Reviews

Just saw Prometheus in Imax 3D, and thought it was a terrific entertainment. That said, I do understand much of the disappointment. My first impression is that the various scenes, put together in the viewer's mind, suggest the plot. The "plot holes" to me were several missing scenes where the various happenings would be put together by the characters. Instead it struck me as annoying how the characters would just blurt out the conclusions... No doubt the DVD release will contain many of these scenes[?]

Early on, I thought the movie was essentially a revision of Michael Mann's "The Keep" more than a part of the the Alien franchise. The pyramid was sort of like the keep, and I was amused in the end with the malevolent "engineer" who looked sort of like "Molesar" from the keep, and who (like in the Keep) seemed to promise immortality to the frail old man character (here Weyland of The Weyland Yutani Corp., in the Keep Ian McKellan as a crippled archaelogist, etc.) and then turn out to be not only using him in a plot to destroy mankind. Yeah, the engineer does not talk directly to Weyland, but Weyland's mission unwittingly releases him... like in the keep. Oh, and in both the big guy takes out the old man for his trouble... To be honest, near the end I was kinda wishing I was watching the keep in 3D Imax!!! That's because I sorta found the Aliens franchise elements in the end kind of boring.

Overall, I'm giving it a good review not because of the Aliens prequel rubbish, but because Director Scott, the cast, etc. etc. have made a pretty good Sci-Fi film, with marvelous cinematography, etc. So forget the obligatory Alien comparisons, and just enjoy "The Keep" in space!!!!

I remember reading with great relish of this impending project in the pages of Civil War Times Illustrated back in 1990. Fresh off the heels of Glory, I was hooked and couldn't wait for the next BIG Civil War flick. Well, I finally saw it on cable a year later, and was generally disappointed. Regardless, I recently purchased a copy on VHS and have watched it a couple of times to kill time. My conclusions are as follows:

The love story is boring. I can only assume that the only reason it is included here is because the script was based to some degree on the two previous Monitor/Merrimac films (Confederate Ironclad (1910), and Hearts in Bondage (1936); though I have never seen either, both revolve around a female spy/love story/battle of the ironclads triad).

The espionage factor is interesting, and even more so Madsen's character's conversion from a Union spy to to something of a double agent (of course to save her boyfriend, see love story above...)

Overall I must conclude that the above was all just filler to keep production costs down. The love story is even absent on the cover art of the video box (features two models rather than production stars). One of the actors says in the movie "iron doesn't float," and that is certainly true of the leaden script employed here. Alas, there are no elements relating to the extraordinary construction of the two main protagonists: the Monitor and Merrimac! These last two are the real stars of this production.

When the above stars of the show do arrive, the tempo picks up as imagination is put into gear. I actually like the last half of the flick, and find the battle scenes well done for a television production. I almost wish they had just made a straight up documentary out of the models and action scenes. Unfortunately there are the obligatory cutaways to the perils of the love interest/spy/girlfriend...

But hey, its a TV movie, and kills some time. I can recommend it only for the special effects, and for naval buffs.

The fact this film is a Vietnam War metaphor writ small is well established, (as shown by the previous comments), but there is more to this film than just "Vietnam." The setting is Louisiana, 1973 (a year after the Vietnam War ended for the US) where nine National Guardsmen on maneuvers in the swamps end up on the bad side of the local Cajun hunters. A bloody debacle results, in which the survival instincts of the Guardsmen are subordinated to their training (example: Cpl. Casper is taking them in the wrong direction, yet they continue to follow.) Again and again the voices of reason among the guardsmen are ignored, yet they follow to their destruction. Carradine's character comes to the fore as the leader only too late to save the squad.

The squad's leader, and first casualty is Sgt. Poole (Coyote), a decorated Vietnam Veteran. Noticeable, but not mentioned overtly, is the fact that Fred Ward's psychotic character, Reese, is wearing a 4th US Infantry Division "combat" patch on his right sleeve, suggesting his character was also a Vietnam Veteran (Poole wears the combat service patch of the 1st Infantry Division on his right sleeve). (Notice too the unspoken understanding between Reese and Poole at the critical point when they determine to take the hunters' boats.)

The remainder are all "weekend warriors," having presumably joined the guard during the war to avoid the draft, and possible Vietnam service. There is reference to their experiences battling rioting civil rights protesters and college students. Boothe's character, Hardin, is especially interesting, having served in the Texas Guard, but now transferred to the Louisiana Natl. Gd. to finish out his service. He doesn't want any trouble; with the NCOs (Poole/Casper), or with the "rednecks" of his new squad. Complete with his emotional baggage against the "rednecks" with whom he grew up and had to tolerate all his life, Hardin stands by idly as the events unfold which lead to disaster, but steadily comes to grips with his desire to survive at any cost. Reenter Fred Ward's violent Reese character; his will to survive transcends his duty to the squad, and while this plays out that he is a loose cannon notice that only he is unafraid of the Cajuns and is prepared for survival (perhaps from Vietnam service as noted above). Notice too that in most of his conflicts with the other guardsmen Reese is eventually vindicated. Examples: He carries live ammo in defiance of orders. He does not want to share it, and when he does the others waste it. He tries to get the CAjun Prisoner to talk by drowning him (and later we see he does indeed speak English).

Hardin and Reese finally come to grips and it is personal for Hardin, who discards his rifle and goes for it knife to knife against this embodiment of his bane: the "redneck." From that point on we see Hardin become in the Louisiana swamps what Reese had already become, perhaps in Vietnam ; a paranoid, a soldier willing to do whatever it took to survive, no matter what the cost. (we see the others reactions to this ordeal as well: Casper quotes manuals, Simms is in denial to the last, Bowdin, unable to come to grips with the situation and his emotions flips out totally, unable to act even to defend himself).

What does all this rambling mean? I'm not sure, but I can see here the brilliance of this film. the Cajuns may be pulling the triggers on them because their in the swamp, but what is getting these guardsmen in hot water is the minds they brought from the city! Here is an ugly glimpse of what it takes to survive in mortal combat against other humans: those trying to kill you, by association and outright.

As an aside, The film reiterates several times that these men "are the guard" and not Army regulars like those who served in Vietnam. Perhaps in Poole and Reese we see what their experiences in Vietnam create... the callousness of professional soldiers. Then we see the same in Boothe and Carradine who take their places here as the survivor and the leader. In "Southern Comfort" we see the south at war with itself...race riots of the 60's and the "new south" of the seventies are both referenced in this film, and it depicts the period in the middle. In the midst of the Vietnam metaphor of this movie is the battle between the college educated new south-type and the unthinking and reactionary redneck: between the home town high school football coach and the drug pusher (Cribbs); and between all of them of the old and new south and the Cajuns of the "lost" south. All that and Ry Cooder's music too!