This Legendarily Terrible '90s Sci-Fi Movie Is So Bad, Even Its Star Refuses To Watch It

Critics are often wrong about movies, but sometimes they get it right. 1999's "Wing Commander" adaptation was lambasted across the board, including by its own cast members. Freddie Prinze Jr. absolutely loathes the flick, so you know it's bad when the main star refuses to watch.

Speaking to Movieline shortly after the film's release, Prinze Jr. revealed that he can't stand any of the scenes in "Wing Commander." However, he claims that the film he signed up for wasn't as bad as the finished product. "It's the simplest story in the world. I read the script and loved it," the actor recalled. "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 s**t."

Based on the space combat simulator video game franchise of the same name (which, incidentally, was created by the film's director, Chris Roberts, in 1990), "Wing Commander" sees Prinze Jr. play a futuristic pilot tasked with combating cat-like aliens who want to destroy Earth. With a premise like that, the film should have been thrilling. So, why is "Wing Commander" viewed as such a notoriously bad movie?

"Wing Commander" isn't one of Rotten Tomatoes' worst movies of all time, but it hovers just above that list. The film was mostly bashed for its cheesy special effects and cliché elements, with Variety writing, "Though the ingredients are potent, their blending here mostly comes off as formulaic, humdrum and sometimes unintentionally laughable."

Some of the aforementioned ingredients include a talented cast. Freddie Prinze Jr. is joined by Matthew Lillard, David Warner, and other actors who are capable of delivering great performances. However, legendary critic Roger Ebert believes their talents were wasted, noting, "These actors, alas, are at the service of a submoronic script and special effects that look like a video game writ large."

There are better bad sci-fi movies than "Wing Commander" out there, so watch one of those if you are looking for some enjoyably questionable entertainment. Fortunately, Freddie Prinze Jr. has starred in much better movies since "Wing Commander," so Chris Roberts' sci-fi dud didn't hurt his career in the long run.