arthur_tafero

This is a hilariously bad piece of science-fiction starring two B actors; Peter Cushing and Doug McClure. Doug McClure being cast as an Englishman is pretty hilarious in inself. The film features two distinct species (just like The Time Machine made several years earlier with the Eloi and Morlocks). One is human in form, and the other are creatures resembling dinosaurs and parrots.

The smart ones are the pollysaurs (my name for them), as they also use a form of mind-control (although that is fairly easy with the humans here).

The film begins with inventor Peter Cushing creating a highly phallic drilling machine that he mans with Doug McClure as his copilot; not the best of plans.

They both fall unconscious due to heat prostration, and wind up in a jungle that looks vaguely similar to that of Lincoln Park in Jersey City. They are both captured by the Pollysaurs, and the adventure begins to unravel (and I mean that in both ways). As a result of this film, Jimmy Carter was elected President. Fun for 90 min.

The production values of The Core are visually stunning, and a few of the performances of the players are believable. The plot of the film is that the earth's core has stopped rotating, and it is affecting the surface in many negative ways. Eventually, it would cause the earth to burn up if not corrected.

One of the drawbacks of the film is its predictability. Do we really have to wonder which two members of the crew will survive? You don't have to be a genius to figure that one out. However, there are a few surprises along the way that make viewing this film an interesting experience. The character I most identified with was Stanley Tucci's narcissistic scientist, who thinks he invented everything, and is God's gift to the world. Entertaining.

It is a very common thing for sequels not to equal the emotional impact of the original film. Only Godfather 2 and The Empire Strikes Back were, in my opinion, able to succeed in that task. Make no mistake, however, this is a very good film. It has get production values, inspirational music, fine sets, and spectacular action sequences (something Scott is famous for) equal to, or in some scenes, even better than the original.

The one weakness of the film is the casting. Paul Mescal is fine in the lead, and Denzel Washington, although a bit over the top, does a credible job as the heavy. The supporting cast is fine, but Pedro Pascal does not make the grade as a believable leader of men. Connie Neilson does a fine job as the long-suffering mother, and Mescal compliments her well in that subplot. The emperors are fine in their roles as well, but their characters are (intentionally?) shallow, and we really don't know much about them.

This may or may not be the best film of the year, but it is certainly one of the best films compared to what I have seen so far this year (not a great year for film).