Blast from the Past (1999) User Reviews

Brilliant comedy

[AKS-6 · 8/10 · 20 July 2000]

What a wonderful film! "Blast from the Past" is charming, sweet, and hilarious. Very funny. The premise is original and interesting, and I thought the film was engrossing and thoroughly entertaining -- I laughed out loud several times. Brendan Fraser is perfectly cast as the goofy, innocent Adam. Alicia Silverstone is better than she's ever been, I'm certainly no fan of her, but she did a more than okay job in this film. But the really ingenious casting decision was to give the roles of Adam's parents to Sissy Spacek and the always brilliant Christopher Walken -- I dare say that the casting of Spacek and Walken in this film is the _opposite_ of type casting, :-).

I really, really liked this film because it is genuinely entertaining, and it is never boring. Brilliant comedy in other words. (8/10)

Terrific fun time-hopping fish out of water tale.

[Ben_Cheshire · 8/10 · 19 July 2004]

See the movie to find out why, but Brendan Fraser's crazy dad has had him underground for thirty years in an elaborate bomb shelter, so that when Brendan finally goes upstairs in the 90's to get more supplies for his parents, he's in for a bit of a shock.

Christopher Walken is wonderful as the crazy, atomic-age inventor. Alicia Silverstone deserves to be on screen more - she's cute and sassy as the love interest, but still pulls funny faces with her mouth. Brendan Fraser was a perfect choice for the biggest fish out of water ever. His fresh-faced naivety is so convincing. He's larger than life, and sometimes so naive its corny, but he's consistent, so it works. Depending on what mood you're in, Sissy Spacek's part adds psychological depth to the movie or detracts a tad from the fun.

This movie is not at all implausible. There were many people as scared as Christpher Walken during the 60's. In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy and Khruschev were one button press away from blowing us all to smithereens (see Thirteen Days for a historically accurate portrayal of this). And Walken's character is set up as crazy enough to build and stock his shelter with 30 years worth of supplies.

8/10. Terrific fun time-skipping romantic comedy buoyed by the personality of Fraser - perfect to watch with a sweetheart, or with family on a warm weekend in.

If there was an Oscar for "best little comedy"...

[=G= · 8/10 · 1 August 2000]

..."Blast" would have likely won. It boasts excellence in all aspects of the film from story to casting to acting to sets to costumes, music, etc. This tight, creative, unpretentious, and lightly romantic comedy romp between a hip "new millennium" chick and an old fashioned stuck-in-a-fallout-shelter-for-35-years guy is a breath of fresh Hollywood air deserving of it's critical acclaim.

Relax and enjoy a trip to the past!

[amarkey · 4 April 2004]

Need an escape? Here's your ticket! This is a delightful movie depicting life in the past and the shock one can get when fast forwarding to the future. There's something about gong back in time! For those of us who lived thru the 60s as teens, it's a reminder of a more innocent time. Seeing the past come alive in the form of music, baseball cards and even the furniture makes you feel like a window has been opened and you're actually watching family life in the early 60s. Watching the reactions of a full grown man who has been in a fallout shelter with his parents, now coming above ground for the first time is hilarious! Seeing him search for a "non-mutant" girl friend while he learns all about life above ground, is just as funny. You have two choices. You can watch the movie as a critic and look for things that you think "don't work" in the movie.....or, you can relax and enjoy the trip, the jokes, the characters and the trip back to the present! That's what I do, every chance I have to see this "Blast From The Past."

Blast from the Past: 7/10

[movieguy1021 · 7/10 · 17 February 2004]

There surely is a lack of originality in movies now. Romantic comedies always seem to have the girl outwit the guy, the guy persisting, and then they finally get together. That's exactly the case in Blast from the Past, except that the guy has been living in a bomb shelter for all of his life. It's a joke that could work for a five minute sketch, or it might just flop overall, but that's not the case here. It's a simple romantic comedy with a huge twist thrown in, which works to the movie's advantage.

Adam (Brendan Fraser) had lived in a fallout shelter for all of his life, because his father (Christopher Walken) thought a nuclear bomb was dropped on the house. 35 years afterwards, Adam goes up to bring supplies and meet a girl, which he does. Eve (Alicia Silverstone) is a feisty, typical 90's American, but since Adam had never met anyone else besides his parents, he just accepts it. Soon he falls in love with her (hence, Adam and Eve), but the reverse is not the same. Will he convince her? Only the cliché on romantic comedies will tell us!

