Sole Survivor

This is an amazing story of a man who lost everything that was really important to him as an airplane crashed killing his wife and child. He copes with the depression, but soon learns that life does not end after death, and who better to teach him but the last person to ever see his family alive, a six year old escaped test-subject, named 21-21 who survived.....but how....the answer is something this man has to cope with ever more. I think this is one of the most touching things I've seen in a long time, and believe me, there are so many twists to it, what I've said doesn't even start to explain it, in fact, I don't even think you could.

Dean Koontz writes a superb story and part of his strength is that he develops his characters so well. Movies based on his books have not been as successful because film-makers often aim for horror and action at the expense of characterisation. I'm happy to say that "Sole Survivor" does not fall into this short-coming. The movie retains not only the drama, suspense and mystery of the book, but also the characterisations, especially in the first half of the movie. The acting is superb, particularly from Billy Zane and Rachel Victoria Roberts, who make their characters totally believable. The movies does lose some impact in the 2nd half as the character of Yates descends into a caricature of evil. The movie would have retained more credibility if he was portrayed as fanatic rather than lunatic. Nevertheless, the movie maintains its suspense to the end and, in my view, represents the best translation to screen of any Dean Koontz book I have seen to date. This is a movie well worth seeing.

Well, I enjoyed it. Somewhat a bit too long, but Billy Zane gives a well acted performance. The bad guy played by McGinley is very corny and goofy, quite unbelievable in his actions, yet somehow it fits the storyline. I caught this movie on a rainy afternoon and found its four hours most entertaining and suspenseful. Some of the plot is very far fetched. Examples are: The little girl brings a bird back to life and in the fashion of a Jesus Christ makes serious bloody wounds and cuts heal, but this is a great child actress. I like Billy Zane and always thought he was a fine actor. I recommend this movie. Not the best, but compelling, riveting and suspenseful. One other comment I have is that I could not stomach the cruelty of the blinding and shooting of the horse by the McGinley character. To me this was absolutely not necessary and totally repellent.

In Seattle, while grieving in the cemetery the lost of his wife and little daughter in a plane crash, the former reporter Joe Carpenter (Billy Zane) is contacted by a strange woman that is being chased by FBI. She makes him understand that his daughter might be alive. Joe decides to investigate deeper what happened with the domestic flight 353 and the causes of the mysterious accident. Meanwhile, the sadistic agent Yates (John C. McGinley) follows Joe, killing and torturing people contacted by Joe, trying to catch Rose. "Sole Survivor" is a too long movie, with lots of unnecessary flashbacks and a disappointing twist. The story has a good beginning as if it were X-Files, and a terrible ending. The stupid and unbelievable character of Yates, with gratuity sadism with people, is the worst in this mini. The accident is explained, but the reason for such lunatic kills and tortures so many persons along the story is simply ridiculous. The reason why Rose contacts Joe is also silly. "Sole Survivor" is only recommended for a rainy day without any other option for killing time. My vote is six. Title (Brazil) "O Sobrevivente" ("The Survival")

My one-line summary for this movie, and most of this critique, seems to hold for most Dean Koontz books/movies that I have read/seen. They are a combination of Stephen King fantasy, horror and mystery; "supported", sort of, by a Michael Crichton "high tech". The combination works well up to a point, but for reasons that I don't quite understand, it doesn't quite become "great". It seems that Koontz isn't quite comfortable with a good fantasy story, that he seems to "need" some kind of scientific justification, which he doesn't.

This particular movie/story rolls along quite nicely, a lot of interest, possibly a little too long before the denouement, when we find out what's really going on. But overall, a "very good" movie. I see strong similarities between this movie and "Phantoms" in particular.

I also think that the violence is a little gratuitous. But against that is that there is not a single swear word, not a single glimpse of naked flesh; where there is plenty of opportunity to include that if he wanted to.

Having said all that, it IS a good movie. I would always be prepared to hire out a Dean Koontz movie on the strength of his name alone. It's simply that here on IMDB I get to wax philosophical about it...