The End of the World Movie Review
Installment 1: Damnation Alley
Featuring Rad Scorpions, Killer Cockroaches, and Lights in the Sky, this movie follows the journey of a group of survivors from the epic nuclear holocaust of WWIII. From their military base, they travel along Damnation Alley, a 100 mile wide path with little radiation, and their goal? Albany, New York. Transportation? The Landmaster. An all-terrain super SUV submersible with armor plating, radar, rocket launchers, radio, bunks, and a shower in back. Not to mention a seemingly inexaustible supply of fuel. They hunt for fuel a lot, in fact its one of their main motivators for stopping at several places. However we must assume they found some somewhere, because they never showed them refueling successfully.
I just watched this one and I found it entertaining. The movie had an alright cast with likable characters. The special effects were creative, if a bit cheesy, but what do you expect from something made in '77? The script was satisfactory, and it seemed fairly optimistic throughout, which isn't something you often see in this type of movie.
Special Effects: 3 Atomic Bombs
Today they'd only get one, but I thought it was well done for its time. And well applied for any time.
Cast and Characters: 3 Atomic Bombs
Again, likeable and I thought believable. Maybe a bit too noble, but there was no one who stood out as really bad. I felt that all their various opinions of one another were espressed clearly. Only thing keeping them from 4 Bombs was a certain lack of grieving or mourning when say...a best friend died, or their base explodes for no apparent reason, or say...THE WORLD ENDS.
Storyline: 3 Atomic Bombs
The end of the world at the beginning of the movie, and the whole journey was very interesting. They had a clear goal, and a clear path. There were no serious bad guys, and when bad guys do show up, they are foiled by a little kid and then...well...remember the missile launchers? Yeah.
General Enjoyment: 4 Atomic Bombs
I liked it. I thought the special effects were well applied if a little stone age. I liked the too noble characters, and I enjoyed the journey and the optimistic outlook. Overall I liked the energy of the movie.
So thats 13 out of 20 possible Atomic Blasts. Not quite
World Ending, but worth a look if you're an optimist like me.