Sole Survivor (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

Mr. McGinley makes it worthwhile

[cujo2 · 7/10 · 28 June 2005]

A made for TV miniseries - thank god it aired in one piece in my country- based on a typical Dean Koontz story. A typical Dean Koontz story consists most of the times of the following trademark ingredients:

1.an evil villain that has access to all the nifty computer and info stuff, mostly a loner and a sociopath. 2. a secret organization that can only partly control the fore-mentioned bad guy but delivers him ( mostly its a him) resources. 3. a loner that is halfway out of the system is also very witty on the same grounds the bad guy is 4. someone in distress. 5. a little dash of the supernatural or some ET activity.

Stir this up and serve chilled. In other words in my opinion most of the Koontz books are exactly the same with a few exceptions. A done by the numbers story that after reading more books becomes predictable and boring.

Most of the Koontz movies I saw - not that many- suffer of course all the more from the above and so does this movie. Billy Zane is not a very gifted actor and he stumbles through the plot with mild commitment and I never felt the grief portrayed enough that a man who has lost his wife and child must feel. The muddled plot that is predictable for everyone who has read at least one fiction book in his life goes and goes and the viewer might take the opportunity to nod off so once in a while...

But

There is Mr McGinley, I liked him in on deadly ground and an ever further over the top character is brought to the screen here. He has all the great lines and he breathes more life in the material he has been given than one could expect. Lucky for the viewer he has a nice portion of screen time and it might be hard not to cheer for the bad guy in this case. He portraits a better bad guy than Mr Koontz can create in his books. He is by far the best actor in this series and from the looks of it the only one who is enjoying himself.

The 7 I gave is for his performance.

A Movie Well Worth Seeing

[-628 · 7/10 · 14 July 2002]

Dean Koontz writes a superb story and part of his strength is that he develops his characters so well. Movies based on his books have not been as successful because film-makers often aim for horror and action at the expense of characterisation. I'm happy to say that "Sole Survivor" does not fall into this short-coming. The movie retains not only the drama, suspense and mystery of the book, but also the characterisations, especially in the first half of the movie. The acting is superb, particularly from Billy Zane and Rachel Victoria Roberts, who make their characters totally believable. The movies does lose some impact in the 2nd half as the character of Yates descends into a caricature of evil. The movie would have retained more credibility if he was portrayed as fanatic rather than lunatic. Nevertheless, the movie maintains its suspense to the end and, in my view, represents the best translation to screen of any Dean Koontz book I have seen to date. This is a movie well worth seeing.

Extremely interesting and a suspenseful story.

[macpherr · 7/10 · 18 September 2000]

A man loses his daughter and wife in a plane crash. He has to cope with the loss, and in the process of finding out why the plane went down he meets a woman who someone wants to kill and subsequently starts being hunted by a few CIA agents. The agents were involved in cloning people with special gifts. There favorite was a boy who could get into the mind of people and influence them to kill people the CIA wanted dead (assassinated). Gloria Reuben's (ER) character is one of the scientists who was cloning people, and cloned this girl with special gifts like healing. The CIA thought the girl was a threat to their project and wanted her dead. They had their boy cause the plane crash in which the man lost his daughter and wife. Gloria Reuben's character and the girl with the special powers survived the plane crash because the girl transported both of them into another dimension. I started watching the series, without realizing what I was really watching. The suspense grabbed me although I make a point of watching nothing that brings fear into my head. This two-part mini series did not bring fear, but was a suspenseful sci-fi type of story that really caught my attention and I enjoyed watching it. Favorite Scenes: The girl healing people. Awesome! Favorite Quote": Thank you for the cookies and for the gun." I recommend the series!

Fantastic little series, worth watching.

