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jimconnell-2
Reviews
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
The worst TNG movie ever!!!
So let's get this straight: The Federation has partnered with an alien race to harness the power of a planet's rings, adding years of lifespan to literally trillions of beings throughout the galaxy...the only thing they need do is re-locate 600 squatters (who have no more legal right to the planet as anyone else).
This seems like a good deal, right? Isn't this what Spock taught? "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"? Apparently not, because Picard mounts an "insurrection" to stop the deal, after calculating that a forced relocation was more of a moral outrage than the squatter's hording of life-extending powers, denying trillions of federation members additional years of life.
So what does he do? He leads the squatters (a bunch of pacifist hippie beatniks who've rejected technology to embrace blissed ignorance) into a series of collapsing mountain caves to thwart efforts by the "bad guys" to beam the squatters to safety. Picard figures that the bad guys won't tap this fountain of youth until the squatters are off the surface (which will be scorched during the process).
I don't know what's worse...(a) the fact that Picard is naive enough to use the squatters as human shields in hopes that the bad guys aren't really bad enough to kill them, or (b) the fact that we have bad guys who aren't really bad enough to kill the squatters. Either way, this is easily the worst Star Trek plot ever conceived.
I haven't even discussed the nonsense with the chick that can inexplicably slow down time when she feels like it, or the plot demands. Or, when Whorf gets acne, or the Picard-Data duet, or the girlish scream the bad guy releases when he's tricked, or the countless other insults and indignities this film inflicts upon the viewer. Utter rubbish. Rent II, III, IV and VI
The Winds of War (1983)
Impressive Achievement
There are a few things to love about this ambitious World War II epic, many things to like and one thing to loath.
In terms of production values, scale, scope and sweep, "Winds of War" and it's sequel "War and Remembrance" are unparalleled. WoW consists of two compelling narratives: The larger back story of WWII itself (propelled by the leaders of the era, Hitler, Roosevelt, Churchill, et al), and the smaller, personal stories of the Henry family and friends. The former far more interesting than the latter.
These two story threads are seamlessly woven together by the Henry Patriarch, Victor 'Pug' Henry (Robert Michum) who conveniently Forrest Gumps his way into a half dozen major policy meetings of both the Allies and Axis powers. Believing that a Navy captain could (in the span of 2 years) befriend Roosevelt, chat up Churchill, negotiate with Hitler & Mussolini and toast Stalin...is a bit of a stretch, but here, it works. This is due in no small part to the credibility Robert Michum brings to the role, carrying himself with the kind of dignity and charisma that could indeed curry the respect of these world leaders.
Scenes set within the upper echelons of power (White House, 10 Downing, Wolf's Lair, etc) are far and away the best of the series. While Roosevelt, Churchill and Mussolini all receive effective portrayals, the interpretation of Adolf Hitler by Gunter Meisner tops them all. Balancing the cagey, political brilliance of Hitler with the twisted, maniacal evil has always been a challenge for actors, but Meisner pulls it off nicely. Yes, we see screaming, red faced rants, but they are usually accompanied by creepily engrossing soliloquies (outlining his rational for invading France, and later the USSR) that add depth and dimension to the madness.
The story of the Henry family is only interesting in so far as it connects to the larger WWII narrative. Seeing the direct, human impact that Hitler's aggression and tyranny has on the Henry circle is effective and instructive. However, almost every other aspect of their family story is inconsequential and trite.
Which brings me to the loathsome of WoW: Ali MacGraw. As Natalie Jastrow, the love interest for Pug's son Byron (Jan-Michal Vincent), Ali delivers quite possibly the worst acting performance ever filmed opposite Jan-Michael (and yes, I am including the Airwolf helicopter). Her performance manages to be both bland and shrill, sucking the life out of every minute she's on screen (which, when added up, sadly accounts for about 1/3 of the 15 hour running time). Watching her slack-jawed, one-note performance, I felt pity for the other actors dragooned into her orbit and mourned for the movie that could have existed in her absence. For a glimpse of that movie, you need only rent "War & Remembrance" where her character was thankfully recast with Jane Seymore.
However, one long, grating, bad note cannot spoil what is still an impressive achievement and worth the investment in time.