Review of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) by Stewart S — 23 Jul 2010

Of all the Generation films this has got to be the weakest, with an embarrassingly simplistic storyline of nature vs science and a threat that really doesn't cut it. That said, it is oddly one of the most enjoyable and rewatchable of the films due to a welcome vein of humour throughout, and a cast who seem to actually be enjoying themselves, for once. It does hark back to the original series in its old-style narrative - with an apparently recognisable paradise hiding the secret of eternal youth. The crew, too, are affected in various ways - with Picard enjoying a slight romance with a Ba'ku native, Geordi regaining his sight, Worf going through enforced puberty, and Riker becoming a horny teenage boy. There is a nice parallel between the purity of the agricultural and the extremes of technology in the developing friendship between Data and a young boy. Once again, the villain casting is good, with F Murray Abraham hamming it up underneath his prosthetics, and yet making for a believable madman.

Frakes does a capable job of directing, with incident aplenty, and the opening is engaging and intriguing, with Data apparently going rogue. The script does have its clever moments, and is neatly written. Matthew Leonetti's photography of awesome mountain ranges or spaceship battles is glorious in HD. And Jerry Goldsmith's score is more action oriented and less sappy than usual.

It's quite bizarre and there are plot holes you can drive a truck through. But while it is a slight entry into the series, it's much more enjoyable than the serious "Nemesis" or the underthought "First Contact".