Reviews

This flick, like: World Without End, Rocket Ship X-M, and other, are what sci-fi is all about at least to me. I watched this every time it was on TV as a kid(I'm a 45yr old sci-fi writer now, former screen scenarist) and truly loved it. It was about themes, then--SF had sociological themes, cultural themes, somewhat educational themes. writers wrote cool stuff that often could not be expressed with the low tech of the era. Time Travelers shows how to destroy the world through the unconscienced use of science. When you have the technology but not the morality or fundamental spiritual decency, you get twisted by the glitz, glamor, and wonderment of your own technological prowess.

Flicks like this one are cool because in today's era of accidents on the roads caused by drivers on cell phones, and the de-personalization of families because everyone is "doing their own thing" and only in "touch" via text messages or cell calls, sci-fi flicks show the human tragedy of overdependance on technology! If the power grid fails cause a flock of birds or a hoard of bugs enters a vent, or lightning strikes a tower, if the cell towers or network go down, would humanity survive? This flick shows the deterioration of man as he relies too much on his gadgets, toys, and "stuff"--(SPOILER HERE):The mutants who are primitives are winning their war, BECAUSE they are Primitive!

So, all you 20 somethings out there, and teens out there, watch out, lest you fall prey to the "gods in the machines!" When there ain't any more electricity, where ya gonna be?????

I'd like to say here, that all these under thirty reviewers who put down the old films of their parent's and grandparent's times, are not clued in to the fact that WE(Over 40's) CREATED the ENTIRE WORLD they live in! Duh, WE made cell phones, CD's DVD's, Plasma TV's, Space Shuttles, and the like

SO If you cannot give OUR time's films at least a nod of "respect" please do not put them down.

SPOILER: This film is about what happens when the Spirit of Mankind is washed out, and he leads a colorless existence. The techno-survivors live in a gray little world of no courage, no hope, and no self esteem. Instead of fighting valiantly for their world, they cower away underground, with no sunlight, nutrients, vitamins, and possibly radioactive water making them sterile and weak.

The 1980's to Today(2007) were a time when the twenty somethings and college aged teens of today, were born or growing up; they were built technologically, morally, and film-making (writing wise) by OLDSTERS WE do not put down your movies, we just acknowledge that your movies are from YOUR time and CULTURAL BIAS.

When the men and women who acted in THIS film, were growing up, they brought THEIR biases and their parent's BIASES with them. The film reflects the world and times it came from, not WRONG or DUMB or STUPID Just DIFFERENT--Perhaps more INNOCENT times and mores and values. SF Either Celebrates Mankind AND DIVERSITY OF IDEA AND OPINION, Or it DON'T! See ALL films, BUT ESPECIALLY WORLD WITHOUT END, with the eyes of THOUGHTFULNESS, and you won't be so quick to put it down!

As for SFX--darn it--WE OLDSTERS INVENTED CGI!!!!! Heck, you young folks wouldn't have your GARAGE BASED CGI PROGRAMS if it weren't for OLD FOLKS!

I watched half of this this very day(1/15/07) And thought "dang, this could've been cool!" As a child of the sixties and seventies(I'm 45) movies like this one were obligatory it seems, to me because they were always being made! This took way too much Obi Wan and Luke, outrageous misfires of historical characters, and totally politically correct re-writing of history. I admit I LOVE The Lone Ranger, and every OLD western thing: Gene Autry especially!(But Randolph Scott too), BUT THIS film just burnt out all the cliché's in the first half! I did note Jef Osterhage's almost twin brother facial features to Terence Hill and THAT was pretty neat. SPOILER ALERT: The story was Obi Wan and Luke, without Death Star and Empire to hit back at. The gun was too cool--they did indeed make guns with seven and even eight shots FOR REAL in those day! All in all, I guess if they had gotten their history correct, like: SPOILERS: General Custer was only a General DURING the War Buffalo Bill was NOT called that til The Railroad Era which was AFTER the War YNLESS the character of Books(the black friend) was raised IN THE NORTH EAST COAST, he would NEVER EVER have seen MUCH LESS EVER HAD READ a book OF ANY KIND Because HE WOULD BE TOTALLY UNEDUCATED! There were NO Orientals in the US Army in ANY ERA prior to World War 2! Without these flaws, and with a heck of a lot less xerox copying of Star Wars, this movie could have been a hit instead of a clear miss! One last thing: The genuine love the Mentor and the Kid had, totally blows away the stained, feigned(fake) "kinship" of Obi Wan and Luke--When Osterhage's Jim hugs the dying Hollbrook/Swakhammer(The Mentor) you can feel the true father son love they grew to feel! THIS ALONE puts this film on my list of Totally Cool Movies!

