There is more to a Star Trek feature film than just the movie…there is also the stuff! TrekMovie continues our celebration of the 10th anniversary of Star Trek Insurrection with a look at some of the more interesting items from the merchandising of Star Trek’s 9th feature film.
Buying the insurrection
Star Trek Insurrection was one of the more merchandised Star Trek feature films. Because of the success of First Contact, licensees were anxious to feature products from the next Star Trek film so in the end, Insurrection ended up with much more merchanise than the its better received predecessor. The same thing happened before with Star Trek III getting more merchandising than Star Trek II. Too often in the Trek franchise it is the movie after the hit movie that gets the hit movie merchandising treatment.
Playmates Toys
One of the best licensed products released when the film was in theaters was the 9" action figures by Playmates Toys. The line featured both the guest hero Anij and the villain Ru’afo, along with the magnificent six (no Beverly Crusher figure for some reason). Most interesting was the choice of outfits, because Playmates Toys didn’t merely give fans the obvious Starfleet uniforms, featuring Picard, Data, Troi, and Worf in their civilian outfits from the movie. A beardless Riker was also offered which was a nice addition to the collection. (The only other beardless Riker action figures are from the first season Galoob line of toys and the 2008 Diamond Select Toys first season deluxe Riker with command chair). The first four 9" figures were available before the film in November, with the other four released when the film was in theaters.
9" Insurrection figures from Playmates (click to enlarge)
In 1999 and 2000, Playmates Toys also released its 12" action figures from various Trek series and movies, including four Insurrection figures, again with some unique costumes (Data and Worf are featured in their regular Starfleet costumes, while Picard and Riker were in the white dress uniforms). These figures had excellent likenesses and were the first 12" action figures based on a Star Trek movie since the large sized MEGO toys for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In 2009, fans again get Playmate Toys 12" sized action figures for the JJ Abrams version.
9" Insurrection figures from Playmates (click to enlarge)
Yachts-a-Plenty
Playmates released a toy replica of the Type II Phaser which included lighting and sound effects, and a USS Enterprise 1701 E which featured a cool to-scale Captain’s Yacht seen in the film. For years, fans had heard there was a Captain’s Yacht, the Cousteau, yet had not seen it in action until Data pilots the famous craft in Insurrection. In fact, the Yacht was the most merchandised item from the movie. There was the Playmates Toys version of Yacht, a model which included the signature of designer John Eaves, and a pewter version.
Playmates Enterprise w/ Yacht (top) Pewter Yacht (bottom)
Cards
The Skybox Insurrection card set included 72 basic cards, 9 wardrobe, Okudagrams, Relationship, and Schematic cards, 19 autograph cards, and 7 Gold character cards. The set even included cards from deleted scenes, which was pretty cool as Insurrection came out just before the era DVD special editions kicked off. For example, there is an autograph card for the actress who plays the Librarian, a funny scene that was not included in the feature film release and there was also a promotional card with the infamous Anij and Picard kiss that was absent in the movie. There were two kisses originally filmed for Insurrection, one to be featured in the middle of the movie, and a passionate kiss at the end of the film. When the middle kiss was edited from the film, the latter kiss was deemed "too passionate for a first kiss" by director Jonathan Frakes and it was excised from the movie.
Promo for ‘Insurrection’ cards, showing the ‘kiss’ card
I heart the 90’s items
Two collectibles, phone calling cards and beanie plush toys, were prominent during the 1990s. Insurrection got its share of these zeitgeist items with collectible calling cards from AT&T (which made an entire line of Star Trek calling cards from the various television shows and movies during the 1990s). And The Ideal Company offered a plush beanie toy for Artim’s pet, the rhyl.
The ‘Rhyl’
Video Game sequel
There was no video game for Insurrection itself, yet a video game sequel was released by Activision in October 1999. "Star Trek Hidden Evil" starts the day after the events of Insurrection as players try to uncover the secret of the Ba’ku planet and why the Son’a won’t leave. The game featured voice work by Trek actors including Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner, but unfortunately, like so many other licensed titles, it was another gaming disappointment, earning a 4.5 (out of 10) at Gamespot. (more on this game at Trekcore.com).
