Dreadfully Boring

A Brilliant Conflict

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

Blistering performances.

Apparently, there was a time in film-making history (1999) where goofy Brendan Fraser antics and cutesy Alicia Silverstone smiles could be counted on to carry a film. Perhaps that "played" better in the late 90s than it does now, but for all the world this feels like a cheap, odd knock-off of 1998's "Pleasantville".For a basic plot summary, "Blast from the Past" is the story of Adam (Fraser), who is born and lives until age 35 in a fallout shelter when fanatical father (Christopher Walken) and mother (Sissy Spacek) believe the U.S. has been attacked by Russian nuclear capabilities (in reality, a plane accident on the front lawn). When "enough time has passed to eliminate the possibility of fallout", Adam ascends up into a world he is by no means ready for, where he meets Eve (Silverstone).There is one big problem with this movie and it is very easy to identify: They should have "played the material straight". "Pleasantville", released a year before this one, was able to take 50s nostalgia and make a poignant film out of it. "Blast" could have the very same type of setup, but instead chooses to go the "farcical comedy" route to great detriment. Every time you think the film might be on to something, it has to stoop to a cringe-worthy joke or do something ridiculous to try and justify the budding Adam/Eve relationship. Simply put, the film belongs squarely in the "rom/com" or even straight comedy genre, with barely a hint of serious drama or character- building present.I know that Silverstone had the "girl-next-door cute" thing going on for awhile and Fraser was the "dopey hunky guy", but (at least for me) that combination can't justify a movie like this. At times, it actually seems a bit embarrassing to see Walken & Spacek giving their all in such a sub- par effort.Thus, though potentially playing much better in the right climate (1990s), there is no getting around the fact that this isn't a quality film. It wastes a perfectly interesting setup by choosing not to pursue character development and going for the "caricature" approach instead.

An example of bad writing is when you want to get to an idea: Guy appears 35 years in the future and is a fish out of water - a single joke movie. So, how do you get to this idea?--by bad writing: having a family live in a bomb shelter for 35 years. The movie doesn't deal with the psychological depression, rotting food, removal of waste, things aging, breaking down...etc. The 35 years pass as though this was a shelter funded by NASA. In short, suspend your disbelief so we can get to the funny situation of a guy showing up in a future far from the supposedly 1950s bland homogeneous lifestyle that appeared on some TV shows at the time. This has been done in other movies and done much better. So, their house is not just turned into a mall...but the lily white middle class neighborhood becomes a porn infested ghetto in 35 years....it's OK...suspending your disbelief is what you are supposed to do for the entire film. It just can't get any dumber.

With all of its flaws, I still consider this my favorite film. For its sentimental value. Perhaps. But, when it comes to art; how it affects you in a certain time and place is incredibly important. I've been watching this since I was eight. I remember going to Blockbuster to buy some tapes for a an RV trip we were soon to take. One night in '99 we watched it some place in Texas, and I fell in love. To this day I still watch it with the same love. I doubt it will change. With that said, I consider this film highly underrated. So, give it a chance. Keep an open mind. Be prepared, it's no "Kundun" or "A Clockwork Orange". It's fun, easy, and has a great swing dance scene.

I've always found Brendan Fraser to be quite a good actor. He may not have a ton of range, but he's always very funny and has a likable screen presence. The "fish out of water" theme of this movie works well with his talents, it's great fun to see how his character reacts to a completely new world. Alicia Silverstone makes for a good love interest, and Christopher Walken is entertaining as always.There's quite a few great quotes, particularly the "What's baseball?" exchange and "I think I'm being chased by a psychiatrist" - "It happens." Also, I couldn't help but notice the inclusion of the song 'Hell', which would later be used in Monkeybone (another film starring Brendan Fraser and David Foley).