Star Trek - Insurrection (1998)
Abraham Murphy, Anthony Zerbe, Brent Spiner
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 c...
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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
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PG, 103 min.
Directed by:
Jonathan Frakes
Release Date: Dec 11, 1998
DVD Release Date: May 11, 1999
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This Trek movie had kind of a different feel to it. I thought it was cool how Picard went against the Federation's orders. The whole plot on the planet with it having "mystical" powers was interesting. I also like watching Riker have control of th... (read more) This Trek movie had kind of a different feel to it. I thought it was cool how Picard went against the Federation's orders. The whole plot on the planet with it having "mystical" powers was interesting. I also like watching Riker have control of the ship.
i've already given first contact a perfect 5 stars, but that won't stop me from giving this 5 as well. it feels like a long episode, which means that the actors are doing their jobs perfectly. everyone stays in character, and the chemistry that too... (read more) i've already given first contact a perfect 5 stars, but that won't stop me from giving this 5 as well. it feels like a long episode, which means that the actors are doing their jobs perfectly. everyone stays in character, and the chemistry that took 7 years to develop really pays off on screen. my favorite of the TNG movies.
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) -- [6.0] -- "Insurrection" is a safe, unremarkable movie that doesn't aspire to anything greater than what the TV show accomplished week after week. The storyline, featuring a planet of eternal youth and a conspiracy t... (read more) Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) -- [6.0] -- "Insurrection" is a safe, unremarkable movie that doesn't aspire to anything greater than what the TV show accomplished week after week. The storyline, featuring a planet of eternal youth and a conspiracy to relocate its inhabitants, may not have feature film scope and scale, but "Insurrection" still succeeds in letting us spend some time with the beloved characters of our favorite starship. F. Murray Abraham co-stars as a villain addicted to face lifts, and Donna Murphy plays Jean-Luc Picard's quasi-love interest.
Star Trek: Insurrection is like a long episode of the long running television series. The plot is fairly decent as the TNG crew aids a planet of which federation forces are conspiring to move people off in an effort to harness the planets power. T... (read more) Star Trek: Insurrection is like a long episode of the long running television series. The plot is fairly decent as the TNG crew aids a planet of which federation forces are conspiring to move people off in an effort to harness the planets power. The weaknesses are glaring including some truly corny and awful dialogue. Overall, if you are a fan of the TNG crew, you will enjoy.
The black sheep of the 4 TNG movies; however it doesn't mean that it's bad. It's just not as good as other 3. If you look at it as an independent film it would have been an excellent one.
I didn't hate this film nor loved it. I don't see what's so bad about this film. I think fans were comparing it to the other ST films, particularly with "First Contact". I like this ST film because of the politics behind it. Who's to say it's rig... (read more) I didn't hate this film nor loved it. I don't see what's so bad about this film. I think fans were comparing it to the other ST films, particularly with "First Contact". I like this ST film because of the politics behind it. Who's to say it's right or wrong to move or kill villagers to save billions. In other words, is it right to kill a hundred people to save billions? This film tries to answer that question.
F. Murray Abraham is pockmarked in space! The first hour is mostly terrible. This would have been an excellent TV episode; not much as a movie.
A lot of other trekkies don't like this movie, but I love it. Much like a 2-part episode from the TNG tv series, Star Trek 9 is just a fun outing. Don't think too deeply and have fun.
Meh. It's really just a super sized episode of TNG. That's not a bad thing, but when I get to see a Trek movie, I want maybe a little more for the money. Also I found the early part of the film a little too cute (see the camping scenes in STV: TFF... (read more) Meh. It's really just a super sized episode of TNG. That's not a bad thing, but when I get to see a Trek movie, I want maybe a little more for the money. Also I found the early part of the film a little too cute (see the camping scenes in STV: TFF for more examples of unnecessary cuteness in Trek flicks). OK, but I'm glad I waited to see it.
One of the best Star Trek films. A solid story, employing everything that makes TNG and Star Trek great. The tie in to DS9 is nice. Jonathan Frakes has some promise as a director.
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