Thoughtful Movie Site Credits Wing Commander's Strengths (October 27, 2015)

[ChrisReid]

It's Video Game Movie Month at PodMeIfYouCan, and Wing Commander was is one of a handful of games like Dead or Alive, Silent Hill and Double Dragon that have been reviewed. There's always been negative reviews of the movie out there, but many of them are cookie cutter regurgitations of the same complaints: sound in space, gravity at the end of the flight deck, fighters that look different. PMIYC's review is refreshing because it comes in from a neutral perspective and doesn't attempt to be a high brow analysis that gets hung up on the small things. The podcaster takes notice of unique aspects such as how the same person led the creation of both the games and the film. Rather than simply trash Prinze and Lillard's performance, he appreciates the contrast between the hot shot young American actors and the seasoned European veterans. They're even forgiving about the look of the Kilrathi and role of the Pilgrims, although the speaker suggests the film would have been tighter had those elements been cut - or fully fleshed out in a director's cut with Chris Roberts' vision fully explained. We certainly agree with that!

Lloyd discusses the cult favourite 'Wing Commander' from 1999.

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Original update published on October 27, 2015

 

[Farbourne]

More a comment on the general negative reviews out there than this one specifically, but I always thought that criticism of Lilliard were misplaced. While Prinze couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, in Wing Commander or any other movie, I was actually very impressed by Lilliard. So much better a role than his breakout role in Scream. I actually always considered the acting in the movie (Prinze aside) to be one of its strengths.

 

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I've grown in appreciation for Lillard's performance. It's way more nuanced than he gets credit for. However, the big thing that put me off of his choice was his surfer dude enunciation. The stoner skater vibe just didn't fit for me. However, with the editing being as it is, and other elements being off, it's easy to overlook what he does put into the roll.

It's easy to be dismissive of a movie just because it's based on a game, and it's also easy to see why fans would be upset over things they liked about the originals not appearing in the way they liked. (Would people have been quite so upset about differences if it turned out to actually be a good movie?) I don't get the needless picking apart and finding of things to complain about for the sake of complaining though. The worst thing about the movie is that in it's current form it's kinda dull with an anticlimactic ending. But most reviewers want to treat the movie as if it can't be anything but the most horrid piece of celuloid in existance, which is just so obviously not true. Everyone wants to compartmentalize everything in the internet age into either love or hate. It's all about extremes with no middle ground. So for me it's very refreshing to see actual objective takes on the WC movie as a movie. One of my favorite reviews of the film is, while negative, similar to this in that the guy mentions things he likes about the film, talks about themes and such, but even picks up on how it feels elements of the story are missing (which they are).

 

[ChrisReid]

I've grown in appreciation for Lillard's performance. It's way more nuanced than he gets credit for. However, the big thing that put me off of his choice was his surfer dude enunciation. The stoner skater vibe just didn't fit for me.

Or maybe it would have fit perfectly in Special Operations 2?

 

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Or maybe it would have fit perfectly in Special Operations 2?

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Hehe, I've always loved/hated that picture. It's just seems so separated from how he looks in WC1. But I guess that was kind of the the point. He goes kinda crazy for a while.

Which bring ups another interesting (to me) factoid. One of the cool bits that was filmed but cut from the movie (presumably for budget reasons since they also cut Blair in the Diligent turret and likely didn't want to finish extra effects) is that during the concom raid, There's supposed to be four fighters. Blair takes out one with the turret. Maniac gets one off the bat, as does his wingman, but the last tries to ram the diligent as it tries to dock. Maniac takes it out just in time by ramming it with his rapier (but survies). Basically, Rosie dying makes him throw even more caution to the wind than before. He of course says "that's for you Rosie"... Anyway, I liked that moment. I wish it was in the finished movie.

 

[LeHah]

More a comment on the general negative reviews out there than this one specifically, but I always thought that criticism of Lilliard were misplaced. While Prinze couldn't act his way out of a paper bag, in Wing Commander or any other movie, I was actually very impressed by Lilliard. So much better a role than his breakout role in Scream. I actually always considered the acting in the movie (Prinze aside) to be one of its strengths.

Prinze won't ever win my heart but he's come into his own late in his career. His voice acting in the Mass Effect and Dragonage games shows hes way better a "character actor" than a leading man.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

He does a great job on Rebels, too... he's kind of following the Mark Hamill path, from teen heartthrob to talented voice actor.