Promo for ‘Star Trek Hidden Evil’
The Usual Items…and something unusual
Both the teaser and theatrical posters for the movie were available to fans, either through SunCoast or the Official Star Trek Fan Club. There was also the CD and cassette (the last Trek available on tape). There was also an novelization, audio book, and junior novelization, as well as an official magazine (available in European nations). There were also two ‘making of’ books ("Action!" and "The Secrets of Star Trek: Insurrection," both texts by Terry J. Erdmann). There were many T-shirts and a baseball hat available for the movie. These items were primarily available at conventions and the Official Star Trek Fan Club.
‘Insurrection’ Magazine and Apparel
However, there was one unusual item offered for Insurrection, a shot glass.
Drink up
And stuff is still coming
There have been a few items released for Star Trek Insurrection in the past few years. The film has had two DVDs releases, a regular and special edition. There has also been more card sets from Rittenhouse Archives (including the Movies in Motion set released earlier this week).
More Insurrection 10 Year BDay coverage
We still have more coverage for Insurrections 10th anniversary, so stay tuned.
Thanks to the Amok Time Newsletter, Trekcore.com, Dan Madsen and Larry Nemecek of the Star Trek Communicator, and Memory Alpha.
Never heard of that game in my life.
Never understood the merchandising mentality. Some films seem to make sense for the stuff like Star Wars. Lots a kids in the audience. Lots of toys. But the Insurrection story just doesn’t seem to be a big kid friendly, toy friendly sort of film (which is one of the reasons I liked it; also what makes a movie kid friendly given the violence in all these flicks is another discussion). The funniest merchandising flop to me was the original David Lynch Dune. In the wake of the Star Wars films every sci-fi flick need merchandising tie-ins, but how many 8, 9, and 10 years olds can you be imagine watching the original Dune with rapt attention and then playing with their Mua’dib action figures at home to reenact the story? Maybe if they were precocious geniuses.
Good movie.
. . . and what is with Picard in the dress uniform and the 23rd century bazooka? If I can’t negotiate with these alien b*st*ards I’m going to blow them away!!!”
I played Hidden Evil when it came out, after a long obsession with Half-Life. Although I’m certain that my opinion of the game was wildly tainted by the awesome-ness of Half-Life, I still think that Hidden Evil was a very poor effort.
And #4; That’s the exact thing I thought when I first saw the Picard! I guess he’s embraced that “cowboy diplomacy”.
2 – Actually, “Star Wars” toys, action figures, lunch boxes, and so forth were more “in the wake” of the “Planet of the Apes” movies. “Apes” was the first sci-fi film franchise with a huge merchandising and marketing blitz.
In that white jacket, Picard looks like he could wait tables on the Love Boat. ;)
Wow, did this really need an article? Who actually bought these things?
My namesake’s doll sure looks buff… which he did NOT in pretty much any of the films. Also, that shot glass looks like something else that might have the same label. “Unsure? Try the insur-rection to add inches and stamina…”
6 – “LOVE BOAT: THE NEXT GENERATION”. Always loved that SNL Skit.
9 – Never saw it, but it sounds funny just from the title.
If they had given Picard a cup of Earl Grey instead of a bazooka, he would fit in perfectly with the “My Dinner with Andre” action figures from “Waiting for Guffman.” ;)
I remember that game. I played it. Man, that brings back the memories.
Why would the Insurrection yacht have a signature of designer Andrew Probert? He didn’t design the Enterprise-E, nor its yacht. Those were done by John Eaves.
I was so happy when the Insurrection Ent-E toy came out, because the First Contact Ent-E looked NOTHING like the actual ship.
Arent those the wrong compression rifles on the action figures? They look like the ones from VOY, but then again, when have action figures ever been accurate? The screenshot from Hidden Evil of engineering looks pretty darn good for 98, maybe it was pre rendered or something.
I cannot explain how much I hated those 9″ figures. I was so annoyed when they decided on that size.
The twelve inch figures were great though, just because of the better likeness.
The Hidden Evil game was in a word….lame
Star Trek figures were cool up until 1994. I remember the Playmates TNG line, how cool they were. Downfall started with Generations figures with the wrong uniforms. Then they started to sell all those weird spinoffs and oversaturated the market. Then they increased figure size, and my local stores did not import anything after the first contact figure since no one was buying them.
