Rating: 
Summary: Not great, not bad.
Review: As the old saying goes, "It's lonely at the top." Poor Kevin Costner discovered how true that saying can be in the aftermath of "Dances with Wolves." It seemed that critics soon declared open season on the guy, and the bad talk seemed to crest with "The Postman."So, is it a bad movie? Nah. I suspect that if a relative unknown had played the title role in an indentical manner, the critics would have been much kinder to the film. Granted, the storyline does alternate between deft and stumbling in its execution, and Mr. Costner's version of a "rousing" speech did provoke a bit of cringing on my part. Still, the movie is entertaining, and Mr. Costner's portrayal is effective, the occasional misstep aside.
Rating: 
Summary: Postman Review
Review: I think this movie is one of the most under rated movies out there. When it first came out many critics were giving this movie very poor reviews. I'm not sure if they have something against Kevin Costner films, or what the deal was, but everyone i was with when i saw it thought it was really good. The DVD has some nice addons. There are some featurettes about how some of the special effects were done, although there weren't to many special effects shots in this movie. If you liked the movie, this dvd would be a nice addition to anyones collection. The story is a little different than the usual action/drama, maybe thats why i like it.
Rating: 
Summary: POST-"apocolyptic"-MAN
Review: It is difficult to review a film that you like, when every professional critic has slammed it. On the other hand, I have to believe I am not alone in my tastes, so, here is some praise for "The Postman", Kevin Costner's cinematic version of the great book of the same name, written by David Brin.
After the success of "Dances With Wolves", it's pretty clear that Costner has been trying to recapture that epic feeling. But where "Water World" was silly to the point of being a caricature of a sweeping drama, "The Postman" avoids the trap. The nemesis, General Bethlehem is played seriously by Will Patton and the situation in general is believable if not completely explained.
I admit there were a few moments that were too heavy handed, the most memorable when the Postman gallops back to snatch a letter from a boy's hand. Even so, I can forgive a little over enthusiasm when it is mixed with a stirring tale. I know that during times of war, rhetoric is grist for the mill and so, the character's obsession with the American way, is understandable, given that it no longer exists.
You see, civilisation has fallen. It's implied that nuclear weapons were used, perhaps even biological weapons. Whatever the cause, people survive precariously, huddled together in fortified towns dreading the next visit of the Holenist army. A band of thugs created during the last days of the war and now led by General Bethlehem towards some nebulous vision, who's only constant is that Bethlehem will be the one in power.
Enter stage left, an unlikely hero. Kevin Costner's character may have a name but it is not revealed during the film. At first he is known as Shakespeare because he is a wandering loner who is sometimes driven to produce one man, one mule, productions of the Bard in the hopes of winning a meal from his audience. His aimless existence is abruptly ended when he is roughly drafted into the Holenist army.
From the first he stands out from the crowd of beaten hopeless recruits and so is singled out for special torments and duties. The army life is brutal enough without having earned the enmity of your squad leader. One thing leads to another and escape presents itself for Shakespeare. Without food or any other protection he stumbles on the remains of an old mail van and spends a night huddled in its dubious warmth, kept company by the body of a US Postal worker.
Whether by chance, destiny or foresight, he dons the guise of a postman and scams his way into a local town. "The mailman's here. Lock up your dogs." So long starved of civilisation, the bedraggled townsmen clamour for news of the world, the government, the future. He has little choice but to answer their questions, with creative and plausible fictions. It is here that the wheels of fate start turning.
The idea he has created, of a new America, is too big for one man to control. The film takes us on a steamroller ride headed straight towards the Holenist army. People with hope demand action. The desire for action creates leaders. Leaders are often forced to carry out the will of the people despite a lack of talent, desire or knowledge.
In this case, a young man, self named Ford Lincoln Mercury, forces the Postman to become a symbol of civilisation and eventually the symbol of resistance. Ford's passion and his actions are resisted for a long time but eventually the Postman comes to share the myth. One man can stand up to tyranny, especially with the help of a few courageous friends and the trust of one strong willed woman.
