World Famous Comics: Star Trek - Insurrection (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Star Trek - Insurrection (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, LeVar Burton, Mark Deakins, Michael Dorn, Bruce French Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Paramount Number of Items: 2 Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 07, 2005 Running Time: 103 minutes Theatrical Release Date: December 11, 1998
Amazon.com: Star Trek fans were decidedly mixed in their reactions to this, the ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise, but die-hard loyalists will appreciate the way this Next Generation adventure rekindles the spirit of the original Trek TV series while combining a tolerable dose of New-Agey philosophy with a lighthearted plot for the TNG cast. This time out, Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his executive crew must transport to a Shangri-la-like planet to see why their android crewmate Data (Brent Spiner) has run amuck in a village full of peaceful Ba'ku artisans who--thanks to their planet's "metaphasic radiation"--haven't aged in 309 years.
It turns out there's a conspiracy afoot, masterminded by the devious, gruesomely aged Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham, hamming it up under makeup resembling a cosmetic surgeon's worst nightmare), who's in cahoots with a renegade Starfleet admiral (Anthony Zerbe, in one of his final screen roles). They covet the fountain-of-youth power of the Ba'ku planet, but because their takeover plan violates Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference, it's up to Picard and crew to stop the scheme. Along the way, they all benefit from the metaphasic effect, which manifests itself as Worf's puberty (visible as a conspicuous case of Klingon acne), Picard's youthful romance with a Ba'ku woman (the lovely Donna Murphy), the touching though temporary return of Geordi's natural eyesight, and a moment when Troi asks Dr. Crusher if she's noticed that her "boobs are firming up."
Some fans scoffed at these humorous asides, but they're what make this Trek film as entertaining as it is slightly disappointing. Without the laughs (including Data's rousing excerpt from Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore), this is a pretty routine entry in the franchise, with no real surprises, a number of plot holes, and the overall appearance of a big-budget TV episode. As costar and director, Jonathan Frakes proves a capable carrier of the Star Trek flame--and it's nice to see women in their 40s portrayed as smart and sexy--but while this is surely an adequate Trek adventure, it doesn't quite rank with the best in the series. --Jeff Shannon
Description: When the crew of the Enterprise learns of the Federation plot against inhabitants of a unique planet, Capt. Picard begins an open rebellion in an effort to defend the planet's people and the principles in which the Federation was founded.
Another Trek !!! Patrick Stewart (Like Bill Shatner) takes the crew to another crisis with the Federation gone amok. It takes a while, but Ol' Patrick ferrets out the baddies and rights the ship. We are entertained in the meantime in the Trek Universe, with various tangents to the storyline. This one is better than the sum of its parts. Visually impressive ... great storyline and not an overabundance of un-necessary padding.
The Battle For Utopia Something is wrong with Data (Brent Spiner). On what seems to be a standard observation and research mission, Data's programming goes haywire. He turns on the Starfleet personnel he is working with and exposes the entire operation to those being observed: the peaceful, seemingly simplistic Ba'ku. When Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and company gets wind of these events, they set out to find their friend and hopefully save him. A Starfleet Admiral who's part of the compromised mission (Anthony Zerbe) orders the Enterprise and her crew to get Data and then get out while he "ties up a few loose ends." As usual with Star Trek, things aren't always what they seem and the Enterprise uncovers a Starfleet scheme that goes directly against the Prime Directive and an alien race that's out for revenge. Will Picard go against his own loyalties with Starfleet in order to do what's right or will he be a good captain and accept his orders? It's time to watch "Star Trek: Insurrection" and find out.
Many fans of Star Trek find this particular film to be a bland and contradicting addition to the Trek catalogue. They state that Starfleet Command would never pull a stunt such as the one in this film. They gripe that the humor that litters this story is too distracting or out of character for the TNG cast. Some of them have even gone so far as to say that this story is too sugary sweet. In my opinion, it's all of these supposed contradictions that make "Insurrection" such a solid film.
