FUTUREWORLD (1976, USA, 108m, PG) **½
Sci-Fi, Thriller
dist. American International Pictures (AIP) (USA), Brent Walker Film Distributing (UK); pr co. American International Pictures (AIP) / Aubrey Company; d. Richard T. Heffron; w. Mayo Simon, George Schenck; pr. James T. Aubrey, Paul N. Lazarus III; ph. Gene Polito, Howard Schwartz (Metrocolor | 1.85:1); m. Fred Karlin; ed. James Mitchell; ad. Trevor Williams.
cast: Peter Fonda (Chuck Browning), Blythe Danner (Tracy ‘Socks’ Ballard), Arthur Hill (Duffy), Yul Brynner (The Gunslinger), John P. Ryan (Dr. Schneider), Stuart Margolin (Harry), Allen Ludden (Game Show Host), Robert Cornthwaite (Mr. Reed), Angela Greene (Mrs. Reed), Darrell Larson (Eric), Nancy Bell (Erica), Burt Conroy (Mr. Karnovski), Dorothy Konrad (Mrs. Karnovski), John Fujioka (Mr. Takaguchi), Dana Lee (Mr. Takaguchi’s Aide), Alex Rodine (KGB Man), Judson Pratt (Bartender), Andrew Masset (Male Robot), James M. Connor (Robot Clark), Walter Olkewicz (Chief Technician (as Ray Holland)).
Two years removed from the scandal of WESTWORLD (1973), the Delos company has spent billions on safety updates and revamping their resort as Futureworld. Reporters Fonda and Danner are sent to cover the re-opening, but an insider leads the pair to believe the attraction is not what it seems. The complex’s head (Hill) has his own agenda, which involves robots and human cloning. The follow-up lacks the satirical overtones of the original and is caught in tonal shifts between tongue-in-cheek fun and suspense. Heffron’s uncertain direction and a music score by Karlin that fails to heighten what little suspense there is do not help. Brynner has a cameo reprise of his gunslinger robot role, but here relegated to a gratuitous dream sequence. Pluses include Fonda and Danner’s likeable performances and some occasionally gritty handling of the body replication scheme. The first film to use 3D CGI. Brynner’s final film. Followed by the TV series Beyond Westworld (1980).
