Slipstream (1989) Reviews

• Underrated

  cheesius2004-09-06

  Slipstream is, in my opinion, a very under-rated movie, with an excellent cast. Bill Paxton is entertaining in his role as the unlikely hero, Bob Peck is superb in his role as Byron, the fugitive -- Even F. Murray Abraham and the great Ben Kingsley make appearances in this unlikely post-apocalyptic action film. But the best performance of all, in my opinion, came from Mark Hamill, playing a very nasty cop. I've never seen Mark Hamill play the "bad guy," and he did an EXCELLENT job convincing me that he was not only a sociopathic jerk, but that he was not Mark Hamill. In fact, I didn't even realize who he was until the third time I saw this film - his performance is excellent, and different than anything else I've seen him do. Unfortunately, the film has its problems. The plot suffers from some cheesy moments, the music is overbearingly loud, and while it is well orchestrated and very majestic, it's often a bit too majestic for what's going on. There are also some long scenes that could have been shortened or even cut to the benefit of the film. The ending is disappointing - abrupt and more than a bit ridiculous. Add to this that nearly every copy I've seen is on low-grade VHS, recorded at a slow speed. This said, overall, the movie is entertaining, and interesting. If it was based on a book, I'd love to read it. I came away from the movie wishing I knew more about the characters involved, and curious about what would come next for the main characters. The movie kept my interest, and I did watch it again - several times.

• Great little film.

  wb010b44942011-08-31

  Compared with todays frenetic, kinetic, fast cutting, CGI laden crap this actually holds up fairly well. I liked the actors, I liked the characters (each with a clear motivation) and I liked the settings. It was well shot, well edited and well written. And you know what, the story held my interest. Not like a lot of what I see today (story often gets lost over a 'great shot' or pointless effect). Yes, the special fx are very 80's with some matte lines but I am very forgiving about that, this film is over 20 years old after all. Like the original Star Wars Trilogy (before George tinkered with it again, and again, and again), this film is best enjoyed with all it's flaws. A simple film, well told story and great characters. A really good family film.

• Flawed, but underrated British SCI-FI movie that deserves a look.

  Zooropa71999-11-12

  I remember the release of this movie way back in 1989, mainly as it saw the return of Mark Hamill to the big screen after an absence of 6 years (Jedi being his last movie). I also remember the poster proudly highlighting that it was produced by Gary Kurtz, producer of Star Wars episodes 4 and 5. Unfortunately, no one seemed to care about these "selling" points and mediocre reviews ensured that the film was ignored and was not even given a US release. It took almost 10 years before it got its British TV premiere (tucked well into the late night schedule) , but I didn't hesitate to give the film a look. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed this movie and it's far from being one of the worst films ever, as some of the previous comments have made out. The main players in the film put in some good performances, especially the late great Bob Peck for whose character I did manage to feel sympathy for and care about thanks to his acting skills. A bearded, peroxide blonde Mark Hamill gives a terrifically sinister bad guy performance as the unrelenting cop, albeit a little OTT. You could sense Hamill clearly loved being on the "dark side" for once. Bill Paxton gets most of the action and does a reasonable job. Cameos, from Ben Kingsley and F.Murray Abraham add some class to the credits. Also look out for Robbie 'Cracker' Coltrane. Story wise (essentially a chase movie) it is highly unoriginal, borrowing heavily from Blade Runner and Midnight Run, all done in a futuristic Mad Max style. It does tend to meander in places, leaving the viewer a little disorientated. However, my interest was sustained mainly due to the strange character played by Peck. Unfortunately, his character wasn't explored adequately, and I was left wanting to know more about him and his past. Indeed, the story is underdeveloped and incomplete. The movie doesn't hide the fact that it is trying to convey some sort of message about humanity and the future with religious undertones. Special effects and action scenes left a lot to be desired; the shoot out in the forest was very shoddily done (one of the worst I've seen). The aircraft looked like large Air Fix models and the flying shots looked unrealistic and rushed. I suspect full use of special effects available at the time were not utilised due to budget constraints. It almost feels like a T.V movie despite the cast and experienced crew. However, a mention must go to the kite scene, which is very well done and is quite exciting. It's probably the highlight of the film. The final action scene is good too, rounded off with an optimistic feel good ending and a rousing Elmer Bernstein score as the credits roll. The locations are used effectively and go some way to make up for the poor special effects. Slipstream, is an all but virtually forgotten British Sci-Fi movie and it appears it will stay that way. Pity really, as it's a decent effort, with an interesting, if unoriginal story and good acting. Refreshingly, the makers have avoided any wanton violence and gore. If you are in the least bit interested in Sci-Fi try and watch this film if you come across this in the video store, or if comes on T.V, if only to see Hamill ham it up and play a bad guy. You could do a lot worse than this. 6 out of 10.

• And the Slipstream will take you there ...

  Jinn2003-09-01

  You have to see this movie more than once to fully appreciate it. On the second viewing and subsequent viewings I found it truly awesome. The journey of Byron (Bob Peck) is incredible, to see his awakening and coming into himself as a person, learning to love and lose and deal with his anger, not give into it, whilst being an android. It was refreshing though, that he doesn't want or need to be human. (As much as I love Data and his journey - Star Trek: The Next Generation, it's just as lovely to see androids who are comfortable, even proud of what they are) I hope, in the end Byron found the special place he was looking for. Bob Peck as was truly fantastic. I also liked Bill Paxton as Matt and his journey of discovery and friendship, beyond money and the physical. As much as I loved Mark Hamil, his character Tasker was a d**k head, a well played d**k head though! Kitty Aldridge's Character, Belitski seemed a bit of a no-brain though. I loved Abigail David's portrayal of Ariel, Byron's love. I found the tale incredibly inspiring. The Slipstream ... the winds that washed the planet clean. Perhaps this is a message to mankind to respect the Earth. Will they ever get the message?

• A guide to enjoying this wonderful film!

  madmadbastardevilstef2001-10-19

  From taking a peek at some of the comments left by my fellow viewers, I feel impelled to conclude that it ain't exactly popular. Why oh why??! Ok, if you're looking for a seriously good, quality sci-fi film, I wouldn't expect you to enjoy this movie. BUT- if you're looking for something thought-provoking, entertaining and with lots of, um, original acting, this is it! It's just a matter of watching it with the right perspective... Allow me to explain: the movie CAN be seen to have these qualities, but only if you look at it in the right way... 1) Thought-provoking - Of course it is! I guarantee that this film will get you thinking. I, myself, had many thoughts while watching it. Just because most of them involved the word "Why??" being repeated in a slightly hysterical manner is no reason to underestimate this particular quality of the film. 2) Entertaining - How can any viewer fail to be entertained by some of the film's amazing dialogue? It is both original, AND amusing (perhaps not for the reasons intended, but again, this is no reason to dismiss the film as not entertaining). 3) Original acting - Mark Hamill - I defy any of you to find anyone who can act as badly as him. Therefore, I believe his performance to be quite original. As for Bob Peck, how he contorted his facial muscles into some of those strange expressions I have no idea, nor do I know what any of them mean. But I bet no one else has ever done them. So there you are! Do watch the film, I beg of you. I hope after reading this short guide, your enjoyment of this very much misunderstood film will be greatly improved.