Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

I picked this DVD up at Best Buy for $5.99. The movie is surprisingly enjoyable despite its pre-Star Wars 1970s heritage.

Plus, the commentary by star Michael York, director Michael Anderson and costume designer Bill Thomas is constantly informative, York's especially.

This was made in an era without the motion control and CGI techniques we have today. It looks it, especially when the (vast) miniatures are used to display the scope and grandeur of the future City with its whizzing trains and cars.

What makes the movie are the story, the production values, and the performances.

The story (set in a hedonistic future society where no one is allowed to live beyond the age of 30) is an attention getter and very unusual from today's perspective. Naturally there's a rebellion and much of the movie is given over to the resulting chase.

Photography and production values are uniformly excellent. Some of the sets are quite amazing and even surprising; listening to the commentary adds a lot of understanding here. A lot of attention was paid to working out even minor details, down to the color of make-up and costumes (color being a key to the age-related aspects of the story).

Michael York as the main character is affecting, stern, earnest, and believable. It's easy to see why in the commentary he views this movie with such affection. He seems to remember having a lot of fun making it, and that shows on the screen and in his memories. Jenny Agutter, the female lead, is luscious to look at, a fascinating combination of sensuality and sensitivity.

This movie is definitely a pleasant walk down memory lane for a science fiction fan, and for anyone else patient enough to pay attention to a movie made at a time when the "youth culture" was still blooming.

Review copyright (c) by Dennis D. McDonald

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