Wing Commander: Space Will Never Be the Same

Name: Wing Commander: Space Will Never Be the Same
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Released: March 12, 1999
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 21
Cast: Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows

1999

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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Wing Commander

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: March 12, 1999 | PG-13

Starring: Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows

Summary: A futuristic outer space dogfight adventure starring Freddie Prinze Jr.

Director: Chris Roberts

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 100 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Marc Savlov

While much of the film is taken over by enormously entertaining dogfight sequences … much of it also rests on the narrative drive, which seems clipped part and parcel from one of those old “Why We Fight” documentaries that Frank Capra doled out to keep our G.I.s in fighting mode. Read full review

Mike Clark

Even if this movie wasn't based on a computer game, Starship Troopers' reputation would still have just shot up another 50 notches. [19 March 1999, Life, p.11E]

Andrew O'Hehir

Pretty much everything in this high-space war yarn has been swiped from other, better movies. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Fox should be paying potential viewers not to walk out of this turkey. The plot has all the depth and originality of a video game without the fun of the interactivity. Read full review

Nicole Campos

An excruciating no-brainer blend of “Starship Troopers” and “Top Gun,” without the former’s guilty-pleasure concoction of gory F/X and dark humor or Tom Cruise’s megawatt smile. Read full review

Michael O'Sullivan

Cinematic sleeping pill. Read full review

Staff (Not credited)

The effects are laughably primitive, the dialogue hilariously atrocious -- and those are the good parts. Read full review

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User Reviews

AndersB.

Feb 19, 2007

Brilliantly scripted and marvelously acted Sci-Fi movie based on the all-time favorite PC-game. The intense combination of an intergalactic war-story and a classic Shakespearian love-tale makes this movie an adrenaline-pumping tears-jerker of historical proportion. Mankind can traverse the Brilliantly scripted and marvelously acted Sci-Fi movie based on the all-time favorite PC-game. The intense combination of an intergalactic war-story and a classic Shakespearian love-tale makes this movie an adrenaline-pumping tears-jerker of historical proportion. Mankind can traverse the darkest depths of space, it will always bring along its emotions! The Kilrathi character-depth is the secret of its success, diminishing the personality of Hamlet to a superficial cartoon-character. While the lines spoken by the Kilrathi have the rhythm of a Swiss watch, it is the depth of their meanings that truly fascinates. Only repeated viewing can reveal the many layers of its message. Once discovered, your will agree that this is what takes Wing Commander beyond the level of the greatest classics of Hollywood or even global cinema. The people of the future will divide human history in the pre-Wing Commander era (or the Dark Age) and the post-Wing Commander era, when humanity finally became enlightened by this masterpiece and its powerful message. At a lower level, you are bound to forget the part of your life that was spent - wasted really - before you could become a wittness yourself to the brillance that is Wing Commander. Oscars may be awarded for artistry in film-making, only a Nobel Prize (or several) could do justice to the levels of excellence reached by Wing Commander. This production will no-doubt be remembered by the many generations to come as a turning point in movie-making. Its message, when correctly interpreted, will influence society as only the Holy Bible may have done before. Be ready to experience never-felt-before emotions as you watch this hallmark movie over and over again. It will leave its tracks on your soul … Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful

Olrikus

Sep 16, 2013

If you are a space combat sim fan and don't care about the deviation from the original Wing Commander series this film is definitely for you. Straight plot, no hidden meaning, nice special effects (sometimes overdone, sometimes underdeveloped, but who cares?). I have been a big fan of thisIf you are a space combat sim fan and don't care about the deviation from the original Wing Commander series this film is definitely for you. Straight plot, no hidden meaning, nice special effects (sometimes overdone, sometimes underdeveloped, but who cares?). I have been a big fan of this film since I was a teenager. I am genuinely surprised to find the rating of this film being so low. It's definitely watchable and enjoyable, many films here with much better rating are actually worse.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Sam

May 6, 2006

I'm not surprised the movie was critically panned. But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

Tiber5

Jan 14, 2017

The script too often sounds like an encrypted communique itself, and it's tiring trying to keep all the nonsensical space-jargon straight. The effort is more demanding than hanging onto a joystick, and not entirely worth the effort.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Kadeemluvmusic

Jan 31, 2017

I haven't seen it, but Wing Commander does have a reputation of being one of the worst video game movies Hollywood has crapped on. However, I have to lay low for a minute because I think it's a awfully but decently good bad movie. Wing Commander was everything full of awful in this so-calledI haven't seen it, but Wing Commander does have a reputation of being one of the worst video game movies Hollywood has crapped on. However, I have to lay low for a minute because I think it's a awfully but decently good bad movie. Wing Commander was everything full of awful in this so-called science fiction movie. The special effects are barely hard to watch, the pacing of the film just completely off the ground up, and although both Freddie Prinze Jr. And Matthew Lillard (both from Scooby-Doo) tried everything they can to make this movie more or less like a autopilot rerun of Battlestar Galactica. But still the acting is bad and the movie is completely forgotten, but as a fan of terrible b-movies of the 90's, maybe I'll give it a shot by renting this dumbload.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

PAMA

Jan 14, 2017

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

J-Shap

Aug 25, 2011

The smallest, faintest glimmer of hope that one day, perhaps one day there could be a good movie adapted from a video game died with the release of Wing Commander. Well, what did you expect when you picked the cast of Scooby-Doo to be your action stars.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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