Rating: 
Summary: The Postman...Delivers (No Pun Intended)
Review: This is not brain food, but The Postman is pure escapism with some great scenery and location shots. Kevin Costner deserved better from the critics and the public for this 3 hour imposed epic. Perhaps it was not meant to be taken too seriously. However, it delivers because there are underlining messages of patriotism and hope. Also, along with the drama and action, there is also a love story. Outstanding characters are Ford Lincoln Mercury (Larenz Tate), Abby (Olivia Williams) and General Bethlehem (Will Patton). Tom Petty plays (though not clearly stated) himself as a rock star, post apolyptic survivor, turned leader. Overall, a very entertaining movie not to be taken literally. (Note: Maybe if actor Giovanni Ribisi didn't appear in this film, The Postman probably would have done well. Everything he appears in seems to always flop.)
Rating: 
Summary: An Heretical Viewpoint
Review: I believe that the reviewers must have been reading each other's reviews instead of actually watching the movie, and Costner-bashing has long been great sport among reviewers. The original David Brin novel has been improved upon in several ways. In particular, gone are the two cyborg/supermen who duked it out in the finale of the novel, a distraction and deus-ex-machina. I especially loved the internal consistency, lack of impossible battles, and the strong development of a number of believable characters. The Holnist leader (who played a supporting role in "Armageddon") is more than a cartoon bad guy, and Costner's postman is plagued by guilt and doubt as he discovers how seriously everyone takes his "Restored United States". There is almost nothing in the movie that is irrelevant to the plot. Yes, it is a bit slow in parts, and I was ready to quit watching after 30 minutes because I had heard that it was just another post-apocalyptic bore, but it turned into a sterling movie. Even my wife, no fan of that genre, wanted to watch it all the way through.
Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL - Oh Why Kevin Why???
Review: First off, I really like Kevin Costner in his roles. I really enjoyed Waterworld (despite the corney ending), but every copy of "The Postman" movie should be shredded to protect the good name of the David Brin novel of the same name. Brin's book is a standard for the well executed Day-Week-Month-Years after Doomsday. The Movie Version was unfocused and had so little to do with the book that Brin should sue for the gross damage the awful movie has to have done to his novel and his reputation!
The Villan (Bethleham) was as poorly executed as I have ever seen(that is BAD) He has no threating qualities, he is just a damned copier sales man. At least The Deacon in Waterworld was a great over the top performance by Dennis Hopper had some sort of plan and lots of style! The action (or lack of same was SORRY) and the story just went further and further off track. This is definitely one to avoid. Not sure? Rent it and if you don't feel you wasted a couple of dollars on this stinker, have I got a Bridge over Brooklin that I'll sell you cheap!!!
Rating:
Summary: Don't overlook this one!
Review: A box office flop, this has got to be one of the most overlooked movies of all time. Based on the science fiction tale by David Brin, the movie strips away all of the science fiction aspects of the story with the exception of it's occurence in the near future, and the story is 100% better for it. (Sorry, Mr. Brin, the book was good, the movie's excellent.)
The main character becomes a fraud out of necessity, but becomes a beacon of hope to the tattered remnants of a nation devastated, indeed nearly destroyed, by civil war.
I've seen this several times several years apart. I'm impressed every time with the quality of the entire work - the acting, the photography, the script, it's all first rate. I have recommended this to many friends, and every single one comes back to tell me how glad they were to have seen this movie.
If this is, as I've read, Costner's first ever experience as a director, then he either had some real beginner's luck on his side, or he has a rare talent - time will tell.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever
Review: I can't say that I understand all the negative feedback... I guess everyone has his or her own opinions about what a movie should have in it. I have watched this movie several times over the past year or so that I have owned it on DVD and I have enjoyed watching the movie every time. This movie can really get you thinking about what life would be like in a post-apocalyptic world. The only real down side to the movie would be the slow start... I think most of films done by Costner have this in common though... It seems like he focuses a lot on development before going into action in most his films.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful, inspiring American epic
Review: I've just seen "The Postman" for 6th or 7th time, last night on cable, and it keeps getting better every time! Forget the three-hour 'price-tag', this is an intelligent and engrossing film. As usual, I don't understand all the negative reviews from movie critics... where do they get their credentials, anyway? With its combination of action, drama, romance, patriotism, and even comedy, "The Postman" rises far above most of the meaningless tripe released by the film industry these days. What must a movie have to receive critical acclaim? What this one doesn't have is the constant barrage of filth, so many screenplays seem to rely on to cover up their weak plots. There is violence and brief nudity, but neither is too graphic, and it only serves to strengthen the story. Hats off to Mr. Costner for taking a chance and giving us such a wonderful film.
