thndrkiss75

My view on this movie might be a little tainted by the circumstances surrounding my first viewing. This was the first "big boy" movie I ever saw. My parents where rather protective with what my siblings and I saw as young children, and up till then any movie we saw was as a family (usually some Disney film). This time Dad had heard good things about this one, and thought I was ready for more mature fair. So… my father planed a boys night out, bowling , pizza, and a movie. It is one of my fondest memories from my youth. More recently I saw "Enemy Mine" on DVD at the local mega-mart, and had to buy it. I still think it's one of the greatest movies ever. It's not just a sci-fi masterpiece, nor a special effects ground breaker (the legendary Wolfgang Peterson sound stage was built for this movie!), nor is it one of the most poignant commentaries on the human condition ever written (touching on subjects like prejudice, the universal truths that govern all great religions, friendship, etc.). Instead it truly is all of these, and more. There is a heavy dose of lighthearted frivolity, that keeps it from being overly preachy despite it's heady content. Its easy to follow, with out being so simplistic as to lose its credibility. In the end, I'm still not sure whether it's nostalgia or substance that makes me love this film more. However, I can say , without a doubt, that I would recommend this movie to absolutely anyone. Especially any father wanting to bond with his 10year old son, and teach him a few good life lessens in the process, but who am I to say you be the judge.

The most impressive thing about this film, to me, was it's realism. Many films have the pretense of reality, but very few movies have truly human characters. The only one you can become emotionally invested in is, of course, the boy. Everyone else is perfectly flawed. The Hero is, at times, a coward. The villains all seem to be driven by motives that one can easily understand. And under the same influences, one might be inclined to follow the same paths they chose. As in life, there are few truly righteous or evil people. Some, but very few. Most of us are somewhere in between. In short,"Man and Boy" is teaching us this lesson through the eyes of a young boy looking for a hero. Dose he find one? You be the judge.