Review #1170: Futureworld.
Cast:
Peter Fonda (Chuck Browning), Blythe Danner (Tracy Ballard), Arthur Hill (Dr. Duffy), Yul Brynner (The Gunslinger), John Ryan (Dr. Morton Schneider), Stuart Margolin (Harry Croft), James M. Connor (Clark the robot), Allen Ludden (Game show host), and Robert Cornthwaite (Mr. Reed) Directed by Richard T. Heffron.
Review:
Westworld (1973) was a fine and enjoyable experience, having a fine cast alongside an interesting premise and execution that has quite a bit of fun with thrilling elements alongside sci-fi and western aspects. Paul N. Lazarus III, producer of the previous film, returned to help produce alongside James T. Aubrey while having financing from American International Pictures. Michael Crichton did not have any direct involvement in this film, with the task of writing the film going to Mayo Simon and George Schenck, with the former having experience in writing films such as Marooned (1969). In any case, the only person to return for the sequel is Brynner, making his penultimate film appearance. Perhaps it is his appearance that helps best describe the whole film experience: embarrassing and not having much point, as he appears in a dream sequence midway through the movie, where he at one point twirls a character around with a scarf after saving her from some nameless villains. The rest of the film is pretty bland and ultimately serves as a disappointment in part because it never really kicks itself into high gear in terms of story or acting. The fact that the corporation in the film spent over a billion dollars in safety to re-open the park is probably the only real surprise, since I would have assumed they would have been sued out of existence, what with the whole thing about the robots malfunctioning and killing people in the park. I suppose a little bit of polish (along with having a control center with all robots) and a bit of good PR will help fix everything - and that is where Fonda and Danner come into the picture. It's amazing how two characters (one being the skeptic and the other being less cynical) who seem to fit right into a conspiracy thriller film are played so blandly; they also having the added downside of having little to no chemistry with each other, and they aren't too interesting to follow along with. Hill is okay, but the film doesn't really have any real sort of villainous presence, and the lack of any real tension makes this for a bland experience. The film has some notable effects at times, notably for the use of 3D computer-generated imagery (CGI), being the first major feature to do so, with the effects being an animated hand and face. Clips from the short film A Computer Animated Hand (1972) were used, which is an early example of computer animation that was directed by Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke, with the former later co-founding Pixar. By the time the film reveals its card involving the nefarious scheme by the people running the park, it already feels like it should have been revealed sooner, and it doesn't really have too much impact. I really thought there would be a bit more to the fact that robots run the park, but you really get more interest in Margolin and his robot buddy in the time they get on screen. The climax comes and goes without any big punches or surprises, with an ending that doesn't feel too particularly satisfactory (unless you like someone running away from the park after giving a scientist one particular gesture). Ultimately, Futureworld manages to come off as a chore to sit through at times, not having any real suspense or spectacle aside from a few interesting effects that make for a movie that just doesn't have what it takes to make for good entertainment, being a middle-of-the-road kind of feature.
Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.
