Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Bambi B on November 05, 2004 at 08:39:19

In Reply to: "Contact" posted by rico on November 04, 2004 at 06:06:50:

rico,

I tried to like "Contact", which has some fine effects, and attention to detail, but I really have come to dislike almost everything in the story. Far, far, too much time is spent with the realationship between Foster and Skerritt who waltzes in for the discoverys' credit. I know a few people at NASA and JPL and the spirit in these agnecies does not have the dynamics of a nursery school recess. The tension developed over this issue is only a distraction and subtracts from the story. I suppose it was set up so that when Skerritt dies, we are so annoyed with this puffed up obnoxious berk, the audience can cheer his demise. But, what did this sub-plot contribute to the story? Only delay and irritation, as in the end Skerritt's character contributes nothing except that irritation and a little PR that may or may not have secured some funding for the transpot device.

Secondly, I hated the climatic trip that Foster makes- in which she goes a billion light years in a few seconds to meet her "daddy" on a beach on a less glamourous version of Hawaii. This few minutes of vague back story from the dead "father" is the grand message from the Universe? All that time, effort, expense, and fatalities and absolutely nothing was learned about the alien civilisation. Foster could have saved all the trouble by eating lobster one hour before bed and having a five minute dream.

The non-relationship with the ex-seminary student looking for the big answers went nowhere also and there was no chemistry between the two in any way.

In spite of the pointlessness of so much of "Contact", when I relax the analytical brain and turn off the Wal-Mart science and Hallmark sentimentality, it is kind of enjoyable. At least it propels itself along well.

But, I think this movie would put most children off ever becoming involved in space exploration. Look at the facts: Thousands of hours of dedicated study and the credit is stolen in five minutes, trillions of Bushniks and lives spent, trillons of miles travel and one person gets five minutes with a replica of her dead father with some vague sentimental thoughts on eternity? Having fun with science yet?

As I say, I actually enjoy this one more than it appears here, but "Contact" could have been much. much better with a different set of plot emphases and characters.

Cheers,

Bambi B