[glennwalsh44 · 1 January 2003]

Caught this on the UK Sci-Fi channel over two nights and I really enjoyed it. Billy Zane is excellent and playing a more mature and vulnerable character than usual, a very convincing family man. The little girl '21-21' really reminded me of my own daughter so I had a lump in my throat at the end (if you aren't a 'daddy' you won't understand!). The Yates character was certainly over-the-top, but still (just) believable, as he got more and more frustrated in the chase and let's face it, he got all the best lines. I love science-fantasy material rather than horror, and although I haven't read the book, I will be keeping an eye out for it. A first-rate TV mini-series.

Sole Survivor: Misses greatness

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 20 May 2018]

Sole Survivor is the movie adaptation of a supernatural thriller book by Dean Koontz.

The 3 hour epic teeters on greatness but somehow, someway misses the mark and misses it hard.

It tells the story of man played by the incredibly underrated Billy Zane who lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash. Before he knows it he finds himself embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy that may explain what really happened on that fateful day.

Also starring Scrubs (2001) star John C. McGinley this powerhouse of a movie is one of those that has a great concept but runs out of steam about half way through.

Also starring Timecop (1994) star Gloria Reuben and former child star Jodelle Ferland I was really enjoying Sole Survivor up until the point that it became apparent it really wasn't going anywhere special.

The film is worth watching for Zane & McGinley alone but the heartbreaking thing is how much potential this had. Sole Survivor had limitless potential but Koontz clearly ran out of ideas (Good ones anyway).

A damn fine attempt regardless.

The Good:

Billy Zane and John C. McGinley are excellent

Great first half

Some nice ideas

The Bad:

Plot gets a bit muddled

Too much "God" speak

Finale was a dud

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I hate kids, also likely to be my last words

Disappointing Twist and Too Long

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 11 December 2005]

In Seattle, while grieving in the cemetery the lost of his wife and little daughter in a plane crash, the former reporter Joe Carpenter (Billy Zane) is contacted by a strange woman that is being chased by FBI. She makes him understand that his daughter might be alive. Joe decides to investigate deeper what happened with the domestic flight 353 and the causes of the mysterious accident. Meanwhile, the sadistic agent Yates (John C. McGinley) follows Joe, killing and torturing people contacted by Joe, trying to catch Rose. "Sole Survivor" is a too long movie, with lots of unnecessary flashbacks and a disappointing twist. The story has a good beginning as if it were X-Files, and a terrible ending. The stupid and unbelievable character of Yates, with gratuity sadism with people, is the worst in this mini. The accident is explained, but the reason for such lunatic kills and tortures so many persons along the story is simply ridiculous. The reason why Rose contacts Joe is also silly. "Sole Survivor" is only recommended for a rainy day without any other option for killing time. My vote is six. Title (Brazil) "O Sobrevivente" ("The Survival")

It may not have been perfect, but it was entertaining.

[maguskamish · 7/10 · 29 January 2005]

I think this was a very enjoyable movie, even if it wasn't exactly the same as the book. There is no way that you can expect a story written by Dean Koontz to translate to a TV broadcast, even a 4 hour mini-series, without having some problems. I don't think it would have been as "perfect" as everyone seems to want, even if it had been a 10 hour mini-series. I seem to remember reading an article about Stephen King several years ago and I believe he said that his stories translate to the screen best if he does the screenplay, but even then they aren't perfect. What you should do is read the books for the full story and let your mind be the screen. If you decide to watch the movie or TV broadcast, enjoy it as another 'telling of the story'. If you can't accept that some things are going to be different, then you should probably stick to the books. Remember, it's only a movie, 'Suspend Belief' and enjoy yourself!

Could be a nice film but the length is killing it.

[ron.vliet · 4/10 · 17 February 2002]

The story of this film is ok and should guarantee a great film but it isn't. The film starts ok but basically there isn't enough material to fill the approx. 180 minutes. This results in scenes that go on and on and every bit of detailed is chewed ready for the viewer like they don't have any imagination themselves. Somewhere after 100 minutes of viewing time it's hard to keep fascinated by the film.

