The Returner DVD
by Stephen Lin, Editor in Chief
August 11, 2003 + Boston, MA
Coooooool
 Takeshi Kaneshiro is one of those guys that can look kick-ass and cool while doing absolutely nothing; kind of like Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, and Steven Seagal (LAUGH! That Steven Seagal bit is a joke!).
I mean, just look at that movie poster... trés stylish. In fact, that poster is everything Jet Li's The One wanted to be and wasn't. And I'm just talking about the poster, mind you. (To this day, I still don't understand who would advise Jet to turn down the The Matrix sequels in favor of The One.)
Guns and aliens and time travel, oh my!
Let's take a step back for a moment and bask in the wonderful hodge-podge of keywords our pals at Poker Industries use to classify The Returner.
Action, Alien, Apocalypse/Post-Apocalypse, Bomb, Bullet Ballet, CGI/SFX, Crime/Criminals, Japan/Japanese, Martial Arts, Quest, Scientist, Time Travel, UFO, War
If that list included the words Strong Bad, Angelina Jolie naked, and lightsabers, I might consider nominating this flick for an Oscar (not that it'd do any good), but just the same, I found The Returner thoroughly entertaining.
Spoiler Free
As you might have noticed, I'm staying away from any specifics. I feel a little guilty about busting out the Return of Jason Todd spoiler last week. But what I will say is, The Returner steals openly from the Termninator, Escape from New York, E.T., Independence Day, The Matrix, and Back to the Future, among others.
While cheesy and largely cliché, it all works out in the end as the characters are likeable, the FX are reasonable, and the action is enjoyable. Though not at all thought provoking, The Returner is definitely worth the price of admission.
On the web: Buy The Returner on DVD at Poker Industries |
