One of my favorite movies. I'm a space simulator junkie though, and this came out just when I needed it. I knew the games, the shows, was reading X-Wing novels.. it's a niche genre and I was the exact demographic, and still revisit it every now and again.

I can ignore some of the bad acting, even from really good actors. I can ignore the need to remind the audience how hated pilgrims are every 15min. I can ignore the terrible writing. But I cannot ignore the blatant disregard for physics. There is no fire in space, ships wouldn't "fall off" the runway the way planes do launching from an aircraft carrier, nor would wreckage settle on the deck. The movie takes way too many liberties with space. They should have consulted with an astrophysicist. Or any first year astronomy student really.

Not sure why everyone seems to hate this movie. I loved it. It’s for the true sci-fi purists.

Yes, I played the video games and this movie is nothing like them but a good entertaining B flick for its time. Much better than Mortal Combat, Street Fighter, and other crap video game movies of the time.

I spent several decades avoiding this film because I thought it would be horrible but it's actually not that bad! There are three major flaws that I'm guessing most people can't get over. The first is a handful of illogical moments that happen because the movie needs drama to occur. The second is the Kilrathi design. I get that they didn't want to make them cute-and-cuddly like in the video game - likely because they didn't want the audience to empathize with them, so instead they made them "scary generic" - but it just sorta falls flat. The third is, of course, the cast. I actually feel like most of the cast did a decent job here, but Freddy Prince Jr., who plays the lead...let's just say that when you are being upstaged by Matthew Lillard, you probably shouldn't be the movies lead. To be fair, this would be the character that you play in the game, so he pulls off that bland "every man" type, but in the movie he comes off as TOO bland. Other than that, the plot to the movie is serviceable...if not slightly jumbled... and the film doesn't really overstay its welcome. There are some nice space-combat action scenes. Despite not using the theme from the game - which is a classic ;) - the David Arnold score is quite good and Arnold is exactly who you'd want to score to a sci-fi space move like this. I'm actually surprised at how competent this move is considering that it's Chris Robert's first movie and that Hollywood was actually willing to give some video game nerd money to make a movie in the late 90s (those experimental days are long gone, I'm afraid). I think perhaps people are disappointed because the writing and characters in the original games are much better than what's put on display here - hell, even the ship design and costumes were better in the games - but it's not a bad way to waste 90 minutes, so long as you know what you are getting into and aren't coming from the video games expecting some grand, elegant sci-fi epic. I think the movie's greatest fault is that, like most vg adaptations, it suffers from video game was better sydrome

The cast may have pulled it off given a better script.

a lame dull version of a video game movie that is forgettable

I know most people disliked this movie but I absolutely adore it. It's one of my favourite movies of all time. I'm a big Wing Commander/Chris Roberts fan. This movie is somewhat different than the games but it is really well done in my opinion.

not sure why people didn't like it unless its due to some preconception from the games and it wasn't starring Mark Hamill

The movie in itself is not really bad at all, but it could have just as well been called "battle across the stars" or something generic. Save some character names and the first four notes of the familiar WC1 overture(that in the later games became the theme of the titular character(you)... there is nothing recognisable from the game to fans of the franchise(The cartoon based on the game series that aired in 1996 was very recognisable, and featured the FMV actors(Mark Hamill, Tom Wilson, Malcolm McDowell reprising their roles as voice actors..Not too mention the change of origins for characters, introducing their own version of mediclorians, and new astral phenomena.. As for those who were not familiar with the game(let's be fair Wing Commander is no Super Mario, the movie is likely paced too fast, there is little to no backgroud info, just a dark setting and some bland generic characters who are somehow important... between all those things, and the fact had limited release worldwide, this movie was too most only seen on video store shelves or on cable television.. the movie does stand out for excellent visuals and space battles, and if you are like me, and like those things this movie is in fact pretty descent.

One of the best Cheesy Sci-fi movies of the 90's Freddie Prinze Jr. and Matthew Lillard have great chemistry. Memorable movie if you forget the source material and ignore the critics you will have a good time!

Loved the game, but the movie was dumb on so many levels. Like a stupider version of Starship Troopers, but with electric violins (real thing in the movie).

This was a pretty awful movie. The problem is that if focuses less on characters than on an overarching conflict that is never properly explained. Throughout the whole film I felt like I barely grasped the plot and that's a problem.

Fun filled movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. A great movie for night of popcorn and entertainment.

I think it could've been good but there just wasnt much plot. Also the spaceships looked so fake.

it may not be the greatest sci fi movie but it's a good video game adaptation and one made be the creator I feel like this gets no respect at all and thats a shame.

The futuristic "space fighters" in the movie use the cockpit sections from a 1950's era fighter jet (F-105 Super Saber I think) in the static scenes and don't make any attempt to add anything that might make it look like anything else. It has Jurgen Prochnow in it so apparently they figured they had licence to recreate one of the tension scenes from Das Boot. A real sh!t sandwich, it came out around the same time as Starship Troopers and is a similar movie in many ways. It is though, inferior in all aspects, and that is a low bar to clear.

I was not familiar with the Wing Commander series of video games, so I didn't realize this was based on a game. I like science fiction, space combat, humanity on the edge, movies, so when this one showed up on NetFlix, I decided to give it a try. The story is predictable, the dialog is cliched, there are times - like when the laser cannon sound like machine guns - you really have to try hard to willingly suspend disbelief, and I actually think David Suchet was smiling when they killed him off, but for a diversion into a world of self-sacrificing heroes in an improbable future on a hot Saturday afternoon, I was thoroughly satisfied with it.

I enjoyed it. Plenty of action, excitement. I'm aware it received a low review on Flixter but I enjoyed it. I thought it was exciting through the entire movie.

i watched this movie for Saffon Burrows, that is all that can be said about this movie.