Holy shit a film with Bill Paxton which stinks? Never thought it was possible. For those who relish Aliens and Predator 2, this is like discovering his own troubled rendition of Waterworld. Well at least it’s not as bad as the Postman. Costner must be an inspiration for anyone struggling in their career after that disaster.
Set in the future following a global cataclysm, renegade and general lowlife Matt captures an escaped convict running from the local cops hoping to cash in the reward money for himself. When the stranger’s pacifistic personality surfaces, along with an obsession with religion and the power to perform miracles, it’s soon clear he isn’t everything he seems.
The bombastic orchestra and vast scenery camera shots are some of the ways which show how badly this sci-fi fantasy adventure wants to have an epic, almost classical style of storytelling; this fits nicely with the desert and sky settings. The solemn lines and their dry delivery also decide the tone.
It’s shame it doesn’t have the balls. The wise-cracking dialogue is so corny that could sit on a plate of ribs. Paxton is even more eccentric than usual, whose comedy relief is awkward and irritating considering his role as a leader; his murderous antagonists are spinelessly serious and tedious in comparison, except for perhaps the mysterious prisoner (Hamill).
Luckily, the plotline isn’t a flying mess, and Slipstream’s story is thankfully pinned down quite fiercely with pegs of mandatory catastrophes and recoveries typical for any relative 80’s trash. The fighting scenes suffer from particularly poor coordination however, and unless you’ve watched this before or are prepared to play with your video slider for a while, they’re exposed to appear messy and incomprehensible.
And it’s just so fucking goofy. The actors aren’t to blame, but a stronger balance in the casting with a updated and modern direction would probably have saved this from becoming such a forgettable yarn. And the end: “I hope you find that place you’ve been dreaming about!” OK, stop, that’s enough already.
3/10
Possession Media 