SPOILER: The monsters in here pre-date JAWS for hot babe eating action! What can I say? After reading about this film and including it in both my M.A. English Lit. thesis(never having seen it, LOL) and teaching this genre, I finally saw this film today. I LOVE IT! Rather than the forced "comeraderie" of It Came From Beneath The Sea, This film had a genuine depth of feeling to it. I love when characters are written to show the affection(familial) between them--the people here look like a family---a team that cares for one another. Also totally cool, is the Lantern Jawed Hero, is an older, pudgy, almost over the macho hill, type who falls for a widow who is both gorgeous and strangely sad/pitiable. Truly awesome characterization! The monsters may not be "2000's era jaded by CGI" scary, but to those of us over 40, they suit just fine! I love Hans Conreid and Tim Holt's dialogue in their car SPOILER: Holt: "want to stop for breakfast?" Conreid: "No, I had toast and coffee when I woke up-- we can stop if you want to though" The easily played out casuality of their exchange is so cool BECAUSE it comes from a familiarity of the two characters They really seem to be friends not just colleagues.

I love "family feeling" in characterizations, and this one delivers waaaaay cooolness, in that department!

My vote: 10 out of 10, yeah!

As a free-lance screenwriter/dramatist, I have to say, Innaritu did what he wanted to(and laughed all the way to his Tijuana bank doing it), as an American CITIZEN Sick and Tired of ANTI-American FILMMAKERS AND FILMS, I DESPISED this film. Okay, you're Mexican, and someone gave you a couple of million bucks to make a film--goodie for you! but to the WHITE ANGLO Americans who CANNOT GET Medicaid, Social Security, and other benefits OUR TAX DOLLARS WE SWEAT OUT HARD WORKING FOR, I'm tired of EVERY IMMIGRANT GETTING OFF A BATHTUB WITH A BEDSHEET SAIL ON IT, GETTING ALL THE THINGS I WORK HARD TO EARN, FOR FREE!

End of RANT.

This film had NOTHING positive to offer anyone except the "FEEL GOOD ABOUT HATING YOURSELF" Liberals who paid for its' creation. Oh yes, yummy yum, lets put down Americans as ugly and exploitive monsters! Oh yes, lets' cheer on IDIOCY--as in EVERYONE IN THIS STORY DOES GALACTICALLY STUPID THINGS--MAKES UNIVERSE SIZED STUPID AND SUICIDAL DECISIONS!

The filmmaker did his best to get his message across, and as a writer often frustrated by the sheer dumbness of money purse holding Hollywood execs who dumb down or spoil the recipe of, my works and others, I applaud Inniritu for being gutsy enough to demand his vision be as he intended it to be shown.

I saw people walk out from beginning to end, and many older viewers lambasted the film for realistic logical reasons. I myself thought the cinematography was brilliantly executed, and Cate Blanchett sexy in the extreme even when dying of a bullet wound! Although the "erotic" pseudo lovemaking kissing while she is peeing in a pot, while DYING was STUPID AND MIND INSULTING

As a parent, albeit divorced and physically geographically near my teen, I was OUTRAGED AND INFURIATED. The "parents" in this film were portrayed like IMBECILES AND MONSTERS Inniritu dedicated this film to his own kids-- GOD HELP THOSE KIDS CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA NEED DECADES OF THERAPY FOR HAVING HIM AS THEIR DAD!

