Wing Commander (1999)

Director:

Chris Roberts

Writers (WGA):

Chris Roberts (characters)
Chris Roberts (story)
(more)

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

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
Craig Kelly	...	Radar Man Falk
Kieron Phipps	...	Peterson
Jamie Treacher	...	Pegasus Radar Man
Cyril Nri	...	Security Officer
Jari Kinnunen	...	Concordia Radar Man
Raffaello Degruttola	...	Rodriguez (as Raph Taylor)
Paul Courtenay Hyu	...	Con Officer
Mark Jones	...	Kilrathi Admiral
Graham Riddell	...	Kilrathi Captain
David Suchet	...	Capt. Jason Sansky
Christopher P. Kibbey	...	Medic
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Asim Ahmad	...	Catscratch (uncredited)
John Bondi	...	Lt. Court (uncredited)
Mark Hamill	...	Merlin (voice) (uncredited)
Chris Roberts	...	Salvage Ship Pilot (uncredited)

Directed by
Chris Roberts

Writing credits (WGA)
Chris Roberts		(characters)
Chris Roberts		(story)
Kevin Droney		(screen story)
Kevin Droney		(screenplay)

Produced by
Donna Burkons	....	co-producer
Joseph Newton Cohen	....	executive producer (as Joseph N. Cohen)
Jean-Martial Lefranc	....	executive producer
Todd Moyer	....	producer
Tom Reeve	....	line producer
Romain Schroeder	....	executive producer
Neil Young	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
Kevin Kiner

Cinematography by
Thierry Arbogast		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter Davies

Casting by
Suzanne Crowley
Gilly Poole

Production Design by
Peter Lamont

Art Direction by
Simon Bowles
Ken Court
James Hambidge
Mark Harris
Simon Lamont
Charles Dwight Lee		(supervising art director)
Alan Tomkins

Set Decoration by
Michael Ford
Richard Roberts

Costume Design by
Magali Guidasci

Makeup Department
Pat Hay	....	hair styles supervisor
Pat Hay	....	makeup supervisor
Vivian Nowak	....	hair stylist
Stephen Rose	....	hair stylist
Ghislaine Soisson	....	assistant makeup artist
Stuart Bray	....	special effects model maker (uncredited)

Production Management
Sterling Belefant	....	post-production supervisor
Laurent Dumas	....	unit manager
Meinir Stoutt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Oscar Beuselinck	....	second assistant director
Ralph Eisenmann	....	third assistant director
Claude Ludovicy	....	second second assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	first assistant director
Veronique Souques	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Manuel Demoulling	....	stand-by props
Katrina Duce	....	art department coordinator
James Enright	....	modelmaker
James Gemmill	....	scenic artist
Alex Hill	....	storyboard artist
Carol Kupisz	....	graphic designer
Ginger McCarthy	....	head rigger
Bill Pearson	....	senior props/modeller
Tiffany Rodenfels	....	assistant prop electrician
Dan Urbin	....	painter
Christi-Anne Valentine	....	buyer
Christi-Anne Valentine	....	model maker
Barry Wilkinson	....	property master
Jamie Wilkinson	....	supervising props
Simon Wilkinson	....	chargehand stand-by propman
Peter Williams	....	construction coordinator
Bruno Zenatello	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Peter Baldock	....	supervising sound editor
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr mixer
Gillian Dodders	....	supervising adr editor
Gillian Dodders	....	supervising dialogue editor
Glenn Freemantle	....	supervising sound editor
Susan French	....	assistant sound editor
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Hayward	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Heslop	....	sound editor
Miriam Ludbrook	....	foley editor
Gerard McCann	....	adr editor
Brendan Nicholson	....	extra effects mixer
Richard Pryke	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Rodda	....	production sound mixer
Tom Sayers	....	foley editor
Seppe van Groeningen	....	boom operator
Mark Sheffield	....	post-production sound assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jill Robertson	....	assistant model maker
Edward Wiessenhaan	....	special effects coordinator
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	special effects supervisor
Rob Wiessenhaan	....	special effects senior technician
Nik Williams	....	animatronic supervisor
Mark Woollard	....	supervising modeller: props

