Futureworld (1976)

Director:

Richard T. Heffron

Writers:

George Schenck (writer)
Mayo Simon (writer)

Release Date:

13 August 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Where the only way to survive is to kill yourself

Plot:

Two reporters, Tracy and Chuck, get a message from a third one who discovered something about "Futureworld"...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Map | Robot | Android | Mainframe Computer

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Peter Fonda	...	Chuck Browning
Blythe Danner	...	Tracy Ballard
Arthur Hill	...	Dr. Duffy
Yul Brynner	...	The Gunslinger
John P. Ryan	...	Dr. Schneider (as John Ryan)
Stuart Margolin	...	Harry
Allen Ludden	...	Game Show Host
Robert Cornthwaite	...	Mr. Reed
Angela Greene	...	Mrs. Reed
Darrell Larson	...	Eric
Nancy Bell	...	Erica
Bert Conroy	...	Mr. Karnovsky
Dorothy Konrad	...	Mrs. Karnovsky
John Fujioka	...	Mr. Takaguchi
Dana Lee	...	Mr. Takaguchi's Aide

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Spain:18 | UK:12 (new rating) | Norway:16 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #24629) | West Germany:12 | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, Texas, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

German Import DVD has Super-8mm version (German Audio), as a special feature.

Quotes:

Harry: We'll do fine. There'll be a whole damn army here in a minute.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Pixar Story (2007)

More a companion film than a sequel

It's to FUTUREWORLD's credit that it manages to avoid simply rehashing the plot of WESTWORLD in an attempt to cash in on that film's success, and it's interesting to see that a story written over quarter of a century ago still contains topical elements today. Instead of the simple chase plot of WESTWORLD, the sequel opts for a (none-too-original) conspiracy thriller involving the cloning of world leaders holidaying at the revamped Delos holiday complex. That all these world leaders would flock to a glorified theme park is questionable (although Tony Blair would probably be there in the blink of an eye) but, that quibble aside, the premise does give the basis for quite a suspenseful couple of hours.

The technology still looks fairly fresh today and, considering the minor-celebrity status of the leads, it's a fair bet that this is where most of the budget was spent. Unfortunately, the acting of the two leads is a serious flaw. Fonda is never more than adequate as the crusading reporter, and Blythe Danner, as his sidekick, lacks any kind of screen presence. Together, they are a disaster, exhibiting no chemistry whatsoever. That they are given a pedestrian script with which to work – their interplay, in particular, is horribly banal – doesn't help matters.

Yul Brynner makes only a fleeting appearance in a truly cheesy dream sequence that is guaranteed to have you rolling on the floor with incredulous laughter, and the ending is pretty lame, so it's something of an enigma as to how the movie as a whole manages to be so enjoyable.

FUTUREWORLD is not so much a sequel to WESTWORLD as a companion film. If anything, it could be argued that Crichton's JURASSIC PARK is more of a sequel (or remake) – after all, the story is identical (uncontrollable robots relentlessly chasing a group of helpless visitors around a theme park).