Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Jonathan Frakes

Writers (WGA):

Gene Roddenberry (creator: "Star Trek")
Rick Berman (story) ...

Release Date:

11 December 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Battle For Paradise Has Begun

Plot:

When the crew of the Enterprise learn of a Federation plot against the inhabitants of a unique planet, Capt. Picard begins an open rebellion.

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Alien | Mission | Insurrection | Based On Cult TV Series

Awards:

2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (as Levar Burton)
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Commander Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
F. Murray Abraham	...	Ad'har Ru'afo
Donna Murphy	...	Anij
Anthony Zerbe	...	Vice-Admiral Dougherty
Gregg Henry	...	Gallatin
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Sojef
Michael Welch	...	Artim
Mark Deakins	...	Tournel
Stephanie Niznik	...	Perim

Also Known As:

Star Trek 9 (USA) (informal alternative title)
Star Trek IX (USA) (working title)
Star Trek IX: Insurrection (Australia)
Star Trek: Nemesis (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Prime Directive (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Rebellion (USA) (working title)
Star Trek: Stardust (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sci-fi action violence, mild language and sensuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Italy:T | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Brazil:Livre | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Australia:PG | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bishop, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The only Star Trek movie to-date where a Stardate is never given nor displayed at any point throughout the entire course of the film.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: During Data and Picard's phaser fight inside the holoship, the disruptor shots from the Son'a weapon do not disrupt the holograms as we see the Son'a Commander do later in the movie to reveal that was fooled. In fact, they chip walls and splash water. However, the holoship was designed to be a 'floating holodeck' to transport unwilling colonists, so the simulation would likely be programmed to react in a realistic manner to weapons fire so that the deception isn't accidentally discovered; likewise, the crew of the Enterprise may not have had time to reactivate the 'reality mode' when they changed the simulation.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[children playing hide and seek]
child: There he is. Let's get him, come on!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Spaced: Chaos (#1.5)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

A British Tar

Genuinely Entertaining. What a movie!

I would say that this movie rivals the skill of the first "Next Generation" movie, First Contact. If anything, the dialogue is more refined and the humour, of which there is a great deal, is well timed and raised smiles at suitable points in the movie. Many have criticised the writers for either making the humour too silly or, for not daring to take the jokes to the belly-laugh level. Personally, I think the film is richer for the homour, which seems natural, not forced, and generally hit its targets. After all though, it's not a comedy.

Insurrection is a movie which displays far more humanity than the cold, but nevertheless enthralling, First Contact. To compare the movies is difficult, as they are very different, and opinions will inevitably clash. Both movies have a different agenda, I think.

I would dare to say that Insurrection would do a better job at converting people to the Star Trek "cause" than would any of the other films. Before watching, I knew little about Star Trek, and it really stoked my interest in the series. In evaluating Insurrection I realised that the film has several outstanding set-pieces, some of which are very memorable, such as the high-speed chase between Picard and Data through the cloud layers, with The Captain trying to coax Data into performing a scene from Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore. The scene is outrageous, and very surreal, and extremely well done. Another example would be the attack of the flying miniature transporter robots, where Worf really gets to prove how brave, and violent, he really is.

Finally, the acting is universally good, and Stewart puts in a performance of depth, although not as impressive as in First Contact. The plot of Insurrection is slight, and alone doesn't manage to hold the attention. But the other elements that go into producing a good movie, such as the script, acting, directing, and, dare I say it, special effects, add up to an entertaining whole.

I think that free of the limitations imposed by the "classic trek" rules, and the campy acting that dogged the earlier Trek flicks, the Star Trek franchise will flourish, and this movie shows how much a cast enjoying what they are doing adds to the fun and feel-good factor of watching the film with a cinema full of enthralled viewers. Well done Jonathan Frakes!