Visual Effects by
Eric Alba	....	facility visual effects producer: digital anvil (as Frederick G. Alba)
Toader Alex	....	digital artist
David Altenau	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title
Cory Bedwell	....	digital effects artist
Jan Bernotat	....	motion control operator
Minky Billups	....	wire removal & roto compositing
Rob Blue	....	digital artist
Chris Brown	....	visual effects supervisor
Rodney Brunet	....	digital effects artist
Colin Campbell	....	digital compositor
Sophia Chowdhury	....	modeller
Gregory Creaser	....	digital timer: Pacific Title
Thomas Dadras	....	co-visual effects supervisor
Alex Deshazer	....	production coordinator
Brad Doan	....	digital artist
John Ford Jr.	....	digital artist
Quentin Frost	....	visual artist: Digital Anvil
Jerry Hall	....	digital compositor
Jeff Heusser	....	digital compositing supervisor: The Post Group
Chris Holmes	....	digital compositor
Mark Intravartolo	....	visual effects artist
Mark Lambert	....	CG supervisor
Christopher Lance	....	compositor
Seth Lippman	....	technical director
Curtis Neal	....	digital artist
Chris Olivia	....	sequence supervisor
Rob Ostir	....	digital effects artist
Ethan Phillips	....	director of photography visual effects unit
Dane Picard	....	technical director
Olivier Sarda	....	digital compositor
Kevin Andrew Smith	....	technical director
Cameron Stevning	....	visual effects motion control producer: title sequence
Erik Strauss	....	visual effects producer: Fox
Mary Stuart-Welch	....	executive visual effects producer
Hector Tantoco	....	digital artist
David Taritero	....	visual effects producer: Pacific Title
Marty Taylor	....	Inferno artist: Digiscope
Sarma Vanguri	....	computer animator: Digital Anvil
Chris Waegner	....	digital effects artist
Jeff Wells	....	digital effects artist: Pacific Title/Mirage
Guy Williams	....	digital artist
Eric Withee	....	data/film manager: The Post Group
Jennifer Wollan	....	visual effects editor
Paul Lambert	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Annemiex Boonstra	....	stunts (as Annemiek Boonstra)
Willem de Beukelaer	....	stunts
Nicolas de Pruyssenaere	....	stunts
Roland Goddijn	....	stunts (as Roland Godijn)
Martin Lader	....	stunts
Yuma Li	....	stunts
Patrick Rappard	....	stunts
Sustar Silvo	....	stunts
Michel Struik	....	stunts
Richard van Drempt	....	stunts
Ray Weaver	....	stunts
Randy Wener	....	stunts
Diana Wiersma	....	stunts (as Diane Wiersma)
Rick Wiessenhaan	....	stunt coordinator
Nicolas de Pruyssenaere	....	stunt double: Freddie Prinze Jr. (uncredited)
Radica Jovicic	....	stunt double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alessandro Bolognesi	....	Steadicam operator
Alessandro Bolognesi	....	camera operator
Sophie Bosquet	....	clapper loader
Etienne Braun	....	still photographer
Maurizio Cremisini	....	focus puller
Mick Durlacher	....	gaffer
Joris Hetsen	....	electrician
Claude Hirsch	....	gaffer
Graham Johnston	....	video assist operator
Raphael Jourdan	....	grip
Michel Miltgen	....	camera loader
José Alberto Pinto de Jesus	....	electrician
Jean-François Roqueplo	....	key grip
Tom Ryan	....	first assistant camera
Roger Simonsz	....	camera operator
Roger Simonsz	....	director of photography: second unit
Carlo Thiel	....	focus puller
Wolfgang Wesemann	....	clapper loader
Eric Wobma	....	best boy electric

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ivo Coveney	....	costume maker
Dave Croucher	....	costumes
Guillaume De Esteban	....	dresser
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe supervisor
Nicole Young	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Paul Parsons	....	assistant editor
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Jean-Luc Simon	....	third assistant editor
Wayne Smith	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
David Alexander	....	additional music scoring
David Arnold	....	composer: themes
Nicholas Dodd	....	orchestrator
Dina Eaton	....	music editor
Mark Evans	....	score mixer
Mark Evans	....	score recordist
Geoff Foster	....	score mixer
Geoff Foster	....	score recordist
Barklie K. Griggs	....	music supervisor
Terry Wilson	....	preview music editor