Blast from the Past is surprisingly lightweight romcom. It never goes to take itself seriously, which helps keep the mood light, which is what it's supposed to be. At times it gets silly, including a Benny Hill-ish chase scene, and the obligatory man-who-can't-drive-car-drives-car-wildly scene. A scenario like this could easily descend into heartstring-plucking land, but thankfully stays on the top, and over the top. Director Hugh Wilson, whose resumé includes such movies as the original Police Academy and The First Wives Club, can keep a movie that could turn drastically wrong on the right track.

Fraser is great. It really seemed like he was brought up in a fallout shelter. His mannerisms were all from the sixties, and the way he acted was exactly on key. Silverstone was okay, but nowhere near as good as Walken and Sissy Spacek as Adam's parents. They embody their roles as people who have to live in the same space for 35 years. This movie is everything romantic comedies today don't have: no crude humor, funny lines, good acting, and a fun story. People could really learn a lesson from watching Blast from the Past.

My rating: 7/10

Rated PG-13 for brief language, sex and drug references.

It's a cute movie

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 7/10 · 20 May 2004]

That's pretty much it. "Blast from the Past" has a decent amount of laughs and fun. Brandon and Alicia are adorable together. And the story is very original and interesting. Adam is a boy who grew up in a bomb shelter with his parents, who fear that a nuclear bomb struck from the cold war. For 35 years they raise Adam to be a perfect gentleman. When he wants to meet a lady and the parents need more suplies for the shelter, they send him up to face the world of the 90's. He meets a girl, Eve. She seems cold at first, but they both fall for each other.

The story lacks a little something in some area. I thought they maybe should've gotten more into the love story, because I felt like it was too quick. But this is a cute and wonderful film. I would recommend for romantic comedy type of lovers. They would more than likely get into the film.

7/10

The epitome of what Hollywood does better than anyone

[pachl · 10/10 · 30 March 2012]

Five and a half years ago I moved from Chicago to Europe. Europeans have a different taste in movies. To be blunt, they have a BS Meter that reads off the chart. When something doesn't ring true, when it's contrived and phony, they react harshly.

Europeans also despise American "heart warming" anything... They simply aren't as optimistic as we are, and hence don't believe in so many happy endings.

Now, despite all this, Blast From The Past, a movie that is immersed in charm, style and wit, without ever resorting to bathroom humor, passed with flying colors. This is a movie whose charm cannot be overstated. It is a triumph of film making.

You probably know the general story: Brendan Fraser's parents hid in their backyard fallout shelter when they feared the Cuban missile crisis was about to explode (bad pun). Thirty five years later, Brendan is sent out in the world to bring back supplies. He is told the world will be full of death, decay, misery, and probably mutants.

Whoops. Guess not.

Brendan starts out like a lost puppy dog, but thanks to a skillful screenplay, great acting and directing, he never becomes an object of ridicule. He is simply inexperienced and pure of heart. After all, he's been living apart from society his whole life. We have to give him a break.

What sets this movie apart is how it doesn't run scared from "what if" scenarios. For example, in lesser hands this might have degenerated into some sappy, forgettable comedy. But everyone involved seems to have been on the top of their game. It's like a jigsaw puzzle and all the pieces fit together flawlessly. This movie doesn't coldly and calculatingly create warmth and charm; it simply possesses it...in abundance, like a priceless work of art that seems more discovered than created.

I have never met anyone who didn't like this movie. I am really surprised the overall rating isn't higher. Under no circumstances could I imagine giving this movie less than an 8.

My rating is a 10, because 11 is off the scale.

I wish more Hollywood movies were like this.

P.S. If you read this review, let me know with Helpful or Not Helpful vote. Thanks. I am interested in how many people really read these reviews.

It certainly is one of the more original romantic comedies

[philip_vanderveken · 7/10 · 23 June 2005]

It has never happened, but during the Cold War many people feared that they would be the victim of a nuclear war between the West and the USSR. A lot of those people had visions of living in an atomic shelter for the next three to four decades, perhaps even longer and not being able to see the daylight ever again. Well, it may never have happened, but this romantic comedy shows us what it must be like.

