Wing Commander

 

I couldn’t tell you the last time I watched Wing Commander (1999). It probably was back around 2000. I really had no reason to seek out, to tell you the truth, besides a loaded cast (perhaps “bloated” cast might be more apt, especially considering this film didn’t necessarily deserve some of the great character actors that are involved) this is a Star Wars wannabe. There are many that have come about since Star Wars, films about young men in space fighter ships in combat against alien foes that threaten the existence of human life (or of a certain group of people). 

Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Matthew Lillard were of that youth movement deriving from Scream and I Don’t Know What You Did Last Summer, taking parts in a sci-fi actioner based on a video game in the hopes of capitalizing on their current (at that time) stardom in something besides the slasher movie. Both would move on from the slasher, but stardom never quite latched on to them as they got older (although both still work, with Lillard actually appearing in The Descendants with George Clooney). Here they are part of a squadron trying to halt the offensive of an alien race (hulking creatures with bulldog-type faces wearing heavy metallic armor) called the Kilrathi.

 The supporting cast is cool: Saffron Burrows is Prinze’s commanding squadron leader, David Warner is an admiral of considerable rank/stature, Jürgen Prochnow (Das Boot) and David Suchet (famous as Poirot) as ship commander and captain respectively (calling the shots on how to engage the enemy), and Tchéky Karyo as Prinze’s mentor (and rather disregarded by the commanders because of his supposed non-military status; he offers correct advice that is often not taken under advisement or seriously because of his lack of rank). 

This is the kind of film with character drawings culled from every kind of sci-fi action film involving military-type crew, and the space combat scenes (probably considered quite impressive and state-of-the-art at the time) are outdone by many of today’s hi-tech video games. Hell, I have seen commercials with special effects that reduce the effectiveness of those in Wing Commander. At the time, though, Wing Commander benefited from the boom in visual effects, later perfected, with even the television medium now far advanced. Some of the ship designs aren’t too bad, but I even prefer those in Battle Beyond the Stars to those presented in Wing Commander.

While it does appear that I’m basically taking a giant shit on the film as a whole, it does at least have that one cool moment where all the characters freeze when gravity on the ship is affected by the Navcom jump. The expected heroism of Prinze, Jr. (Luke Skywalker of the movie), reckless goofiness of Lillard (he is responsible for the death of a lover while assigned a mission as her partner), sexual tension of Prinze, Jr. and Burrows, and debates on how to stop the enemy (leading some intense conversations that often result in Suchet using his rank to his advantage, not listening to a warning from Karyo that costs him his life) all add dramatics to the plot. 

The heritage of Prinze, Jr. (his mother was a “Pilgrim”, a people that aren’t fondly regarded by the Confederation of Earth because, despite being the first true explorers of the universe, they become too big for their britches in how they viewed others as inferior, soon damn near extinct) comes under fire even though he was five when she was killed. His father was a space fighter pilot, highly regarded by those now in high levels of command (Warner, in particular). He was aboard Karyo’s transfer ship, The Diligent, ordered by Warner (commanding officer of a battle group defense station) to tell Suchet (commander of the nearest Confederation ship, Tiger Claw) to engage the Kilrathi who have stolen a “Navcom” (a time travel mechanism that provides the ability to jump from sector to another quickly) with plans to attack Earth. Tiger Claw may be Earth’s only hope.

"Civilian scout" is tossed at Karyo, dismissing his advice, but it’s clear that he’s more than that, later identifying his clearance to Burrows in a pivotal scene involving the Kilrathi. Karyo is the one who informs us as to why the Confederation was at war with the Pilgrims who were “gifted by God” and had been out in space alone for too long, losing their humanity, believing they were Gods. Half-Pilgrim, Prinze, Jr. is under close scrutiny and a distrust from Prochnow hangs over the pilot’s head.

Probably the film’s best scene is where the Kilrathi arrange a tactical trick that leaves the Tiger Claw vulnerable to attack while many of the fighters were out to engage little more than freighters posing as battle ships. This is where Karyo’s advice went unabated, the decoys which were used to divert Suchet’s attention towards intercepting them, allowing the Kilrathi to hit them rather hard. Sending out the remaining fighters and Karyo’s persuasion over Burrows leaving behind the freighters to return to the Tiger Claw leads to quite a space fight. This is also where Lillard convinces Ginny Holder (his love interest and fellow fighter) to help him go after a group of Kilrathi fighters planning to ram the Tiger Claw, despite Burrows’ orders for them to return to the ship. Holder’s ship is damaged by Kilrathi wreckage, with her coming in too hot, and after not responding to Burrows’ communication, must be removed from the docking bay of the Tiger Claw with Lillard looking on powerless. It’s the highest dramatic arc of the film because Lillard’s hot-shot behavior costs a life and his resolve is shattered. Burrows almost court martials him (which would sentence him to death), with Prinze pleading for leniency. All of the clowning around comes to a halt, with Lillard redeeming himself when his pal is on the verge of death as a door suffers a breach causes Prinze to be sucked towards it. 

While writing this, Battlestar Galactica comes to mind. I guess the Rapiers in design, how they leave the dock, return to ship, and the space fights themselves seem similar to BG. When a second Kilrathi Destroyer (ships about the same size at the Tiger Claw) is on its way to attack the Tiger Claw, Burrows will lead a tactical invasion of their ship, finding the stolen Navcom device, even learning of the Kilrathi jump coordinates. Warner’s battle fleet is in jeopardy, and Karyo will need to convince Prinze, Jr. to use his Pilgrim gift to force a jump in space without the use of a Navcom (because the size of the Tiger Claw isn’t capable of jumping and making it to Warner in time, a fighter needing to do so instead).

 The cast take their parts very seriously for what is essentially a live action video game wanting to cash in on and appeal to the Star Wars crowd. There are lots of B-movies like Wing Commander available, and I can’t really see much about this movie that really sets it apart from others of its ilk. It might serve as a curio for those who grew up with Prinze and Lillard during this period of their careers, and sci-fi action junkies looking for anything to waste 90 minutes on might get a little entertainment out of it. I consider it wholly average and derivative. Still all these faces in the cast could draw interest, and I thought Burrows, in particular, was very good. Karyo also has one of the better parts. Lillard hadn’t, at this point in his career, been able to evolve his acting, still stuck in juvenile, hyperactive mode. Prinze had the charisma and overall appeal of a block of wood. I just think he’s dull. Warner, even when saddled with a thankless supporting part that gives him an authoritative position of respect, makes as much with the little he has. This was designed to further Prinze and Lillard, with Burrows, to me, actually coming out on the better end when all is said and done.