You know, I've never written one of these before, but I felt compelled to do so. I read the plethora of comments by other reviewers saying how confusing the plot was and whatnot -- one even went so far as to ask questions to which clear answers were provided in the film. I've come to the conclusion that this is endemic of the users who typically post reviews to these sorts of things. So, I'm going to include my review here, if for no other reason, so that the record, at least on this one film, can be set straight.
The plot is reasonably simple, however one felt that some compromising occurred on a corporate level within the writing staff/directorial staff of the movie. Someone started out with a really great idea which was subsequently "dumbed down" to make the movie less technical and more accessible to the average (perceived) viewer. In a nutshell, you have your prototypical/archetypal good vs evil construct. In this case it is multi-dimensional, though I must protest loudly over peoples' comparison with "The Matrix". This movie shares far more in common with "Time Bandits" and "Buckaroo Banzai" than it does with "The Matrix".
As one reviewer pointed out, conceptually it seemed as though this movie was intended as a pilot for a continuing television series. You have your Mentor role played admirably by Rutger Hauer (one of my favorite actors). You have your Hero and his potential love interest. You have the war of good vs evil waged across multiple dimensions. You have the Good Queen and the Evil King. Textbook examples of all the above. Where the plot seems to apparently confuse some people was with the rapid shifting between realities, and some minor inconsistencies in character portrayal and the aforementioned (my perception) compromises which were clearly made by the writing staff.
In the end, however, it's really very simple: You have a staff and a crystal. You put the two things together, and you have a key. You take the key and wack something real good with it and it opens a dimensional portal. You jump through the dimensional portal and voilà, new reality (or inter-reality travel, apparently). The reason Rutger Hauer's workshop wasn't there the first time the kid went back was because he hadn't passed behind the palm tree first -- that much, to me anyhow, was crystal clear. A good example of how this movie's mechanics are working would be to review the extensive gaming material (some available on the web) for a Pen & Paper RPG known as "Planescape". (Also a video game version was made called "Planescape: Torment".) A gateway can be anywhere, and the key can be nearly anything. Sometimes a door is really a door, and sometimes it's a wardrobe (thank you C.S. Lewis). Sometimes a key is the key, and sometimes it is hopping on one foot while holding a piece of rye grass between your teeth.
It would have been nice had this movie been actually developed into a series (or at least a miniseries) as it would have fleshed out a lot of what I feel was INTENDED but not carried through very well. As far as the movie goes, in and of itself, I would recommend it. It is a sweet little jaunt into fluffy science fiction starring the First Man of Scifi, Rutger Hauer. He, alone, makes the movie worthwhile in my opinion. Anyone who can sit through "Eating Pattern" (especially as I did the first time, not understanding the paradigm that is Lexx) would enjoy this as well.
Remember: Not all reviewers you might read on IMDb.com are anywhere near qualified to judge a movie, and I suspect quite a few are incapable of dressing themselves without assistance. :) I hope that anyone who takes the time to read my review will give the movie a chance. It's worth it.
The plot is reasonably simple, however one felt that some compromising occurred on a corporate level within the writing staff/directorial staff of the movie. Someone started out with a really great idea which was subsequently "dumbed down" to make the movie less technical and more accessible to the average (perceived) viewer. In a nutshell, you have your prototypical/archetypal good vs evil construct. In this case it is multi-dimensional, though I must protest loudly over peoples' comparison with "The Matrix". This movie shares far more in common with "Time Bandits" and "Buckaroo Banzai" than it does with "The Matrix".
As one reviewer pointed out, conceptually it seemed as though this movie was intended as a pilot for a continuing television series. You have your Mentor role played admirably by Rutger Hauer (one of my favorite actors). You have your Hero and his potential love interest. You have the war of good vs evil waged across multiple dimensions. You have the Good Queen and the Evil King. Textbook examples of all the above. Where the plot seems to apparently confuse some people was with the rapid shifting between realities, and some minor inconsistencies in character portrayal and the aforementioned (my perception) compromises which were clearly made by the writing staff.
In the end, however, it's really very simple: You have a staff and a crystal. You put the two things together, and you have a key. You take the key and wack something real good with it and it opens a dimensional portal. You jump through the dimensional portal and voilà, new reality (or inter-reality travel, apparently). The reason Rutger Hauer's workshop wasn't there the first time the kid went back was because he hadn't passed behind the palm tree first -- that much, to me anyhow, was crystal clear. A good example of how this movie's mechanics are working would be to review the extensive gaming material (some available on the web) for a Pen & Paper RPG known as "Planescape". (Also a video game version was made called "Planescape: Torment".) A gateway can be anywhere, and the key can be nearly anything. Sometimes a door is really a door, and sometimes it's a wardrobe (thank you C.S. Lewis). Sometimes a key is the key, and sometimes it is hopping on one foot while holding a piece of rye grass between your teeth.
It would have been nice had this movie been actually developed into a series (or at least a miniseries) as it would have fleshed out a lot of what I feel was INTENDED but not carried through very well. As far as the movie goes, in and of itself, I would recommend it. It is a sweet little jaunt into fluffy science fiction starring the First Man of Scifi, Rutger Hauer. He, alone, makes the movie worthwhile in my opinion. Anyone who can sit through "Eating Pattern" (especially as I did the first time, not understanding the paradigm that is Lexx) would enjoy this as well.
Remember: Not all reviewers you might read on IMDb.com are anywhere near qualified to judge a movie, and I suspect quite a few are incapable of dressing themselves without assistance. :) I hope that anyone who takes the time to read my review will give the movie a chance. It's worth it.