In comparison to Star Wars merchandising, Trek stuff always seemed to be lacking coherence and quality, let alone coolness.
Sometimes I feel like I missed out not playing video games, but I just never got into it.
I played a lot of pinball…
Am I still cool?
The film wasnt a patch on First Contact and the blue screen fist fight between Picard and Ru’ AFO at the climax was a good example of poor production standards.
The game was a terrible point and click adventure type that has died out with that decade thank god.
The official Magazine was also available in Germany, not only UK.
13 “I was so happy when the Insurrection Ent-E toy came out, because the First Contact Ent-E looked NOTHING like the actual ship.”
The design of the Playmates ship from FC was used in Nemesis as a shield diagram screen ;)
i think i speak for quite a few fans when i say ‘who gives a s**t that its THE WORST trek films Bday?’
for me its just evoking painful memories of sitting in the cinema watching this POS 10 years ago…realising that i was witnessing full on bumpy headed technobabble BermaTrek writ large and that it meant movie trek was about to go on life support (tv trek was already on it by then)
18. Olley Olley Olley – December 13, 2008
“The film wasnt a patch on First Contact and the blue screen fist fight between Picard and Ru’ AFO at the climax was a good example of poor production standards.”
Yeah i think they were hoping people wouldnt notice!
#7 and #21
Two things about these kinds of comments are ironic:
1) That people think these articles are a waste of time, yet spend their obviously precious time commenting on them
2) That some fans think they speak for many fans
Please don’t presume to speak for me or my family. Why do you feel the need to comment on these kind of articles if the very fact that I wrote them offends you?
I wouldn’t be troubled if you ignore any of my articles for Trekmovie.
Insurrection wasn’t all that bad.
Now Nemesis…..
[comic book guy] WORST. TREK. EVER. [/comic book guy]
After all, who didn’t want Picard in Maitre d’ outfit?
Good Job, John, I saw most of this stuff the first time…
The quality of the action figures was amazing and the making-of books were surprisingly well done.
Sorry man..didn’t mean to offend you
but cmon! INS was such a disappointment..the worst film by far (yes even worse than Nemesis or Trek V)
i thought it was just a given that people openly hated this film…guess i was wrong and its got its fans
23 – oh and just to clarify – my cristism wasnt aimed at you or your article (where you actually make some very interesting points – e.g. the way the film after the big hit gets all the merch)
it was aimed at the actual film itself…the film made annoyed me and im slightly annoyed at it getting Birthday celebrations
in the words of Columbo ‘just one more thing’
regarding the film after the big hit getting all the stuff – the same could be applied to Trek V – there were some sizable action figures and marshmallow dispensers for that after TVH
I saw Insurrection in the theater and it was so bad I vowed never to pay for another Trek movie. Still haven’t seen Nemesis all the way through.
The movie was terrible. It was a mistake to take the direction they took after First Contact. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Insurrection should have been about some aspect of the Dominion War. How do you have a major conflict in the Federation and the flagship is not their to fight in it.
“Both the teaser and theatrical posters for the movie were available to fans”
well they must have been very disappointed when they recieved them then…as they were THE SAME poster!! (Ins was the only Trek film to only get one poster – and a very unimaginative one at that – stealing the tagline and the teaser image from Trek VI)
regarding the shot glass – for some reason movie shot glasses were quite the fad in the late 90s..i have ones for Face/Off and Starship Troopers given away free with the VHS purchase….i guess they wanted people to play some sort of drinking game while watching the film LOL
Its quite apt for Insurrection though as this is one one Trek film one can only watch again when loaded up on vodka LOL
Playmates clothed line was OUTSTANDING!!! Rivaled the Mego line. I have the entire TOS line! Now I wish I picked these 12″ up! I remember they were plentiful at TRU 10 years ago!
god yea hidden evil was a bad game , but i remember i got another star trek game that year for christmas , it was one of the starfleet command games the first or 2nd one , and it was really good . so yea for every bad trek game there is good ones too.
