R Becker

Pretty dreary, pretty dull. Sought it out because of a friend of a friend, but wasn't impressed. You could do worse, but you could certainly do better. Neither the acting, nor the writing, nor the cinematography was involving or suspenseful. The premise -- the crossbow guy -- is pretty offbeat, but given what you see in movies nowadays, it's not a bad notion. What it really comes down to is execution. The film just isn't all that engrossing. If you cared more about these characters, it could really be something. But as it is, the movie is really not about people you'd want to know on any level, even as fictional characters. This lack of connection is the most crucial flaw in the movie. Without caring about the people entangled in this situation, the situation itself is largely academic. This could have been made better in the writing phase, or it could have been improved by the right guidance for the cast. Neither is present here.

Yes, Jeffrey Byron does resemble Viggo Mortensen. Yes, the talentless Kelly Preston is a movie star to this day (for reasons that utterly escape me). But this tedious attempt to weld together STAR WARS, THE ROAD WARRIOR, a little bit of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, and whatever else was handy really only comes alive once Tim Thomerson and Richard Moll are on the screen. Well, that, and the surprisingly exciting score by Richard Band is another plus. But overall, if you get the chance to see METALSTORM, pass it up. For one thing, the cinematography is so badly lit that you'll have a hard time being sure it's the same leading man in many shots. For another, the editing is choppy and distracting during any action scene. For still another, the sand-monsters are about as cornball as they could be. But worst of all--the script is flat and dull, and the directing is lackluster. Give it a miss, you'll never be sorry.

Those who grew up with Gumby, like me, will find this a welcome step back into the boundless imagination of Art Clokey and his crew. Anybody else may find their mileage varies, unfortunately, because there really *isn't* anybody quite like Art Clokey. It's not mile-a-minute in its pacing, it's not laugh-a-minute in its comedy, it's not trying to be anything but More Gumby. So if you want more Gumby, this is it! Clokey brings back all your favorites -- Gumby, Pokey, Prickle, Goo, the Blockheads, and even some surprises -- and adds a few new characters on top of that. Nobody should miss the utterly psychedelic claymation of the last few minutes of the film, because it really is beautifully done. If you expect Aardman Animation or something modern, you should adjust my rating down a few points -- this probably isn't for you. But if you remember Gumby and would like just another short while with him and his friends, here's your chance.