I really enjoyed this film. Even though I had never heard of any of the lead actors, except of course for William Shatner, I thought they did an incredible job of portraying their characters. Intellectual, devoted, neurotic, and erotic are just a few of the qualities they were asked to convey. And William Shatner is a revelation revealing that his hopes, dreams, and fears are closer to those of his committed fans than they could ever have imagined. Since I have seen most of the Star Trek episodes and movies and the other films alluded to by the characters, I was able to appreciate all the wonderful in-jokes. I highly recommend this hilarious film even if you are not a Star Trek fan, 9/10.
105 Reviews
Clever, Funny and a Little Too Close to Home....
GuyCC30 January 2000
I had a different idea of what this movie was about when I chose to watch this. I thought it would parody "Star Trek", sci-fi, and William Shatner. While it covered a vast amount of science fiction trivia, I think this is the kind of movie anybody could enjoy.
In watching this, I can see my friends and I being like this as we hit our 30+ marks in a few years, and hey, it looks like the best is yet to come. It goes to show that "fan boys" have real life problems and responsibilities just the same as anyone else. Of course, there are a few more, er, "dedicated" to the cause than others....
William Shatner was a lot of fun in this movie, and he deserves to get credit for this film. He lives up to all of the "Shatner stereotypes" in being larger than life, but he also lets go and enjoys the ride. I cheered Shatner just for being Shatner, and his "Julius Caesar" rap is as funny as can be without breaking the tone of the film and entering the "camp" zone.
This is a movie that is more fun for those who get the majority of the film references, but it doesn't require it.
I'd like to see what else these guys will put out. For a first film, it's excellent.
In watching this, I can see my friends and I being like this as we hit our 30+ marks in a few years, and hey, it looks like the best is yet to come. It goes to show that "fan boys" have real life problems and responsibilities just the same as anyone else. Of course, there are a few more, er, "dedicated" to the cause than others....
William Shatner was a lot of fun in this movie, and he deserves to get credit for this film. He lives up to all of the "Shatner stereotypes" in being larger than life, but he also lets go and enjoys the ride. I cheered Shatner just for being Shatner, and his "Julius Caesar" rap is as funny as can be without breaking the tone of the film and entering the "camp" zone.
This is a movie that is more fun for those who get the majority of the film references, but it doesn't require it.
I'd like to see what else these guys will put out. For a first film, it's excellent.
Real, very real.
Primalase22 April 2002
The movie had me cracking up from start. I get the feeling that the creators consider this more homage than parody. I certainly feel that way. Sure, it's satirical, but the fact that the satire hits so close to home is what makes this movie so good.
Giddy, goofy fun
Ace-388 July 2000
"Free Enterprise" is so giddily goofy in its charm and appeal that you just can't help but love it. The plotline concerns the trials and tribulations of two friends, bonded together by science fiction and "Star Trek" inparticular, having a chance meeting with their idol; William Shatner. This chance meeting develops into a business relationship for one and a friendship for the other.
Eric McCormack (TV's Will and Grace) stars as Mark, the slightly older and far and away more mature of the two friends. He will be 30 in a couple days and is having panicked "Logan's Run" flashbacks in his head as he wonders what his life had been worth so far. Mr. McCormack plays this role so well, the "I'm better than you" attitude just drips off the screen.
Rafer Weigel is Robert, the other half of this friendship tandem. He is more "damn the torpedoes" and lives life by a thread. Losing girlfriend after girlfriend because a rare collectible action figure is more important than rent or utilities, his character is constantly falling in and out of love. Nice role here as well, played with almost maddening indifference. You get the impression that's the way this guy is in reality as well. All that means of course, is that he really sold the part.
William Shatner is himself, clearly poking holes in his "Star Trek" facade. Shatner reveals "himself" to be a heavy drinking, porn reading but sincere guy. He plans to do a musical production of "Julius Caesar" with himself playing all the parts. The ending sequence concerns this,and has to be seen to be truly appreciated.
