When I saw the previews for this movie, I really wasn't sure whether I would like it of not. Obviously it was based on the "star seed" idea that has been floating in New Age and other communities around for years - and well, anyone who is old enough to remember them quickly realizes that it looks like the movies - _2001: A Space Odyssey_ & _2010_. I was afraid the ideas might come across as too "cheesy", but it has such a strong and talented cast that seeing how they treated these ideas appealed to me, and in the end, it was the cast and the effects that made the movie.
I walked out of the theatre thinking, "It's been done before, but I am glad I saw it." The special effects are gorgeous - but almost too perfect. Life & death action just does NOT seem to pack the same punch when it is done in the slow motion world of zero gravity. I also was a bit disappointed in the ending --- I knew that it was supposed to be uplifting and filled with potential, but something about the way that it was presented feel short. However, the same slower speed that created these problems also allows us time to truly feel and reflect on the emotions of loss & love, which are both deeply felt here.
If you are looking for action and a movie that will hold glued to your seat and sweep you away, look elsewhere. But if you want characters with depth and ideas that will still leave you thinking hours after the movie, check this one out. The special effects are well worth seeing on their own and this is definitely a movie with something for everyone - even women who are not at all into Science Fiction will *love* the zero gravity dance scene and be touched by the relationships.
BTW--- is it just me, or was the evolution sequence almost exactly a fully developed version of the first section of one that was originally cut from the movie, _Heavy Metal_?
I walked out of the theatre thinking, "It's been done before, but I am glad I saw it." The special effects are gorgeous - but almost too perfect. Life & death action just does NOT seem to pack the same punch when it is done in the slow motion world of zero gravity. I also was a bit disappointed in the ending --- I knew that it was supposed to be uplifting and filled with potential, but something about the way that it was presented feel short. However, the same slower speed that created these problems also allows us time to truly feel and reflect on the emotions of loss & love, which are both deeply felt here.
If you are looking for action and a movie that will hold glued to your seat and sweep you away, look elsewhere. But if you want characters with depth and ideas that will still leave you thinking hours after the movie, check this one out. The special effects are well worth seeing on their own and this is definitely a movie with something for everyone - even women who are not at all into Science Fiction will *love* the zero gravity dance scene and be touched by the relationships.
BTW--- is it just me, or was the evolution sequence almost exactly a fully developed version of the first section of one that was originally cut from the movie, _Heavy Metal_?