How great "Futureworld" could have been. Had Yul Brenner, or even Richard Benjamin for that matter, been fully committed to this sequel, the old charm may have been recaptured in this ambitious continuation.
The problem begins with Yul Brenner's Gunslinger character (conceptually a robotic rehash of his "Magnificent Seven" role). In some recycled footage from the original "Westworld," we're reminded very early on in "Futureworld" how Brenner's intimidating presence in that earlier film contributed to its overall effectiveness. With the introduction of this footage so early in the film, we're suckered into expecting fulfillment of a promise that is never delivered. Unfortunately, this footage only serves to provide Blythe Danner's character with a motive for reproducing our favorite Gunslinger in her dreams, where he has strangely become her fantasy lover. By dangling this vision of the Gunslinger in front of our faces, our disappointment is only made greater by it being yanked away. The fact that it serves no discernible purpose in forwarding the plot only adds further insult. In doing so, the filmmakers are telling us that our desire to see the Gunslinger return is really of very little importance.
Of course, Brenner's brief presence may have been related to contractual obligations, agents, and such other fun Hollywood stuff that make his scene feel oddly removed from the main story. That said, "Futureworld" does have its merits (apart from reminding us that the original was far better). Even though Peter Fonda can be awfully wooden in his style, he & Blythe Danner are kind of fun and freewheeling together in that "Heart to Heart" kind of way. The story, which owes a lot to "The Stepford Wives," is dated but still engaging. As in the original, the entire idea of Delos essentially a fantasy world without consequence - is still an engaging idea worth exploring.
But here lay more problems with "Futureworld." In "Westworld," half of the fun was following Richard Benjamin & James Brolin as they experienced the fantasy. Before things go haywire, we see them break out of jail, engage in showdowns and fend off a barroom brawl. In a minor subplot, we occasionally follow a middle-aged, oafish character in Medievalworld as he tends to his palace and maidens fair, only to be actually slain by a Black Knight robot gone wacko, the first of the major malfunctions in the park. "Futureworld" is very arbitrary in its use of such devices, and typically does not follow through with their development. Futureworld itself is somewhat of a disappointment it should be said; mainly a simulated rocket ride, a swinging lounge with some nifty gadgets and a swank apartment with shag carpeting. The illusion is never made real, and only seems secondary to the plot. While the oaf visiting Medivalworld in the original served to humanize the tragic fate of this first victim, the Japanese businessmen in "Futureworld" are developed straight into a dead end (a subplot involving their smuggling of a camera into the resort is remarkably forgotten).
An earlier poster imaginatively suggested that Clark, Harry's faceless robot servant, could have been used to revive the Gunslinger by revealing his true identity towards the film's third act. I think that would've been great! But as it is, the relationship of the mechanic to his machine is also a road not fully traveled. The oddness of such lines like, "don't get involved with people! It's always the same," or "the outside world wouldn't understand, you and I," speaks toward a strange bond with hardware that is off-putting - in a very creepy way - precisely because the concept is abandoned in the story by the character of Harry himself. When Clark is left deserted in his behind-the-scenes corner of Delos' underground, I felt as confused as much as his computer-chipped face seemed to convey. And then there's Harry's bizarre explanation as to Clark's origins: "he was one of the original iron men in all the orgies at Romanworld. He's seen a lot, Clark has." Apart from the obvious dilemmas (moral and otherwise) regarding robot-human sex, does this somehow make Clark an empathetic victim? What consequences would our empathy for Clark have upon the main plot involving human replacement??
As someone pointed out, "Futureworld" is a nice companion piece to "Westworld," and on that level, it's fairly enjoyable despite its flaws. There are certainly glimmers of the old "Westworld" charm to be savored, but its ultimately a tease for the real thing.
The problem begins with Yul Brenner's Gunslinger character (conceptually a robotic rehash of his "Magnificent Seven" role). In some recycled footage from the original "Westworld," we're reminded very early on in "Futureworld" how Brenner's intimidating presence in that earlier film contributed to its overall effectiveness. With the introduction of this footage so early in the film, we're suckered into expecting fulfillment of a promise that is never delivered. Unfortunately, this footage only serves to provide Blythe Danner's character with a motive for reproducing our favorite Gunslinger in her dreams, where he has strangely become her fantasy lover. By dangling this vision of the Gunslinger in front of our faces, our disappointment is only made greater by it being yanked away. The fact that it serves no discernible purpose in forwarding the plot only adds further insult. In doing so, the filmmakers are telling us that our desire to see the Gunslinger return is really of very little importance.
Of course, Brenner's brief presence may have been related to contractual obligations, agents, and such other fun Hollywood stuff that make his scene feel oddly removed from the main story. That said, "Futureworld" does have its merits (apart from reminding us that the original was far better). Even though Peter Fonda can be awfully wooden in his style, he & Blythe Danner are kind of fun and freewheeling together in that "Heart to Heart" kind of way. The story, which owes a lot to "The Stepford Wives," is dated but still engaging. As in the original, the entire idea of Delos essentially a fantasy world without consequence - is still an engaging idea worth exploring.
But here lay more problems with "Futureworld." In "Westworld," half of the fun was following Richard Benjamin & James Brolin as they experienced the fantasy. Before things go haywire, we see them break out of jail, engage in showdowns and fend off a barroom brawl. In a minor subplot, we occasionally follow a middle-aged, oafish character in Medievalworld as he tends to his palace and maidens fair, only to be actually slain by a Black Knight robot gone wacko, the first of the major malfunctions in the park. "Futureworld" is very arbitrary in its use of such devices, and typically does not follow through with their development. Futureworld itself is somewhat of a disappointment it should be said; mainly a simulated rocket ride, a swinging lounge with some nifty gadgets and a swank apartment with shag carpeting. The illusion is never made real, and only seems secondary to the plot. While the oaf visiting Medivalworld in the original served to humanize the tragic fate of this first victim, the Japanese businessmen in "Futureworld" are developed straight into a dead end (a subplot involving their smuggling of a camera into the resort is remarkably forgotten).
An earlier poster imaginatively suggested that Clark, Harry's faceless robot servant, could have been used to revive the Gunslinger by revealing his true identity towards the film's third act. I think that would've been great! But as it is, the relationship of the mechanic to his machine is also a road not fully traveled. The oddness of such lines like, "don't get involved with people! It's always the same," or "the outside world wouldn't understand, you and I," speaks toward a strange bond with hardware that is off-putting - in a very creepy way - precisely because the concept is abandoned in the story by the character of Harry himself. When Clark is left deserted in his behind-the-scenes corner of Delos' underground, I felt as confused as much as his computer-chipped face seemed to convey. And then there's Harry's bizarre explanation as to Clark's origins: "he was one of the original iron men in all the orgies at Romanworld. He's seen a lot, Clark has." Apart from the obvious dilemmas (moral and otherwise) regarding robot-human sex, does this somehow make Clark an empathetic victim? What consequences would our empathy for Clark have upon the main plot involving human replacement??
As someone pointed out, "Futureworld" is a nice companion piece to "Westworld," and on that level, it's fairly enjoyable despite its flaws. There are certainly glimmers of the old "Westworld" charm to be savored, but its ultimately a tease for the real thing.