Star Command (1996) (TV)

Director:

Jim Johnston

Writer (WGA):

Melinda M. Snodgrass (written by)

Release Date:

11 March 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A crew of space navy cadets on a training mission find themselves forced to fight an enemy alien force for real.

Plot Keywords:

Military | Virtual Reality | Attempted Murder | Bare Chested Male | Torture

Cast

Jay Underwood	...	Ens. Kenneth 'Ken' Oort
Jennifer Bransford	...	Ens. Ali McGinty
Chris Conrad	...	Ens. Tully Vallis
Tembi Locke	...	Ens. Meg Dundee
Kelly Hu	...	Ens. Yukiko Fujisaki
Ivan Sergei	...	Ens. Phillip Jackson
Eva Habermann	...	Ens. Johanna Pressler
Morgan Fairchild	...	Cmdr. Sigrid Ivorstetter
Chad Everett	...	Cmdr. Shane Ridnaur
Hans Martin Stier	...	Capt. Elliot
John Hadden	...	Gage Balfour
Nigel Bennett	...	Cyno Commander
Michael Coatman	...	Cyno Intelligence Officer
Jonathan Kinsler	...	Wa Thondu
Nancy Buell	...	Adm. Cecilia Oort

Also Known As:

In the Fold (USA)
Star Command - Gefecht im Weltall (Germany)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:Unrated

Company:

High Command Productions

Trivia:

The console seen up close in 2 scenes is actually a guitar multi-effects pedal (the small display shows: 1-3 and the word 'bank' is written underneath).

An Interesting Contradiction

This Made-For-Tv film is a mish-mash of pulpy cliches, solid military sci-fi and 90210-esque Beautiful American Teens.

I think it would be too easy and grossly unfair to write this film off as 'Bad' which, in fairness, it does approach... But it has that certain something. A lot of the story is pure fluff, feel-good TV with formulaic text, but the actors and actresses who are playing the roles manage to bring a degree of feeling to the proceedings that you don't expect. If you look beyond the shake-and-bake storyline, the tennis-skirted female officers and the slightly poor effects you find a selection of highly emotional scenes that convey their meaning without needing extra... Padding.

My personal favourite is the conclusion of the court-martial hearing. As those five marbles roll out onto the table... The sheer power of that scene still moves me. Of course, that might just be me.

Of the actors, Jay Underwood, Ivan Sergei and Chad Everett provide enjoyable and believeable performances. I don't believe it's fair to judge the actors based on this particular outing. A lot of their talent may have been submerged under the poor writing, but there are times when quality shines through.

This TV-Movie is mostly a cheap, feel-good, sci-fi romp only worth watching if you're feeling low and want pure sacharine. Beautiful Heroines, Square-jawed Heroes, predictable action and a happy ending with all the horrible baddies meeting their maker. But it's also worth watching this if you're willing to look for the hardcore Military Sci-Fi centre. It is there and it's worth watching if you can find it.

But don't take my word for it...