Several faces from the past dot the background, Deborah Van Valkenburg ("The Warriors", "Too Close For Comfort"), Ellie Cornell ("Halloween 4" & 5). Nice to see Ellie is still acting. I liked her "Halloween" performances.
"Free Enterprise" shows that indie films have a life beyond "My Life As a Bar of Soap". That indie filmmakers have a wonderful sense of humor and direction, and that they can churn out "mass-pleasing" films.
4 out of 5
Eric McCormack (TV's Will and Grace) stars as Mark, the slightly older and far and away more mature of the two friends. He will be 30 in a couple days and is having panicked "Logan's Run" flashbacks in his head as he wonders what his life had been worth so far. Mr. McCormack plays this role so well, the "I'm better than you" attitude just drips off the screen.
Rafer Weigel is Robert, the other half of this friendship tandem. He is more "damn the torpedoes" and lives life by a thread. Losing girlfriend after girlfriend because a rare collectible action figure is more important than rent or utilities, his character is constantly falling in and out of love. Nice role here as well, played with almost maddening indifference. You get the impression that's the way this guy is in reality as well. All that means of course, is that he really sold the part.
William Shatner is himself, clearly poking holes in his "Star Trek" facade. Shatner reveals "himself" to be a heavy drinking, porn reading but sincere guy. He plans to do a musical production of "Julius Caesar" with himself playing all the parts. The ending sequence concerns this,and has to be seen to be truly appreciated.
Several faces from the past dot the background, Deborah Van Valkenburg ("The Warriors", "Too Close For Comfort"), Ellie Cornell ("Halloween 4" & 5). Nice to see Ellie is still acting. I liked her "Halloween" performances.
"Free Enterprise" shows that indie films have a life beyond "My Life As a Bar of Soap". That indie filmmakers have a wonderful sense of humor and direction, and that they can churn out "mass-pleasing" films.
4 out of 5
A fun look at Fans and their quirks
captnemo1 March 2008
An interesting look into the minds of 2 Star Trek fans. This film shows that Bill Shatner "Gets it." He understands the way fans can be and he just rolls along with it. It's hard to believe that there are fans out there who can recite episodes, dialog and air dates, but I've been there. I still remember where I was when I saw the Gorn for the first time, so I can relate to these guys.
Audie England is a Dream Come True-type girl. She's also a fan, not crazy, not asexual/non-sexual and very beautiful. There are very few of those around, believe me. I've been here too, but I will keep that to myself. A treat from beginning to end.
Audie England is a Dream Come True-type girl. She's also a fan, not crazy, not asexual/non-sexual and very beautiful. There are very few of those around, believe me. I've been here too, but I will keep that to myself. A treat from beginning to end.
Wish Fulfillment for Real Geeks
Gislef24 August 2000
I am a geek, I've known geeks...and the guys in this movie are no geeks! Enough Lloyd Bentsen: Free Enterprise is...welll, okay. It's pretty much a standard romance, but it's presumably either some kind of wish fulfillment for the sad pathetic people (including me!) that are this obsessive about sci-fi, or it is filtered through your typical Hollywood execs' view so that the sci-fi fans are inevitably handsome leading-men and women types who have sex regularly. Ummm, huh? William Shatner is certainly funny parodying himself, there are a few sharp insights into sci-fi fandom, and there are bits of inspired humor (the childhood flashbacks, the whole idea of a Julius Caesar musical). But ultimately the movie bogs down on the lives of these two lovable loser/sf fans that are way too "normal" for most sf fans to identify with, and too monomanically obsessive with sf trivia for a regular audience to catch on to.
A light romantic comedy that proves William Shatner can act
darkdaedra21 May 2003
I stumbled across this movie on TV today and was really blown away. Who would have thought of a romantic comedy about two Trekkies(or Trekkers, not sure what the term is these days)? The movie appears to be at least somewhat autobiographical, and the story rings true.
Shatner comes through with the performance of a lifetime. His portrayal of himself is vulnerable and believable. His obsession with creating musical version of William Shakespeare's "Julius Caeser" is hilarious and it's really funny to see Shatner poking fun at himself.
