Star Trek: Insurrection

Rating: *** 1/2
Date Seen: 1998-12-12

I believe with this movie, I set my all-time record for going with largest group of people to a movie. In fact, it was so large, I'm not sure exactly how many there were, but we filled almost a whole row, plus some sat in other areas of the theater. It was a most joyous occasion for the ucollege.edu Star Trek fans. Now, on to the movie itself.

Filled with awe-insprinig visuals, good humor, and a wonderfully Trek-ish plot, what Star Trek junkie wouldn't want to see this film? I don't think a single block of five minutes went by where I wasn't breathtaken by the awesome artistry displayed. Be it starships, nebulas, mountain landscapes, or a sun setting, this movie has something magestic to show at every turn.

Of course, it was also a pleasure to see all the familiar TNG characters again. The dialog is filled with great bits of humor, which is especially enjoyable when watching the movie in a theater filled with fellow Star Trek fanatics. While the plot, to a certain degree, echos elements of earlier Star Trek episodes, it carries the thought provoking, philosophically stimulating ideas that makes Star Trek great.

The only reason I didn't give this one the full four stars is because I wished it would have taken more time to develop the various character interactions. For some reason, the writing felt abbreviated. For example, does Geordy get his vision back permanently? There was "a chance" his optic nerve would revert to its previous non-functional state. We never find out for sure. Are Riker and Deanna really getting back together? Who knows? Oh well, maybe they're just trying to give us a reason to go to the next sequel (as if we wouldn't otherwise).

This also marks the second time I've seen the Episode I trailer on the big screen. Shall I append a note to every movie log entry when an Episode I trailer is attached? Perhaps make it a category, "Episode I trailer attached: Yes|No" Yes, I think I shall. I'm sure to see it again in the coming weeks and months. :)