Review of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) by Kay B — 11 Jul 2010

Insurrection was always likely to be something of a disappointment following the brilliant First Contact. Unlike that film this one boasts no returning villains and a much more limited scope. For those of us who went into cinemas with high expectations, many left disappointed.

On repeated viewings however some of it's strengths have become more apparent. Ru'afro is an entertaining villain, largely thanks to a strong performance from F. Murray Abraham. The make-up used to create their distorted, surgery-enhanced faces is effective and each of the crew are given moments to shine.

The criticism that it is an extended episode does ring true in some ways. It does have lower stakes than First Contact while action sequences never quite come to life. Yet it is at least a coherent, well-structured story unlike the film that followed it. Moreover some of the comic moments were actually entertaining and provide genuine laughs.

Though the film is far from a classic it is probably the second-best picture of the Next Generation set and is certainly worth a look for fans of the series.