All in all, this movie is surprisingly good and although really aimed at sci-fi fans, it is accessible to anyone. I highly recommend this lighthearted film.
Shatner comes through with the performance of a lifetime. His portrayal of himself is vulnerable and believable. His obsession with creating musical version of William Shakespeare's "Julius Caeser" is hilarious and it's really funny to see Shatner poking fun at himself.
All in all, this movie is surprisingly good and although really aimed at sci-fi fans, it is accessible to anyone. I highly recommend this lighthearted film.
Enter the Goofy World of Shatnerica
Bogmeister22 July 2005
A movie for Trekkers, made by Trekkers, about Trekkers, etc. Trekkers (oh, not 'Trekkies'-savvy?) are "Star Trek" fans, usually very obsessed fans. However, the 2 main characters here, despite fitting the standard Trekker profile of letting Trek dominate their lives, are well-rounded in other aspects: one of 'em, despite never having any money and a loser sensibility, is pretty successful with girls & doesn't have problems 'getting some.' The other is successful career-wise, with normal interests, as well. The filmmakers obviously wanted to show Trekkers as more than just weird geeks. However, something doesn't jibe with this presentation: the 2 guys come across as SO normal, it's hard to believe they've got every Trek episode memorized. That being said, this flic is a Trekker dream, filled with pop cultural references (for other Sci-Fi famous flics,too) and in-jokes that will probably baffle those not informed about Trek sayings & terminology (one scene is even filmed at a famous site from one of the classic episodes, but this was already done in "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey"/1991). In the plot, the 2 guys, who both work in the film industry in L.A., happen to spot their idol, William Shatner, in a bookstore (Shatner, who portrayed Capt.Kirk in the classic Trek series and movies, is played by ...William Shatner). He doesn't live up to their expectations of a hero, even coming across as a bit of a loon, setting the stage for the re-evaluation of their lives. In all, the movie comes across as a bit silly and even pointless, with non-too-subtle moralizing about what's important in life, and apparent low-budget origins. But even non-Trekkers should find it mildly amusing. The DVD even has explanations of all the arcane Trek references, including optional subtitles. I'm still not sure what the title means (The Enterprise, of course, was the spaceship, er, starship in Trek, but so what?).
If you don't get it ... you don't get it
joker-44 January 2000
This movie spoke to me like no movie has since CLERKS or CHASING AMY. Filled with outright humorous usage of, reference to, and plenty of in-jokes surrounding the entire STAR TREK, STAR WARS, comicbook sub-culture, FREE ENTERPRISE also crafts a well-made movie of love, friendship and dreams coming true.
FREE ENTERPRISE is probably not for the chick who'd rather see the latest Julia Roberts romance flick, but absolutely targets the Generation X crowd that is hitting that magical age of 30. FREE ENTERPRISE establishes the fact, and goes on to prove it in case there is any remaining doubt, that there is no one cooler in SF than Captain Kirk.
Mark Altman and Robert Burnett, who obviously filled the script with personal experiences, go on to prove that even s/f comicbook movie geeks still have love in the hearts and, with sufficient help from assorted alcoholic beverages and the spiritual guidance of Captain Kirk himself, have the power to change the galaxy... or at least their own personal world.
FREE ENTERPRISE is probably not for the chick who'd rather see the latest Julia Roberts romance flick, but absolutely targets the Generation X crowd that is hitting that magical age of 30. FREE ENTERPRISE establishes the fact, and goes on to prove it in case there is any remaining doubt, that there is no one cooler in SF than Captain Kirk.
Mark Altman and Robert Burnett, who obviously filled the script with personal experiences, go on to prove that even s/f comicbook movie geeks still have love in the hearts and, with sufficient help from assorted alcoholic beverages and the spiritual guidance of Captain Kirk himself, have the power to change the galaxy... or at least their own personal world.
