One crystal to rule them all
Added 1/13/2010
Twenty years ago in coastal Albania, a grave robber searches the tomb of a skeleton that looks suspiciously like Nicole Ritchie. Within the casket he finds not only the skeleton, but a web-covered staff. Just then, warlords from another dimension pass through from one world to another to confront the grave robber. Fast forward 20 years to a lame party in Los Angeles where Jack Black is overacting, irritating everyone, and hot women are turning down complete schmucks. So, in other words, all is normal. Suddenly, however, a strange but beautiful woman appears at the party to find Joe Talbot (Josh Charles), a young man with a mysterious crystal.
In no time whatsoever Joe and the mysterious woman, Laura (Andrea Roth), are being chased by warriors on horses from hundreds of years ago, gangster villains who look like destitute versions of Men in Black, and armor-clad knights brandishing swords and maces, all of whom warped from various worlds and dimensions through various time-space portals. Think Jumper mixed with a more dangerous version of Weird Science.
After that it's really not that much more complicated. It's bad guys chasing Joe, trying to get their hands on his crystal, and two time/dimension traveling resistance warriors - Laura and A.T. (Rutger Hauer) - attempting to resist the occupation of the warlords who are attempting to monopolize the mystical ability to travel through times, worlds, and dimensions...or something like that.
The biggest problem with this movie is the movie itself. There really isn't anything that stands out. The action, the character development, and the acting are all unremarkable (Stuart Wilson is particularly horrible as the villain). The acting is the worst; however, at no time is there a reason to choose a side in the battle of good versus evil. The complete lack of background story and explanation, no real understanding of what the struggle is, or even a remote glimpse into the other worlds are other wonderful oversights. By mid-movie I was hoping the crystals became property of an airline - probably United - and all of the movie's characters got stuck in some sort of inter-dimensional, 48-hour layover in the universe's equivalent to DC and the Gaza Strip combined.
I'd say skip it, unless you Rutger Hauer really turns you on, or you're a big sci-fi fan like me.
Jason Elin
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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I think we are being watched
Added 9/7/2009
Long ago, the Warlords seized power over my world. A resistance army banded together to fight the oppressors. Though it was a battle we could not win, we survived and continued to resist the occupation.
The Warlords then turned their attention to other worlds, other dimensions to conquer.
As with most myths best described by Joseph Campbell this is a modern-day (Los Angeles 1996) coming of age story for Joe Talbot (Josh Charles) as he must prove himself. He is lured by Laura (Andrea Roth) and mentored by the independent renegade A.T. (Rutger Hauer.) Can he overcome not being ready and fulfill his purpose to same our would and free there. Or was his mother right in not telling him until/or if he was ready for the journey?
We journey with Joe thorough the many world some time kibitzing hopefully growing along with him and his new friends.
The special effects do no overwhelm the story and the action is also proportional to the story.
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Terrible waste of Talent
Added 7/20/2009
This was a stupid concept; with the exception of a couple of good scenes, it was just a mish-mash of desert backdrops. Total waste of Rutger Hauer.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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I've always liked this movie!
Added 3/16/2009
It's been a while since I'd seen it, I'm glad I found it again here. If you're into magic, mysticism, or you're a plain sci-fi freak I think you'll enjoy the movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Transdimensional Warrior eh? Not bad at all.
Added 11/27/2008
I really didn't expect much from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed so much. Somewhat of a low-budget film, that didn't really need all the advanced FX they use nowadays.
What really surprised me was that this movie was made back in 1996. I could tell from the background skyscrapers in L.A. with the First Interstate Bank building - Only because I was working at Wells Fargo Bank, and we had a "Hostile Takeover" of that bank in 1996. So that First Interstate logo would soon be a memory before the year was over.
Josh Charles was pretty average in your average film; which made it all the more enjoyable. He's not the super hero type. And Rutger Hauer, a little overweight from his 'Blade Runner' and Night Hawks' days, was the somewhat bumbling leader of the trio. Andrea Roth sort of reminded me of Christina Applegate. Not much more to say. A fun and simply weird science fiction adventure.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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One crystal to rule them all
Added 1/13/2010
Twenty years ago in coastal Albania, a grave robber searches the tomb of a skeleton that looks suspiciously like Nicole Ritchie. Within the casket he finds not only the skeleton, but a web-covered staff. Just then, warlords from another dimension pass through from one world to another to confront the grave robber. Fast forward 20 years to a lame party in Los Angeles where Jack Black is overacting, irritating everyone, and hot women are turning down complete schmucks. So, in other words, all is normal. Suddenly, however, a strange but beautiful woman appears at the party to find Joe Talbot (Josh Charles), a young man with a mysterious crystal.
In no time whatsoever Joe and the mysterious woman, Laura (Andrea Roth), are being chased by warriors on horses from hundreds of years ago, gangster villains who look like destitute versions of Men in Black, and armor-clad knights brandishing swords and maces, all of whom warped from various worlds and dimensions through various time-space portals. Think Jumper mixed with a more dangerous version of Weird Science.
After that it's really not that much more complicated. It's bad guys chasing Joe, trying to get their hands on his crystal, and two time/dimension traveling resistance warriors - Laura and A.T. (Rutger Hauer) - attempting to resist the occupation of the warlords who are attempting to monopolize the mystical ability to travel through times, worlds, and dimensions...or something like that.
The biggest problem with this movie is the movie itself. There really isn't anything that stands out. The action, the character development, and the acting are all unremarkable (Stuart Wilson is particularly horrible as the villain). The acting is the worst; however, at no time is there a reason to choose a side in the battle of good versus evil. The complete lack of background story and explanation, no real understanding of what the struggle is, or even a remote glimpse into the other worlds are other wonderful oversights. By mid-movie I was hoping the crystals became property of an airline - probably United - and all of the movie's characters got stuck in some sort of inter-dimensional, 48-hour layover in the universe's equivalent to DC and the Gaza Strip combined.
I'd say skip it, unless you Rutger Hauer really turns you on, or you're a big sci-fi fan like me.
Jason Elin
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
I think we are being watched
Added 9/7/2009
Long ago, the Warlords seized power over my world. A resistance army banded together to fight the oppressors. Though it was a battle we could not win, we survived and continued to resist the occupation.
The Warlords then turned their attention to other worlds, other dimensions to conquer.
As with most myths best described by Joseph Campbell this is a modern-day (Los Angeles 1996) coming of age story for Joe Talbot (Josh Charles) as he must prove himself. He is lured by Laura (Andrea Roth) and mentored by the independent renegade A.T. (Rutger Hauer.) Can he overcome not being ready and fulfill his purpose to same our would and free there. Or was his mother right in not telling him until/or if he was ready for the journey?
We journey with Joe thorough the many world some time kibitzing hopefully growing along with him and his new friends.
The special effects do no overwhelm the story and the action is also proportional to the story.
Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Terrible waste of Talent
Added 7/20/2009
This was a stupid concept; with the exception of a couple of good scenes, it was just a mish-mash of desert backdrops. Total waste of Rutger Hauer.
0 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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