As someone who once tried to join the USN as an BUPERS(bureau of Personnel) officer, and who grew up with sub service officers, I anticipated this film eagerly. When I actually saw it, I was dumbfounded. This is typical Hollywood nonsense in that nothing is even minutely plausible. Hackman is CORRECT in his actions and attitudes--in the REAL world, there are BACK UP RADIOS, and MORE checks and balances--Hackman would have activated the back ups, got confirmations, and then did his DUTY. Denzel is of course "Mr. God Like Hero" to a generation fed on Hollywood garbage film making--of course he had to be the moral and action hero--baloney! In the Navy, he would have been hanged for mutiny! You DO NOT depose your Captain unless the Captain is suicidal or homicidal! Throwing around guns aboard a sealed environment is also WRONG HEADED WRITING--nope, just isn't done for obvious reasons like destroying the hull, releasing hydraulic units that could sink the boat to crush depths, ETC. Nope, I expected tense realistic drama and got pure garbage made to cater to politically liberal, mush brained thrill hungry viewers who are so uneducated(willingly so--and I am a college professor and know this as fact) as to believe anything Hollywood feeds them...

I saw this film Saturday night at a friends' house. She is a "White Wolf" "Vampire Masquerade" game player. She convinced me(A Masters' Degree in English(for Gothic and Sci-Fi Lit)holder) that even though the mythology/folklore of vampires and werewolves was screwed up, I would enjoy it.

Well, I did not. It had a hot girl(Kate Beckinsale) who could not act at all, ridiculous non suspension of disbelief effects and unrealistic shenanigans using guns, and a cold as nitrogen plot.

The plot(what there was of it) was parts Romeo and Juliet, parts soap opera, and part MTV video.

They tried to be hop and cool and only were derivative of others' writing: Anne Rice, Lord Byron, Shakespeare, etc. I DID LIKE Kates' BODY in her vinyl suits and corset/bodice worn OUTSIDE her skin tight suit, BUT although she is eye candy(and is hot for the first few times you see her pose and strut and such, eventually you realize she is not that cute or well built enough to carry this movie.

I have read EVERY historical Classic of Literature about werewolves and vampires, and many non fiction works about both, and this movie is about as exciting as reading the box labels of Count Chocula and Werewolf cereal!

I just finished watching this film on Starz, and it really left me feeling cheated. The girls in the film were hot, but uncharismatic--they were good looking but BORING. The child in the film was of the "Christina Ricci/Dakota Fanning/Lukas Hass" type--creepy "hellchild" like little kid, but SUPERFLUOUS TO THE PLOT! The Plot? uh, what plot? Lame butt 20 something returns home to relive his paranoid childhood, sees weird stuff, reconnects with old crush, then loses everyone(except her) to a creature never explained. Uh'm, I'm no genius, but were the editors high on drugs?--it is cut to incoherent pieces with no scene continuity, no narrative flow or links, and no suspense save for what "defaults" these days to "horror"--namely nauseating camera antics, loud "shock music", and "adrenalin knee jerk" shots that do not pay off. Oh well, I liked only 2 things in this film: the unexplained(but easily "urban legend" busting images of childhood "scary things in the semi-darkness"), AND the 2 20-something hot chicks(yeah, I'm a babe hound, and sex and death(or at least hot chicks and monsters) does "sell" me on things) who are useless to any iota of a "plot", but sure are easy on the eyes!

