Home :: DVD :: Mystery & Suspense :: Suspense  

Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem
British Mystery Theater
Classics
Crime
Detectives
Film Noir
General
Mystery
Mystery & Suspense Masters
Neo-Noir
Series & Sequels
Suspense

Thrillers
The Astronaut's Wife

The Astronaut's Wife

List Price: $9.97
Your Price: $5.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 .. 13 >>

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't even watch it for free
Review: I've got to agree with all the negative reviews here. This is one bad movie. First off, the plot lacks originality. Astronaut Spencer Amercost goes into space and when he returns something has taken over his body. Even though the plot isn't very original, it still could have been a decent movie especially with Johnny Depp in it, but the screenwriter totally messed it up. Apparently, the writer didn't think that it was important to let the audience know what took over Amercost's body, why it did it, or why it did what it did while in his body. It's fine to leave something to the viewer's imagination but this movie is just completely ridiculous about it. And not only does a lack of explanation make the movie confusing, but it also makes it pretty boring. Take away a story about why the aliens took over Amercost's body and we're left with almost an entire movie of Charlize Theron wandering around and wondering what's going on with her husband which just gets very monotonous.

The writer also must have thought that it wasn't very important to develop the characters either. The character development is awful. Johnny Depp is in the movie for maybe a minute before he goes into space so we don't get a good idea as to what his character is like before the alien takes over his body. We just have to assume that he has changed and that he wasn't already a bad guy. And very little time was spent on his character after his return from space so he just comes off looking like the typical Bob Evil character that we've seen about a zillion times before. Charlize Theron's character isn't very well developed either especially considering the amount of time that she is in the movie. And all the other characters are pretty much just background and have even less depth than the character's of Amercost and his wife.

So I would recommend that everyone avoid this movie. I wouldn't even recommend watching it for Johnny Depp. He's not in the movie enough to justify sitting through this turkey just for him. And he doesn't give a very memorable performance either. Not that I blame that on him. Nobody could give a good performance when working with material this bad. So this is one Johnny Depp movie that can be safely skipped.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Outer Space Horror is a dish best served Cold
Review: ...And cold is just how this chilly little Something-in-Outer-space-got-my-Astronaut-Husband flick serves it up. "The Astronaut's Wife" is a stylish, nastily clever, absolutely heartless, efficiently paced and admirably designed little gem of a horror movie, centering on the crux of everyone's worst fears: what if the love of my life is a ghoulish space alien who plans on destroying Earth?

When I was a little kid, I remember being scared silly by tales of outer space terror and body-snatching on those creepy "Outer Limits" and "The Twilight Zone" episodes. Everyone has seen at least one variation on the theme: the noble, heroic astronaut with the jutting jaw and confident swagger goes off on the Antares IV Expedition/Rocket Shoot to Planet X/Mission to the Moon, but when he comes back he's no longer himself. He's one of Them---a leering, skulking, alien horror, waiting to turn the tables on his unwitting friends, relatives, and fellow NASA employees.

That's what "The Astronaut's Wife" feels like to me: a really creepy "Outer Limits" episode with a decent budget, plus Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron. Johnny Depp is perfect as the swaggering Commander Spencer Armacost, who goes up on a routine near-Earth orbit mission with his partner (played admirably by Nick Cassavetes---see, "Astronaut's Wife" is just one degree of separation from "Rosemary's Baby" after all!) one tragic day.

There is a mysterious and inexplicable electrical surge, the mission is aborted, and Armacost goes from doting husband to skulking, leering creep in one fell swoop. He acquires some interesting new habits as well, like spending quality time with the family radio and signing on as a consultant for a secret weapons lab.

Charlize Theron turns in a sympathetic performance as a wife who---well, dang it, she likes the high society and the big bucks just fine, but she wishes Johnny Depp would spend less time with the radio and a little more time with her. Her suspicions mount when a former NASA employee tries frantically to meet with her and communicate his worst fears (that possibly her husband's quality time with the radio has something to do with the fact that he may, in fact, be a Space Alien)and the movie spends most of the rest of its time with Theron in a cat and mouse game with Depp, who, when he's not cozying up to the radio, is skulking around the house switching off lights and doing horrible things to Theron's sister (played by the always resourcefully creepy Clea Duvall).