"Blast from the Past" tells the story of Adam Weber. In the 1960's, during the Cuba crisis, his parents locked themselves in the bomb shelter which his eccentric father had constructed for just in case. Having been locked for 35 years, Adam has never seen anything else but the confined space of the shelter. He has never seen anything of the world and has become a very naive man. Now, the doors are unlocked and Adam must venture out into LA to find food and supplies for his family and a non-mutant wife for himself...

Romantic comedies can be found in many forms, but this sure was one of the more original ones. And I must say that I liked it. The acting for instance is more than OK. I liked Brendan Fraser as the naive Adam and together with Alicia Silverstone he forms a nice couple in this movie. Even though the entire story could have used a little bit more developing, overall it looks good and offers some good laughs and plenty of fun for the people who like romantic comedies. I give it a 7/10, perhaps even a 7.5/10.

I love this sweet, romantic movie!

[GraceFromSoCal · 9/10 · 28 September 2003]

"Blast from the Past" does what it set out to do and it does it beautifully. The whole premise (i.e., a man who was born and raised underground with no contact other than his parents for 30+ years, only to go "above" and find himself in today's world) is brilliant.

Brendan Fraser is perfect as Adam--sweet, naive, and trusting--and reinforces my feelings that he is a very underrated actor. I love Adam's reactions to modernisms that he encounters for the first time, such as the "other man's underwear" scene, the idea that Troy could have a, gasp, COMPUTER! right there in his house, or the "Well good for you!" about Troy being gay.

Alicia Silverstone is wonderful as Eve, as are Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken as Adam's parents, and the rest of the cast.

It's hard for me to grasp why some folks don't like this movie! In my opinion, it's truly refreshing to see a movie where its main character has manners and class, and does not have to rely on today's standards (such as swearing) to carry the movie.

If you're in the mood to see a cute romantic comedy, do yourself a favor and watch this movie!

What a wonderful thought

[wildhart · 7/10 · 29 January 2000]

I wish I *was* in the Webber's fallout shelter. Imagine being sheltered from all the pain, trials and heartaches of growing up in such a shallow, cynical world as the one we live in. To be so innocent, naive, and free, and not have to suffer for that. To always live in a happy time....without the grief of the last 40 odd years. Yes, please, protect me from it too.

Walken is funny, the movie is a bore...

[FelixtheCat · 5/10 · 1 June 2000]

Brendan Fraser plays a 35-year-old man who comes to the Earth's surface for the first time in modern day L.A., after being raised by his parents in a bomb shelter since 1962. Christopher Walken is a lot of fun as Fraser's oddball, scientist father who believes that America has been nuked by the Soviets. Sissy Spacek is his equal as the mom who cannot wait to resurface and abandon their luxurious shelter. Alicia Silverstone represents Fraser's newfound romantic possibilities and Dave Foley is fun as her homosexual confidante. The bomb shelter scenes with Walken are this lightweight comedy's best while the storyline in L.A. is predictable and often ridiculous. The scenes with the cult our especially horrific. Silverstone turns in a rather poor performance when compared "Clueless."

Adam and Eve in L.A.

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 24 August 2006]

It's 1962 when we first set eyes on Calvin and Helen Webber. They are having a party for some of their friends. Calvin, a genius scientist from CalTec, is a man that has been preparing for bad times. When the president of the United States, J.F.Kennedy takes to the airwaves to announce an impending clash with the Soviet Union over the missiles in Cuba, Calvin figures this is it! He decides to end the party and he and Helen go to their well prepared and stocked bomb shelter. Little does he know, but the falling of a military jet in the area triggers the lock system and before they realize it, they are trapped in his own invention.

Helen gives birth to a boy, who she names Adam. The boy is brought up in their bunker and grows up to be a genius on his own right. Adam grows up listening to old Perry Como's records and can speak several foreign languages his parents have taught him. Adam is a well adjusted young man, after thirty five years on his own, without the prospect of a woman, or love. When the locking mechanism finally frees the family, they are still reluctant to go into the world, something Calvin doesn't want to do, but Helen, wanting Adam to be happy, decides to send him to replenish their dwindling supplies.