Huh?
lswote16 January 2001
More Kirk, less moaning girl and geeks getting laid. I liked Shatner, but the rest of it was hard to identify with. It is like a sexy version of Clerks with Star Trek thrown in. Course if Clerks is your thing you might be pleased, but I am a Baby Boomer, not a GenXer and this movie just didn't have enough to interest me. 6/10
Shatner - Great; Everything Else - Garbage!
PeaBody-420 May 2000
This film is truly two movies at once. About fifteen minutes of it involve a pair of sci-fi geeks' meetings with their idol William Shatner, who turns out to be quite the wacko indeed. These scenes are hilarious, with Shatner obsessively going on about his plans to produce a one-man musical version of 'Julius Caesar.' The rest of this overlong trudge through the would-be hippest backroads of L.A. is utter tripe. The two main characters are jabbering, rapid-fire bozos who banter endlessly about pop culture and sci-fi in a way no real human being ever has. They don't really have anything to say about any of it -- it's enough to simply say 'X-Men,' nod knowingly and high five one another. Their attempts to find girlfriends who'll put up with their nonsense makes up the bulk of this tiresome, unbearable film. Still, the Shatner stuff is top notch! A hilarious scene from his opus closes the flick on a note that's entirely too high to be justified by the tepid wallow we've just suffered through. Fans of Shat would do well to rent this, but for the love of all that is good, FAST FORWARD past every scene that doesn't feature Bill!!!! You've been warned.
an Absolutely, Positively Brilliant movie for Trekkies
neoguardian12 January 2002
If you aren't a hard core Trek/sci fi fan, you'll be bored to limbo by this film, so don't even bother reading on. But if you are, there isn't a better fan movie for you than this. Right from the beginning, the jokes and references fly so fast and furious (from young Mark's flying leg kick and "no, I won't kill him!" line, straight to the end) that you'll be kept on your toes all the way through. The writing is very clever for the entire film, including Robert's set-up for the surprise at the end. The interactions are witty and excellent. And even if you think the jokes get a bit repetitive at some point, that's not all this film has to offer. You can look it also as a semi-serious autobiography (which it partly is) about two sci fi nerds very much like the rest of us with faults very much like our faults (though played to the extreme) trying to fulfill their dreams; Robert is a brash womanizer, but living too deeply in his fantasy world and irresponsible to the point where he leeches off friends more shamefully than any of us would dare (the scene where he meets Claire a prime example), and chooses to go without telephone or electricity so he can line his shelves with mucho expensive collectors' action figures. Mark is responsible and loyal to his friends, yet his narcissus complex (he won't even talk to people in his office unless they're sitting down!) and fear prevents him from dating any woman he cares about. While the film is packed with our favorite geek humor, their problems are very real, as are their deeper interactions and how they are affected by them. Free Enterprise is a wonderful story of friendship, struggle and ultimate achievement that people like us can all very strongly relate and aspire to, with important lessons underneath the jokes.
Funny but not a landmark.
Dave-43023 July 2001
This is the kind of movie that I really enjoy. It's packed with funny lines and references to all kinds of nerdy films and series. If it weren't for the good acting, particularly from Eric McCormack and Patrick Van Horn, it wouldn't have worked; and it does sort of fizzle out in the end. Still, what a joy to see Bill Shatner parody himself. I give it 7 out of 10.
