Phenomenon Studio:
Buena Vista
Starring:
John Travolta
Kyra Sedgewick
Forest Whitaker
Robert Duvall
Brent Spiner		 Director:
Jon Turtletaub		 Regional code:
2		 Disc Format:
Single Sided, Single Layer
Screenplay:
Gerald DiPego		 Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1		 Anamorphic:
Yes
Year:
1996		 Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 in French and Italian		 Subtitles:
English Closed Captions, English, French, Dutch, Portuguese
Genre:
Drama
Extra disc featues:
None		 Length:
118mins
   

Review of the DVD - rating: * 1/2

Review of the film - rating: * * * *
A typically strange early Disney picture looks good at a normal viewing distance, but breaks down totally under a closer examination. At any distance it collapses at around the 88 minute mark on a shot of Travolta's face, where he temporarily degenerates Dune-like into visage of blocks. Most unnerving.

The sound is lovely though, with pleasingly subtle uses of the surrounds, a great score from Thomas Newman and a couple of stand-out moments featuring the UFO - what a woomph. However, that's it - no extras of any kind, I'm afraid.

 Intriguing tale of a rural car mechanic (Travolta) who, on his birthday, is struck down by a mysterious light in the sky. Relationships between himself and the townsfolk are strained when he starts developing superhuman intelligence and an insatiable capacity to speed-read without sleep. Things really go belly up when his telekenesis comes to light.

The film is awash with gorgeous country images, and the film is gently - but well - paced as Travolta tries to woo Sedgewick under the unusual circumstances. But the film is defined by a turn it takes two thirds of the way through (of course I won't reveal what this is). Although the idea it introduces is unexpected and strong, it's pacing falters here as the movie becomes heavy handed and leaden on it's way to the conclusion.

Travolta is surprisingly suited to the part here, and the rest of the cast are similarly strong (nice to see Duvall in his turn as the local family doc). Overall, this is a trip worth taking, even if things turn out to be more flawed than you'd hope.