Enemy Mine (Review)

This time. It’s personal. Probably.

Enemy Mine would work as a stage play – it is largely set on one location, doesn’t need much in the way of effects or props and is essentially dialogue driven for much of the film. In fact if you made just a couple of tweaks to the basic plot it could have worked as a US settler Vs Native American Indian thing, A British soldier Vs a German soldier WW1 thing, even an Iraqi soldier Vs US soldier thing at a stretch.

In Enemy Mine though it is future Dennis Quaid, Earthling pioneer Vs Lizard man (actually Drak) soldier (Louis Gossett Jr).

It is the future and in the preamble we are told that the world is finally at peace… so it seems that Earth must head into outer space if it wants to start some shit.

And start some shit it does, when it attacks a race of lizard like creatures with air bubbles on their cheeks named the Draks.

Following some laughable space battles – it’s obvious that CGI wasn’t around and that Enemy Mine didn’t have a large FX budget – both human and Drak alike end up on a seemingly deserted planet, that fortunately has an atmosphere where both can breathe.

In the early going Willis Davidge (Quaid) and Gerry try to kill each other on land, though they quickly agree that they stand a better chance teaming up as everything on the planet conspires to kill them, they are subject to random meteor showers and attacks from a bunch of sub-Henson style monsters and creatures.

Once they find some rudimentary shelter early attempts at communication are painful and stilted – like it must be having a conversation with Amy Winehouse – Gerry the Drak talks in a series of clicking and hissing sounds, with some whirrrrring of consonants for good effect, especially his rrrrrs. While some of the creatures might look like broomsticks with bathmats on them Gerry comes up a treat with his scaly complexion and pulsating cheek sacs. Gossett Jr also gives the character some dignity and poise, rather than coming off as merely a monster.

Over time the reluctant duo begin to learn more about each other, including parts of the respective languages. With  no contact or relationships with anyone but each other a bond forms while on the inhospitable red planet, as all there seems to do is dodge the occasional meteor and walk around in front of (obvious) matte paintings… seriously I’ve never seen more obvious matte painting backdrops – and more of them – than in this film.

So for a good 40 minutes screentime the two talk, learn, bicker, save each others lives, have a baby…

*SNIFF* “You had me at Hello”.

You heard me! Gerry announces to Davidge at one point that he can’t be too active at the moment due to his pending arrival: either the Drak race are hermaphrodites or there was some offscreen interspecies love that the audience weren’t privy to. In any case we are told that it has been three years since the initial crashes, and without any spoilers in this mid 80s budget sci-fi flick I can say that it seems quite hard to be a parent with a lizard baby in a barren alien world – and that’s before they realize that they aren’t necessarily alone on the planet…

Enemy Mine is hardly an action flick, as I mentioned earlier the action scenes are actually terrible and amateurish, it isn’t especially funny and really isn’t all that dramatic. In fact if it was made as a stage play with Iraqi/German/Indian vs US/British/Settler it would perhaps be a far more emotional film as the characters might register more with the audience over a scaly lizard dude.

So what Enemy Mine ends up being is a well acted low budget drama with a few good scenes and a reasonable plot that wants so badly to say “see we’re not that different, why can’t we all just get along”.

Final Rating – 6.5 / 10. Another man meets lizard, man fights lizard, lizard has baby and man helps raise it on an alien planet film. It’s OK, just don’t expect much.

About OGR

While I try to throw a joke or two into proceedings when I can all of the opinions presented in my reviews are genuine. I don't expect that all will agree with my thoughts at all times nor would it be any fun if you did, so don't be shy in telling me where you think I went wrong... and hopefully if you think I got it right for once. Don't be shy, half the fun is in the conversation after the movie.
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3 Responses to Enemy Mine (Review)

  1. Pingback: Enemy Mine (1985) | Old Old Films

  2. Icarus says:

    So I found your site while looking for an image. I’ve used the image from this review in one of my posts and have given your site credit and a linkback. Let me know if you require another form of credit (non-monitary, i can simply take the picture down).

    By the way your reviews are f-ing hilarious, why haven’t i heard of you until now.

  3. OGR says:

    Thanks Mate, go nuts. I would’ve found the photo on someone else’s site, share and share alike.

    Thanks for the positive feedback, drop in anytime to waste a few minutes.

    OGR

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