With its low production value and uninspired direction, Impostor comes off as a mixture of The Fugitive and Blade Runner, only not as good or as involving.
With its low production value and uninspired direction, Impostor comes off as a mixture of The Fugitive and Blade Runner, only not as good or as involving.
This long-delayed science fiction thriller from director Gary Fleder was actually filmed prior to his box-office hit Don't Say a Word (2001), which preceded it in theaters by several months. Based on a 1953 short story by Philip K. Dick, the film shares that schizophrenic author's long-running obsessions with concealed identity and humanity's potential inferiority to alternative life forms. Gary Sinise stars as Spencer John Olham, a respected government scientist in the year 2079 trying to
devise a secret weapon that will help his fellow humans win a decade-long war with invading aliens that are cloning human subjects and using the replicas as walking time bombs. Suddenly, Olham is accused of being an alien spy and a nationwide manhunt to capture him ensues. With even his doctor wife (Madeleine Stowe) unsure that she can trust him, Olham must uncover the truth on his own, even as he's relentlessly pursued by Hathaway (Vincent D'Onofrio), a federal agent charged with destroying the clones. Imposter has a complicated history, originally produced in early 2000 as a 30-minute short to be included in an anthology entitled "The Light Years Trilogy," a project that never got off the ground. So impressed was Dimension Films with the completed piece, however, that the footage was incorporated into a new feature version. That film was then shuffled around the release schedule for more than a year as effects were completed, reshoots were ordered, and the film was recut for a PG-13 rating instead of its original R. The R-rated "director's cut" was later released on DVD. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
There's one thing you can say about Imposter - it does have the appropriate title. Fleder's ill-conceived actioner flick poses as a thriving sci-fi adventure but its real identity is that of a glossy-looking, predictable lukewarm futuristic yarn.
An uneven look into a grim future that doesn't come close to the level of intelligence and visual splendour that can be seen in other films based on Philip K. Dick stories.
The film sags in its second act, but it's interesting, high-IQ sci-fi, and if ever a film spoke to America's post-September 11 paranoia, this one does.
i really enjoyed this movie it hasnt been given enough credit to be honest
i like the the way its been set and the year its funny and action packed and with a twist the ending is a bit disappointing but the thing with a lot of films is that the entire film is brilliant and then they sort of run out of time towards the
end so they rush it but neverthe less worth a watch!
January 18, 2008
Film Crazy
Super Reviewer
Weapons designer Gary Sinise finds himself on the run in a warring future state after being accused of being an alien spy. Yet another potboiler based on a Philip K. Dick short story, Impostor doesn't really have the depth or invention to satisfyingly explore the source material's themes of identity and sense of self.
It does however have some nice effects and production design, and a cast that although lacking in big name stars, does have enough in the way of solid character actors to keep you watching, including Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub and Madeleine Stowe. The rather straight to DVD style direction and unimaginative plot (it's basically just a long chase sequence) means it will win no prizes for originality, but taken as a no frills sci-fi B-movie it has enough action and twists to pass 80 minutes inoffensively enough. Nowhere near the best Philip K. Dick adaptation, but far from the worst.
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