Blast from the Past (1999) Reviews

• Relax and enjoy a trip to the past!

  amarkey2004-04-04

  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."

• The epitome of what Hollywood does better than anyone

  pachl2012-03-30

  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.

• Brilliant comedy

  AKS-62000-07-20

  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_Cheshire2004-07-19

  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.

• Blast of fresh air

  MichaelOates2004-03-28

  Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone are on screen gems in their aptly named characters Adam and Eve. Everything about "Blast From The Past" was superb from the casting of Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek and Dave Foley to the outstanding performances by everyone made this film so enjoyable. I could not find one thing wrong with this film because it was that good. Everything in this film was a breath of fresh air and I'm glad I saw this film. Through this movie, it has given me respect for Walken, who has become one of my favorite actors in Hollywood. The performances by the cast were real and honest. Also, everyone seemed to enjoy each other's company as well as performing in this movie and it showed; furthermore, it also showed up in the box office and rental receipts as people couldn't get enough of this great comedy. "Blast From The Past" is a worthwhile comedy that deserves everyone's attention. Two thumbs WAY up.