Rating:
Summary: AWFUL - Oh Why Kevin Why???
Review: First off, I really like Kevin Costner in his roles. I really enjoyed Waterworld (despite the corney ending), but every copy of "The Postman" movie should be shredded to protect the good name of the David Brin novel of the same name. Brin's book is a standard for the well executed Day-Week-Month-Years after Doomsday. The Movie Version was unfocused and had so little to do with the book that Brin should sue for the gross damage the awful movie has to have done to his novel and his reputation!
The Villan (Bethleham) was as poorly executed as I have ever seen(that is BAD) He has no threating qualities, he is just a damned copier sales man. At least The Deacon in Waterworld was a great over the top performance by Dennis Hopper had some sort of plan and lots of style! The action (or lack of same was SORRY) and the story just went further and further off track. This is definitely one to avoid. Not sure? Rent it and if you don't feel you wasted a couple of dollars on this stinker, have I got a Bridge over Brooklin that I'll sell you cheap!!!
Rating:
Summary: A very Accurate Estimate of the Future?
Review: "The Postman", adapted from David Bryn's book of the same name, is an underrated masterpiece that perhaps appeared 15-20 years too late. Many post apocalyptic films have been made (some, like "Waterworld", are okay but not really believable; others, like "Steel dawn", suffer from some 3rd rate acting. However, this film stands second only to the "Mad Max" trilogy as a definitive PA adventure. Like "Mad Max", the plot is believable and there is room for the audience to fill in the events that lead to the post apocalypse. Now, in 1997, Al Qaida and the Taliban were organisations not many people would have heard of. In 1997, the old USA v USSR thing was well in the past and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was buried. In 1979, when Mad Max debuted, things were different: The Shah of Iran was toppled: were the USSR going to invade and the USA to intervene? Afghanistan was invaded by the USSR and the USA wasn't happy with this. In 1981, when Mad Max 2 was made, the USA and USSR were debating the situation in Poland and Afghanistan and a war involiving USA, Iraq and Iran (with possible USSR backing) was possible. In other words, the world was interested in the PA movie. Timing was the first casualty of "Postman" - because 1997 was a 'normal' year politically. PA was not that popular a movie genre for this reason. However, move on 4 years: 9/11/2001. The evil and callous acts of today's terrorists, and the often unplanned responses by western states to curb terror (such as the invasion of Iraq) show exactly how PA chaos could be a possible future. "The Postman" bases itself on the concept of the destruction of the USA by some fascist madman. "Mad Max" predicted the 'oil war'. Looking at the former, we see all the ingredients of what terrorists and fascists want to achieve: the fall of a democracy, replaced with their own feudal state. How did the US fall in the "Postman"? This is what connects it with events of today. Was it that the Holnists were some US organisation that merged with Al Qaeda? Were the Holnists some group who formed because of a fear of other races (who they blamed for terror), and struck at the heart of US democracy? Or were the Holnists created out of a bipolarised USA (e.g. those who love or hate a certain controversial President - like we've seen recently with Reagan, Clinton, Bush, etc.)? Though the references in the film point distinctly to the KKK or Adolf Hitler, they also point to Al Qaeda, Timothy McVeigh and other evil people/organisations of our time. This is what makes this film strong. Those who do not like this film should reconsider their position with regard to the age we live in now.
Rating:
Summary: The worst movie ever made
Review: It really is. I'm not going to waste my time writing more, but I wouldn't waste my time watching this movie if I were you either.
Rating: 
Summary: Underrated
Review: I never saw this film when it was in the theaters. The negative reviews kept me away. But when I finally saw it as a rental a few years later, I found, as in many other instances, (I should stop trusting the reviews)that I liked this movie. Now don't get me wrong. It's not a GREAT film. But it certainly wasn't the same movie I read about. There are some great moments in the Postman, and if you can keep an open mind it's worth a viewing.
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