Welcome to Popcorn Pals, the
internet’s best source of reviews, commentary, and musings on those “B” level
films everyone loves to hate! We don’t
discriminate on traditional metrics such as “acting quality”, “plot”, or “cinematography”,
but rather look to find that hidden gem among some of the most despised and disappointing films
out there. And on that note….
Wing Commander.
Take yourself back 10-15 years
and put yourself in the 90’s. Movies had
seemed to turn a corner, being revolutionized by CGI and technology. Gone were the days of scale models, stop
motion cinematography, and painted backgrounds.
Enter the age of computer generated graphics. In 1999, films such as The Matrix and Star
Wars: The Phantom Menace proved that audiences loved the touch of fantasy that
computers added to movies (despite the fact that Jar Jar Binks is truly a crime
against humanity). In the burgeoning age
of new cinema, Wing Commander truly is an anomaly.
A $30m adaptation of a cult video
game (read: really, really awesome game), Wing Commander feels as though its
from the 70’s or 80’s just cast with the single best actor of the 90’s, the majestic
Freddy Prince Jr.
The movie offers a fairly generic
plot. Bad guys (the Kilrathi, gigantic, evil
space cats) want to destroy Earth for no apparent reason and somehow get the upper
hand. The only hope is a single ship,
the Tigerclaw, to catch the Kilrathi and distract them long enough for the
larger human fleet to arrive. Two
replacement pilots land on the Tigerclaw, Freddy Prince Jr and the blond guy in
every one of his films (Matthew Lillard), and mayhem ensues. The good guys
almost lose. Freddy Prince Jr. finds a
love interest. And finally the day is
saved. A cookie cutter plot is
supplemented by truly terrible acting, graphics from the 80’s, baffling science,
and some of the most forced relationships on film every seen.
So why do I love it?
Let’s start with the Universe! Admittedly, I’m a sucker for a good back
story and Wing Commander absolutely brings that. Set in the far future, humans have developed
an almost 6th sense to understand space, time, and general
relatively. These powers allow humans to
explore the galaxy for the first time by jumping through worm holes. The humans with the ability to navigate
space, “the Pilgrims”, develop a God complex and a civil war ensues. The Pilgrims lose and with it, human’s
ability to explore space further. A space
opera if I’ve ever heard one!
Next, lets talk about the
design. Wing Commander takes an unusual,
futuristic twist by looking to WWll for inspiration. The action is dominated by fighters dueling
in dogfights and physics defying sequences that would make Babylon 5 fans
weep. Capital ship go head to head by
hurling torpedoes at each through through the blackness of space. Space Marines fight in gritty, ship to ship boarding actions wielding absurdly oversized guns and body armor that wouldn't look out of place in Judge Dredd. Some people hate it, but WWll vs gigantic, intelligent cats set in space? Yes please!
Finally, despite the glaring flaws in the plot and acting, it has that "B" movie feel that I can't get enough of. The characters are ludicrous stereo types (and for some reason all British?), but that doesn't take away from how much fun they are! Ex-machinas are at every turn and it's impossible to not see them coming, yet you're glad they are there. The heroes overcome incredible odds, culminating with Freddy Prince Jr. destroying a Kilrathi battle ship single handedly, yet you're clapping as they do it!
Wing Commander is certainly not the worst video game adaption ever created (i'm looking at you Street Fighter) and to me its downright fun! Lovable characters, cheesy lines, and great action lends itself perfectly to a lazy Sunday in or even better with a few beers and friends! I've seen this film far too many times to mention, yet it always brings something new, solidly earning a place as a "B" movie legend!
A solid 3/5 Popcorns!
