Wing Commander (1999)

Director:

Chris Roberts

Writers (WGA):

Chris Roberts (characters)
Chris Roberts (story)

Release Date:

12 March 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

At the edge of our universe, all hell is about to break loose.

Plot:

Blair, a fighter pilot, joins an interstellar war to fight the evil Kilrathi who are trying to destroy the universe.

Plot Keywords:

Fighter Pilot | Captain | Based On Video Game | Wing Commander | Space Carrier

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	1st Lt. Christopher Blair
Saffron Burrows	...	Lt. Cmdr. 'Angel' Devereaux
Matthew Lillard	...	Lt. Todd 'Maniac' Marshall
Tchéky Karyo	...	Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart (as Tcheky Karyo)
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Cmdr. Paul Gerald
David Warner	...	Adm. Geoffrey Tolwyn
Ginny Holder	...	Rosie Forbes
Hugh Quarshie	...	Obutu
Ken Bones	...	Adm. Bill Wilson
John McGlynn	...	Belegarde
Richard Dillane	...	Hunter
Mark Powley	...	Polansky
David Fahm	...	Knight
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Flight Boss
Fraser James	...	Helmsman

Also Known As:

Wing Commander: Space Will Never Be the Same (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual references and sci-fi action/violence.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Luxembourg

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Company:

Carousel Picture Company, The

Trivia:

A subplot about a traitor was cut from the film. However, toy manufacturer X-Toys made and distributed the "Pilgrim Traitor" action figure. It comes with a mask hiding the traitor's face. When the mask is removed, the identity of the traitor is reveled: Admiral Wilson.

Goofs:

Continuity: On the Diligent, Taggart asks to see Blair's Pilgrim cross. When he looks at it he exposes a dagger-like blade. The blade looks longer than the cross it came out of.

Quotes:

Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart: Let's make our miracle.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "South Park: Pinewood Derby (#13.6)" (2009)

it's ok...

the movie was about what i expected... they obviously blew the entire budget on effects. amusingly, wc 3 and wc 4 (the games) had better casts than the movie (Freddie Pinze Jr vs Mark Hammil, Mathew Lillard vs Thomas "Biff Tannon" Wilson, Tchéky Karyo vs John Rhys-Davies, and David Warner vs Malcolm McDowell).

the plot had some holes, the most dramatic moments came off as cheesy, and there were a few continuity issues with the games that will probably bother the more avid fans (skipper missles being used before the first game, even though they weren't introduced until wc2, bossman being dead before blair sets foot on the tiger's claw, etc).

on the upside, the special effects were pretty good. a few years ago (before the rise of mass numbers of special effects movies) i would have considered them outstanding. the fighters (almost entirely rapiers, and a few broadswords) have a wonderfully unique "world war 1 in space" feel. the rapiers, however, look uncannily similar to A-10 Thunderbolt II "Tankkiller" "Warthogs."

the best review i've heard came from a kid as we were leaving the theater. he was having trouble articulating himself, but finally settled on something like "that was the coolest humans vs futuristic aliens movie i've ever seen!"

basically, if you're looking for a fun mindless (and that is a very important word) space combat movie, this is a good choice. if you want a better cast, a better plot, and some interaction, skip the movie and get yourself a copy of one of the games.