Capricorn One (1978) - Stephen Hawkin's Honest Review - Hagfilms

It had been over ten years since I last watched Peter Hyams Capricorn One, and I always remembered it as a thrilling, exciting conspiracy. A real gem of a film.

It wasn't until I watched it again recently that I was mildly disappointed, almost losing complete interest in a few places and very close to just switching it off.

The main story is about three astronauts about to blast off on the first manned mission to Mars. James Brolin (the serious one), Sam Waterston (the funny one) and OJ Simpson (urm, the other one) But just before take off, they are led away from the shuttle and hidden away in a television studio in the desert, where they are bribed and blackmailed into hoaxing their televised landings. But when the empty capsule disintegrates on its re entry into the atmosphere, they are supposed to be dead in the eyes of the world, and are forced to escape for their lives.

There is a good soundtrack, by Jerry Goldsmith, there is some cracking dialogue although I think that the delivery by the mediocre actors somewhat misses the marks.

Eliot Gould is the best actor in the film, and is his usual quirky self as he plays the journalist who has an idea that something is wrong. Aware that he is on the case, the powers that be rig try bumping him off, but very poorly. The scene in which his car brakes have been tampered with is ludicrous, poorly shot in front of a projector and spliced with high speed road footage. Rubbish!

Hal Holbrook plays the NASA official who is behind the hoax - he represents the shiny white smile of the Nixon era and its lies and deceit. In the guise of their friend he persuades the astronauts that they are lying for the good of the country. His character, as well as the actor himself is in many ways similar to Murray Hamilton Mayor Vaughn in Spielbergs Jaws .

There are some good scenes and sequences, particularly the scene in which Waterston, the funny one, tells himself a joke as he climbs an impossible rock face as he evades his captors in the Nevada desert.

Then the finale see's Telly Savalas as a crop duster, who's late appearance as a comic relief seems too out of place in the tension of the final act. The scene in which he rescues Brolin is as ridiculous as Savalas himself. An exhausted Brolin barely survives the desert but still manages to hang onto the wing of tele savalas plane as it out manouveres the sinister black helicopters, ducking, diving and loop the looping. What should have been an awesome sequence looks laughable and ludicrous.

All in all a good film, a good premise, but it has dated by now. What' the betting we will see a remake soon.

Well, that's another film reviewed by me. If you want to make a point I may have missed, or if you disagree with my comments made, please leave a comment.

Goodnight and love to all

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[WinstonSmith6079]

[...continued from last]

And I love the bi-plane/helicopter chase! It made me think of Star Wars when I first saw it in '78--except for a real canyon instead of a trench and buzzing 'copters and a dogfighter instead of X-Wings and TIEs--because it's so excellent. It still looks great even now hehehe

Blue Thunder [1983] SHOULD have had aerial-photography nearly as good and impressive as that sequence did hehehe (but didn't hehehe and that movie wasn't as good as Capricorn One anyway hehehe)

[Hagfilms]

@WinstonSmith6079 - i used to love the love the film, but when i watched it recently, this is what i thought. i actually used the helicopter chase scene in my Stupidest scenes in film - i thought it was ridiculous with matey hanging off of the plane... but oh, well, thanks for the comments. Feel free to disagree with me anytime haha

[WinstonSmith6079]

Nah! Seems to me you're expecting too much out of the film, should lighten-up a bit on it.

It's no Hitchcock thriller, but it is a fun, not-too-heavy popcorn movie that delivers solid and genuine entertainment all the way around, as Peter Hyams was quite consistent in doing in those good old movie days hehehe

[Continued in next post...]

[WinstonSmith6079]

@Dover0486 Hey, hey, man! Have a little respect, eh? It's Stephen Hawking, not just another YouTube jackoff, see.

Just because you disagree with his review doesn't mean you gotta disrepect him too.

I also disagree, but I don't gotta think less of him just for THAT! Ah, man!

[Dover0486]

yeah i think you are convoluted.