Enemy Mine | | Cast : | Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr. | | Director : | Wolfgang Petersen | | Studio : | Twentieth Century Fox | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby, Widescreen | | Released Date : | December 20, 1985 | | DVD Released Date : | October 12, 2004 | | Language : | French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 31, 2005 | | Summary | Sssssmile When You Say That | Content
 | Draconians and Humans are having a war over territory (what else), firmly establishing that the same sort of nonsense that has occurred in human history between various races continues in space. The only difference is that the Draconians are actually reptilian versions of us. This movie attempts not so subtly to compare our racism throughout history, most particularly recent history, with the racism that is expressed against the Draconians.
Draconian Jeriba "Jerry" Shigan (Louis Gossett, Jr.) and macho Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) crash land on the same planet. Anything that happens before the crash is background and is nearly extraneous to the real story, which is how Jerry and Davidge grow to see each other as "people," and actually grow to care about each other. That is what the movie is about. However, the focus of the movie is not so much where the movie goes as the journey. The movie focuses a great deal of attention on the events that can draw different people together and cause them to understand each other. With understanding can come caring.
I know the previous paragraph sounds maudlin, sort of like "Lassie" in space, but this movie, in spite of its lukewarm critical reception, is interesting to watch. For years science fiction fans (as opposed to fantasy fans) have gloried in the fact that science fiction has always been able to explore topics where the main stream has difficulty. To phrase it another way, only us geeks watch this stuff, so no one cares what is in it. Thus this movie is able to show how two races come to a common purpose and you start to wonder whether there is any real difference between the races.
The only point I was unsure of in this movie was the birth of Zammis (Bumper Robinson). The whole birth process and the biological explanation were somewhat interesting. The attachment of Davidge to Zammis was expected, because biologically we are wired to protect young, regardless of the species (well, the sort of cute cuddly ones, anyway). Of course, the birth of Zammis did help set up the expected and somehow satisfying end of the movie.
I suppose that one of the biggest criticisms of this movie is that it went for such a cliché ending after the marvelous acting when Davidge and Jerry were isolated. Louis Gossett, Jr., particularly had a difficult acting job, portraying an alien, speaking in an alien language, and expressing emotions in heavy makeup. Louis Gossett, Jr., received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Actor, one of the six awards for which this movie was nominated. Unfortunately, the movie did not win any of the nominations. However, Louis Gossett, Jr., deserved to win at least one of the awards. Watch this one and see what I mean. Just do not expect lots of death rays and fight scenes.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 23, 2005 | | Summary | Space Is The New Battleground | Content
| Enemy Mine is an underrated sci-fi film, that, thanks to home video and cable, has gained some noteriety as a cult classic. Its story may be a well worn premise, but it works, because of two great perfomances and seasoned director at the helm.
"By late in the 21st century, the nations of the Earth were finally at peace, working together to explore and colonize the distant reaches of space. Unfortunately, we weren't alone out there. A race of non-human aliens called the Dracs were claiming squatters' rights to some of the richest star systems in the galaxy"...During a harrowng space battle, two warring ships crash on a barren planet, with only one survivor from each ship. At first, the human pilot, Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) and the lizardlike Drac (Louis Gossett Jr.) continue to fight, but the planet's harsh climate and the need to survive force them to work together. Over time, they put their hostilities aside and form a friendship. When the parthenogenetic Drac's health becomes an issue the two draw even closer.
The film, based on author Barry Longyear's novella, is an aligory on race relations. Edward Khmara's script also allows for some great interplay between the two leads. Quaid and Gossett make quite a pair. Director Wolfgang Petersen
trades his epic style (Das Boot, Troy, In The Line Of Fire) for more "intimate" storytelling. Gosset gets special extra kudos for pulling off a role, where he spoke very little english, while wearing a full body costume in heavy prostetic make-up. The scene where both characters try to learn each other's language offers some of the film's best moments.
I wish the DVD had more extras on it. The theatrical trailer, a few production stills, and a few other release ads, are all you'll see. A Quaid Gossett Petersen reunion might be fun.
Bonus material issues aside, Enemy Mine is a must see sci-fi gem. A mid 80's classic |
| Rating | | | Date | April 17, 2005 | | Summary | Good old school sci-fi | Content
| You have to admire old 80's sci-fi and horror movies. Big hair, low budgets, cheesy FX and some really good movies (this one included). An interesting movie that manages to make us question our own beliefs about other races of people and manages to show us just how silly discrimination and racism can be |
| Rating | | | Date | November 20, 2004 | | Summary | there were no block buster sci-fi's in the mid-late eighties | Content
| But this is a great movie none-the-less. The key actors Denis Quaid and Louse Gosset Jr. made it believable and it is more about the human experience than a sci-fi. Some one said the sets looked like Lost in Space but I couldn't disagree more. The background is beautiful and not at all cheesy or cheap as in the very static 1960's Lost in Space. The backdrops of the sky and land are beleivable of being on a strange world or even of Earth if the sun were closer. This was, after all, 1985 and in 1985 thier were no CGI effects to speak of. This was the best their ever was. The story centers around two arch enemy starfighters who crashed on a desolate planet and hate each other(because of difference in species) until they get to know one another. Of course bigotism was the theme and it seems more prominent now than in the eighties oddly enough. After a time these two separate and Quaid's character returns to find that his Alien friend is pregnant(asexual reproduction as in most invertibrate animals). The second half of the story centers around Quaid and the Alien's child and is about the child accepting himself as he/she/it ??? has no point of referrence. This is a masterful story who could not like it.
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| Rating | | | Date | August 29, 2004 | | Summary | Great Low Budget Movie with a Deeper meaning | Content
| It's seems as if, everyone who reviewed this movie missed the whole point
of the movie and it's hidden agenda.though staged in the distant future.it represents the problems that plague us today and mostly what existed in the past. and that is racism!. But when both species from different sides of tracks are thrown into a survival situation where team work is required,Color, religious beliefs, and politics play no roll when trying to stay alive. |
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