The characters in this film are some of the most realistic I've ever seen in any film. We have men on the brink of insanity, stuck in a nowhere's ville of mind numbing boredom, we have the real, palpable feeling that they KNOW they are here for punishment, and yet theirs is a pride that is endearing. We have a monster in the form of a man who wants most of all to LIVE. As Carlyle's character Colhone/Ives tells it: I was dying--tuberculosis, coughing blood up, splitting headaches. I ate, and now!"(I'm para phrasing)

He isn't EVIL, he's SELFISH in the extreme. Pierce's character, Boyd, ate the flesh once before, and though he survived, and won a sort of "heroism" in the eyes of his peers, is mortally sinning by wanting to live. HE doesn't wish to live like Ives/Colhone, he wishes to be punished for the act.He's SELF SACRIFICING.

The dynamic between the two is epic, deep. Boyd is fascinated and revulsed by Colhone, but hates to admit to himself he's just LIKE Colhone. Colhone, wants Boyd--oh yes, SPOILER HERE- He's got a bit of homosexual feeling for Boyd. The dance they go through is masterfully played out. Neil McDonough(Reiche) is fine as the "Soldier" of the fort-- his strength and gung ho attitude makes Boyd cowed down before him, and when Reiche yells at him, he actually sighs a deep breath of relief to be taken out of authority! All in all, this film is so much more than a murder/ chiller thriller about cannibals. It is a film about the soul, morality, courage, and how deeply beyond societal rules and moral laws a man will go in the interests of, HIMSELF. Oh, And Deity Bless Jeffrey Jones--darn, but he's incredibly good in ANY role he is put! I think if all of his period film characters were put together, he would be Oscar winner multiple times!

Seems throughout his career, Brian De Palma has a small problem with the words "hommage" and "plagiarism. Harlan Ellison(a famed sci-fi writer) says it brilliantly: "De Palma loves to re-do the works of others" I'm a screen-writer, science fiction mostly, and a indie filmmaker science fiction, mostly; and I want to tell the youthful future writers and directors on here--BE ORIGINAL!-- READ GOOD sci-fi! THEN make your films!

This is how MtM COULD have been made well: the crew is assigned to rescue mission. On Mars they find 1 survivor, living in a shack made from the wreckage of his ship, the older Russian and U.S. space landers, and some help from a cave(as a deep inner room, with the wreckage built at the mouth). He tells of a strange force that killed everyone but him. The rescue crew is attacked by the force--not a giant wind storm, but a wave of energy. 1 person is left conscious. He is mentally compelled to enter into a hole in a large mound. Once inside, he finds a functioning "control room". It has video screens that he is compelled mentally, to turn on. On it he sees the last posthumous recordings of the inhabitants of Mars. They tell of a planetoid torn apart by gravitational pressures from Jupiter and it's moons and the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. The aliens sent a few lucky ones to EARTH. Those aliens were HUMANOIDS, but not entirely HUMAN--they were more adapted to less sunlight, lower gravity, and extreme cold. Before the planetoid blew up and ripped most of Mar's atmosphere off, the planet could sustain human life! The survivors mated with earth humans, and lo and behold, modern Mankind evolved! He uses his suit mounted camera(a digital one) to film what he sees, to record it for science and future missions. The astronaut then leaves the control room, finds his friends awake and inside the lander, and when asked what happened to him he smiles and utters a cryptic line "I looked through Man's family album" End of film, as they fly up to their mother ship and go home with the digital video, and mankind's first inklings of it's origins. NOTE: only a couple of people die(the force doesn't want just ANYONE to be contacted), and the rescue ship DOES NOT have a meteor collision and suffer loss of crew.... ALSO, NO living aliens, and NO rip off of 2001.