If you got creeped out by the old "Outer Limits" shows, you'll love it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Illustrates a truism
Review: Everything has a reason, and this film exists sheerly to prove the truism "all rules are made to be broken". There was once a time, you see, that one could take it on faith that "any film that stars Johnny Depp can't be THAT bad".

Now, courtesy of The Astronaut's Wife, we know this not to be the case.

Not well scripted, not well acted, not well directed, not well written, not original, not artful, not entertaining, not even interesting.

Not good at all.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Ooh, look at the lovely lighting
Review: An interesting premise is ruined by a director's desire to make a name for himself through imagery.

If you can bare to keep your mind switched on, for what must be the dullest film of all-time, then you'll see some beautiful design and cinematography. Also in shot you may see the deadest actors this side of 'Zombie Flesheaters'. I like Jonny Depp as an actor and, being male, I like Charlize Theron too but... God knows what they were thinking.

I've seen my fair share of boring films but they can usually at least prick my attention with a little fast-pacing every-so-often but, as I said, the film is simply a long string of nice looking but inconsequential set-pieces.

Watch Abel Ferrara's 'Body Snatchers' instead, for a relevant update of 50s B-movie ideas.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The Aliens Would Not Bother
Review: "The Astronaut's Wife", is an important film, for it provides everyone with a reference point. If irredeemably wretched movies were not produced we would have little to judge other films by. This is such a ridiculous piece of nonsense, it is not worth renting, and if anyone gives it to you as a gift, they are not your friend, and be sure they give you the receipt.

This movie allegedly is about aliens, I say allegedly because they are never seen for even a single frame, so viewers must take the whole premise of the film on faith, Charlize Theron and Johnny Depp may not be A list actors, but they are not incompetent, and if they still existed, films like this would only be shown in the early hours of the morning at drive in theaters.

This film has no story but it does have an insufferable arrogance, for when it comes to a halt, as opposed to an end, there is the clear implication that the story will be completed in a sequel. I don't know how films like this get made or how they find known actors and actresses to tarnish their resumes with them.

But as I said, the film serves even alien life forms, for if they see this film they will conclude we are a species that is too primitive to bother, much less occupy and conquer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A True Thriller
Review: Ignore the critics and try this clever movie. It kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Yes, it was a bit predictable -- my husband figured it out before I did -- but it was still quite entertaining.

Just sit back and enjoy!! Sometimes the critics get things wrong.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: ehh not so good
Review: It's okay but could of been much better. Good plot GREAT ACTOR Charlize is alright but needs a better haircut. But the twins are the kids from Big Daddy! How cute! and i'm referring to the VHS version

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Gets worse with each passing minute.
Review: Charlize Theron is a concerned wife who believes her astronaut husband (Johnny Depp) isn't quite himself after a mysterious accident in outer space. Paranoid, Roman Polanski-style thriller moves at an incredibly slow pace, rambles on predictably, and concludes with an obvious, Outer Limits-type ending. This is most notable for featuring Clea Duvall, which makes it three films the actress has been in where people are possessed by extraterrestrials (the other two being The Faculty and Ghosts of Mars).
* 1/2 out of *****

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Hidden Trailers and Special Thanks
Review: From the main menu, select 'Cast & Crew' to get to the filmographies. Then select Johnny Depp where you will find a filmography entry for 'Don Juan De Marco' with a trailer for the movie. On the next page of Johnny Depp's filmography you will also find a trailer for 'A Nightmare On Elm Street,' and under Charlize Theron's filmography you will be able to view the trailer to 'Trial And Error'.
---

Scrool down and highlight the new line logo and press enter to see special thanks

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ~WOW~!!!
Review: This movie was Excellent! A must for any Charlize Theron Fan! If you're worried about the negative reviews - I suggest buying used, the price is right and you will get an awesome movie!


<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 .. 13 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates