Before I begin, this movie is not a great movie. It has problems, it's low-budget, and it's silly in parts. Why would it have gotten placed in MST3K otherwise? But one of the worst movies ever made? Baby Geniuses, North, Titanic: The Legend Goes On, and Garbage Pail Kids are all better than this movie? ...REALLY?! Well, let's see if I can open your eyes.
First of all, this movie was made by a freshman college student on a budget of about $1500(and that's in 1990 dollars.) He hired friends and students, used borrowed cameras, and pulled a lot of low-to-no budget tricks to get things to happen in the movie. So, really, that nullifies the argument that it's one of the worst movies of all time right there: They did what they could with what they had. If the movie was $50 million and it looked like it was directed by a three-year-old, THEN maybe there would be a reason to hate it. But as is, there is a LOT of effort in this movie.
The story is generic, yet fascinating. A young boy named Troy finds a map belonging to his late father to a lost city somewhere nearby. Almost immediately, he is set upon by an evil cult who want to find the city and raise the evil that's supposedly buried there. Luckily, on a run for his life, he comes across a drifter named Zap, who is hiding a secret past. Together, they both need to outrun the cult, find the city before they do, and discover the dark pasts of everyone. It's something we've seen a lot, but it feels new here. These actually feel like people going on an adventure, not actors on a contrived mission. Most of the stops feel natural, like you'd do the same if you were in the movie. No red herrings, no awkward surprises, most of the strangeness is explained, this is a solid adventure story!
The characters aren't played by expert actors, nor anyone with a large amount of acting experience, but the actors still manage to bring them to life. Troy is a young man who's slightly timid, but very curious, and the actor makes this really shine through. Every time he analyzes something or tries to put a puzzle together, I see lights in his eyes and I feel excited for him and what he might discover. Zap is a big burly man who's trying to run from something other than the villains, but it's not until much later that we learn his dark secret. He's menacing with a heart of gold, and, and this is an art that's been lost in time, he's SUBTLE. You actually believe this character exists, and not that it's an actor they probably pulled off the street. Even the villain, as silly as they made his voice, is menacing. Every time he appears, you feel how evil he is, how he wants to hurt others and how he won't let anything get in his way. This is a guy that would make Darth Vader bow down in fear. He doesn't have to do anything to command that respect, he just exists. THAT is power!
As I said, this movie is very low-budget, but that doesn't stop the camera work and effects from being quite good. Most of the camera shots are static, but the director knows where to place the camera to get the desired effect. When a character sees something, we see it the way he looks at it. The camera is almost always in the perfect position, never so close we count the zits on their faces, but so far that we can't see what a character does. The effects are minimal, but when they happen, they happen. A torture scene involving the main villain and Zap is the best example of this. This movie shows that a movie doesn't need a lot of effects to be good.
The soundtrack is very good for this sort of movie. Normally, a soundtrack for a very low budget late 80's/early 90's film is comprised of a piano and/or synthesizer playing the same notes throughout the movie. However, this movie has a fast-paced string orchestra that gets the atmosphere across whenever there's an action scene or a feeling of dread or threat. It sounds professional and foreboding, like Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman. The main theme should be up there with Superman and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Now, with that said, there are some silly moments. Some of the dialog is said rather silly, showing the inexperience of the actors(such as the infamous MST3K line "FOOD!") There are also a few characters that appear and are never seen again, but they fulfill their role. And yes, both the Zap name and the prospector character are funny. Still, I've heard a lot worse and there are worse ethnic stereotypes in Adam Sandler movies.
In short, this movie is NOT BAD! It's not great, and it's really low budget, but it's not deserving of a Bottom 100 position. You can tell that everyone working on this movie felt great about it, that they put all their effort into making this the one and greatest movie they'd ever make. It's one of the best movies to be featured on MST3K and I'd prefer to watch this over most of the ADD and cliché riddled action movies in theaters today. If you can find a copy, check it out. Or just watch the MST3K version. CANADIANS!
First of all, this movie was made by a freshman college student on a budget of about $1500(and that's in 1990 dollars.) He hired friends and students, used borrowed cameras, and pulled a lot of low-to-no budget tricks to get things to happen in the movie. So, really, that nullifies the argument that it's one of the worst movies of all time right there: They did what they could with what they had. If the movie was $50 million and it looked like it was directed by a three-year-old, THEN maybe there would be a reason to hate it. But as is, there is a LOT of effort in this movie.
The story is generic, yet fascinating. A young boy named Troy finds a map belonging to his late father to a lost city somewhere nearby. Almost immediately, he is set upon by an evil cult who want to find the city and raise the evil that's supposedly buried there. Luckily, on a run for his life, he comes across a drifter named Zap, who is hiding a secret past. Together, they both need to outrun the cult, find the city before they do, and discover the dark pasts of everyone. It's something we've seen a lot, but it feels new here. These actually feel like people going on an adventure, not actors on a contrived mission. Most of the stops feel natural, like you'd do the same if you were in the movie. No red herrings, no awkward surprises, most of the strangeness is explained, this is a solid adventure story!
The characters aren't played by expert actors, nor anyone with a large amount of acting experience, but the actors still manage to bring them to life. Troy is a young man who's slightly timid, but very curious, and the actor makes this really shine through. Every time he analyzes something or tries to put a puzzle together, I see lights in his eyes and I feel excited for him and what he might discover. Zap is a big burly man who's trying to run from something other than the villains, but it's not until much later that we learn his dark secret. He's menacing with a heart of gold, and, and this is an art that's been lost in time, he's SUBTLE. You actually believe this character exists, and not that it's an actor they probably pulled off the street. Even the villain, as silly as they made his voice, is menacing. Every time he appears, you feel how evil he is, how he wants to hurt others and how he won't let anything get in his way. This is a guy that would make Darth Vader bow down in fear. He doesn't have to do anything to command that respect, he just exists. THAT is power!
As I said, this movie is very low-budget, but that doesn't stop the camera work and effects from being quite good. Most of the camera shots are static, but the director knows where to place the camera to get the desired effect. When a character sees something, we see it the way he looks at it. The camera is almost always in the perfect position, never so close we count the zits on their faces, but so far that we can't see what a character does. The effects are minimal, but when they happen, they happen. A torture scene involving the main villain and Zap is the best example of this. This movie shows that a movie doesn't need a lot of effects to be good.
The soundtrack is very good for this sort of movie. Normally, a soundtrack for a very low budget late 80's/early 90's film is comprised of a piano and/or synthesizer playing the same notes throughout the movie. However, this movie has a fast-paced string orchestra that gets the atmosphere across whenever there's an action scene or a feeling of dread or threat. It sounds professional and foreboding, like Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman. The main theme should be up there with Superman and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Now, with that said, there are some silly moments. Some of the dialog is said rather silly, showing the inexperience of the actors(such as the infamous MST3K line "FOOD!") There are also a few characters that appear and are never seen again, but they fulfill their role. And yes, both the Zap name and the prospector character are funny. Still, I've heard a lot worse and there are worse ethnic stereotypes in Adam Sandler movies.
In short, this movie is NOT BAD! It's not great, and it's really low budget, but it's not deserving of a Bottom 100 position. You can tell that everyone working on this movie felt great about it, that they put all their effort into making this the one and greatest movie they'd ever make. It's one of the best movies to be featured on MST3K and I'd prefer to watch this over most of the ADD and cliché riddled action movies in theaters today. If you can find a copy, check it out. Or just watch the MST3K version. CANADIANS!