Wing Commander (1999)

Director:

Chris Roberts

Writers (WGA):

Chris Roberts (characters)
Chris Roberts (story)

Release Date:

12 March 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

At the edge of our universe, all hell is about to break loose.

Plot:

Blair, a fighter pilot, joins an interstellar war to fight the evil Kilrathi who are trying to destroy the universe.

Plot Keywords:

Fighter Pilot | Spin Off | Aircraft Carrier | Spin Off From Video Game | Outer Space

Cast

Freddie Prinze Jr.	...	1st Lt. Christopher Blair
Saffron Burrows	...	Lt. Cmdr. 'Angel' Devereaux
Matthew Lillard	...	Lt. Todd 'Maniac' Marshall
Tchéky Karyo	...	Cmmdre. James 'Paladin' Taggart (as Tcheky Karyo)
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Cmdr. Paul Gerald
David Warner	...	Adm. Geoffrey Tolwyn
Ginny Holder	...	Rosie Forbes
Hugh Quarshie	...	Obutu
Ken Bones	...	Adm. Bill Wilson
John McGlynn	...	Belegarde
Richard Dillane	...	Hunter
Mark Powley	...	Polansky
David Fahm	...	Knight
Simon MacCorkindale	...	Flight Boss
Fraser James	...	Helmsman

Also Known As:

Wing Commander: Space Will Never Be the Same (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual references and sci-fi action/violence.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA | Luxembourg

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Company:

Carousel Picture Company, The

Trivia:

The Rapier fighters are built out of English Electric Lightning fuselages, not out of MiG-21 fuselages as sometimes stated.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Kilrathi are attacking Pegasus, they blast open both doors to the Command and Control room to enter. In the video on the drone seen by the Concordia Battle Group, only one door behind Admiral Wilson can be seen falling open.

Quotes:

Angel: Did I hurt your pride?
Blair: No, I just never got combat tips from a grease monkey.
Angel: Lieutenant Commander Deveraux, your wing commander.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#23.11)" (2000)

A fun ride, not a serious one. A must for all fans of the game.

The film has been critically panned and it bombed at the cinemas. But it's actually a pretty good film. Yes it isn't technically the best, nor is it scientifically plausible. And for devotees of the games it kinda screws with history, but for all that it is a good ride. You watch it and appreciate it. Saffron Burrows is great. David Warner and David Suchet excel in their (small) roles. It's a shame John Rhys-Davis and Mark Hamill don't reprise their roles, but their replacements do well enough.

You get caught up in the story, and the visual effects are fantastic, aided by good acting with the actors working well together.

So overall I would recommend this film. Don't expect it to be fantastic, but just enjoy it. It's a fun film and a worthy addition to Wing Commander lore.