Wing Commander (1999)

11% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
26% of users liked it
(19,265 ratings)

Based on a popular series of video games, Wing Commander introduces us to an elite fighter squadron in the year 2654. The Earth confederation is at war with a vicious race called the Kilrathi. The Kilrathi have captured a navigational device which will allow them to jump through worm-holes in space… More Based on a popular series of video games, Wing Commander introduces us to an elite fighter squadron in the year 2654. The Earth confederation is at war with a vicious race called the Kilrathi. The Kilrathi have captured a navigational device which will allow them to jump through worm-holes in space to arrive behind enemy lines. Only this highly trained squadron, led by three young pilots, stand in their way. Christopher "Maverick" Blair (Freddie Prinze Jr.) is just out of the Academy, but his lack of experience is more than compensated by his exceptional navigational skills, though he is still haunted by the deaths of his parents in a previous galactic war. His friend, Todd "Maniac" Mashall (Matthew Lillard), is a brash, gung-ho fighter jock always rushing into danger. Their wing commander and leader is Jeanette "Angel" Deveraux (Saffron Burrows). Assigned these two new pilots by Admiral Geoffery Tolwyn (David Warner), the strong and beautiful Deveraux is at first resentful, but later develops feelings for Blair. Perhaps the two will find time for romance on their way to saving the solar system. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: Chris Roberts
Written By: Kevin Droney
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Mar 12, 1999 Wide
On DVD: Dec 18, 2001
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
Excruciatingly earnest yet convictionless.
Godfrey Cheshire, Variety
Though the ingredients are potent, their blending here mostly comes off as formulaic, humdrum and sometimes unintentionally laughable.
Anita Gates, New York Times
Wing Commander is based on a video game and has roughly the same degree of character development. That is all most moviegoers will need to know.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
The plot has all the depth and originality of a video game without the fun of the interactivity.
Athima Chansanchai, Village Voice
Though this could be the meat of a good space story, the combat scenes are weak variations of the game's.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
These actors, alas, are at the service of a submoronic script and special effects that look like a video game writ large.
, Empire Magazine
Playing up the military angle is the best move, but this and some excellent incidental effects can't completely disguise the shortcomings.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
[Features a] poor script, one-dimensional characters and abysmal dialogue.
Eugene Novikov, Film Blather
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I feel angry that I have wasted a perfectly good Friday night watching something this completely worthless.
Kevin Fiddler, Henderson Home News (Henderson, NV)
Holy carp, this smells worse than my dirty Depends!
Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
It doesn't get any more painful than this dull flick.
Blake Davis, KFOR Channel 4 News
Oh my God, what a piece of crap!
James Rocchi, Netflix
Sci-fi war film never gets off the ground.
Annlee Ellingson, Boxoffice Magazine
As an action film, Wing Commander lacks any original ideas of its own.
Sarah Curtis, Boston Phoenix
Wing Commander incorporates a few new twists on the space-movie genre.
Dak, culturevulture.net
I liked the unpretentiousness of it all.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Dean M

This movie based on a video game SUCKS!!! This movie is ridiculous and the storyline might just as well be from a 1950's B movie. The dialogue is awful, the acting worse, and the supposedly futuristic spacecraft looked like they were bought from a studio auctioning off props from… More
This movie based on a video game SUCKS!!! This movie is ridiculous and the storyline might just as well be from a 1950's B movie. The dialogue is awful, the acting worse, and the supposedly futuristic spacecraft looked like they were bought from a studio auctioning off props from old World War II movies. The characters are extremely well crafted in the game series, well, for a video game series anyway. Here, they come off as a bunch of tired clichés. Also, I take issue with the fact that Blair, the main character, is some kind of chosen one with special powers.
xGary X

Feeble sci fi based on a computer game, which was actually more convincing, and had bigger stars (Malcolm McDowell and Mark Hamill, vs. Jurgen Prochnow and that bloke who was in...erm , that thing, you know....) Tries to be Top Gun in space, but manages to be even more cliched and… More
Feeble sci fi based on a computer game, which was actually more convincing, and had bigger stars (Malcolm McDowell and Mark Hamill, vs. Jurgen Prochnow and that bloke who was in...erm , that thing, you know....) Tries to be Top Gun in space, but manages to be even more cliched and simplistic. And the aliens are bollocks.
Michael G

Freddie Prinze and Matthew Lillard? BOOOOOOOOO!!!!!