'm sure real-life airmen and submarine jocks in the Armed Forces will relate to that. In this case, director Chris Roberts has captured that essence of warfare, although I liked the way he managed to fit in a lot of emotional scenes showing the group's camaraderie and some romance. The action scenes are both fast and furious, as well as suspenseful and stealthy, with many technical references to electronic warfare, space navigation, space-combat maneuvers, especially engineering and weaponry. Who else but a techie and a hard-core combat gamer would wallow in such "trivia"? (He he he, I did, and I loved every second!) I liked the way the production crew paid attention to the uniform insignia, vehicle decals, head-up display info, and other minutiae of a military unit heading into harm's way. The acting is above-average as the main characters unveal the plot to prevent the malevolent Kilrathis from destroying Earth's defenses. If you're a World War II enthusiast, watch this movie! It's just like watching the films "The Battle of Midway" or "U-571," especially with Jurgen Prochnow there of "Das Boot" fame. It has so many references to aircraft carrier and submarine tactics, plus a few piratical "board and storm" actions, that you could be watching a Horatio Hornblower movie (oops, am I mixing time lines here?). So if you don't like military sci-fi action combat dramas, watch something else. If like such stuff, put this gem into your collection and watch it several times! That's the only way you'll learn exactly how the Terran fleet managed to upstage the Kilrathis. And yes, I really hope there's a sequel....
Rating: 
Summary: Not true to the game, but not bad
Review: Fans of the original games will be a little disappointed I think. After playing the last few games with full video cut scenes, you get used to certain actors playing the roles of Blair, or Maniac, etc. In the movie, all of that changes, the background changes some, etc. So if you are expecting it to fall in line with the video games..it ain't going to happen. If you haven't been playing the games, and you are a sci-fi fan, I think you will like the movie. Pretty descent plot, some awesome special effects, good music. The acting isn't bad, what can you expect from Freddie Prinz Jr. and Mathew Lilliard...
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad I can't give it a 0
Review: I had great expectations of this movie. I had heard such wonderful things about the series of games of the same title, I expected a truly good movie. An engaging space opera about combat and the pilots engaged in it. Instead I lost $3.00 renting this. There is a 5-step method to watching this movie. 1.) Rent it. 2.) Place it in VCR 3.) Watch it. 4.) Stop convulsing from massive seizure caused by movie's moronic content. 5.) Return movie and demand refund. Nuff said.
Rating:
Summary: Very, very disappointing
Review: With the original Wing Commander computer game series, Chris Roberts had a great thing going...a great plot, good character development, and, for the last two, great actors, including the animatronics used for the Kilrathi. The thing that really got the computer gamer was that there was great gameplay with an equally good story...you really understood all the characters, good and bad. By converting this great thing into this dreadful movie, Roberts has in one fell swoop destroyed everything he created in those games...the movie lacked all credibility. Once you've played as Blair and seen how his character developed, including his interactions with his friends and the Kilrathi, you could never believe this was the same "person" on screen. Maniac, a classic from the games, was portrayed very poorly and did not resemble the "real" Maniac at all, and the Kilrathi were given no substance at all...if you've played the games and loved them like I did, then stay away from the movie at all costs, because it leaves a very bad taste in your mouth.
