Are you sure Malcolm McDowell was in this? I know David warner David Warner is and maybe someone might mistake them for being the same person, but I didn't see Malcolm McDowell.<br /><br />Having never seen the film, I bought the DVD for 6 dollars. I wasn't expecting much, because the back of the DVD shows are not at all representative of the film. Anyway, I'm a fan of sci-fi, so I decided to give it a chance.<br /><br />I have to honestly say, I was surprised at how well done this film is. The plot is surprisingly developed, and there were some twists and turns along the way to maintain the interest of the viewer. Some of the lines could be considered cheesy, but these moments were isolated and were mild compared to the culture of one-liners and insincere babble that the mainstream audiences accept out of the Hollywood trend setters.<br /><br />Much of the dialogue was actually plausible, and well delivered by a competent cast. Freddie Prinze, Jr. looked like he was still shaking off the remnants of a trendy teenage mindset, but he was adequate. In fact, he's a new cadet. It's no wonder he would still be somewhat immature. Mathew Lillard's character is somewhat unlikable, but well-acted, and has some redeeming qualities at the same time. I think that was the while point. <br /><br />Tchéky Karyo delivers a brilliant, emotional performance. I wasn't familiar with this actor before but he is amazing.<br /><br />As far as the mechanics of the film, it presents space fighting and space scenarios in a deep and intriguing manner. The good special effects helped to make it believable. The solid plot was garnished by some tense moments that seemed almost influenced by Wolfgang Peterson's landmark Das Boot. Throughout the film, Roberts brought about quite a bit of philosophical and historical content. This material was quite expertly woven throughout the film, and is tied tightly with the ending of the film as well. For that, he deserves many points. Because it's something that mainstream Hollywood seems to not be able to get right after all these years of practice.<br /><br />Overall, I would recommend this for any sci-fi fan. Sadly, good sci-fi films are always underrated by the mainstream audiences. Even more sad is that there aren't enough quality films in this exceptional genre. We're handed these silly, insulting films something like The Day Robots Pummeled the Earth. Or else films that are completely tethered by poor special effects. Or we're handed a world that is set up in a very deliberate, expert manner, then expected to accept the fact that anything goes, no matter how ridiculous or silly the film unfolds after the halfway point, like in Event Horizon. Those types of film give the genre a terrible reputation, and Wing Commander certainly stands out as a superior film amongst all the garbage producers try to pass off as sci-fi. It's a definite recommend for sci-fi fans. 8/10 as a film.