Of course, Adam, in the real world appears to be a monster. With his old fashioned clothes, his bad haircut, he is a sight not to be believed. Being naive and without malice, he has no idea how the man he proposes to sell his valuable collection of baseball cards is trying to cheat him. Enter Eve, a young woman at the store, who tells Adam the mistake he is making. Adam is lucky to have found his own Eve. Adam doesn't take too long to acquire a taste for everything modern as guided by Eve and her gay brother.

Hugh Wilson directed this delightful movie with the right touch, as everything has a light ironic feeling to everything we see. Written by Bill Kelly, the screen play is one of the best things in movies of this genre of the last years.

Brendan Fraser, who has played these types of naive characters before, is appealing as Adam. Christopher Walken took a breather from his usual heavy characters and is a winner as Calvin Webber, the genius who was mistaken. Sissy Spacek also seems to be having fun with her Helen. Alicia Silverstone plays Eve, the wise street girl from Pasadena who fell in love with Adam.

"Blast from the Past" is a film that shows the talents of Hugh Wilson at his best. It will not disappoint!

Harmless Fun

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 10 September 2005]

Thirty some years ago, a couple entered their bomb shelter because they thought the Russians were bombing California. They have a son while underground and he grows up only knowing life inside the shelter. It is now 1999 and the family is running out of supplies. The son must venture into the world above to gather the necessities his family needs to survive.

Blast from the Past is definitely not the kind of movie I usually go for. But it has a certain charm that I found refreshing and enjoyable. It's harmless fun. While there's not much that is laugh-out-loud funny, several moments brought a smile to my face. Brendan Fraser plays the son to wide-eyed innocent perfection. He makes believable a totally ridiculous situation. The rest of the cast is quite good with memorable performances from Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek as the couple from the 60s. Their demeanor, language, and actions were totally believable.

Cute idea, charming cast, but underwritten story......

[RWR · 5/10 · 16 May 1999]

Blast from the Past's storyline is based on a cute idea, and the film is well-cast with the charming Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone an extremely believable screen couple. Sissy Spacek and Christopher Walken are a lot of fun as the kooky parents. Unfortunately, the story is underwritten. Parts of it are clever, but parts of it are boring. And worst of all, the story does not follow logically from beginning to end. It is likely that a careful rewrite could have turned Blast into a very entertaining film.

60's dude meets 90's chick in this fun film

[Chrysanthepop · 31 January 2008]

'Blast From the Past' is a funny little romcom. It's very enjoyable as long as one does not expect anything serious. The plot does follow the romcom cliché where dude tries to woo dudette but here the dude was raised all his 35 years in an underground shelter, away from the outer world and that just makes the story funnier. Wilson maintains to sustain the movie's lightness as the screenplay is consistent. Silverstone and Fraser make an odd but fun romantic couple. There's the sweet chemistry. Fraser plays his awkward goofy naive persona that we've seen in a few other films but he still manages to be funny and likable and Silverstone is pretty and charming as she ends up delivering a decent performance. Pity we don't see her much these days. Spacek and Walken are cast against type and I have got to say that they provide some of the laugh out loud moments without going over the top. Of course they play Fraser's parents who have been living underground for the last 35 years. What I also liked about 'Blast From the Past' is that its comedy does not rely on crude humour (unlike most American comedies today). The film does have its downside as I felt it was moving a little slow in the beginning but the fun that I had from watching it made that a minor flaw.

Entertaining Fluff

[dlmiley · 7/10 · 19 March 2001]

I enjoyed this little movie. The most entertaining part of the move was the part with Walken and Spacek underground with Adam. It made me think of a simpler time when I was growing up in the 'burbs. The middle act was also entertaining when Walken and then Fraser venture into what they believe is the post-Apocalypse United States. Spacek is also funny when she looks forward to getting her liquor supply restored.