Transportation Department
Gary Sharp	....	transportation captain
Kevan Willis	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Pascal Charlier	....	location manager
Christophe Chrompin	....	stand-in (as Christophe Crompin)
Henry Eshelman	....	unit publicist
Sue Field	....	script supervisor
Michael Hogh	....	production assistant
Bénédicte Humbel	....	production secretary
Radica Jovicic	....	stand-in
Christopher P. Kibbey	....	production coordinator
Rozenn Le Pape	....	production coordinator
Seth Lippman	....	technical director
Raj Malde	....	production accountant
Nigel Marchant	....	production coordinator
Benjamin Palmer	....	creature crew
Laurence Parker	....	production accountant
Eric K. Peterson	....	director of operations
Frederic Roeser	....	location assistant

Production Companies

• Carousel Picture Company, The (as No Prisoners Productions)
• Digital Anvil
• No Prisoners (as No Prisoners Productions)
• Origin Systems Inc.
• Wing Commander Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Jugendfilm-Verleih (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Egmont Entertainment (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• GAGA
• Gativideo (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Animated Extras (creature creation)
• Cinesite (digital film effects)
• Digiscope (additional visual effects)
• Digital Anvil Effects

Other Companies

• General Screen Enterprises  end titles
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

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:

The voice of Merlin (listed as "?" in the credits) is 'Hamill, Mark', who played Christopher Blair in the Wing Commander CD-ROM games.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While the Tigerclaw is hiding from the Kilrathi, the crew is cautioned to be very quiet. Sound does not travel through space, so the crew could blare rock music from every speaker at full volume and the Kilrathi wouldn't hear it even if their ship were five feet away.

Quotes:

[Explaining why no one mentions dead pilots]
Angel: In all likelihood you're going to die out there. We're all going to die out there, but none of us needs to be reminded of that fact. So you die, you never existed.

Movie Connections:

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

A bold movie based on a computer game. But does it do the game justice?

This pioneer film from Chris Roberts takes the classic Computer game world of Wing Commander, and gives it a new edge that is exhilarating and inventive. Unfortunately, fans of the computer game series will find that there are changes in this movie, many of which are confusing. Like movies that are made from novels, the transition often leaves out important elements because novels extend far beyond the 90-120 minute boundary. And the PC games are no exception, spanning 5 games that each took several days if not weeks to finish.

In this movie, the Kilrathi get very little screen time, and the time that they do get does nothing to represent their warrior race which is intricate and compelling as much as the Terrans (humans). In fact, they look nothing like the Video Game's image of them. Instead, they are portrayed much like the BUGS in Starship Troopers, as emotionless and cultureless as insects, with no purpose and no agenda except to destroy.

Also, the technology used in this film is far different than the game's, creating a confusing use of fighter crafts, flight gear, and much more for the video game players. There are no lasers, just mass-drivers and torpedoes. In fact, the battles felt much like they were being fought underwater instead of outer-space. In one scene, a battered ship is pushed off a platform only to have it drop like a rock, in outer space. And it was disheartening to hear the bangs and booms in outer space where there is no sound! I was hoping the filmmakers could have been more creative,…the sound of panicked breathing and heartbeats over deathly silence as the battle ensues, perhaps?

Another confusing transition for WC fans was the whole idea of the ‘Pilgrim' race, which was never mentioned in the computer game series. And the biggest, and perhaps saddest loss in transition were the beloved actors of Mark Hamill, Tom F. Wilson, and Malcolm McDowell, who breathed life into the WC world along with a superb supporting cast. Instead, their roles are filled by younger hip-hop hormonal teen idols, who not only did not know what they did last summer, but don't care.

All confusions aside, this was a decent first step for the Wing Commander series onto the big screen because it sucessfully introduces the basic elements of the Wing Commander world. For anyone who liked the movie, I recommend the games, which are enthralling and deeper in character, storyline, and excitement. Well, Wing Commander IV was anyway. V was dangerously close to being as storyless as this movie. A Critique for another time…