Richard Crenna starts off as an amnesiac, and the film actually plays with our heads as we watch it. Everyone knows who he is, but he doesn't! So, we see things from his disjointed perspective. He seems to be this "Holy Avenger" type "Dark Knight" like a western Batman or something! the local train line stops at his PERSONAL train stop! he has a ranch house with a HUGE cave just through a fireplace secret door! He has unbelievably powerful--maybe even War Horses breeds--horses He was hired to wipe out the wretched, scum evil dudes and save the sweet but fire tempered girl, BUT he doesn't know it! Stephen Boyd is so cool in this flick, he's like "Richard Boone Lite"--he is funny, mysterious, slippery, and becomes Crenna's character's best friend/almost sibling. He exudes a sort of "yeah, I'm the sidekick, but I shoot almost as good as him, and I'm just a little less honorable" attitude here. All in all, this movie is SO cool! BTW, I'm 43, and have seen ALL the sixties and seventies spaghetti westerns, and only this one(of the non-Eastwood) is a treasured, and cherished, favorite! And, I got it at Wal Mart for a single dollar!

Only the masterful performance of McConaughy saved this flick for me. I even bought the DVD the first day it came out, but never even opened it, and 2yrs later, sold it to a used DVD program at the local electronics/console games store. What do I think went wrong here? A lot of things: Van Zandt and his troops were part of a defunct US Texas National Guards unit sent to help the Brits--this was cool given the alliance between us and them. But, the narration tells us MOST of the army units even foreign, went "warlord" or raider--attacking colonies like the protagonist's, for food, fuel, women. How did Van Zandt's unit survive against overwhelming odds from "warlords" with AFV's (armored fighting vehicles)? Spoiler ahead! Van Zandt leads the convoy down a road--sitting duck fashion when he has tanks and all terrain armored vehicles-- he could have driven through the ruins and through or over most of the low height rubble, protecting his people Instead he lets them all die--stupidly!

The dragons eat ashes? Huh? no exposition as to how or why they eat ashes--what energizes them enough to fly and fight, etc.? Are the ashes magic? The plot and narration goes into a bit of exposition about the biology of the dragons but alas--never tells us if they are organic animals or magical creatures This may seem a bit nit picky, but uh duh--if they live on ashes, why do they attack corn fields, human occupied buildings etc? Why not just burn trees, grass, ruins/rubble, etc.?

The Americans have helicopters, assuming these have radar and as shown, missiles--uh, duh, ever hear of "fire and forget" missiles-get a target lock or laser lock, and let 'em fly! they have no reason to drop "attracting parachutists" or get within even a mile of the dragons!

Of course if the script was sensible, then we'd be deprived of more sfx and "spectacular" action and gratuitous deaths.

Van Zandt chooses a real dumb way to "go out in glory", Uh I wouldn't't, and I've faced down 6 gang bangers at one time, and held my ground against a mob leg breaker, without resorting to "the stupid way out"

As has been written in other comments--where does the fuel come from? Uh Duh, the dragons eat ashes or fire--wouldn't't they "instinctively know" gasoline or jet fuel is a flammable and there fore a ready made meal? They'd have exhausted every source of fuel(liquids)(petroleum) around "years" ago!

Well, outside of the hot pilot girl, and(my first time ever seeing McConaughy in a film)McConaughy's cool "Dragon Slayer" this movie stunk on ice in the antarctic!

