*** Official "K-PAX" Review Thread (1 Viewer)

[JohnS]

I thought this was pretty average.
Thought it was going to be better, coming from watching the trailers.
Kevin Spacey's performance was average, nothing too great.
I did like the basis of the story.
But thought it moved 'somewhat' slow, not too slow tho.
Liked the end. But liked it a little bit more after thinking about it after the movie.
If your going in looking for a 'wonderful' Kevin Spacey movie, you 'might' be a little disappointed.
RATING=C+
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[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now the Official Review Thread for "K-PAX". Please post all HTF member reviews in this thread. Any other comments, links to other reviews, or discussion items will be deleted from this thread without warning! If you need to discuss those type of issues, I have designated an Official Discussion Thread which can be found at this link .
Again, without warning, I will delete all posts that are not a HTF member review!
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy
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Peter Staddon: "I didn't say you can put 'Monkeybone' back!"
[Edited last by Robert Crawford on October 27, 2001 at 08:11 AM]

 

[Patrick Sun]

Sigh, they should have re-titled this movie: "K-rap" because it was more on the putrid side than anything else.
It was too long and boring and when they got to the point, I didn't really care anymore.
I give it a grade of C- and that's being charitable.
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PatCave; HT Pix; Gear; DIY Mains; DIY CC; Sunosub I + II + III; DVDs; Link Removed

 

[Michael Reuben]

It's been over a week since I saw the film, but this thread needs some balance.
K-Pax is well worth watching for two things: masterly performances by Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges (who spends most of the movie reacting to people in an endless variety of shadings) and the inventive cinematography of John Mathieson (late of Hannibal and Gladiator -- if Ridley Scott likes a cameraman, it usually means he's really good). Spacey's character, who calls himself Prot, claims to have traveled to Earth on a beam of light, which gives Mathieson license to play games with light that would be mere showing off if they weren't so thematically relevant.
The film has a sentimental streak a mile wide, but then so did King of Hearts, Awakenings and The Fisher King. That doesn't make it any less entertaining to watch Prot, whether he's an alien or a madman, befuddle everyone around him in ways that Spacey makes interesting and entertaining, even though you know you've seen similar routines before ("they're not mad; they're just sensitive").
I'm not sure what "point" Patrick is referring to. The nominal mystery of whether Prot is or isn't an alien is hardly the point of the film. It's how people react to him throughout the story. The supporting cast is uniformly fine, and the director, Iain Softley, keeps the story moving at the right pace. Well worth seeing, as long you don't go in with the wrong expectations.
M.
[Edited last by Michael Reuben on November 05, 2001 at 10:55 AM]

 

[Dave L]

While I have to say I was disappointed, I do agree that the central performances were excellent, especially Jeff Bridges. However, sorry to see the always excellent Alfre Woodard basically relegated to a nothing role.
For those who aren't already aware, there was an excellent Argentine film "Man Facing Southeast" that came out in the mid-1980s and basically covers the same territory, although there was no reference that I saw to it in the credits. The "alien" in that film was more Christ-like, although he helped the other patients and the doctor solve problems much like Spacey does here. Wonder if the novel that K-Pax is adapted from lifted its ideas from the Argentine film?
I thought K-Pax was engrossing until it felt it had to "explain" things. I would have been satisfied with a more open ended conclusion. As it was, Spacey didn't quite fit physically or personality-wise with Bridges's discovery. Although, despite the attempt at tying the knots, one could argue over the ending and make convincing points either way.

 

[Jacob_St]

I just finished watching this one. I thought it was mediocre and very sappy. Just when the movie starts getting interesting we are given a simplistic tacked on ending that talks down to the audience.

One good thing, I liked the techno soundrack and am considering getting the CD.