Suspenseful and Corny

[Scoval71 · 8/10 · 23 April 2006]

Well, I enjoyed it. Somewhat a bit too long, but Billy Zane gives a well acted performance. The bad guy played by McGinley is very corny and goofy, quite unbelievable in his actions, yet somehow it fits the storyline. I caught this movie on a rainy afternoon and found its four hours most entertaining and suspenseful. Some of the plot is very far fetched. Examples are: The little girl brings a bird back to life and in the fashion of a Jesus Christ makes serious bloody wounds and cuts heal, but this is a great child actress. I like Billy Zane and always thought he was a fine actor. I recommend this movie. Not the best, but compelling, riveting and suspenseful. One other comment I have is that I could not stomach the cruelty of the blinding and shooting of the horse by the McGinley character. To me this was absolutely not necessary and totally repellent.

Creepy, Weird But surprisingly good movie

[scarey101 · 7/10 · 7 July 2005]

This movie is a great piece of sci-fi and fantasy movie making. Of course you can tell that it was a novel from the word go as it is a very "out there" story. However as long as you watch this movie with and open mind and ignore the plot holes and blatant impossibilities if of this movie it is an enjoyable movie.

The casting is very good (Iespecially enjoyed the man from 'scrubs' as the bad guy however over the top his character was!),Billy Zane is surprisingly good as the central role in a performance that i have never seen from him. The story is interesting and compelling and its easy to see that it would make a very good page turner as you are always kept on the edge of your seat.

However out there the story may be there are important ideas about God, Life, Family and Death all contained subtly within the story (as do all great novels). This gives the movie a whole new dimension that sets it apart from any one dimensional sci-fi movies that i have seen. its a movie that leaves you thinking afterwards but also is not eclipsed by this and so leaves the movie entertaining and not too strenuous for the watcher (or reader). There are also some very creepy moments in this movie but nothing too scary so don't be put off if you are easily scared because you shouldn't be too scared by this movie.

So in all watch this movie it is enjoyable for the thinking movie fans of you out there, the die hard sci-fi fans and anyone who has a few hours to spare time(OK quite a lot of spare time this is a long movie as it was originally a mini series).

Moderate potboiler goes through the motions

[Libretio · 3/10 · 23 December 2004]

SOLE SURVIVOR

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Sound format: Stereo

(2 episodes)

The trouble with Dean Koontz's literary thrillers is that - for all his undoubted writing talent and his ability to create indelible characters and believable environments through skillful prose - the stories themselves are usually as bland and predictable as you could possibly imagine. Which makes them perfect fodder for the insatiable conveyor belt of American TV, as demonstrated by this little time-waster, co-produced by Koontz himself, and written by Richard Christian Matheson based on Koontz's novel. Clearly in it for the money, Billy Zane (who seems determined to make himself look as unattractive as possible - he doesn't quite succeed, but that HAIR!) loses his wife and daughter in a horrific air crash, only to discover their deaths were linked to disturbing scientific experiments conducted inside a super-secret government research center. Cue the villainous government agents (led by a terrific John C. McGinley, who can do this kind of 'slimy villain' role in his sleep), determined to prevent Zane from discovering the truth, which naturally encourages him to do just that.

This two-part mini-series, directed by former cinematographer Mikael Salomon (also responsible for the 2004 update of 'SALEM'S LOT), dangles enough intriguing clues about the film's Ultimate Secret to keep viewers hooked to the very end, but it's bogged down by a series of lengthy dialogue exchanges, and the climactic revelations are hardly the stuff of Great Drama. Production values are polished, but cast and crew are simply going through the motions.

An edge-of-you-seat Thriller

[Spooky2001 · 9/10 · 5 July 2001]

This is a very good movie. It has it all: action, drama, a little comedy and suspense. You will be on the edge of the seat the whole time. This is one of Dean Koontz's best movie other than Phantoms. If like Dean Koontz you will love this movie. It will leave you hanging and begging for more. You have not seen anything yet untill you have seen Sole Survivor.

Moving...

