rooprect What made the original Star Trek 60s show so outstanding wasn't action or special effects or twisty plots. What made it great, and the original impetus behind the genre of science fiction as penned by the masters H.G. Welles, Jules Verne, Mary Shelley et al, was the idea that science fiction can tell a cautionary tale about contemporary social and political issues.H.G. Welles' "The Time Machine" wasn't just about a dude zipping across time and getting into trouble; it was a stark prediction of how the human race might evolve into a divided species of predators and prey. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" wasn't just about a terminally constipated monster lumbering around in electrician's boots; it was a dire warning against humans creating and/or genetically manipulating life without being responsible enough to handle the consequences. And here in the 9th installment of the Star Trek films "Insurrection", the story isn't just about Picard & friends trying to save a planet from yet another imperial takeover; it is a poignant and self deprecating look at how humans have this thing about trampling cultures that get in the way of progress.As my title goes, this is a throwback to some of the great social commentaries that the original Trek threw at us. It's right in league with episodes like "Patterns of Force" (about a very misguided starfleet effort to create order in a chaotic society by following the template of Nazi Germany, the "most efficient government in earth's history"), or does anyone remember the brutally symbolic Vietnam episode "A Private Little War" about a tiny planet that gets caught up as the prize between the Feds & the Klingons (USA & Russia), each superpower providing guns and weapons to their own side and escalating the conflict? "Insurrection", given the decade it was released, might've been directly inspired by the Tibet/China situation. But it's ambiguous enough that it also describes the plight of Native Americans, or even as far back as the Jews being expelled from their native homelands. The sad thing is it's still topical today; just open the newspaper and pick a region. That's the resounding point that this film makes: that even in the 23rd frickin century we are still doing it.OK, if I haven't yet scared you off in search of some mindless spaceship shootout flick instead, then read on because it gets better. This is definitely one of the darker Treks because, like in the two TOS examples I gave you above, we get deep into the insalubrious political side of Starfleet. In other words, we realize that Starfleet aren't the lily white "good guys" we'd like them to be. In this story, Starfleet basically sucks eggs. And that's what makes it especially tense because, almost like a political thriller, Picard and the crew of the Enterprise get caught up in a moral dilemma without any backup from the cavalry. That's all I'll say about that, you gotta watch the movie to see how it turns out.About the acting and the overall personality of the film, I thought it was great because the TNG crew really seem to have a great chemistry going, with some nice human moments and good dialogue. The price of admission is justified by one scene alone, when Data asks Worf if he's noticed that his "boobs are getting firmer" (Again, watch the movie, it'll make sense I swear).And F. Murray Abraham playing the main villain, wow. Channeling his inner Salieri ("Amadeus"), that is, a completely amoral character with an explosive desire for revenge, he was definitely a great casting choice.Just on a personal note, I grew up on the original Kirk-Spock-McCoy crew, and I fought the idea of accepting the Picard crew tooth & nail. They slowly wormed their way in over the years, but this is the film where I can officially say I'm a fan. If, for some reason, you're an old TOS curmudgeon who refuses to let Shatner give up the center seat, well this might be the movie that changes your mind. Too bad there's only 1 TNG movie left after this. Oh well, maybe in 20 years JJ Abrams will remake them all and we can do it all over again...

Eric Stevenson As one of the last "Star Trek" movies I've seen, I don't have much of a strong opinion on this one. The things that work work, but the things that don't work, don't work. I really thought this should have been longer. Like the "Doctor Who" movie, I got the feeling that I was just watching a long episode of the show. I guess I can't judge as I've never seen the show, but that's not what you should feel when watching a movie. A lot of this film is also just plain boring. There's way too much dialogue in the first half. They do get some pretty decent action scenes later, but it takes too long.I guess in order for me to judge it, I'd have to be more familiar with the mythos, but I know a lot already. I actually do like the scenes where Data is talking with the boy about playing. It shows an interesting perspective for the both of them. The idea is kind of interesting too with the crew helping hundreds of people evacuate. Unfortunately, there isn't that much payoff and the other films just did it so much better. One of the people looked like William Shatner! It would have worked better as an episode of the show as there wasn't enough story to stretch out an entire movie. So, this one's just okay. I think most people agree with me. **1/2

Thomas Drufke Well, okay, it's nowhere near as good as the classic, Seven Samurai, but 'Insurrection' plays very much like Star Trek's tribute to Seven Samurai. A task many films have attempted and failed to do, but with a formidable script and solid performances, I had some fun with Star Trek Insurrection.Though I enjoyed the film, I don't really understand why they changed up the formula from the previous installment, First Contact. Instead of feeling like the next step in the film series, Insurrection seemed like an extended The Next Generation episode. It doesn't take away from the quality of the film, but it does feel like the spectacle of the other films was taken out of it.Picard and his crew stumble upon a possible conspiracy on a guarded but medically advanced planet and take matters into their own hands. Unlike either of the previous two TNG films, there is a legitimate attempt at character development. For someone who wasn't a viewer of the TV series, I was grateful for it. With that said, the push for a romantic interest for both Picard and Riker felt forced. Whether it was the acting, writing, or direction the romance angle didn't feel like a natural progression of the story.Being that it does feel similar to a Seven Samurai-esque story, I found myself more attached to Data's developing relationship with the young boy from the village. As well as the increasingly intriguing story behind why there is an alien race set on abducting an entire planet of people. Both of those story points worked well.Sure, there are a few editing issues and plenty of scenes that don't work or even make sense at all, but the different approach to this Star Trek adventure proved to be all I needed to enjoy my time watching Insurrection.+Data+Interesting plot developments late in the game-Romantic subplots-Extended TV episode approach didn't always pan out6.3/10

Python Hyena Star Trek: Insurrection (1998): Dir: Jonathan Frakes / Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiners, Michael Dorn, F. Murray Abraham: Ninth Star Trek film is about rising up against civil and political authority. It involves a race of 600 people called the Ba'ku whose lives span many years. They are peaceful but enemies wish to conquer the land and discover the youth secret. Commander Data suffers a malfunction and Captain Piccard is ordered to destroy the android. Director Jonathan Frakes presents many surprises all the while providing humour with amusing developments with the crew. He does a fine job as director and everything seems well in place particularly the production. Frakes shaves his beard to impress a female. This is funny considering what his job requirements are. One would think that impressing a female would be easy on board the Enterprise. Patrick Stewart as Piccard is compelling as always in his concern for Data as well as the well being of these people on the planet. Brent Spiners presents the curiosity Data who encounters problems with a malfunction. Michael Dorn is featured as Worf. F. Murray Abraham joins the cast to remind viewers how great he was in Amadeus, and what he brings here. With the expected splendid makeup effects this ninth installment is visually stunning light entertainment that will please fans of the series. Score: 9 / 10