Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

reviewed by
Luke Buckmaster


STAR TREK: INSURRECTION
Reviewed by Luke Buckmaster

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, F. Murray Abraham, Donna Murphy, Anthony Zerbe Director: Jonathan Frakes Screenplay: Michael Piller based on a story by Michael Piller & Rick Berman Australian theatrical release: December 31, 1998

On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece): 3 stars

Melbourne's population of Trekkers littered the press screening of Insurrection for a very good reason: they love their Star Trek. When a nervous presenter mispronounced "Jean-Luc Picard," all hell broke loose. "Go away," screamed one distressed fan. "Piss off!" said another. The situation worsened when the presenter read a plot synopsis, only to hear "don't tell us!" "Boooo!" This unruly mob spoke the language of all Trekkers; they didn't care what happened, as long as they got to see the Enterprise on the big screen as soon as possible. And that's the way it's been for years.

For a show that was never popular in its original series, Star Trek has certainly evolved miraculously. The first six films involved the adventures of Captain Kirk and his crew of quirky characters, whereas films seven to nine have featured the stalwart Picard (Patrick Stewart) at the helm of the saga. In Insurrection (the ninth in the series), Stewart is given the opportunity to act yet again as the rogue hero, which he does so convincingly. But this time Stewart is not given as large a spotlight as he had in 1996's First Contact, for the sake of developing some of the other main characters. Director Jonathon Frakes (who also stars in the film) combines fun elements of character personalities and action scenes nicely, whilst not exceeding himself in entertainment or excitement.

Insurrection is similar in tone to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, in that its characters are placed in environments that are very different to the ones in which they are accustomed (and believe me, that gag's milked for everything its got). For one reason or another, Picard and his crew come across a strange remote planet belonging to a peaceful race of people named the Ba'ku's. This planet possesses a unique value - it is bathed in radiation that reverses the aging process. That is why the Son'a's - an aged and dying race - want desperately to get their hands on Ba'ku territory. But Picard becomes determined not to let any harm inflict the Ba'ku's after developing a romantic relationship with a sprightly native woman (who is over three hundred years old). The Enterprise are forced to break Federation rules in order to protect the Ba'ku, whilst the Son'a's will do anything to further their existence.

The primary problem of Insurrection lies in its script. The synopsis above indicates a simplistic one-way storyboard, but Frakes adds so many subplots that the film's main focus is often forgotten. The potential destruction of a civilization strangely seems less compelling than what some of our heroes go through, ranging from android Data's (Brent Spiner) attempts to discover what it feels like to be a child, to Worf's (Michael Dorn) experience of Klingon puberty. Most Star Trek films are very good at underlining the central plot and striving to build a rewarding climax, but Insurrection has too many distractions along the way. When the climax does come, it is nowhere near as spectacular as it should have been.

Special effects are something that Star Trek films can never get enough of. Those featured in Insurrection are certainly good, but hardly represent what the industry is capable of. Insurrection would have benefited from whiz-bang, spectacular visuals (achieving the standard of 1998's Lost in Space would have been a good feat), because often the film feels a little too ordinary and much like something we have seen before.

Patrick Stewart delivers his usual solid performance as the film's anchor, and is especially good when he raises his voice - coming across as a wild and unpredictable authoritarian. The rest of the cast are a wacky lot, and everyone seems to be having a lot of fun playing out their roles, which is the way it should be. Like most Star Trek films, the makeup and costume designs are terrific and breathe life into characters that only Star Trek could think of.

I can understand why some Trekkers would be disappointed by Insurrection. This is not a traditional Star Trek film in style and pace; it is more like an extended episode of the series. Every character discovers something about themselves, whilst the narrative slowly moves along with occasional scenes of tense confrontations and tasteful action (Star Trek has always been careful not to disgust or irritate viewers). Frakes has created a solid and generally entertaining piece, without making Insurrection one of the best films of the series or even the summer. The Trekkers get to see the Enterprise again - and that's probably all that matters.


Review © copyright Luke Buckmaster

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