dromasca

'Capricorn One' was produced and released in the same years (1978-79) as 'Superman', 'Star Trek', 'Alien', 'Grease', 'Apocalypse Now' and 'Deer Hunter'. The estimated budget of around $5 million was modest by the Hollywood standard at the time and probably a fraction of the budgets of any of the big hits listed. And yet, the film written and directed by Peter Hyams was an unexpected success with the public even then, and today, as it approaches half a century old, it remains an action entertainment worth watching. I not only liked it, but it also reminded me of why I liked action movies mixed with science fiction in the '70s.

'Capricorn One' is the ultimate film in the genre inspired by conspiracy theories. We are in a kind of alternate present or near future of the 1970s in which the Apollo program completed successfully and was followed by the exploration of the planet Mars. The first mission to Mars, with three American astronauts on board, is on the launch pad when, minutes before departure into space, the astronauts are secretly extracted from the space capsule and transported to a military base. There they will be blackmailed into participating in a staging that lasts for months, simulating in live television broadcasts the flight to Mars, the descent to the planet's surface, the return home. One of the operators at the command center suspects that the transmitted data is not consistent with the alleged video and audio communications. An investigative journalist begins to ask questions. The entire government mechanism is set in motion to silence the whistleblowers by any means. The staging, which was organized out of fear of losing the support of public opinion and the Senate, but especially because of the damage to the national prestige in the conditions of the Cold War, is in danger, but so are the lives of those who ask too many questions and of the astronauts themselves, people of integrity prepared for deeds and not for masquerades.

The film works well and still impresses today, although there is no shortage of clichés, situations lacking credibility and pompous dialogues. The main quality is, I think, the intelligently written action script, with adequate rhythm and alternation between political thriller and action and even survival films. Peter Hyams imagines good cinematography for this film, with references to the masters. Some of the filming is spectacular, especially the desert scenes and one of the best aerial chases, perhaps a tribute to Hitchcock's 'North by Northwest', but with Telly Savalas at the comands of the small plane pursued by killer helicopters. The NASA operating rooms that we know from so many other films are transformed into conspiratorial dark rooms like in Kubrick's 'Dr. Strangelove'. I found the acting performances less inspired. They were not helped by the script, with cartoonish action movie characters, without nuances or depth. The actors did their job, but they didn't really have much rely upon. Among the curiosities of the cast, I would mention that the lead roles are played by Barbra Streisand's ex-husband - Elliott Gould - and by her future husband - James Brolin. However, the most spectacular casting in a historical perspective is that of O. J. Simpson, who was trying to launch an acting career and did not yet know how famous he would become for completely different reasons.

Putting aside the small flaws, I think that 'Capricorn One' is still something more than just another action thriller. I'm not at all a fan of conspiracy theories, but at that time these had a different resonance than they do today. That was the America after Watergate and the Vietnam War, when distrust in government was at its peak, even Neil Armstrong's moon landing was questioned, and the heroes were the journalists who exposed government machinations like those in 'All the President's Men' who also inspired the character of the journalist in this film. Making a film in which NASA and politicians are the bad guys was also a political statement. I think Peter Hyams and his team succeeded here. Maybe even a little too well.

The producers of the new 'The Naked Gun' insist on calling their film as a 'reboot' rather than a 'remake' of the original series. I'm not sure that I understood all the subtle differences between the new cinematic category and the one I already knew. If I had to choose an alternative title, it would have been 'The Naked Gun - New Generation', because in one of the most successful scenes of the film, the police officers of the famous Los Angeles police department pay homage and seek encouragement from the portraits of their fathers, in fact the heroes of the episodes of the old series. The goal of making the new film is the same as the previous ones: to bring in as many viewers as possible who will have fun enough to tell further and bring in more viewers. The script is written by writers with experience in the satirical programs Saturday Night Live and the direction belongs to one of them - Akiva Schaffer. It is rumored that at least one of the authors of the previous series is not too happy with the new direction the series is taking, but it no longer belongs to him. After all, 'Naked Gun', in its time, also quoted, parodied and distorted its predecessors. For me, the goal (85 minutes of entertainment) was achieved.

The detective story is irrelevant, as in most films of this genre. We are dealing with a bank robbery, a possible murder and a suspicious traffic accident. A vamp also appears (in the style of the detective Marlowe movies) who turns out to be the sister of the fresh corpse. Between her and the main hero detective, an idyll of those that destroy everything around will develop. We are in the third decade of the third millennium, so absolute evil can only be embodied by a large corporation and its boss. What matters are the jokes, and they must follow each other at a pace fast enough to not allow the silence between the bursts of laughter to linger in the cinema for more than a minute at most.

Why did I like it? 'The Naked Gun' does not seek to revolutionize the genre, it is consistent with the films in the previous series and therefore about what I expected. Several jokes are anthological and I am convinced that they will even appear in future anthologies of comedies of the 2020s. The mixture of clownish physical humor with verbal humor is well dosed, in such a way that, I think, fans of all genres will be satisfied. Of course, some jokes risk getting lost in translation, whether it is puns in English, or cultural or cinematic references that may go unappreciated by those who ignore the sources. The next joke, however, will not be long in appearing. I appreciated the fact that the screenwriters avoided loading the film with too much humor related to technology or with political allusions to our complicated contemporary reality, leaving the chance for today's viewers and those over a decade or more to enjoy it. The main performers are excellently chosen. Liam Neeson gives consistency to the role precisely because he doesn't try to do anything else than he has done in many action films in which he has starred in the last two decades. I feel like watching one or two of them again and looking there for the sources of his parody and well-camouflaged humor so far. So much has been written about the chemistry of his relationship with Pamela Anderson that I would have nothing more to add here. I am really curious if the actress manages to relaunch (some will write to launch) her film career. To all those looking for cinematic entertainment in this hot summer, I recommend watching 'The Naked Gun'. For younger people who haven't seen the original, I recommend that they look for that one too.