having known Richard Matheson for a long time, and having heard him speak at endless science fiction conventions about this movie, Omega Man, and his novel I am Legend, I can say that he grudgingly accepts this film as the most faithful adaptation of his book. I believe it is the Only adaptation that could be made from his book, in the 1960's. Why? Because those were innocent, and more culturally conservative times in Europe--Italy. The movie hints at all of the things the book could say, as a book--but titillates them so we "get the gist" but are not explicitly shown them. For instance: Morgan/Neville instantly and quite realistically to me, it seems, falls "in love" with Ruth. Why shouldn't he? here is another living person--female, and gorgeous too! He's been alone sexually and romantically, and companionship wise, for 3 yrs of end of the world, and who knows how long before that, when Virginai his wife died. Also, the Dog--whatta brilliant form of direct translation from novel to screen! Ultimately, as a writer, I feel this film is perfect in spirit to the source novel, and perfect in terms of showing an "average Joe" surviving a monstrous situation. That Morgan/Neville is not a Heston like juggernaut with an arsenal at his command, and is not a former military officer, is wonderful. Price plays Morgan/Neville as simply a guy who freakishly got lucky and who now has to hold "the world" together, even though he's just a man. I love the comment he makes when -Spoiler Ahead- he needs to replace his car: "The convertible would be nice, but I can't think of luxury--A hearse is what I need-this station wagon will have to do!" Compare this to Heston in Omega Man-- he Only drives convertibles! Brilliant in it's delineation of the source novel, brilliant in it's characterizations, and in choice of star-Price is a perfect Morgan/ Neville. And the two women are gorgeous, and engaging, and Bettoia (who plays Ruth) is both sexy(in her ankle boots and tartan skirt) and tragically lonely, filled with longing and what becomes tragically futile--hope that she and "Robert"(Morgan-Price) will "fall in lov and live happily ever after" Awesome, and one of my all time favorite films!

I can only detract 1 star from this awesome film, having been a fan since the original show(and owning all the 60's toys from kid-hood). That is:The subplot about Smith as bug(this is a spoiler, Sorry!) I was an assistant to Irwin Allen for 1yr before he died, and I have to say if he could have seen Gary Oldham play Smith, he would have cheered for joy! The first few black and white episodes of the first season, show Johnathan Harris as a cool, evil, totally phony acting villain--he has con jobbed the family into thinking he is an innocent victim, and a nice guy. Oldham does this perfectly-channeling the spirit of Harris as Smith, Spot on accurate Oldham makes this film what it is--true LIS updated for a hipper, more psychologically adept audience. I Love the family dynamic--even Major West is included as a sort of "grudgingly accepted necessary evil" Because he's the only guy Judy is ever going to have as her mate(whether she likes him or not!) Also, the incredibly prescient scripting Goldsman does-- he creates the family as a real family--one that feels, thinks, fights amongst themselves, and has real psychological concerns-- to wit: Penny's voice/video journal, where she tells what she'll miss not being a kid on earth:Kissing,Movies, Malls,Kissing,Boys, Kissing"--she too knows, once they are officially cut off, that she's doomed sexually and emotionally wise--there ain't no one for her! Oldham's Smith is a devious but strangely sympathetic tortured soul, too---he is evil, but he is evil only because he is greedy! He was in the pay of the "enemy" and this is what got him in trouble! He tries hard to survive on his own terms, but is outnumbered by the idealistic family, and the heroic and generally all around nice guy, West. We see too, some hint of Smith's psychological needs too--he kisses up to Maureen(a major babe) and Judy(a younger major babe) in a very thinly disguised seduction mode--he too knows there ain't no other available women.

All in all, this movie rules! I spent 20yrs writing science fiction(some for Gene Roddenberry, some for George Lucas) and I can say Goldsman and the producers are Ultimately Geniuses

This movie suffers from what older screenwriters like me (I'm from the old school of good writing, LOL) call "stupidity". Let's see why: duh, NASA is a technological juggernaut of its own self, why is a MARS probe robot made for them by THE MILITARY? The story does not tell us that mars will be colonized by warring nations--why is the robot a perfect killing machine then?

duh, there is NO WAY to produce ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY with any extrapolation or for-see-able technological level that NASA even knows of--what's with the AG on the ship then?

duh, HAL9000/Star Trek computer systems? Sarcastic ones? SO, let's re-write this one "properly": Kilmer, Stamp, et al, go to Mars. They find the planet strangely devoid of air seeded decades ago. They land(NO SOLAR FLARE improbability--a REAL one would have burnt the ship to cinders with radiation--because there is no atmosphere to shield it from that much radiation)in a wind storm, which destroys their lander. On Planet, they find a wind storm has destroyed their prefab shelter. One of the HUMANS goes nuts because they don't have enough oxygen to survive. He runs off. One of the crew, a hyper egotistical jerk with a fear of rejection and disapproval, goes off in a snit. The nut kills him for his oxygen cylinders.