William Shatner is Terrific
rwint6 August 2001
A Look at the increasing phenomenon of the TV generation. Young adults who as children watched so much TV that they now live their whole lives around their favorite old TV shows. They act like their gospel and endlessly quote even the most trivial facts about them. The main emphasis seems to be with the old STAR TREK show, which if you saw the documentary TREKKIES isn't that far from reality. Opens with a funny scene where one of them is trying to pitch a really twisted, 70's nostalgia idea called "The Brady Killers". Unfortunately after this it takes a turn for the worst becoming just another philosophical generation X movie. Filled with long talks about life, friendship, jobs, sex, and relationships. It almost completely collapses into a serious romantic flick with a pretty sunset and soft Michael (SUMMER OF 42) Legrand like piano chords. Fortunately it manages to revive itself by having a nice wrap up. Showing how although their obsession to TV pop culture can at times be a social impediment, it can also help them work thru (and get thru) life's obstacles and disappointments. The best thing about this picture though is William Shatner who is funny and engaging in absolutely every scene he's in. Whether it's talking madly about making a musical version of "Julius Ceaser" with himself in every role or drunkinly stumbling over other patrons at a bar. He's fresh, fun, with just the right touch of self depreciating humor. He also allows for added insight by showing how celebrities, even 'idols' by some, must deal with the same problems as the 'ordinary' person. Overall a OK 'feel good' movie despite a sluggish middle. Be sure to read the credits at the end as they are interspersed with a lot of 'crazy credits'.
Surprisingly good and satisfying!
Kneumsi15 November 2002
When this movie was in theaters I thought I might watch it because I was a Star Trek Fan, but decided not to put much effort into it because it appeared to be about lonely geeks obsessed with Sci-Fi.
I was wrong.
Free Enterprise is a remarkably funny film featuring interesting, respectable characters who are professionals, AND love Star Trek.
This movie is for all those guys out there who have girlfriends, who don't dress as Mister Spock, or live in their parents' basement amid tons of old comic books, but are still Star Trek fans.
But fans aside, this is a really well crafted comedy. It's not for kids, but just about anyone else will be able to find something to like in it. It's a very atypical screwball comedy with a lot of intelligence within it.
Whether you're a Sci-Fi fan or a Sci-Fi detractor, it makes no difference. This is a smart, funny film with something to love. Give it a shot.
I was wrong.
Free Enterprise is a remarkably funny film featuring interesting, respectable characters who are professionals, AND love Star Trek.
This movie is for all those guys out there who have girlfriends, who don't dress as Mister Spock, or live in their parents' basement amid tons of old comic books, but are still Star Trek fans.
But fans aside, this is a really well crafted comedy. It's not for kids, but just about anyone else will be able to find something to like in it. It's a very atypical screwball comedy with a lot of intelligence within it.
Whether you're a Sci-Fi fan or a Sci-Fi detractor, it makes no difference. This is a smart, funny film with something to love. Give it a shot.
A male-centered Rom Com
leftistcritic8 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Recently I watched a few films about fans of popular shows, like Galaxy Quest (A parody of Star Trek) and Fanboys, about a wild adventure of Star Wars fans across the country. This film is a bit different. It focuses on two White men in their 30s who are having a bit of a life crisis. One is more successful than the other but fears being alone, the other is basically a deadbeat who has little money and is financially unstable, meaning he has to borrow money from his other friend. What unites them both is a love for Star Trek, a little like what unites the characters in Fanboys.
Of course as a Rom Com both have romantic relationships of some kind. The deadbeat character meets a geeky/nerdy girl who he really likes but later she leaves him because he is unstable. The other character, more successful as a producer or editor I think, has no relationships or doesn't really see them as necessary so he has a bit more of a crisis even as he is a general jerk. All the while, William "Bill" Shatner is trying to do a one-man musical of Julius Caesar.
It all comes to a head when the deadbeat character organizes a surprise party for his friend, the more successful one. People are geeking out about Star Trek everywhere, he is happy and the deadbeat character gets back with the geeky girl. Even Bill Shatner gets with a woman he met who runs a nightclub. He even participates in a rap song about Julius Caesar with the help of his Black friends. Of course, this shows that the film is obviously male-centered, although none of the characters are horridly sexist even if one is a jerk.
This isn't a very intellectual movie or one that makes you think much but it is a fun movie so I'll give it a 7 out of 10.
Of course as a Rom Com both have romantic relationships of some kind. The deadbeat character meets a geeky/nerdy girl who he really likes but later she leaves him because he is unstable. The other character, more successful as a producer or editor I think, has no relationships or doesn't really see them as necessary so he has a bit more of a crisis even as he is a general jerk. All the while, William "Bill" Shatner is trying to do a one-man musical of Julius Caesar.