The final act of the movie is somewhat of a disappointment as it degenerates into standard romantic comedy formula. But all-in-all, I would recommend this movie for as an entertaining bit of fluff that is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. 7/10

not a big blast

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 12 February 2015]

It's 1962 Los Angeles at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Rich eccentric inventor Calvin Weber (Christopher Walken) brings his pregnant wife Helen (Sissy Spacek) down to the bunker. An American jet accidentally falls on their house and the bunker automatically locks for 35 years. Everybody assumes that they're dead and they assume that the world is destroyed by nuclear war. After 35 years, Calvin comes up to find the rundown neighborhood a foreign world. He wants his family to stay underground but Helen insists her boy Adam (Brendan Fraser) be allowed to see the sky. He's a fish out of water. He's about to be taken advantage of but Eve Vrustikov (Alicia Silverstone) helps him out. Together they set out to buy supplies for the underground bunker. Troy (Dave Foley) is her gay roommate and Cliff (Nathan Fillion) is her jealous ex.

The first 30 minutes is not funny enough and it's better to get to the modern day sooner. Fraser is a bit annoying at first but his childlike exuberance slowly wins me over. Silverstone is good as the tough chick who can't find love. They have a nice rom-com chemistry. The dance scene is fun and most importantly, it slowly dawns on Eve that she's jealous and in love. The movie is a bit too long, the start is too slow and not all the intended comedy works. Nevertheless, the couple is good enough and it has a sweet light charm.

Extremely Hilarious!

[Uriah43 · 8/10 · 9 April 2016]

This movie begins with a nutty scientist named "Calvin" (Christopher Walken) who is convinced that the Soviets are about to launch a surprise nuclear attack on the United States. So in order to prepare for it he abandons his academic work at Cal Tech and secretly builds a fallout shelter in his own back yard. Then, during the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he and his pregnant wife, "Helen" (Sissy Spacek), relocate into it as a precaution. As luck would have it, a jet just so happens to run out of fuel and subsequently crashes right above them. This causes Calvin to believe a nuclear strike has occurred and because of that he locks himself and Helen into the fallout shelter for a period of about 35 years. And then he opens the doors... Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that, despite some obvious weaknesses here and there, I found this movie to be extremely hilarious! Not only does Christopher Walken perform in an exceptionally superb manner but I also liked the acting of Brandon Frasier (as "Adam") along with David Foley ("Troy") and the "Arch Bishop" (Joey Slotnick). Likewise, the presence of Alicia Silverstone (as "Eve") certainly didn't hurt. In any case, I liked this movie and I recommend it to anyone looking for a first-rate comedy of this type. Definitely above average.

Grossly Underrated Pre-Millenial Film

[statuskuo · 7/10 · 20 January 2015]

This movie is fun. Fun in the late 90s sense where you can have a ridiculous concept and go with it. It's the same type of humor as "The Wedding Singer" and the same buoyant energy. Thanks to a really committed Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek as doting parents of a different era.

I love this movie for its non-cynical approach to making a movie. Hugh Wilson relies heavily on the two leads chemistry AND good-nature to carry us through. And I enjoyed the cultural evolution, or in this case de-evolution of humanity. A kind way to say we've lost our manners and civility.

What would you take from this movie? Absolutely nothing. Maybe that you should be kinder to people. And that manners count. And that, when put into a vacuum and later exhumed from a different generation, we'd see how much we'd degenerated in our treatment of each other.

To me, it's just fun. I think it defines the late 1990 era romantic comedy movies.

Blast From the Past: A Funny Comedy With a Sweet Soul

[scr555 · 9/10 · 7 August 2017]

Blast From the Past is one of those films that succeeds on every level. The script and direction work in concert with a superb cast to tell a touching and original story about a man raised in a fallout shelter who has to cope with life in America in the 1990s. Heading the cast is Brendan Fraser, who's pitch-perfect as naif Adam Webber, who's spent 35 years growing up in a fallout shelter after his father mistakenly assumes nuclear war broke out back in 1962. Fraser is wonderful, but so is everyone else in the cast. Alicia Silverstone has one of her best-ever roles as the cynical Eve, who reluctantly befriends Adam. Dave Foley is a delight as Eve's gay best friend, Troy. Equally impressive are Christopher Walken as Adam's brilliant but daffy father, and Sissy Spacek as Adam's sweet, long suffering mom. Even the smallest roles are well-acted, with special kudos to Joey Slotnik, Nathan Fillion, the two beautiful blondes Adam dances with in the nightclub scene, the deadpan grocery clerk at the meat counter, and the nutty guy Adam sits next to on his first bus ride. It's also got an unbeatable soundtrack, and a story that never loses steam until its sweetly ironic ending. It's also one of those rare comedies that doesn't have a mean moment in it. It's refreshingly sweet and achingly funny; a real winner that deserved the good reviews it got when it came out. It's one of those films whose reputation will only grow with time. Don't miss it.