Kilmer and Stamp and Sizemore(the 3 heavy hitter actors billed) find the dead guy, but not the nut. The nut comes back at night, killing Sizemore, by puncturing his suit and causing a gangrenous wound to grow. He makes it look accidental, but again, the air tanks are gone. Next morning, Kilmer and Stamp find something horrible has happened on Mars, with the bacteria sent to create air--it has mutated into a corrosive, sort of flesh eating organism, which normally lived off the ice on the planet's poles, and with organic compounds in the soil--now it has eaten Sizemore! They cannot kill it off--it's all over the planet which is why the place has breathable air in the first place. The bacteria is a sort of penicillin/yeast thing that if cooked, could be eaten(mushy and cardboard like, but edible) They discover breathable air, because THESE bacteria are aerobic (needing/creating) air--like plants. They find the nut--he has gone totally around the bend. He is in a near catatonic idiotic state, babbling and such. He sees them, and runs off a cliff, paranoid that they'll kill him as punishment or to get his air cylinders. Then, Stamp and Kilmer find the Russian lander. They cannot both make it back, so Stamp elects to stay on planet--he will survive on food and other necessities sent down by parachute by Kilmer and Moss

Moss calls Kilmer and Stamp "my heroes", she reveals her attraction to Kilmer, and they radio earth to send a "rescue" team and supplies, ASAP.

End of Film!

THIS is what could have been! alas, Hollywood has to screw things up in the name of MTV music noise,video eye damaging epilepsy inducing camera work, and dumbed down plotting for the single and double digit IQ audiences made up of teens and 20 somethings, TOTALLY ignoring the millions of intelligent(read triple digit IQ) citizens out here in we have money to spend, so make good films-land!

I never got to see this film as a kid, so when a book about sci-fi films turned up with a synopsis(sans the ending) came into my grasp, I rushed out and bought it on DVD(it was my 1st DVD actually!) All I can say about this incredibly un-Hollywood script, is AWESOME. Sure, there are some treacly sweet moments, and some corny pick up artist lines from Lloyd Bridges(who I had the incredible honor of "tour guide/bodyguard/hosting" at CW Post University in 1983 when he was filming a soap opera called "Loving")BUT the characterizations, the reality of their shared experience, the gently espoused message in it, all combine to make this a true sublime, cerebral, refreshing change from formula Hollywood junk. I will not spoil it for those who have yet to see it, all I will say is: once you have seen the ending, you will never forget it nor will you ever willingly accept any garbage space films or sci-fi junk writing again! Oh, 1 spoiler here: the rational for what happened to Mars is a great bit of sarcasm and foreshadows a certain 1990's obsession with "pyramids, faces, etc." on Mars! All in all, 10/10!!!!!

Why did I write that first line? Because to a small extent we all deal with anger over our lives-whether good or bad. Yeah, we deal with fear and frustration and self doubt. This film is about what happens when a tormented soul (who has no coping mechanisms and no self esteem or sense of Ego and Super Ego)goes "Id"--as Freud would have it "The Patient is in the throws of his Id, incapable of rational control of his angry behavior and his rage at being an impotent(as a functioning person, not sexually)bystander in his own life" Eric IS a bystander in his own life--which is a Twilight Zone episode gone awry. His descent into madness happened WAAAAAAAY before the film begins, and it only goes deeper into insanity as the film progresses. Tim Thomerson disappoints me in this--I loved him in just about everything he's ever done(except "The Wrong Guys")-- but here he is a disgrace to himself(he must have needed a paycheck really badly!) Mickie Rourke comes across as a preview of who he would morph into as he got older and was given more films. The plot is simple:revenge or die! The execution of the plot is flawed The finale, is ludicrous BUT the character study of Christophewr's Eric is a Freudian and Jungian DELIGHT

