Westworld

A well-remembered film from my youth and no I haven't seen the TV reboot, watching this again was like going back to a bunch of my favourite original Star Trek episodes mashed up together.

Sure, the premise could have perhaps more justifiably been played out in a darker, more overtly horror way, but instead it's mostly fun just the way it is, shot in broad daylight, occasionally played for laughs and with an out and out nerd in the lead role. With ideas that you can see played out later in films like "Terminator 2" and of course "Jurassic Park", not to mention the whole "Star Trek TNG" holodeck schtick, the film works because it's so easy to imagine ourselves playing out our adventure fantasies, especially in these days of virtual reality.

Sure the film is dated by its mildly sexist treatment of women who are seen throughout mostly as playthings of wealthy middle-aged men on tour, but if you can see past that, it definitely moves up a gear once things start to go wrong in paradise and the machines really begin to play up.

The action sequences seem to parody Peckinpah with lots of slow-motion shootin' and a-killin' with blood spattering everywhere which contrasts with the buddy-buddy vibe which exists between Richard Benjamin and James Brolin, who convincingly seem what they probably are, two rich businessman out on the ran.

The genius casting however was in getting Yul Brynner to parody his iconic role from "The Magnificent Seven" as the mean and moody gunslinger who just keeps on coming in pursuit of Benjamin.

An early film outing for author, screenwriter and occasional director Michael Crichton who I can only think once had a bad day at Disneyworld, "Westworld" is a very enjoyable light sci-fi romp best not taken too seriously.

Michael Crichton wrote and directed this precursor to "Jurassic Park" that, while showing some of it's age, is still effective and was undeniably influential. The story concerns a unique and expensive vacation resort called Delos in which customers can choose from one of three "worlds"--Roman World, Medieval World or Western World (as it is referred to in the film.) Here, customers can indulge their fantasies of conquest (violent or sexual) among a host of ultra-realistic robots who are programmed to promote the experience while not allowing the participants to become hurt. Benjamin stars as a newcomer to the place with his buddy Brolin along for his second visit. Brolin shows Benjamin the ropes at Western World (how to shoot villains, seduce dance hall girls, etc...) One of the bad guys they encounter is icy Brynner who they dispose of more than once. Eventually, things start to come unglued as the men note that things aren't working as properly as expected and promised. The controllers of the park are unable to prevent the robots from hurting or even killing the guests! The film begins with that once-cutting-edge, but now amusing, sense of high-tech awe as the guys enter the park. Benjamin is an acquired taste and borders on annoying for much of the film. More at ease is Brolin who doesn't have a great deal to do. The most striking performance is that of Brynner. He has almost nothing to say, but he doesn't need to talk. His steely stare and mechanical gait wind up being quite relentless and terrifying. The highlight of the film is his non-stop pursuit of Benjamin. ("The Terminator" owes a lot to this section of the film.) There are several other supporting roles, but, aside from Van Patten, the actors create little interest in their exploits. "Star Trek" fans will note the presence of Barrett as a robot madame. There were rumors of a remake with Arnold Schwarzegger, but Arnie's already done the indestructible robot thing and no one's going to outglare Brynner. His bid as Governor seems to have quashed these plans anyway.

You can see the roots both in the plot and the special effects in Michael Crichton's Westworld that can later be found in the incredibly popular Jurassic Park series.

Like Jurassic Park the protagonists of Westworld are a pair of wealthy American yuppies who are going to a futuristic vacation resort. The place is called Delos and like Disneyland with its separate theme parks of Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and the World of Tomorrow, Delos has three different resort type places to visit, Romanworld, Medievalworld and Westworld.

Our two intrepids have chosen the Westworld experience. They get to mix and mingle in an old west frontier town, or at least a Hollywood type version of same and get the feel of western life. Included are gunfights and bar brawls such as you see in any good Hollywood western. This is what Richard Benjamin and James Brolin have chosen for themselves.

For reasons unexplained in the story, the whole thing breaks down in all three theme worlds and in the case of Westworld, a very nasty gunslinger robot has shaken loose from his programming and is on the hunt for human targets. Will man with all of his weaknesses defeat an apparently indestructible machine?

You can also see some of the themes in the later Terminator films that Arnold Schwarzneggar popularized. Here the relentless hunter is played by Yul Brynner in the familiar black western garb that he made popular in The Magnificent Seven.

The VHS copy of Westworld advertises itself as the very first use of computer graphics. If that's the case this is one unique experience for that reason alone and should not be missed.

Westworld was the blueprint for what was later Jurassic Park. Here, Michael Crichton first envisoned Disneyland, if the Hall of presidents ran amuck. It provided many of the inspirations for later sci-fi films, like Terminator. It was a great blend of action, horror, and comedy.

Richard Benjamin and James Brolin are the heroes of the film, but Yul Brynner is the star. He portrays a robot, based on his character from "The Magnificent Seven." Brynner is the relentless killing machine who fights until the end. With almost no dialogue, he conveys fear with little more than expression and body language.

The film explores old themes, the dark side of technology, but it was ahead of its time in depicting the dangers of computers and automated systems. The effects are dated, but the story holds up well. The sequel, Futureworld, tried to add political intrigue, with less success. Definitely one for the sci-fi fan or collector, or cult movie lover.

I loved this as a kid and today I watched it for the first time since I was a kid, with my kids and of course, they loved it just as I did. Watching again as an adult I'm a little less impressed and the technology is wonderful for some laughs. Looking at the big boxy things with flashing lights and spinning tape reels, my daughter asked if those are computers so I give the obligatory explanation. Westworld is one of the few movies written and directed by Michael Crichton, of whom I've been a big fan even before I knew who he was. Westworld being one of his more popcorny movies, lacking the sophistication of The Andromeda Strain but containing the seeds of Jurassic Park.

James Brolin is magnificent as expected. It always strikes me how much Christian Bale resembles him, right down to the smile and mannerisms. If Bale isn't the illegitimate son of Brolin then their family trees must share branches somewhere. I've always thought the same about Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.