It all comes to a head when the deadbeat character organizes a surprise party for his friend, the more successful one. People are geeking out about Star Trek everywhere, he is happy and the deadbeat character gets back with the geeky girl. Even Bill Shatner gets with a woman he met who runs a nightclub. He even participates in a rap song about Julius Caesar with the help of his Black friends. Of course, this shows that the film is obviously male-centered, although none of the characters are horridly sexist even if one is a jerk.
This isn't a very intellectual movie or one that makes you think much but it is a fun movie so I'll give it a 7 out of 10.
Take a Trek fan and have fun
Skitt5 June 1999
This film is a lot of fun for fans of Star Trek and/or William Shatner. It's a bit uneven, but a real hoot almost the whole time Shatner is onscreen. He gives a wonderful, even touching performance. And although there were moments when I wanted to check my watch, there were also moments when I laughed harder than I remember laughing in a theater in a long time. Take a Trek fan with you and have a good time.
Very "Kevin Smith"...
slave1387 August 2002
I wasn't expecting much when I started watching this movie, but within the first 10 minutes I was very amused. The dialog was very reminiscent of a Kevin Smith movie with an abundance of "inside jokes", pop-culture allusions, and enough quirky trivia to be part of a Dennis Miller routine. The romance angle was a mildly boring but sufferable. The only thing that bothered me about this film was my own ability to recognize nearly every piece of memorabilia scattered around the background. What's not to like about a movie that re-enacts a scene from "Logan's Run" and follows it up with a comment about how they are the only two people who remember the movie. All-in-all I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to any sci-fi/comic book/pop culture fan.
He said that Han Solo was cooler than Captain Kirk.
lastliberal23 August 2007
Yes, this film would be a whole lot funnier if I was a 30-year-old whole cared more about Star Trek and Star Wars, hung out at comic book shops, cruised Toys R' Us for the latest action figure, and really cared about William Shatner.
Unfortunately, I am not one to mess up a perfectly good time with Lori Lively by getting into a discussion of shoes and engagement rings. Save that for later, dude. And, I am not going to mess up a relationship with Audie England because I would rather hang onto some laser-disks instead of paying the light bill.
This is not a slacker movie, as there is really only one, but it is about guys with failed relationships and trying to get their stuff together. Mark A. Altman & Robert Meyer Burnett wrote a funny story, which Burnett also directed. It was certainly a much better job of writing than House of the Dead, Mark! The finale? William Shatner rapping Julius Ceasar with Rated R. Hmmm.
Unfortunately, I am not one to mess up a perfectly good time with Lori Lively by getting into a discussion of shoes and engagement rings. Save that for later, dude. And, I am not going to mess up a relationship with Audie England because I would rather hang onto some laser-disks instead of paying the light bill.
This is not a slacker movie, as there is really only one, but it is about guys with failed relationships and trying to get their stuff together. Mark A. Altman & Robert Meyer Burnett wrote a funny story, which Burnett also directed. It was certainly a much better job of writing than House of the Dead, Mark! The finale? William Shatner rapping Julius Ceasar with Rated R. Hmmm.
The part of "Me" will be played by Thomas Gibson
kwade3514 January 2003
I don't know why I enjoyed this film so much. Perhaps that it just...oh I don't know...reminds me of ME! That's really it. I can take each character and assign them to one of my own friends and myself. Which is the point, I assume. It was made by fans of the whole popculturescifi genres for fans of said genres. And the film does not even fit into those genres' stereotypes. So all in all, I like it because I can relate to it and for William Shatner's overly-excellent performance as William Shatner. Definitely not for everyone but for who it's for it's perfect.
Not great, but worth watching
timallen2013 May 2003
I could see where they were trying to go with this, but the delivery was just embarrassingly bad at times. I am assuming budgetary constraints stopped them from getting decent actors and prevented re-takes of scenes that screamed for it. I laughed out loud at times but mostly because I was trying so hard to like it.
