This next review is about a film that my old man showed me years ago and one i'd forgotten about until now. WESTWORLD is a sci-fi western about a theme park that uses highly advanced robot. The film was written and directed by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) and stars James Brolin, Richard Benjamin and Yul Brynner. Check out the review after the jump.
So like I said in my intro, i'd been shown Westworld by my dad when I was a kid and never really took any notice of it, I was way to interested in Luke Skywalker and his battle against the empire at that age, but as a 28 year old with an addiction to cult movies I decided to give Westworld a punt again. Warners had released it on R2 DVD and Amazon were selling it cheap so I stuck it in the shopping basket and went to the check out. 5 day later it lands on my door step and last night after watching the truly abysmal Howling 2 (not even worth reviewing) I popped this bad boy in the DVD player.
What could have easily been a 70s version of Wild Wild West (the movie) was actually a well written and exceptionally well directed film. So a bit about the story. Its the near future and a company called the Delos Corporation has opened a theme park where for $1000 a day you can act out your wildest fantasies. Our two leads, decide to go to Westworld. An authentic 1880s version of the wild west complete with town, saloon, sheriff and 'sex bots' (prozzies). Apart from the holiday makers all of the other people are sophisticated robots. But a virus has caused them to turn on the guests and it's up to Richard Benjamin's character to avoid the Gunslinger and escape the resort.
Ok, The Simpsons parodied this film brilliantly in an episode called 'Itchy and Scratchy Land' and when you look at the source material and who it's from, you realise that it's a precursor to Jurassic Park, but instead of Dinosaurs you get killer robot cowboys.
The three main cast members are crazy fucking cool. James Brolin is such a bad ass cool as ice kat, his demeanour is just frigging Steve mcQueen cool. There's something about him that stands out. It's as though he should be a star now, not in the 70s. Although he is crazy fucking cool here, he does look like a bargain Eastwood, but that's cool, the fact that I'm comparing Brolin to Eastwood is a complement. Look at the cool as fuck films he produced in the 60s and 70s, Von Ryan's Express, Capricorn One, Skyjacked, all awesome flicks. So why did he get sucked into TV movies in the 1980s? We'll never know.
Richard Benjamin is the kind of character actor who you the name but couldn't place the face or the movies he made. The dude wasn't just an actor, he directed some pretty cool flicks too. He directed My Favorite Year with Peter O' Tool, City Heat with Eastwood and even the Cher film Mermaids but in Westworld he plays the timid lawyer friend of Brolin, unsure of what he's getting into and finally finds his stride after an altercation with the Gunslinger. Its the last 20 minutes that really stand out for Benjamin who is relentlessly chased by The Gunslinger across all of the resorts, which is near silent the entire time and the tension relies on Benjamin's reactions and emotions such as fear.
Yul Brynner, the King of Siam, pretty much opens up a can of robo cowboy whoopass as the gunslinger. Brynner brings a psychotic emotionless role to the robot. His stride is menacing and his eyes are evil. The way his chases Benjamin through the various themed resorts is very disturbing, He is relentless in his pursuit, But Brynner who was apparently one of the nicest guys around really changes in this, dressed in what looks like his costume for Chris Adams from The Magnificent Seven, his portrayal of the Gunslinger must have been a basis for Robert Patric's T-1000 from Terminator 2.
So what is my final verdict on Westworld?
This is an incredibly well made film, it's exciting, Thrilling, tense, humorous and very well acted. Westerns and Sci-fi don't usually mix and when they do, Excluding Wild Wild West, They give us something very fresh and very original. Cowboys and Aliens (2011) should hopefully bring us a new fresh take on the sci-fi and sorely missed western genre.
I highly recommend checking out Westworld. It's a great entertaining film that shouldn't disappoint.
WESTWORD
FILM: 9/10
What could have easily been a 70s version of Wild Wild West (the movie) was actually a well written and exceptionally well directed film. So a bit about the story. Its the near future and a company called the Delos Corporation has opened a theme park where for $1000 a day you can act out your wildest fantasies. Our two leads, decide to go to Westworld. An authentic 1880s version of the wild west complete with town, saloon, sheriff and 'sex bots' (prozzies). Apart from the holiday makers all of the other people are sophisticated robots. But a virus has caused them to turn on the guests and it's up to Richard Benjamin's character to avoid the Gunslinger and escape the resort.
Ok, The Simpsons parodied this film brilliantly in an episode called 'Itchy and Scratchy Land' and when you look at the source material and who it's from, you realise that it's a precursor to Jurassic Park, but instead of Dinosaurs you get killer robot cowboys.
The three main cast members are crazy fucking cool. James Brolin is such a bad ass cool as ice kat, his demeanour is just frigging Steve mcQueen cool. There's something about him that stands out. It's as though he should be a star now, not in the 70s. Although he is crazy fucking cool here, he does look like a bargain Eastwood, but that's cool, the fact that I'm comparing Brolin to Eastwood is a complement. Look at the cool as fuck films he produced in the 60s and 70s, Von Ryan's Express, Capricorn One, Skyjacked, all awesome flicks. So why did he get sucked into TV movies in the 1980s? We'll never know.
Richard Benjamin is the kind of character actor who you the name but couldn't place the face or the movies he made. The dude wasn't just an actor, he directed some pretty cool flicks too. He directed My Favorite Year with Peter O' Tool, City Heat with Eastwood and even the Cher film Mermaids but in Westworld he plays the timid lawyer friend of Brolin, unsure of what he's getting into and finally finds his stride after an altercation with the Gunslinger. Its the last 20 minutes that really stand out for Benjamin who is relentlessly chased by The Gunslinger across all of the resorts, which is near silent the entire time and the tension relies on Benjamin's reactions and emotions such as fear.
Yul Brynner, the King of Siam, pretty much opens up a can of robo cowboy whoopass as the gunslinger. Brynner brings a psychotic emotionless role to the robot. His stride is menacing and his eyes are evil. The way his chases Benjamin through the various themed resorts is very disturbing, He is relentless in his pursuit, But Brynner who was apparently one of the nicest guys around really changes in this, dressed in what looks like his costume for Chris Adams from The Magnificent Seven, his portrayal of the Gunslinger must have been a basis for Robert Patric's T-1000 from Terminator 2.
So what is my final verdict on Westworld?
This is an incredibly well made film, it's exciting, Thrilling, tense, humorous and very well acted. Westerns and Sci-fi don't usually mix and when they do, Excluding Wild Wild West, They give us something very fresh and very original. Cowboys and Aliens (2011) should hopefully bring us a new fresh take on the sci-fi and sorely missed western genre.
I highly recommend checking out Westworld. It's a great entertaining film that shouldn't disappoint.
WESTWORD
FILM: 9/10
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