[hopelex1 · 7/10 · 7 January 2006]

I saw this and it's a great movie for anyone to watch whether you have a family, are alone, or simply believe in God and the after life.

The acting was tremendous and the chemistry was definitely there. The plot threw me, but I was able to follow it better in the second half.

There are portions of the movie that you can't help but think about, not to mention making sure that your door is locked at night. (You'll understand when you see the movie)

It's a film that you can definitely watch and appreciate again and again. While watching this, you'll feel happy, sad, concerned and maybe even a little frightened, but it's definitely worth taking the time to watch.

could have really been a good movie.

[harican · 4/10 · 8 March 2005]

This movie is so prolonged it is awfully annoying.

The dialogs are to lengthy and the flashbacks are too many.

The story takes too much of a twist, genetically designed children, child # 2121?, ridiculous. Parts of this movie were okay, but the story line was too drawn out. It became almost too hard to endure.

The main character was okay but the CIA agent tracking him was too corny, too much of an idiot character to even watch.

I saw this movie on the Mystery channel and thought that it was all a waste of time once the movie winded down.

This movie turned out to be more of a sci-fi film than a horror film. Nothing scary about this film at all. I don't know, but maybe that was what this movie was supposed to be classified as.

Touching and miraculous, a rare gem for anyone who ever lost someone.

[glitz n glam · 16 September 2000]

This is an amazing story of a man who lost everything that was really important to him as an airplane crashed killing his wife and child. He copes with the depression, but soon learns that life does not end after death, and who better to teach him but the last person to ever see his family alive, a six year old escaped test-subject, named 21-21 who survived.....but how....the answer is something this man has to cope with ever more. I think this is one of the most touching things I've seen in a long time, and believe me, there are so many twists to it, what I've said doesn't even start to explain it, in fact, I don't even think you could.

Just dreadful

[mmcgown · 1/10 · 16 October 2002]

This is such a positively dreadful adaptation of the excellent novel by Dean Koontz that it's a mystery why he allowed his name on the screen. The Matheson teleplay is completely off the mark, and the John McGinley portrayal of Yates is laughable at first and then so revoltingly stupid that it destroys the continuity of the entire story. Fans of Koontz' writing should avoid wasting their time on this insipid presentation.

Exciting movie with two layers

[lproche · 9/10 · 5 December 2005]

To the viewer this 4 hours of entertainment almost seems like two movies because of the spectacular revelations that occur in the second half, providing two layers of understanding of the events, like Russian dolls hidden within one another.

Initially the viewer is treated to a relatively down to earth story where a journalist who has lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash tries to uncover the truth behind the tantalising indications that his loved ones have survived, beyond all reasonable hope. The dark secrets behind the event are revealed later in the story, explaining the brutal deaths occurring to anyone who is close to the heart of the matter, and the truth of the stories of surviving the unsurvivable. The way the themes of the second half of the movie were developed justifies my high rating. I should declare these are sci-fi themes that are close to my heart as someone who, like many others, has at many times in my life had experiences of telepathy, and would dearly love to believe in the healing power of the mind. Of course the villains of this movie are exaggerated, but that makes us all the more keen to see them get their just deserts in the end. I am reminded of "the Net" another movie that is successful in getting the viewer involved with the central character and invested in the final outcome.

To those who commented negatively on this movie, based on reasons such as having short attention span or not liking Billy Zane's hair (no kidding), I imagine you have never found a wild bird staggering around close to death, picked it up in your hand and breathed warmth into it, and then seen it fly away full of energy. (Yes, I have). To anyone who would like to do so, I recommend this movie.

Slow and stupid (contains minor spoilers)

[chann94501 · 4/10 · 29 April 2012]

I have real issues with movies where they insist on making the characters as dumb as fence posts. This is one of them. If you are being monitored by the evil government then don't call your best friend on the phone to tell him where the secret meeting he doesn't have any interest in is being held. If you are about to die just tell all, there are no consequences to spilling it all now. If you must steal a car don't do it in front of the bad guys, or at least change cars.

