theluke311

Seriously, people? 8 stars? Aren't we better than this? God-awful dialog, special effects that look like they're from Half-Life 1, a plot that sags in the middle like a hammock, and... a Western... set in SPACE. How much of a fan boy do you have to be to eat this tripe and give it a 10 star rating? I can stand a spot or two of bad dialog, but the constant placing of punchlines was way too much. It's like they were written by a sugar-high sixth grader and a group of his friends. "Oh God, oh God we're all gonna die?" "In all that time on the ship... I've always regretted... not being with you." "With me? You mean to say... as in sex?" Never mind the fact that we're in dire straits, let's have a sex joke!

Somewhere between adaptation and shooting, the magic leaped out of this film. The synopsis looked promising and it could have delivered, but it seems that poor casting choices and spotty dialog made it fall short. The leading man isn't quite convincing on film. His technique feels more fit for stage, but when on screen you see an actor and not a character. Famke Janssen and Ian Holm are the two bright spots in the nigh hour-and-a-half feature. Holm was the one actor who garnered a laugh. But they both seem out of place, heavy hitters in a smaller film. It could be that a bigger star was set to play Chris, but dropped out, leaving the film with less studio support while Famke and Ian stayed on. This film has gone on to win some festival awards, which makes me wonder if I missed something, or was simply not in the right mood for the film. Nevertheless, it could have been much, much better.

Honestly I think that there are few truly bad movies. I believe a lot of them are just meant for different people or meant for a different time. Usually when finished with a movie I liked, I can understand what people might dislike about it. Similarly, when I'm finished with a movie I hate, I can see what people would like about it. Tideland is not one of those movies. I have no idea what is redeeming about this film. It is senseless, and not in an explorative, existential way. It is unsettling, but with no basis. I sat through it all, wondering if the ending would tie everything together - it didn't. I love Terry Gilliam. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is one of my favorite films of all time. Yet with this, he missed me. I left the film with the same feeling I had after watching "Nothing but Trouble" - disturbed, confused, and depressed. Keep in mind that I will not give "Nothing but Trouble" a rating because IMDb doesn't let you give negative stars. The acting is slightly above-par (thus the 2-star rating).