Again, folks, don't get me wrong: it isn't a film I dislike. As I try to maintain a level of consistency in talking about film, I can only speak to whether or not a feature connected with me ... and despite all of director Wolfgang Petersen's best efforts in there it just didn't resonate beyond a one-time viewing ... though I recently gave it a rewatch to see if I felt differently. (Alas, I didn't.) I love the performances and production detail. I think it's definitely a film worth recommending. It just doesn't mean all that much to be on a personal level.
But Petersen leaves behind an incredible career for students and fans to celebrate.
Before Enemy Mine, the man put himself on the genre map with bringing the fondly-remembered The NeverEnding Story to audiences worldwide. Then, in 1995, he dabbled with Science Fiction again (mildly) with Outbreak, the story of Army doctors trying to get a plague under control in the United States.
While the myth of Troy gets very near to Fantasy, I'd have to give him major props for managing to somehow deliver one of the most relatable versions to the silver screen in 2004. Though I thought Brad Pitt was a bit of curious casting, the ensemble never faultered, and it remains a watchable experience as well as one worth the time for professors to share with their students in mythology class.
Alas, none of us lasts forever, but thank goodness that we'll always have these works to treasure. A good movie is like a good friend, something that sticks with you through thick and thin, and is always worth spending another evening with.
Thought and prayers are extended to the fans, friends, and family of Wolfgang Petersen.
-- EZ