Enemy
Mine (1985/Fox/Umbrella Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C
PLEASE
NOTE: The Enemy
Mine Import Blu-ray is
now only available from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment in
Australia and can be ordered from the link below.
The
1985 Wolfgang Petersen film Enemy Mine finds it way onto
Blu-ray again thanks to Umbrella. Being a huge fan of science
fiction cinema, this one had somehow eluded me and now I see the
reason why. Boasting similar science fiction themes apparent in
stronger films, (i.e., two dueling races in the future as seen in
Planet of the Apes, the human who sides with the alien side as
seen in Avatar, etc.) and made before the dawn of CGI, what is
most impressive about Enemy Mine is its production design by
Rolf Zehetbauer. Made for forty million U.S. dollars back in 1985,
the film has some pretty lavish sets and special effects by
Industrial Light and Magic (not to mention fantastic matte paintings)
with many layers that, if made today, would most definitely be CGI.
Straying
from the novel by Barry Longyear, Enemy Mine stars Dennis
Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. and takes place in distant future where
war is being fought amongst the stars and humanity is in an all out
war against the Dracs - a race who is also seeking to colonize the
galaxy. During an impressive opening space battle, a space pilot
Willis Davidge (Quaid) crashes on Fryine IV, a volcanic planet where
he assumes he is the only inhabitant. However, he soon comes face to
face with a Drac named Jeriba Shigan (Gossett Jr.) who has also
crashed on the planet and neither are too happy to bump into each
other at first. Soon, Davidge and Jeriba become friends and help one
another survive the diverse creatures of the planet (including one
venus flytrap-esque creature that is highly reminiscent of the
Sarlacc Pit from Star Wars). When Jeriba dies and asexually
gives birth to a child (weird scene) named Zammis. Davidge is forced
to fend for the growing Zammis and soon finds himself in an odd
situation with his own kind when Zammis is kidnapped and forced into
being a slave miner. Davididge must now must launch a ridiculous
rescue mission to save him and introduce him to his own species.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and
a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 4.0 lossless mix, the film looks and
sounds fantastic on Blu-ray disc and definitely superior to any
previous release on DVD. It is also pretty much equivalent to the
Twilight Time edition.
The
only extras on the disc are a Image Gallery and Essay and the
Original Theatrical Trailer, which is a shame as a retrospective on
the making of the film or some sort of behind the features with ILM
would have been an interesting edition.
Enemy
Mine isn't a completely original concept but is interesting from
a production and cinematic standpoint more than its acting or
screenplay. The film takes itself a little too seriously at times
and is light on humor for being a B-Movie. There is also almost a
complete absence of women in the film, with the exception of Carolyn
McCormick, which also makes the film feel a bit uneven. If you're a
fan of '80s sci-fi, the film is worth checking out for the visual eye
candy.
For
more on the film via the U.S. limited edition Blu-ray, try this
link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11857/Airborne+(Image+DVD)/The+Cottage+(E1+DVD)/E
To
order this
Umbrella import Blu-ray directly, go to this link:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
