Date: Fri 18-Dec-1998
Date: Fri 18-Dec-1998
Publication: Bee
Author: SHANNO
Quick Words:
Trek-Picard-Borg-Stewart
Full Text:
NOW PLAYING : "Insurrection" Is An Enjoyable Trek, But Series Should Be Wary
Of Routine
By Trey Paul Alexander III
This fall, Entertainment Weekly magazine charted sci-fi's top 100 movies and
guess who grabbed the first two spots? Star Wars and Star Trek , respectively,
nabbed best honors, and both show little sign of relinquishing their posts.
Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace will undoubtedly be next summer's
juggernaut blockbuster, and Star Trek: Insurrection , the ninth movie of the
venerable franchise, recently opened at No. 1 at the box office.
Star Wars is on the way up; its cachet is growing ever more commanding as we
near the release of the first original film in the series in over 15 years.
Trek , on the other hand, feels a bit less special. The current TV series
"Voyager," which recently celebrated its 100th episode, has already ventured
beyond the tenure of the original series, and "Deep Space Nine," still the
top-rated original one-hour drama in syndication, will end this season
matching the seven-year run of "The Next Generation." Could it be that Trek ,
once considered visionary and ahead of its time, is becoming a bit too
familiar? Is Trek now comfort food?
Familiarity may not breed contempt in this case, but it somewhat undermines
the cause of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and crew as they
attempt to boldly go forth in what is now their third feature film together.
Insurrection sets out to tell a fresh story with nary a Borg, Klingon (save
Michael Dorn's Lt Cmdr Worf, of course), or time travel twist in sight.
Instead, we meet two new alien races, an abundance of lavish locations and
gorgeous cinematography, and a lighter, almost giddy (particularly in light of
last outing's Borg plotline) outlook from the Enterprise crew.
Captain Picard and his mates are drawn into a conflict with their superiors
when they discover the Federation is buddying up with the Son'a, a
materialistic race trying to wrest a planet away from the Ba'ku, a peaceful
people who settled there some 300 years ago. The horribly disfigured Son'a,
led by a vicious thug named Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham), hope this strange
land, bathed in radiation that halts the aging process and boasts restorative
healing properties, can save their dying civilization.
The Enterprise crew, also affected by the planet's regenerative traits,
nevertheless follow the lead of their forthright captain, who voices his
indignation to Starfleet Admiral Dougherty (Anthony Zerbe) over the prospect
of forcibly removing some 600 people for the benefit of scores of others.
Picard's resolve is also helped by the fact he has taken a shine to a wise and
stunning Ba'ku woman named Anij (Donna Murphy) who has an ability to literally
make time stand still.
Star Trek: Insurrection , directed by Jonathan ( Riker ) Frakes, is a much
more leisurely affair than First Contact (also helped by Frakes), yet the cast
seems more confident in their roles than ever before on the big screen.
Stewart is reliably regal as Picard, Down lends some muscle as Lt Worf
(conveniently on leave from "Deep Space Nine") and Brent Spiner is as
dependable as ever as Data. In fact, the three have a memorable scene that
allows them to warble a tune from Gilbert and Sullivan.
All in all, the film, rated PG for mild profanity and violence, is an
enjoyable trek with performers who seem increasingly comfortable with their
place in the Trek canon. Yet this reviewer, an admitted fan, couldn't help but
feel this installment, even laced with some new and original elements, lacked
a sense of urgency, a sense that if you miss this movie, you'll be missing
out. Granted, you can't kill off characters or destroy the Enterprise in every
movie, but Trek films need to go back to being more of an event instead of the
expected routine every two years.