Rating: 
Summary: A complete reversal of the novel
Review: While the movie was, to be sure, laughable in every respect, general audiences were largely spared the worst part: it's near-total reversal of the meaning and goals of the original novel. The book is a subtle and well considered look at the nature and final effects of government on the lives of people, a scathing indictment of the nature of the state which then turns back on itself as an optimistic defense of the democratic civic ideal, washed clean of the grim and decay that obscured it after 200 years. It is also a stunningly ironic look at the effects of deception, not only on the part of the Postman, but several others as well (i.e., the Colossus computer scientists, missing entirely in the movie). It has messages about idealism (the Scouts, a band of all-female warriors that sacrifice themselves trying to destroy the Holnists) and honor (the figure of George Powhatan, the former super-soldier who has turned his back on war, but eventually finds he can no longer watch others get massacred). Even the Holnists are presented as more than just a two-dimensional caricature, but rather present some real and disturbing questions about the rights of the state to intefere with the individual's right to self-promotion (in this case, by the sword). The movie has none of that. Costner's Postman is a guileless, self-centered boob who can't see what is happening right in front of him. The Holnists, whose in the book bemoan the fact that so many urban African-Americans died in the big war 'without a chance to prove themselves in battle' (or some nonsense like that; it had to do with their ultra-egoist, Social-Darwinian tenets, that every adult male has the right to prove himself and carve out a private empire), are turned into the weakest parody of a neo-nazi militia, drafting all 'pure blooded aryan males' and raping hapless females on a whim. The leader is a third-rate Hitler clone who wouldn't have passed muster in a 1940s serial (he's even a painter, despite his anti- intellectualism; quite a change from novel's antagonist, who philosophizes on how art 'makes one weak' or some such. Brin's dialogue was better than that, though; I'm working from memory, which has grown hazy). The struggle to unite Willamette Valley and restore modern civilization becomes a cheap 'us against them' with a villain who doesn't even appear until the second half of the original. The 'law of eight' nonsense is simply ludicrous. They are far more believable, and more villanous, in the original than they ever approach being on-screen. Gone are the Scouts. Gone is Colossus, the vast ruse which played such a large part in holding together what remained of society. Gone are the scenes of former citizens realising just how far they've declined, and how much more they could lose (at one point, the mayor of one village, shortly after the Postman first visits, refuses to preside over the evening's entertainment - a cockfight - saying something to the affect of, 'Do you realise that before the war I was the head of the local SPCA? What have we let ourselves become?'). Gone are the war germs, and the rumored laser satellites, and most of all the 'enhanced soldiers', relics of nation-states gone mad with hubris. Gone is fact that, in 1984, Brin predicted that it would be *religious* movements in Russia and the US that would lead to war (all too possible even now - especially now). Gone is the vision of Ben Franklin, inspiring the hero to continue to strive for the sake of the future even in the face of an unbearable present, and giving him an answer to the ruthless antogonism of the Holnists. Gone is all meaning, replaced by a cardboard battle between grown-up children. This film, even more than Lynch's imfamous _Dune_, shows how far a film can diverge from its original material. The very heart of the novel has been torn out by Costner and Company, leaving nothing more than a cooling corpse.
Rating:
Summary: Subtleties escape the overly sophisticated
Review: ..."The Postman" is a study in ironies, both withinthe movie and between the movie and the culture in which it came intobeing. ... "The Postman" is based on a morally-ironicpremise--that someone can tell and live a lie which becomes the seed for a great good. The characters themselves are ironic: the Postman, who seemingly doesn't believe in anything but himself yet inspires those around him to sacrifice themselves for others, and "General Bethlehem," who claims to have a guiding vision for the future of society yet kills individuals without even glimpsing their humanity and causes those around him to lose sight of any goal except their own survival. While at the surface an argument for moral relativism, however, this movie is the least ambiguous defense of "traditional values" that I've seen in a theater in many years. All the major themes are there: redemption, honor, hope, sacrifice, transforming and unselfish love, and even a pretty distasteful portrayal of the dinginess of modern cynicism and its accompanying twin, narcissism.... Despite some flaws, I *love* this film for its breadth, its vision, and its ability to make you want to be a better person than you are while releasing you to be realistic about your downfalls. ... If you still have confidence in or even a yearning for the values that have sustained civilization over the centuries, you will at least get something out of the time you invest in watching this film. The drop-dead gorgeous sound track and awe-inspiring scenery won't hurt either. On the other hand, if you are one of the "new barbarians" who have no use for the corny ideals of truth and beauty, save some time and money and skip this film. Its philosophy is what makes this movie attractive; you'll be immersed in the very thing you hate most, for three *solid* hours...
