Screamers (1995)

Absolutely brilliant

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Blistering performances.

The story is about a war on a mining colony between two rivaling human factions. One of the factions has developed a new weapon: an army of robotic drones, nicknamed 'screamers', that hide underground and attack anything that they don't recognize. However, as the war is starting to draw to a close, the screamers refuse to work for the human faction that created them and it soon becomes clear that they have evolved on their own and now pose a threat to both sides.It's a neat idea and there are a lot of twists along the way, albeit very predictable ones. The writing could have taken a little more effort, the characters are shallow and the dialogue is very cheesy.The acting is also not that fantastic. Neither is the direction. It's all very average.Screamers is entertaining, but it doesn't stand out like other PKD adaptations such as Bladerunner or Minority Report. If you are looking for a fun sci-fi action flick, you might consider checking this one out, but if you are looking for depth then you're looking in the wrong place.

I decided to watch Screamers because I'm a big Phillip K. Dick fan, and this was a film based on one of his stories I never read yet. I had realized I overlooked the movie for way too long. I originally thought the movie was outdated, since I have experienced the human/robot social films for a while now, mostly with Battle Star Galactica, Blade Runner, i, Robot, and even Terminator. However, this is one of the first and original stories to convey the human/robot social conflicts and was glad to find the film on my video on demand lists.Worth mentioning first is the fine acting by Peter Weller, and I can't help but wonder why he never became more than a cult film actor, he truly could have been a big time action star on par with the other heavyweights of the 90s. And he really is convincing in this film, as a man who was on the brink of madness from desolation and hardship. As for the supporting cast, excellent performances for a low budget film. It reminded me of a time when all Science Fiction films were B-movies, before the Star Wars and Star Trek's came along.Come to think of it, the film had a decent sized budget for a 90s film. Nothing like other adapted Phillip K. Dick novels had gotten, such as Blade Runner, Minority Report, or Total Recall, but still, Screamers is a story that needed a bigger budget and if it had gotten one, this film would be a classic to be mentioned in the same breath as Dick's other masterpieces. The story reminded me of Blade Runner in some ways, and another short by Dick called "The Defenders" In a sense, Dick re-tells his themes over and over again, but nevertheless, Screamers is well written and unique in its own way. It's just perplexing why this film didn't come out in the 70s, or even early 80s, before the original Battle Star Galactica, and before Terminator, etc. This story would have made for a very pioneering film.

This is a surprise movie meaning that turns out to be a great movie when you were expecting just a good one. The story has to be respected and understood. Then, what happens after that falls into place nicely. I am totally disappointed that they did not make a sequel to this winner. It was certainly set-up to do so. It has what I call genuine and satisfying scary moments brought to you via intelligence, not shock. Anytime you can engage the viewers imagination in a quality way after a movie viewing (as well as during) means you got a success on your hands. This is certainly one of those movies. The concept presented of something man has done that has mutated into something else is a good one. Now, if that something else wants to compete and then eliminate man, well you got my full attention thus this movie. Science Fiction treads a fine line of being believable or not when introducing a story. It doesn't have to be perfect to make its point. It has to be respectful and this movie respects the viewer. You will not have any trouble getting into this movie after the first few minutes. Then, all the dots start to connect and cause a viewing pleasure. It will suck you right in and when the ducks line up, scare you good and proper..Enjoy with a favorite snack so you don't bite your nails

"Screamers" is what it is, and what it is, is a short story STRETCHED beyond belief. Most of the film is Peter Weller and a cast of bad actors wandering around the landscape. Occasionally a mechanical "Tremors' sand worm buzzes through the soil or attacks in mutated form. Almost everything about "Screamers' is redundant, boring, and ultimately, forgettable. Character development is non existent, so you really could care less if someone gets buzz sawed. I saw glimpses of at least a half dozen far better science fiction films, and rode the fast forward button through a pointless romance towards a "couldn't wait for it to end" conclusion. - MERK