A great laugh until the romance begins

[johnemb · 7/10 · 1 December 2002]

I didn't really plan to watch this movie, but it was on TV, and I decided to give it a try. After a while, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed this much from watching a movie! The first part of the "above ground" part of the movie was simply hilarious... it's just that after a while, the romance took over completely, and the movie degraded from excellent to - well, something far less. Too bad, but it's worth watching though...

ridiculous premise and plot but comedy at least charming

[ziggy-6 · 5/10 · 5 September 2017]

Seeing some of these idiot reviews makes me understand how people voted for Trump and keep TV shows on the air and make Kardashians wealthy and believe Foxnews is close to being news

Just a few ridiculous premises... 1. no radio in the shelter? 2. no phone to contact relatives either during the stay or once they return to the surface?? 3. not one trip to a library or school to research the past 35 years?? 4. just a few hours of watching TV in his hotel would have wised him up to modern times ?? 5. stocks went up even in the 50's ...why not be aware they'd be worth much more now ??

if you put logic aside...the movie becomes slightly believable...I emphasize slightly

there's been plenty of TV shows/movies made already that dealt with the "fish out of water" scenario when living in a different time period ..either past or future...ie. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" "Hot Tub Time Machine" "Back to the Future" 1,2,3 etc. watch one of those

An absolute charmer

[jjnxn-1 · 10/10 · 30 April 2013]

The premise is absurd but the picture is played with such charming whimsy that it pulls you right along. Brendan Fraser uses his size and somewhat goofy personality to make Adam believable as a big overgrown child in a man's body. He and Alicia Silverstone have a nice vibe with her worldliness playing well off his innocence. As his parents who spend the majority of the movie in a bomb shelter Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek are simply swell, an utterly adorable couple who react very differently to their confinement but are a joy whenever they are on screen. A sweet, breezy film with the underlying message to respect each other and enjoy the world around you.

Overlooked and underrated

[Rammstein-2 · 7/10 · 2 August 2000]

This film never made it to the big screen in Sweden. It might be the kind of film that I would prefer to see on video, but as it turned out, I didn't have a choice. Anyway - this is a very good film. Not only is it funny, it is an intelligent kind of fun - just look at Walken (who performs, like he always does, splendidly) and his obsessiveness, or the mother (Spacek) who is clearly going bonkers (and becoming an alcoholic) in the shelter. Or the nutty owner of the bar ("Leave my elevator alone!"). I even thought Silverstone's character was fairly good, though the twists of the plot forced her to become unnecessarily hostile in the bar scenes. Imagine how a white person who had never actually seen a colored person (or vice versa, for that matter), only heard about "them" would react. That is REALLY funny.

What bothers me is the ease with which Eve falls for this guy. The way he acts, talks and dresses would be more than enough to put her off completely - I for one would have called some authority a lot sooner...

But, it is a comedy, and a romantic one at that, so let's not bother about scientific or psychological facts and theories. It's entertainment, and I think it works well.

Blast Turns Into A Dud With More Bias

[ccthemovieman-1 · 3/10 · 27 February 2007]

Usually I am sucker for time-travel films, loving most of them....but not this yet-another subtle anti-religion propaganda nonsense. In this film, Christopher Walken plays a father ("Calvin Webber") who espouses wholesome family values and is shown as a religious man. So this man who - gasp - says grace at meals - is pictured as a complete lunatic. What else? Is there no end to the cheap shots by these atheists who dominate the film world?

I did enjoy the first third of this movie but when Brendan Fraser's lead character, "Adam Webber" went "up' to the existing world, the movie just fades into another "fish out of water" film, which has been used many times in many different circumstances.

This was no "blast" from the past. There are too many other far-better time-travel flicks than this one.