Review of Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) by Jacob M — 13 Jan 2014

It seems like Star Trek: Insurrection is one of the more divided of the Trek films, with the main consensus being that it "plays like an extended episode of the TV series." Looking at it that way, I feel that movies based on TV series should feel like an extended episode, but with a bigger budget and more developed storyline to appeal to more audiences. While this film is definitely not a perfect masterpiece as some of the other Trek films, Insurrection is a perfect example of the definition "blockbuster," with an entertaining story that will certainly appeal to non-Trekkies, such as myself.

During a mission at a mysterious planet, Data (Brent Spiner) goes berserk and nearly jeopardizes the whole mission. After getting restored by the Enterprise, the crew is told by Federation Admiral (Anthony Zerbe) to leave immediately. Picard (Patrick Stewart) realizes that things are not what they seem, and risks his position as captain to defend the peaceful planet from Federation control.

The film also stars Jonathan Frakes as Riker, LeVar Burton as LaForge, Gates McFadden as Dr. Crusher, Michael Dorn as Worf, Marina Sirtis as Troi, Donna Murphy as civilian Anji, and F. Murray Abraham as sneaky and conspirer alien Ru'afo.

From the opening sequence of Data going berserk, Star Trek: Insurrection defines the entertainment section of the genre of sci-fi, with a little bit of thought-provoking material sprinkled throughout the picture. I liked the idea that the Federation is defying the ideas that were created and are part of the conspiracy of what's going on in the film, an idea that makes the film that more intriguing to watch. CGI visuals remain excellent, with visual filmmaking at a super high level. Shots of the Enterprise in action with darker clouds are extremely jaw-dropping and just awesome to watch. I was also impressed with the action and characterization here, plus the acting is still excellent here, with Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, and Donna Murphy giving the best performances. Some are likely going to be freaked by Picard's romantic chemistry with Murphy's character, something does does seem kind of odd for Picard's character, but it's a romance I found interesting, and helped make the film more intriguing to watch. Anthony Zerbe is also excellent as the Federation Admiral who's part of the conspiracy, with thought-provoking challenges being faced at the end of the movie.

Jerry Goldsmith and Star Trek seem to connect extremely well together, and with Insurrection, that bond still connects really well, as Goldsmith creates another excellent music score, perfectly creating that entertainment factor that makes the Trek films fun top watch.

While Insurrection is a fun Trek film, an certainly the most underrated, it's certainly not perfect. For one thing, the film tried to give Riker, the Jonathan Frakes character, a mid-life crisis and a romance with a crew member, and while it's an entertaining aspect originally, the idea doesn't truly fall through and seems really awkward in the end. Giving Frakes a shave that makes him look like William Shatner was also weird as well, though that's just a nitpick. My other issue is the villain. While the film certainly explains the villain's motives, the character should have been much more evil and menacing. I wanted to see the character more in an angry, revenge-type state like Khan and The Borg, not a laid-back character being massaged by female aliens. Despite these issues, Star Trek: Insurrection is a very enjoyable Trek film, with great visuals, thought-provoking material that makes the Trek films a staple of sci-fi, and great acting and mostly great characterization. This joins the list of Generations and Motion Picture as an underrated Trek adventure, with Insurrection being the most underrated.