dawb-40897

The characters have no serious depth and the plotline is rather one note as it labors toward the "twist ending" it was more concerned with than anything else. It doesn't impress much because rather than show us things we've already seen and make us realize our perceptions were misleading us, the film adds details that were not there before to contribute to the "got ya!" factor. The pacing is ok but the tone isn't quite on point for a thriller. Wouldn't call any of the performances overall weak in the truest sense of the term but will simply say the filmmaker and script don't give the actors enough to work with, leading to what I could only deem slightly below solid efforts. The project is shot and edited decent from the visual standpoint. The sound editing is a little off in a couple small points but solid for the most part. Ultimately, though hitting all the same beats as most of the movies in the same genres I'd say it's just entertaining enough that you won't be upset for giving it a chance. However, you won't be seeing anything all that original or groundbreaking either.

Script rushes characters and plot setup in hot and fast. That being said, there is no real "plot" at all ever established in the truest sense, more just a situation which itself is rather ridiculous. The main character has no arc of growth in which he's evolving as a person and the "secret" referenced in the title doesn't seem to even exist. The dramatic moments are unconvincing and the random comic moments don't work much on the humor level. The director isn't too skilled at establishing tone in scenes and the pace of the overall film lulls at times because of the fact. The flashback sequences are rather distracting and seem to be just there to fill time which could have been used telling narrative and diving in depth of characters. Glynn Turman is the sole highlight on the acting side of things, which is otherwise below average across the board. The camerawork and visual editing was nothing special but not bad for a production at this level. Sound editing decent. With films such as this, the intended good messages too often get lost to the bad execution of the filmmaking process itself. This project is no exception to the rule. Not recommended for serious fans of good storytelling or character driven narratives.

A textbook example of the idea of 'film magic.' Even now, this story is not just entertaining but effective and philosophical in a way that only a handful (maybe) of other science fiction films of its time were. Suspense and tension are built well through the writing and direction. The only thing I had a bit of an issue with as far as the writing was the handling of the men from the ship's earliest interactions with the daughter character. I do feel like things got better with that as the plot moved forward, however. Expert pacing and tone. Great acting from all performers. The special effects still hold up from a film that's nearly seventy years old. Good sound and visual editing. Effective musical score. All elements required of great film are present here. It's quite easy and understandable to see the impact and influence this one had (and technically is still having) on the genre. An undisputed cinema classic.