The acting was really awful. Exceptions were the leads: McCormack, England, Weigel and Shatner (in that order). Everyone else was a D acting job.
Worth watching only if you're an old Trek fan or McCormack fan. I have to say I was impressed after knowing him only from Will & Grace to see the range of his talent. Gotta love the Logan's Run references throughout the movie too!
The acting was really awful. Exceptions were the leads: McCormack, England, Weigel and Shatner (in that order). Everyone else was a D acting job.
Worth watching only if you're an old Trek fan or McCormack fan. I have to say I was impressed after knowing him only from Will & Grace to see the range of his talent. Gotta love the Logan's Run references throughout the movie too!
A dismal failure
craw-229 July 1999
This film is a failure in every way a film can be a failure. It is neither technically accomplished, well-written, artistic, entertaining in a mainstream sort of way, nor well-directed.
It's excrement. The direction is simply absurd. Horrible shot choices, terrible lighting, nothing in focus, performances so miserable they ought to be enshrined in some kind of museum for people to study, and the overall pacing of a dead snail nailed to a brick.
At nearly 2 hours, I don't think I've ever experienced a movie this bloated and unfunny.
Look, I like Star Trek. A lot. In fact, I'm a Trekkie. And I like sci-fi. But that doesn't make me some kind of indiscriminate moron willing to overlook the basic requirements of good filmmaking just because some self-indulgent director throws me a few sci-fi references.
It's excrement. The direction is simply absurd. Horrible shot choices, terrible lighting, nothing in focus, performances so miserable they ought to be enshrined in some kind of museum for people to study, and the overall pacing of a dead snail nailed to a brick.
At nearly 2 hours, I don't think I've ever experienced a movie this bloated and unfunny.
Look, I like Star Trek. A lot. In fact, I'm a Trekkie. And I like sci-fi. But that doesn't make me some kind of indiscriminate moron willing to overlook the basic requirements of good filmmaking just because some self-indulgent director throws me a few sci-fi references.
Great Stupid Movie
harcher15 August 2003
I really enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anyone in the mood for a funny/stupid movie. William Shatner was great as himself, a larger than life past middle aged self styled poet. He is truly the "Captain" for the common man.
There is not very much substance to the movie but I really enjoyed the wierdness and nerdiness of it. It is a good laugh but nothing to take very seriously, except of course for Bill's one man performance of Ceasar, which I thought was just about as much Bill as any one can handle :-)
There is not very much substance to the movie but I really enjoyed the wierdness and nerdiness of it. It is a good laugh but nothing to take very seriously, except of course for Bill's one man performance of Ceasar, which I thought was just about as much Bill as any one can handle :-)
Almost everything you need was in Star Trek -- Almost.
Vedek21 July 2000
I was there when Star Trek premiered. While I'm not exactly a Trekkie/Trekker, I have 40 years of reading and watching sci-fi. Yes, "Free Enterprise" is a flawed movie (too long, slow pacing) but strangely compelling. Offers you a chance to see Eric McCormack before he become "Will" of "Will & Grace," same shtick, only not gay. Two almost 30-trekkers encounter Bill Shatner, and their lives are changed forever. They grow up, finally. Shatner is surprisingly good, playing himeself, playing himself. If you're not familiar with sci-fi stuff in general, skip "Free Enterprise;" you won't get it at all. If you are a sci-fi nut, you'll love it, even if it is too long.
Star Trek geeks who can't grow up, and who try our patience.
baker-912 August 1999
This hideously long and generally lame comedy/drama revolving around 2 about-to-be 30-somethings spends a lot of time on our two heroes complaining about their lives and obsessing about sci-fi. Unfortunately, neither of these characters is well-written enough to engage our interest or sympathy, despite the fact that both lead actors are talented. Eric McCormack plays a guy not too unlike his uptight, insecure but controlling character on Will & Grace (only he play straight here). William Shatner plays himself and is a welcome sight in many of the scenes, but his "Julius Caesar" rap song at the end is more appalling than funny. Talk about going where no man has gone before.
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