Granted, it does play out somewhat like an extended episode of the TNG series, but it's still highly entertaining. For one, the humor is a welcome addition to this tale. So often I've felt that TNG was much too serious and needed to lighten up. Enter Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Troi (Marina Sirtis) and Worf (Michael Dorn) to add much needed doses of comedy throughout this tale. From the "frisky" feelings between Riker and Troi to Worf's puberty re-awakening, there's plenty to laugh at. Having Starfleet go against the Prime Directive due to misdirection is nothing new. Through technicalities and greed, their actions against the Ba'ku are justified. As far as all of the sugary sweet moments go, it's actually rather touching to experience a sunrise through Geordi's (LeVar Burton) eyes and the interaction between Data and a young Ba'ku child.
This film also features some excellent space battles. Perhaps some of the best in all of the TNG films. The effects (except for a couple of obvious CGI "face stretching" moments) are top notch, and the make-up is flawless. The musical score skillfully swings from threatening to lighthearted without skipping a beat.
The cast is top-notch. The key members of the Enterprise crew really get to shine here. From Stewart to Gates McFadden, the entire group does an excellent job. F. Murray Abraham (in heavy make-up) provides a wonderful but somewhat hammy villain as the leader of the So'na. Zerbe comes off a little bit stiff in his role, but does manage to convey the internal struggle he is suffering from quite well. Of special note is Donna Murphy as Annij. Not only is she strikingly beautiful, but her performance is one of the most heartfelt in the entire film.
Jonathan Frakes is at the helm of "Insurrection" as the director. It amazes how well he does behind a camera. I'm impressed each time I watch his work.
The DVD extras are great. There are plenty of Easter eggs to be had for those with the patience to find them. There's a fun look at the female aliens who've put sparkles in the eyes of numerous men aged twelve to ninety since the original series aired. There's a few excellent deleted scenes, an archive, making-of documentaries, and a wonderful look at the creation of the aliens for both the films and the various television series.
Overall, I highly recommend "Star Trek: Insurrection." While it may be nothing more than a long episode of TNG, it's still a fantastic story. With space battles, romance and plenty of humor, I give it four strong stars.
Beautiful A film I can watch over and over.
Set in a classic Star Trek realm with a music score worthy of the gods.
An Underrated Effort Though often reviewed as a typical "odd numbered" Star Trek movie (for some reason, the even numbered movies in the series have performed much better than the even numbers), Star Trek: Insurrection is actually a rather strong forte into the Trek universe.
The conflict of this film works on two levels: First, there is the conflict between two races of people (a plot point as old as time but one that, if done right, can be quite effective). Second, there is the conflict between Captain Jean-Luc Picard (and thus his crew) against upper-ranking Federation officials, who want to violate the sacred Prime Directive of the universe. Both of those areas of conflict, acting simultaneously throughout the movie, are surprisingly effective and compelling.
Besides the effectiveness of the main plot, however, this film also (much like the previous First Contact film) contains some interesting and humorous character development. While trying to rescue a persecuted race of people, the crew of the Enterprise investigates a planet on which the effects of aging are reversed. Thus, while the android Data is unaffected, other characters are taken on an interesting hormonal journey: Worf begins acting like a typical (violent!) Klingon youth, Crusher and Troi notice certain, um, body parts firming up, and Geordi LaForge regains the use of his natural eyes.
To conclude, Star Trek: Insurrection, while generally regarded as a sub-par effort, actually breaks the "odd-bad, even-good" chain of Star Trek movies. If you are new to the Star Trek universe and are interested in this movie, I would recommend watching the previous film, First Contact, in order to get a better handle on the Next Generation characters before watching this film. If you thoroughly enjoyed First Contact, this movie (with its action/adventure combined with great human drama and humor) will not disappoint you.
Star Trek Insurrection Collector's Edition I bought this movie believing I had never seen it, but it turns out I had watched the end half of it when it was on television. Imagine my surprise when I started getting deja vu! The plot of this movie was interesting, but it would have made for a better TV episode. The love story between the Baku woman and Picard would have been better left out of the film. It was interesting that the two races wound up being the same, though. The story was decent, the movie itself followed Star Trek: TNG's usual stories, but just not a good plot choice for a feature length film. There wasn't really enough action for me. I'm not an expert movie critic, just my opinion.
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