Rating:
Summary: Subtleties escape the overly sophisticated
Review: "The Postman" is a study in ironies, both within the movie and between the movie and the culture in which it came into being. I believe that is why the reactions to it on this site are clustered to strongly around "1"s and "5"s, with relatively few ratings between. It also explains to me why professional critics so roundly condemned it. "The Postman" is based on a morally-ironic premise--that someone can tell and live a lie which becomes the seed for a great good. The characters themselves are ironic: the Postman, who seemingly doesn't believe in anything but himself yet inspires those around him to sacrifice themselves for others, and "General Bethlehem," who claims to have a guiding vision for the future of society yet kills individuals without even glimpsing their humanity and causes those around him to lose sight of any goal except their own survival. While at the surface an argument for moral relativism, however, this movie is the least ambiguous defense of "traditional values" that I've seen in a theater in many years. All the major themes are there: redemption, honor, hope, sacrifice, transforming and unselfish love, and even a pretty distasteful portrayal of the dinginess of modern cynicism and its accompanying twin, narcissism. I have no doubt that people with jaded, proudly "post modern" worldviews are discerning the same undercurrents in this film. It is almost certainly not the subtleties and ironies of this complex and interesting film that bother them; rather, it is likely the worldview that conflicts so starkly with their own. Even witty dialogue becomes "trite" when you consider yourself to have advanced far beyond its underlying belief systems (though there are a handful of lines that almost everyone would agree are trite). Hence the "1" ratings. Hence the near unanimity of the professional critics in their detestation of this film. On the other hand, those who are fully aware of the negating aspects of modern philosophy and yet still hold to traditional and absolute values will love this film. Hence the "5"s. Despite some flaws, I *love* this film for its breadth, its vision, and its ability to make you want to be a better person than you are while releasing you to be realistic about your downfalls. I agree with the reviewer who said words to the effect that "those who will like this film the best are those who can identify with the Postman." If you still have confidence in or even a yearning for the values that have sustained civilization over the centuries, you will at least get something out of the time you invest in watching this film. The drop-dead gorgeous sound track and awe-inspiring scenery won't hurt either. On the other hand, if you are one of the "new barbarians" who have no use for the corny of ideals of truth and beauty, save some time and money and skip this film. Its philosophy is what makes this movie attractive; you'll be immersed in the very thing you hate most, for three *solid* hours...
Rating:
Summary: KEVIN EXPRESS
Review: It is really strange to observe how american critics and moviegoers like to burn what they have adored. Kevin Costner is suffering now from the " CHAPLIN-WELLES-LEWIS " syndrome. Should he tomorrow present the film of the century, he would certainly be treated as less than nothing. Absolutely amazing since the hero of THE POSTMAN is undoubtedly a brother of the leading character depicted in DANCES WITH WOLVES, a movie that was a huge critical success. Kevin Costner is one of the only american directors who is able to direct an epic nowadays. And THE POSTMAN has it all : the humble man destined to become a hero, the villain who is very, very bad, the landscapes, the musical score, the slow-motions at the right moment, etc. etc... During the projection of THE POSTMAN, I couldn't refrain myself to think of certain movies of director Howard Hawks. Perhaps a certain resemblance between Gary Cooper and Kevin Costner or was it because both directors have given to women important and interesting roles ? Anyway, there are far worse references than this one, aren't they ? To make it short, I sincerely think that THE POSTMAN will become a classic in a few years. So don't be afraid to consider this movie as A DVD for your library. And let nobody else tell you the contrary.
Rating:
Summary: THIS GUY HAS COURAGE AND DETERMINATION
Review: THese are the greatest qualities of Costner. He takes a terrible script, a little ridiculous "patriotic" history, then says to everybody this is the best history of all times, takes the money needed to produced it, and then keeps thinking the movie is good, when it is only clear garbage!
Rating:
Summary: Could have been longer.... Yeah, you read that correctly.
Review: The Postman is a very entertaining film, Great acting, great story, great design, great direction, the one Critisism is that it gets a bit corny in a few scenes. (the little boy holding out the letter and kevin riding by in Slow motion) But other than that its great, how could anyone complain about it. and the lenght... I am in Total agreeance with Costner about lenght. All Films should be this long. The Postman could easily have been longer. There is so much more ground it could have covered. If Critics reviews scared you off, ignore them. See it.
Rating:
Summary: A Tribute to the True American Heart
Review: I believe I saw the postman back in 1999 for the first time. Before I saw it I was told by my peers that it was an awful movie and that it wasn't worth my time but I remembered back to the first time I saw the preview and I decided to rent it anyway. Was it long? Yes. But the story was powerful, inspiring, and the film alowed me to gain a better understanding of America. To this day the Postman is my favorite film of all time. Many people feel insulted by it somehow and I can't understand why. I wish to say that Mr. Kevin Costner is one of the best actors I have ever witnessed and his film, the Postman, was a true American classic. Long live the spirit of America.
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