HOLLYWOOD -- A sure thing? Hardly. Not in the movie business. Jonathan Frakes knows that.

Frakes made a name for himself playing Commander William Riker on TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the Star Trek spinoff movies called Generations and First Contact.

Frakes earned a parallel reputation for his feature film directorial debut with First Contact.

Naturally, one would assume Frakes was the logical choice to direct the third in the Next Generation series, Insurrection.

Frakes, a showbiz veteran, didn't assume anything of the kind, despite the fact First Contact was a critical and box-office success.

"They exercised the option in my contract a year ago and told me I'd be directing Insurrection," Frakes recalls, "but up until that time I wasn't sure."

So, Frakes is back living his double life as Riker in front of the camera and the man who has to make most of the decisions behind the camera.

He did get some able-bodied assistance during the filming of Insurrection, which began last March. Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) helped out with his considered opinions. So did Brent Spiner (android Data).

Also returning were LeVar Burton (La Forge), Michael Dorn (Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) and Marina Sirtis (Counsellor Troi).

This time the U.S.S. Enterprise crew confront a Federation admiral and an alien society who are trying to relocate a culture, so they can tap into a fountain of youth. Picard and company will have none of that, and join the culture in a battle against the evil confederacy.

Heavy stuff. But not that heavy.

With encouragement from Stewart and Spiner, Frakes led the charge to make Insurrection a vehicle for comedy as much as action and adventure.

Producer Rick Berman, the man responsible for the Star Trek franchise after Gene Roddenberry died, relented to Stewart's, Spiner's and Frakes' requests.

After a series of rewrites, Insurrection became an adventure picture that doesn't take itself too seriously.

"The laughs," says 45-year-old Frakes, "are my favourite parts of the movie."

Berman and the studio did tinker with Frakes' final product. The director's cut ending was adjusted and love scenes involving Picard were cut out, much to the annoyance of Frakes and Stewart.

"It has changed a little bit from the movie we delivered. They cut scenes out. But to the studio's credit, they made some changes that work too."

The 6-foot-4 Frakes shrugs. "That's showbiz," he says.

"But I like Insurrection. I like the way it's glib in the best tradition of the series.

"It's what, I think, The Next Generation did best. It was the same for the original show, too.

"Those guys, Kirk, Spock and Bones. They always had a twinkle in their eyes. A kind of nudge-nudge when they spoke to each other. I never felt like they took themselves too seriously. And we wanted to be like that. It's key."

Frakes brings something else to the Next Generation set. He knows the players well.

After 11 years of working together, the cast is a well-oiled machine. They are also a formidable assembly for an outsider to handle.

"On the TV show some directors wouldn't last because they couldn't deal with how casual we are," says Sirtis. 'We just know our characters, and each other, so well, we had fun in between takes. That unnerves some people."

But director Frakes had some fun. In fact, his character Riker ends up in a hot tub with Sirtis' character Troi.

"I remember Dorn came up to me at one point and said, 'Let me get this straight. The director gets to be in a hot tub with Marina, Worf gets a pimple,'" recalls Frakes.

Worf? Pimple. It's yet another example of Insurrection's playful cheekiness. Although Frakes maintains that he was aware of some other Insurrection responsibilities.

"If you are doing a movie that is supposed to be intelligent and articulate, inside an action movie, you'd better not be boring."

Moviegoers will decide if Frakes did his job of mixing genres.

Meanwhile, he's asked to consider what is on everybody's mind -- cast, crew and fans.

"Yes," he says, "I think this one is good enough to merit another one."

He grins devilishly. "This one certainly goes where no one has gone before."

Problem is that Berman and company might have a more difficult time getting Frakes back as director.

The irony is that First Contact, and now Insurrection, have given the actor a very serious career as a director.

He's already signed to do Total Recall 2 with Arnold Schwarzenegger and he's reviewing other projects.

So far, the second Total Recall is getting most of his attention.

"Isn't that weird," he says. "Another science fiction piece.

"I haven't spoken to Arnold yet, but apparently he approved me. The script is great. It's got great camp in it. It's a real blast."

Sounds like actor Frakes won't be working as much as director Frakes.

"No way," he says smiling. "I want to work for somebody else and get pampered again.

"When you're an actor, they make you up. They paint your head so it looks like you have more hair than you do. And they get the bags out from under your eyes.

"When you're a director, they don't care. You only get two things. You get a baseball cap and you don't have to shave."

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