Abraham Murphy, Anthony Zerbe, Brent Spiner

Star Trek fans were decidedly mixed in their reactions to this, the ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise, but die-hard loyalists will appreciate the way this...( read more  read more... ) Next Generation adventure rekindles the spirit of the original Trek TV series while combining a tolerable dose of New-Agey philosophy with a lighthearted plot for the TNG cast. This time out, Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his executive crew must transport to a Shangri-la-like planet to see why their android crewmate Data (Brent Spiner) has run amuck in a village full of peaceful Ba'ku artisans who--thanks to their planet's "metaphasic radiation"--haven't aged in 309 years.

It turns out there's a conspiracy afoot, masterminded by the devious, gruesomely aged Ru'afo (F. Murray Abraham, hamming it up under makeup resembling a cosmetic surgeon's worst nightmare), who's in cahoots with a renegade Starfleet admiral (Anthony Zerbe, in one of his final screen roles). They covet the fountain-of-youth power of the Ba'ku planet, but because their takeover plan violates Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference, it's up to Picard and crew to stop the scheme. Along the way, they all benefit from the metaphasic effect, which manifests itself as Worf's puberty (visible as a conspicuous case of Klingon acne), Picard's youthful romance with a Ba'ku woman (the lovely Donna Murphy), the touching though temporary return of Geordi's natural eyesight, and a moment when Troi asks Dr. Crusher if she's noticed that her "boobs are firming up."

Some fans scoffed at these humorous asides, but they're what make this Trek film as entertaining as it is slightly disappointing. Without the laughs (including Data's rousing excerpt from Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore), this is a pretty routine entry in the franchise, with no real surprises, a number of plot holes, and the overall appearance of a big-budget TV episode. As costar and director, Jonathan Frakes proves a capable carrier of the Star Trek flame--and it's nice to see women in their 40s portrayed as smart and sexy--but while this is surely an adequate Trek adventure, it doesn't quite rank with the best in the series. --Jeff Shannon

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54% liked it

55,051 ratings

PG, 103 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Frakes

Release Date: December 11, 1998

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DVD Release Date: May 11, 1999

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Flixster Reviews (1,991)


  • September 21, 2009
    It?s like one of the rubbish episodes where they go onto a gypsy planet because they ran out of budget!
    "Why are we going to this planet captain"?
    "Because I need some lovin? from an under developed human like alien"
    ?Again captain? Couldn?t we just use tea bags twice, cut o...( read more)ut some coupons and blow up some Klingons??
  • October 29, 2008
    Don't let some of the bad reviews for this film put you off watching it. I finally got around to watching it last week and I must say that It was no where near as bad as what some people have said about it. In-fact I thought it was pretty good. It's not the best Star Trek film bu...( read more)t it's not the worst either. Some people have criticized it by saying that it looks like an extended television episode- All the films except 'the motion picture' have - what's the point of changing the television look and feel when it is so good? The one time they did try to change it from the episode feel (the motion picture) it was crap. Come on people, this is Star Trek - what were you expecting - this was not meant to be another Shawshank Redemption. I like this film so I'm going to give it 8 out of 10 because I don't care what other people say.
  • July 8, 2007
    Who took our money and made this film? It was like a regular episode of the series with slightly better effects. Nothing really spectacular happened in this one. We develop no new insights to the characters or their situations in the Star Trek universe. It's so forgettable, and r...( read more)egrettable they didn't invest more into the story of this off-shoot.
  • July 2, 2007
    The ninth big-screen feature in Paramount's lucrative Trek franchise. Was quite good i thought story wise.
  • June 3, 2007
    This film seems like an overly long episode of the series.
  • October 5, 2009
    Confidently directed by Johnathan Frakes (aka Number One), Insurrection has a gripping premise with a theme that's not only universal, but timeless and even managed to get Jerry Goldsmith back for the score. With such solid foundations, it's therefore unfortunate that the film fe...( read more)els more like an extended TV episode rather than a feature length movie; there's far too much theorizing and far too little action, and Data explaining (yet again) his desire to experience being human has long become redundant. On the other hand, Patrick Stewart's performance commands the usual attention as one can't help but respect his on-screen authority, and the developing love story between Riker and Troy is sweet and refreshingly wholesome. And the film's ultimate message of recognizing the beauty of each moment and enjoying it for what it's worth is one worthy to be noted.
  • September 30, 2009
    This is great as an extended STNG episode, it has all the essential elements, meaning, good plot and character development. It is not as good as First Contact and it is Far superior to Nemisis.
  • September 28, 2009
    Insurrection is not as consistently suspenseful as First Contact; the first hour in particular drags and is bogged down with too much dialogue and wasted plot points. However, the conclusion does have some thrilling effects and epic action moments that may just save the film. It'...( read more)s also a clever script with a decent message. Ultimately though, the later Star Trek films tend to feel more like good TV episodes, rather then capturing the grandeur and awe of some of the better motion pictures.
  • September 5, 2009
    I liked this one a lot while everyone else hated it. You know what? Screw you! (Sorry--I get defensive sometimes).
  • September 2, 2009
    I know there were a lot of Trek fans that did not like this movie but I thought it was very good. Not the best but better then a lot of ST fans thought it was.

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Comments


  • JATbobDYLAN93
    July 25, 2007
    Buuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    borring borring borring!!
    I vil kil this mother fucker who made this movie
  • stagepresence16
    April 8, 2007
    i gotta admit, this movie isn't as good as some of the other TNG movies plotwise, but actingwise, it was brilliant. And the flesh-stretching guys? Gave me the creeps! :)But the Pinafore stuff was SO HILARIOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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