A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * · · ) DVD Rating: ( * * * * * )
Kurt Russel plays a soldier that was born to kill, literally. This sci-fi movie was supposed to be pretty bad, but I have to say, it was the star of this weekend. Kurt Russel does a good job playing the mindless killer thrown into a world of normal people, the costumes and sets are very cool, kind of a mix of Road Warrior and Dune. The junk world is pretty well done, and the story has its strong and weak points. It turns into First Blood there for a little while but gets back on track. The main evil commander is a twirp you wish never existed, and the whole idea of the invasion of the junk planet seemed like it was written on the back of a napkin. One really good point was the very tasteful choice of Loreena McKennitts Night Ride Across the Caucasus (available on her Book of Secrets CD, an excellent disc) for a little scene of life with the natives (track 11). One bad point was the way overuse of slow motion shots to convey emotion. A director should limit it to at most four. The end was satisfying, and the little bit of depth into the mind of a being completly out of his context was good. The DD 5.1 sound was very full with a lot of bass and the transfer is 16x9 enhanced. There is also directors commentary on this disc. This one is definitly worth the $20.