Wing Commander ** (1999, Freddie Prinz Jr, Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet, David Warner) – Classic Movie Review 12,221

Freddie Prinze Jr recalled: ‘I can’t stand Wing Commander. I can’t watch one scene of that movie. I went on location and they said “Here’s the new script”. It was a piece of crap.’ 

Chalk and cheese are effectively combined in the 1999 science fiction film Wing Commander, as Freddie Prinz Jr and Matthew Lillard join forces here as air force lieutenants in this spunkily played but totally dumb mix of wartime and sci-fi action movie, with a cheerfully silly script and spirit.

The heroic fighter pilots Blair (Prinz Jr) and Maniac (Lillard) are battling the intergalactic baddies in a brave but desperate bid to save the universe. Well, like the subtitle says, space will never be the same again.

Wing Commander is loosely based on the video game series, and directed by Chris Roberts, the series creator.

Prinz Jr and Lillard had worked together on She’s All That, and reunited for Scooby-Doo, Scooby-Doo 2 and Summer Catch.

The cast are Freddie Prinz Jr, Matthew Lillard, Saffron Burrows, Tchéky Karyo, Jürgen Prochnow, David Suchet, David Warner, Ginny Holder, Hugh Quarshie, Ken Bones, John McGlynn, Richard Dillane, Mark Powley, David Fahm, and Simon MacCorkindale.

Principal photography took place in Luxembourg in 1998 and post-production was done in Austin, Texas.

The film was released on 12 March 1999 but was a critical and commercial flop, grossing $11.6 million on a cost of $30 million.

Freddie Prinze Jr recalled: ‘I can’t stand Wing Commander. I can’t watch one scene of that movie. I read the script and loved it. So did my buddy Matthew Lillard. We both got the parts. We went on location and they said “Here’s the new script”. It was a piece of crap.’

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,221

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