2 – Well, I didn’t understand Dune as a kid, but I thought it was *awesome* that I had a toy sandworm. Got it on clearance for three bucks. :)
13 – Agreed, but both of those Sovereign-class ships side-by-side on my dresser looked really cool.
Offhand I don’t think (imho) there’s every really been a really good Trek game, though one or two may have slipped out in the last few years but I’d have automatically dismissed them.
Insurrection was the first Trek film on DVD at release time if I remember? I got it then but when it came round to the Collectors Editions, that’s when I stopped and I never did buy Nemesis, but what’s the feeling on the Collectors Insurrection?
Are the extras or commentary worth the price of admission and are there any deleted scenes that will enrich my life beyond measure?
I haven’t seen this in years, but all the nostalgia is making me think I’ll go and watch it again sometime soon, if only for the hilarious boob jokes.
Yeah, really, what’s with Picard rockin’ his Starfleet finery and a shoulder bazooka at the same time? I guess he got fed up with entertaining those dwarven aliens.
& I came upon that shot glass at a thrift store a few years back; definitely thought it was weird.
I think I need to go back and watch all the TNG Trek films again. Reading all these birthday articles and all the passionate opinions about the films….I barely remember them! I mean, I remember the basic plots, but I couldn’t sit here and talk about any details.
I guess I need a box set for Christmas!
#32
If you are going to criticize, please check the facts. Star Trek Insurrection had numerous posters, both internationally and from the United States. For example, here is the Belguim theaterical poster from the film http://www.motionpictureart.com/Star-Trek-IX-Insurrection-Movie-Poster-p-20316.html. There was a teaser poster that was different in design than the theaterical poster.
40 – “There was a teaser poster that was different in design than the theaterical poster.”
well obviously there were different styles of posters for the forgien markets – im talking about the US posters – I dont think there was a teaser and if there was it was exactly the same as the main movie poster..
if you have a link of course……
Weren’t there Star Trek MEGO dolls before there were Star Wars toys? I seen to remember the MEGO figures in the early 70’s before Star Wars was released.
^Yep. MEGO was the industry standard before Star Wars hit, having licensing for Trek, various other shows, Marvel and DC characters. They passed, iirc, on that film’s merchandising and it went to Kenner which redefined the action figure market with the smaller, pocket-sized 3 1/2 inch figures. MEGO tried to follow suit with a Pocket Superhero line and the TMP 3 1/2 figures, but it was too late. The company eventually folded.
For more information and history:http://www.megomuseum.com/
Incredible likenesses on the 12″ figures.
John:
I came on the site and was ready to post a ‘zinger’ as well about this crap film. I then realized I’ve seen it well over twenty times, like every Trek film, save Nemesis.
It’s not Trek’s worst moment, for sure. But after FC made some cash, it’s surprising that Paramount didn’t ask the boys for another gritty thriller.
Anthony Zerbe and F. Murray Abraham are brilliant actors. They try their best.
But what kills it for me is that Southern Californian Hippie Tribe on the planet below. With their perfect haircuts and tans, playing hackysack, and baking bread, etc. Why relocate them? One photorp and “BOOSH!” they’re gone. No loss to society (Besides senseless loss of life, etc).
That’s my opinion.
There is no reason to criticise Mr. Tenuto, as the last two threads on Insurrection have been quite entertaining, and in the Trekmovie tradition, extremely informative. He has one film left to review. We all know what it is. So let’s try to be nice!
But what kills it for me is that Southern Californian Hippie Tribe on the planet below. With their perfect haircuts and tans, playing hackysack, and baking bread, etc. Why relocate them? One photorp and “BOOSH!” they’re gone. No loss to society (Besides senseless loss of life, etc).
That was the compromise with the Federation.
The figures are great definitely. Action figures have always been my favorite collectible.
I liked this movie — I loved picard learning to meditate and reach an infinite moment like this… I think Gene would have liked this too, something that Star Trek with all the other technobabble kind of let drop.
But toys? yeah, I dunno.
OMG the Playmates E had a yacht??? Was there 2 versions of the E because I never even knew I gotta pull mine out of the box and check it!LOL years later..
they missed the ‘Insurrection Making Of’ book which I have and will be selling on Ebay for $900