Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, F. Murray Abraham, Donna Murphy, Anthony Zerbe, Lorella Cuccarini, Mark Deakins, Breon Gorman, Max Grodénchik, Gregg Henry, Stephanie Niznik, Michael Welch, D. Elliot Woods. Written by Michael Piller and Rick Berman. Directed by Jonathan Frakes. 103 minutes. Rated PG, 3 stars (out of five stars)
Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly www.nuvo-online.com Archive reviews at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Edward+Johnson-ott To receive reviews by e-mail at no charge, send subscription requests to pbbp24a@prodigy.com
To put this review in its proper context, I should acknowledge right up front that I'm a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fan. Yes, I've reached that point in life where I can publicly admit that I am in touch with my inner geek. Like many who enjoyed "ST:TNG," I was irritated when Paramount elected to fold the still-thriving show so that the vigorous cast could replace the geezers from the original series and keep the company's lucrative "Trek" movie franchise alive. Thanks to the corporate money-grubbers, instead of 24 varied episodes a season, we now only get new doses of the Enterprise crew every two or three years, usually in trumped-up "thrill-ride" movies that bury the characters under a barrage of action scenes.
Thankfully, "Star Trek: Insurrection" is the exception to the rule. While the ninth entry in the franchise has plenty of battles to appease the testosterone junkies, "Insurrection" places the emphasis more on people than explosions. The quirkiest "Trek" yet, "Insurrection" is breezy, low- key and often humorous. It plays less like an "event" movie and more like a juicy two-part episode of the series.
This time around, the crew faces off against corrupt Federation officials allied with some nasty aliens bent on removing a group of settlers from a planet that is a virtual fountain of youth. When the Enterprise crew discover the true agenda of the Son'a, age-obsessed beings who get more face-lifts than Michael Jackson, Captain Picard and company remove the pips from their uniforms and become freedom fighters, protecting the idyllic Ba'ku colony from Starfleet and the alien invaders.
Along the way, most of the cast gets a chance to live it up. In particular, Patrick Stewart lets his hair down (so to speak) with an exceptionally robust portrayal of Jean-Luc Picard. As opposed to the last two films, which placed the Captain in a variety of grim situations, this "Trek" highlights the swashbuckling aspects of the character. Picard even gets a little planet-side romance with Anji (Donna Murphy), a Ba'ku woman who bears a striking resemblance to Susan Oliver, the actress who romanced Captain Pike in the pilot episode of the original "Star Trek" series.
The Ba'ku planet emits particles that retard the aging process and the Enterprise crew quickly feels the effects of the phenomenon. Blind engineer Geordi LaForge (Levar Burton) finds his eyes regenerated and finally gets to witness a sunrise without using high-tech visors or ocular implants to "see." After wearing a car fender over his brow for seven seasons and machine-like contact lenses for two films, what a relief it must have been for Burton to have his eyes clear of appliances.
The planet affects the libido as well, stirring up the long-dormant romance between Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), who share a bubble-bath in one playful scene. Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) shows more zest than usual, while Worf (Michael Dorn) suffers the indignities of Klingon puberty, dealing simultaneously with an increase in his already aggressive nature and a Texas-sized zit on the side of his nose.
Only the android Data (Brent Spiner), who leaves his emotion chip on the Enterprise, is unaffected by all the hyper-hormonal activities. He spends most of the film tending to business, while a Ba'ku kid tries to teach him how to play. After the last two Data-centric films, it was nice to see his character in a supportive role, allowing the others a bit more time in the spotlight.
"Insurrection's" mix of humor and heroics is the most successful since "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Two early gags, one showing Worf taking a bump on the noggin and the other involving several characters singing a Gilbert and Sullivan tune, triggered memories of cringe-inducing scenes from "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," the worst "Trek" movie ever, but director Jonathan Frakes handles most of the jokes with style.
The film has its weak moments. Compared to previous "Trek" villains, Son'a leader Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham) is a real featherweight. For an exotic race of immortals, the Ba'ku look an awful lot like a bunch of lily-white suburbanites preparing for a camp-out. And why, oh why, do the producers feel the need to include a leaden catch-phrase in every film? When Brent Spiner is forced to say "Saddle up, lock and load," you can sense the embarrassment behind his expressionless face.
But enough complaining. The light and lively "Star Trek: Insurrection" deserves credit for daring to break from the standard "Trek" formula. While some fans will grouse about the film, I found this change of pace most welcome. Instead of witnessing yet another struggle to save the universe, it's refreshing to see the Enterprise crew have a little fun for a change.
© 1998 Ed Johnson-Ott
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