Then there's the pointless religion, what the heck has belief in mythical beings got to do with this story.

They didn't wrap up the loose ends either. Not that we are interested in finding out what became of the minor characters. Just glad it's over.

This was small part mystery, small part new age clap trap, large part padding.

And why do I have to stretch this out to 10 lines when some other reviews are one liners.

Don't plan on visiting the refer or bathroom

[writer77 · 8/10 · 10 June 2005]

I accidentally found this movie on cable while surfing. It grabbed my attention immediately. A writer's wife and daughter are killed in a tragic airplane crash. The movie grinds us through a never-ending sequence of plot twists, uncertainly, and violence. The writer senses a conspiracy, and the bad guys want to make sure he doesn't get to the bottom of the truth. John McGinley is great as the sadistic head bad guy. I was never sure where the bad guys were from. Beautiful scenery from Canada.

I was not satisfied with the ending, which left a few questions, but maybe there will be a sequel.

Robert Morrisette

One of Dean's best books but...

[oldguybc · 5/10 · 30 December 2005]

I think whoever tried to interpret this into a screenplay did just a marginally adequate job, even though Dean Koontz is credited as a "co- producer" it is obvious that he had had little say- so in the actual production. The sad part was the attempt to remain true to the story line which was accomplished after a fashion but, sadly at the expense of remaining true to Dean's character development and overall story concept. Casting was adequate but not brilliant. Billy Zane did a fair job at best, while John C. McGinley's portrayal of Yates, which was so very good at first, kind of fell apart at the end as anyone who read the book can see. Both Watchers and Hideaway were disappointing as well, would like to see Life Expectancy but believe the story line would be far too difficult.

Almost-great combination of Stephen King and Michael Crichton

[wombat_1 · 15 July 2002]

My one-line summary for this movie, and most of this critique, seems to hold for most Dean Koontz books/movies that I have read/seen. They are a combination of Stephen King fantasy, horror and mystery; "supported", sort of, by a Michael Crichton "high tech". The combination works well up to a point, but for reasons that I don't quite understand, it doesn't quite become "great". It seems that Koontz isn't quite comfortable with a good fantasy story, that he seems to "need" some kind of scientific justification, which he doesn't.

This particular movie/story rolls along quite nicely, a lot of interest, possibly a little too long before the denouement, when we find out what's really going on. But overall, a "very good" movie. I see strong similarities between this movie and "Phantoms" in particular.

I also think that the violence is a little gratuitous. But against that is that there is not a single swear word, not a single glimpse of naked flesh; where there is plenty of opportunity to include that if he wanted to.

Having said all that, it IS a good movie. I would always be prepared to hire out a Dean Koontz movie on the strength of his name alone. It's simply that here on IMDB I get to wax philosophical about it...

An Exceptional Miniseries

[lingo4 · 15 September 2000]

I have always enjoyed Dean Koontz's miniseries and this is no exception. I saw this with an open mind, and it captured my imagination brilliantly. Everyone was well cast and the filming was very precise. The writing was also excellent and was without flaw. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Although the miniseries has already aired, you can catch it on video whenever it comes out. This is an exceptional miniseries.

Fantastic Movie.

[AlexisRamosn · 2 August 2010]

It's a great family film. it's one of those movies where it's kinda boring in the beginning but gets so great later on. if your in a sad mood,this movie with most likely cheer you up. This movie is set up to two parts,part 1 and part 2. Sole Survivor is basically about this guy who looses his wife and 6 year old daughter,Nina. but later on,learns that their not really 'dead'. and adoptions a new daughter named '2121'. from an science laboratory where they take children and make them have kinda like their on power or ability to do something special. weirdly,2121 was also 6 years old like his other daughter. This film will make you cry first,then happy and just want to go up to your family and hug them and feel grateful for what you have. i recommend everyone gets to see this movie whenever they can :)