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STARS...
Bruce Dern, Michael
Pare, Catherine Mary Stewart, Adam
Ant, Anthony James, and Rick Podell.
PLOT SUMMARY...
In 2087, following a world wide nuclear war, a small band of survivors
fight to protect their water hole shanty town from an evil invader.
QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "The Road Warrior". Bruce
Dern, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Michael Pare, among others, are let
down by the weak, derivative script. Director of Photography, Don Burgess,
periodically delivers some interesting screen imagery. The Music, by
Laurence Juber, is rather annoying.
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Review:
Director Lee H. Katzin's WORLD GONE WILD is basically a remake of "The
Magnificent Seven" which, in turn, was a remake of "The Seven
Samurai". Like a xerox of a xerox, WORLD GONE WILD is a pale copy
indeed.
In 2087, most of the world has been destroyed by a nuclear war. There's
very little water around. Bruce Dern is the head of a small desert community
that, somehow, has its own watering hole.
Bruce Dern ,("Silent Running"), with bushy hair and mustache,
looks right at home in his hippie-dippie duds, as though he has just
time traveled in from the 60's. Although he appears to be having a good
time, he doesn't seem to be really connecting with the other actors
in the film. Perhaps Director Katzin should have required more from
Dern than merely being the embodiment of 60's funkiness.
Catherine Mary Stewart, ("The Last Starfighter"), is wasted
in the thankless role of the compound's school teacher. She basically
stands around and looks wide eyed at stuff, and is occasionally the
target of attempted rape. She deserves better.
The dialogue in Jorge Zamacona's Screenplay is flat. A typical Dern
line: "Like the man used to say, nothing makes sense in a world
gone wild." Yawn.
When the compound is attacked by evil cult leader, Adam Ant ("Nomads"),
and his young followers, villagers are killed, and women and boys are
carried off. Dern responds by going into a nearby city, which is in
ruins, to recruit hired guns, including his old buddy George, played
by Michael Pare.
Michael Pare, ("The Philadelphia Experiment"), in a standard
hero role, does not register strongly. He does not seem to have been
able to work up much enthusiasm for his role, under Katzin's lackluster
direction.
Director of Photography, Don Burgess, periodically delivers some interesting
screen imagery. Particularly effective is a shot where a military helicopter,
being towed by several jeeps, is gradually revealed to the viewer as
it comes down a road toward the compound.
The Music, by Laurence Juber, is generic, "twangy" rock. WORLD
GONE WILD's theme song, sung by an uncredited vocalist, is pretty annoying.
It's heard twice!
WORLD GONE WILD has some nice touches. Catherine Mary Stewart teaches
class in, appropriately enough, a school bus. When evil cult leader
Adam Ant preaches to his followers, he refers to a book, entitled, "The
Wit and Wisdom of Charles Manson".
Steve McQueen fans will be surprised to see their hero turn up in an
unidentified black and white photo on Catherine Mary Stewart's shelf.
Katzin directed McQueen under difficult circumstances in "Le Mans".
I had no favorite scene.
WORLD GONE WILD will not be very watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers.
Even Dern fans will probably feel let down. WORLD GONE WILD is nothing
to go wild about.
MovieMonday.com
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