The Fifth Element / Gattaca

Customer Reviews:

Captivating .......2007-08-22

A decade later, Gattaca remains one of my favorite movies. I am prompted to write this review by this week's news about home DNA testing kits that allow people to check their genetic risk of cancer, as well as the gender of their 6-week-old fetus. Also, just last week I heard that my local airport is starting a business fast-track line that will scan travelers' irises. How prophetic Gattaca was, in predicting the widespread use of such technology and in warning of its risks. Great story, outstanding acting. I recommend it highly.

Outstanding film... future possibilities?.......2005-08-24

Watching Gattaca will have anyone thinking about the current day and age of stem cell research and cloning. The title itself shows the intelligence of this movie. Not many would catch it, but the title is simply a word created to look like Genetic code, made up of the letters "G", "T", "A", and "C". Beyond all the scientific and ideological themes, there lies a wonderful "underdog" story in a world of streamlined genetic perfection. This is a must have for it's story, intelligence, and breathtaking appearance.

They say opposites attract. Let's see.......2004-11-26

Fifth Element

Where did he learn to negotiate like that?

First time I watched this it was one of those three star things that you could take or leave. Yes it had all the elements (except the fifth) that make for a good shoot-um-up space thing. But I just looked at it as an action movie.

For some reason this movie can grow on you and you find yourself anticipating the next move. Then you see things that you did not see the first time. Then you start to mouth the words. Soon this turns into a five star movie with a plot, good guys, bad guys, and good bad guys. Soon you start looking in your auto-wash to see if you left anything in there.

An ancient thereat of dome looms over the earth. An ancient religion keeps the secret of the doom and the secret of the defense (the fifth element.) Prophecy turns into reality and it is up to Major Koeben Dallas (Bruce Willis) to find the fifth element and save the earth. Will he be able to do this and at what emotional expense? What is the fifth element?

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GATTACA

"I never saved anything for the swim back."

Well after ten years they have gone and done it. We now know how the genetic make-up of human beings. We also have electric cars and wrist radios. This is no longer sci-fi; it is speculative fiction. Or at least it is speculative. Anyway I have a friend that had a back problem in his youth. They left some dye in him and it was spotted during a job interview physical for a desk job; you guessed it.

Anyway this is a spectacular film. The sound track helped support the movie. They did a good job of picking the actors. The characters were believable. Uma did not even have to show her Thurman's. Ethan did a convincing transformation and Jude was good enough that you almost thought the film was about him. The scenes were breath taking. I was most impressed with the sunrise on the solar panels and the swim competition.

Two points to look for on your second viewing are:
1. Several times the brothers compete physically and logically. Even with his handicapped origin Ethan Hawke" Vincent Freeman" surpasses his brother Loren Dean "Anton."
2. Jude Law "Jerome Eugene Morrow" Was not without ambition. He was disappointed that his advantage was not advantageous enough for the gold and receives his gold thought the actions of Vincent.

Vincent who was conceived in the Rivera, as a love child must compete in a world where all the negative genetic dispositions are usually removed as was his brother's case. Vincent is tagged for failure at birth. To overcome this social barrier and obtain his goal of going into space, he borrows the genes of an athlete gone astray. The director where he is working (GATTACA) is killed as the last obstacle to the mission. Will Vincent be found out? Irene (Uma Thurman) suspects the number one candidate for the space trip Jerome of the murder. She never suspects that he is really Vincent.

Bottom line is if you aren't genetically correct the movie may scare you.

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