Forever Young

I first saw this movie when I was ten years old and have been in love with mel gibson ever since. His performance (big shock) always gets to me. I don't mean to make this a love song to mel, but he has on screen chemistry with everybody, so it's romantic to see him with Jamie Lee curtis and Isabel glasser. Elijah wood is good as one of the less annoying child stars from his era. The story is cute, no oscar winner, but entertaining. A traditional love story in an untraditional plot, Will love wait for me? When do you move on? It's never too late, those kind of things. Again, I saw it when I was a kid and loved it, and now I'm an adult and still enjoy it.

When I was watching this last night, I didn't realize it was written by the creator of "Lost"... and I'm glad I didn't know that, because it would have tainted my opinion.

I expected a sappy love story with a sappy Mel Gibson who takes a nap to wake up and find himself falling in sappy love with the ugly, but sappy, Jamie Lee Curtis and adopting her sappy and bug-eyed son, Elijah Wood. Bless my lucky stars, I was wrong. Mel Gibson is frozen by Norm from Cheers after his girlfriend goes into a coma. He wakes up in 1992 (he slept in 1939) to a whole new world. No sappiness, and Mel Gibson wasn't even sucking as hard as he tends to suck (see "What Women Want" for really hard sucking).

I really liked this film, it kept me from going to sleep on time. You'll like it, too, and maybe even more if you watch it with a date because it's really about how love lasts forever. (They say "diamonds" last forever, but those materialistic bastards wouldn't know real love if it woke up from a 50-year slumber!!!!) See this movie soon, because you never know when your last chance to see it will be.

FOREVER YOUNG has some big names, like Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, and George Wendt (Cheers). So with this in mind, you know FOREVER YOUNG has got to be pretty good. And it just so happens, it is.

It's not a great film, but it's good enough to watch, sit through and actually enjoy. Sure, the film is one of those predictable romance films, but aren't they all in this genre?

So take my advice, if it comes on TV watch it, or at the video store if you see it, pick it up. It's not that bad. 3/5 stars-

JOHN ULMER

Although I'm not one for science fiction, I found this film to be entertaining and rather wholesome, much to my surprise, despite its PG rating; we get to see Mel Gibson's naked tushie (Whoo-hoo!). Forever Young takes place in 1939, where Daniel (a pilot played by Mel), after being unable to propose to his girlfriend who soon afterwards falls into a coma, decides to be frozen by his best friend for a year's time. It turns out, however, that he lies dormant until 1992, being accidentally awakened with a boy's jacket in hand. This starts a rather amusing and interesting walk through the streets, and a reunion with the boy, who, with the aid of his mother (played spectacularly by Jamie Lee Curtis), help him on his search to untangle his past -- bringing him to the sudden realization that true love can't wait. This film has it all: drama, action, romance, bits of humor, a well-written script, a wonderful cast, spectacular scenery, and most of all, a gorgeous Mel, who plays his role of the daring, young test pilot to a tee. It's a wonderful film to see, especially if you're a true romantic at heart.

Captain Daniel McCormick is a happy-go-luck pilot who is known for his risk taken and no-strings lifestyle. As much as he wants to settle down with his longterm sweetheart, he cannot bring himself to say the words. However when she is put into a coma in a car accident and the doctors say there is no hope of recovery he goes off the deep end and decides to volunteer to be frozen in an experiment being carried out by his friend Harry Finley. 53 years later he is woken up in a military storage unit by two young boys who were just messing around. Without a clue what happened to him or what to do, Daniel turns to the two boys for help.

It sounds rather corny and obvious and, in a way, I suppose it is but by not ever playing it for laughs or being self-mocking the film creates a tone that means it all works as long as you meet it on its terms. The story is sentimental and slushy and in this way I imagine it will put many viewers off for being this way. I surprised myself by actually liking it though and finding it all rather engaging and sweet. Although I doubt he knows where Lost is going, Abrams does a good job as writer to avoid cliché and mush the best he can. Miner matches this by directing in a controlled manner that holds back on the sweeping music and emotion until he can actually use them.

The cast work well with this approach and avoid the film becoming a soapy television movie. Gibson may not have had the best of days recently PR-wise (alleged drunk-driving and alleged anti-Semitic remarks) but here he is charming and reasonably good at the emotion. Of course he could have been better considering that when he awoke after 50 years the loss of his wife would still be fresh in his mind. Curtis is solid enough and deals with the material given her. The child support are better than I expected even if they are a bit "cute" in the way all Hollywood kids are. Wood works well with Gibson, which I suppose is the important thing.

Overall this is a solid and enjoyable romantic film that is a bit slushy and melodramatic. It avoids cliché well enough but you do need to meet it on its terms and not be cynical. Not one for the die-hard action fans but it is a good date movie that is gentle and balanced enough to find a mixed audience without losing touch with the genre.