Natascha McElhone was the only thing good in this one. She can't act WELL, but she acted her part good enough to make me instantly like the character. The plot--a vengeful, murderous ghost, victim of a sadistic fiend, had promise. I liked the idea she was killing people who were cruel and sicko enough to want to watch the torture site--she was filled with outrage, I guess and rightly so IMHO. BUT having said all this, I want to say that the lighting, cinematography, cast(excluding McElhone), plot execution, all made me physically ill and needing a shower after viewing it.Yeah--this was a mentally disturbing, soul dirtying thing IMHO, because it was shot as if the producers and writer WANTED TO PURPOSELY cause revulsion and disgust! Natascha's character, and her lonely world(just her and her cat), and her obsession to do SOMETHING valuable with her life, and her desperate grope for love with Dorff's character, was a more intriguing, and interesting plot/story than the hunt for the serial torturer and the shutting down of the website!

I picture a good version of this going something like this: A lonely investigator for ----agency finds out people are dying from a seizure inducing digital video on the net(real life animation of POKEMON was shown to cause seizures and epileptic reactions, so have strobe traffic lights). It ties into a website thought closed down after the death(in a gunfight with cops) of a pervert. BUT, the site is still running! She is assigned along with a cynical, burnt out cop, to solve the mystery. They find the place where the site's computer is running, and have to fight one of the pervert's victims who died of starvation and dehydration because the cops shot him but did not know she was hidden in his "lair". The lonely girl confronts the ghost, convinces it to stop, by showing her autopsy photos of the dead pervert and all ends well, as the ghost goes to heaven, and the lonely girl feels a true sense of accomplishment, satisfaction with herself, and realizes she is hot and attractive enough that she can go out into the world and meet a decent guy! To ME, that would be a great film!

As a 43 yr old man who grew up on first generation Marvel comics, I went into Daredevil wanting a good experience. OK, as has been written here before, the Director's Cut is a better version in those commentator's opinions, BUT in mine, someone who read a little of the original comic book version (I'll admit I was more a Fantastic Four, Iron Man, early Spider-Man fan), I can say I was disappointed with the choice of actors in this film. What the heck is so hot/special/talented about Ms. Garner? Oh Uh Okay, she acts in a ridiculous wildly un common sense, nonsense TV show, but why is she the darling of geek boys everywhere? She isn't even good eye candy IMHO! And I'm really tired of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, etc.--why are they thrown at us as the new "Uber Stars" who can do "every genre of film plot/story"? IMHO they don't do anything but look attractive(as my girlfriend always dreamily sighs) I don't get the Hollywood "this is the formula-break from it and die" attitude forced on film makers these days(and I spent 15yrs writing for the studios and TV networks as a free lance writer doing "script polishes/re-writes" etc.) So I know the bullying! BUT this said, why make a sub standard version of a third rate comic book character and sell it to the geek boys who you know, are out to fine tooth comb EVERY miss step and wrong written iota? Too many "flash bang snazzy" MTV filming techniques, too much reliance on CGI, not nearly enough attention to PLOT and STORY and CHARACTERIZATION!

Movies these days seem to be made for single and double digit IQ, MTV/VH1 addicted micro attention span, illiterate pod people pretending to be sentient beings(and for all my bitterness and misanthropy--I'm a college professor who TEACHES screen writing and play writing, as well as how to write science fiction, fantasy and heroic (pulp as well as super)--I feel like a dinosaur that hasn't noticed I'm extinct!) All this flick had going for it IMHO, is the FANTASTIC ULTRA COOL, TOTALLY BELIEVABLE AS SUPERVILLAIN, Colin Firth as BullsEye--the classic response to Kingpin's question of what he can pay BullsEye: "I want a cool costume like he has"(or words to that effect I may be paraphrasing!)