Rating: 
Summary: Only for Wing Commander "Veterans"
Review: This part of the review is for the veterans: I have played every Wing Commander game so far (including every add-on disc) and I can recommend this movie to everyone, who blew the Kilrathi across deep space, too. Although the story takes place before the first Wing Commander game, it is not that much of a problem that Chris Roberts mixed a few items from later WC games into this movie (like the Snakeir battleship, Admiral Tolwyn or the Skipper Missles). Okay, the special effects are better than Starship Troopers or even Star Wars Episode 1, but why was it necessary to change the look of all the capital ships and fighters that much? The Tiger Claw (why not Tiger's Claw???) does not look like the Bengal-class carrier to me, but more like a battleship that happens to have a few fighters on board. Anyway, although some people might miss an actor resembling Colonel Halcyon, Jürgen Prochnow and Tcheky Karyo are doing a good job as the good guys (ever noticed that the Kilrathi ships were PINGING in order to find the good guys? - "Das Boot" must be around somewhere - especially with all those torpedo battles during the movie). What is REALLY fascinating about this movie is the soundtrack! Honestly, I have never EVER heard anything better since Star Wars (especially "The Imperial March" of "The Empire Strikes Back") or Dark Star. So, if you know the games, and liked them, the movie is a DVD/VHS that is worth being had. Enjoy! This part of the review is for the rest of the world: Okay, okay! I know that even uninhabited asteroids would have been better actors than the "young heros" of the movie. I know that everyone, who does not know the games, does not understand the story. I also know that some people might think that after hiring Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot) and Tcheky Karyo (Goldeneye), there was no cash left for writing a good story or hiring more known actors (but that worked with Starship Troopers!!). But hey! This is a movie for the fans of the game! Chris Roberts has put his dream on the screen and his efforts are worth it! This movie isn't perfect, but for those, who like the topic, it is a good piece of entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Dispensable, Plotless, Redundant
Review: If they were trying to kill the whole Sci-Fi genre by using some of the most listless actors ever on screen, well - congratulations! I'm sure kids will flow back to the game, just as they were supposed to, I suspect. The DVD is of good technical quality. Unfortunately even that potential bonus is wasted in the hopelessness of the whole project. Way too expensive for something you wish you could forget while still actually watching it for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: homocide by movie makers
Review: I thought this was one of the dumbest most trite movies I have ever seen in my life. The Lildard guy has one note as an actor--the slightly stupid surfer dude who is outrageous and loveable. He has played this same character is several other movies; all they do is change his name and the scenery. The special effect were so hackneyed that I was surprised that this movie was made in the late nineties. It looked and felt like it was created in the late eighties. The plot was predictable. The baddie aliens were predictable. This movie tries to kill the science fiction movie genre. Someone should stop this writer/director before they kill again.
Rating:
Summary: Wing Commander
Review: This movie is entertaining and the sound effects is great. Watching this movie makes me recall those characters I encounter when playing the Wing Commander game series. Too bad, Mark Hamill wasn't there as Lt Chris Blair. Perhaps much thought should have been given to the plot and fighting scenes. Wish there was Wing Commander sequel with an improved plot & story... I would love to see another Wing Commander sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Not that bad, but still enjoyable
Review: I'd never played a Wing Commander game. And perhaps that's why I didn't understand all this "jump point" stuff, and this "NavCon" stuff and such. But you can still follow along. So you get the basic idea in the beginning that something bad has happened, and so we have to somehow shift the action to Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Matthew Lillard, who acts like a crazy goofball for the fortieth time in his career (Does this guy have *any* range?) From then on, the plot staggers along, with some semi-exciting "jumps" (I still have no clue how those are supposed to work). It introduces some nice prejudice themes with this business of "Pilgrims." It throws in a good ol' romance (two, even!) to add some sexual tension. You long for some cool dogfight space battles, but all you get is the equivalent of the opening scene of *Lost in Space*. You also have to keep telling yourself that Hollywood doesn't care that sound doesn't travel in the vacuum of space. (There is one supposedly "tense" scene where a character tells everyone to quiet down and LISTEN to the Kilrathi destroyer outside.) Yes, the Kilrathi look pretty dumb, because they're like big alien cats, but you can't fault the movie for that; that's from the game. There's a running gag-type thing about the distinction between a suggestion and an order that I thought was kind of cute, even though they used it way more often than I'd expected. But it still worked. And so Freddie saves the day, and gets the girl, and all is well. So the movie isn't spectacular. But it's okay. I'd recommend it, just not "highly."
Rating:
Summary: Language
Review: Differently how annonced there is not french sound track in this DVD. The film was superb, but the sound, sometimes has "rattles". Four (4) is my rate.
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