it was OK for a while, but in the end it was only a waste of time

Rating: 3/10 (4 February 2007)

I just picked this up out the $1 VHS closeouts. I can think of a lot worse movies, but this one was pretty awful. The beginning was all right, and drew me in with the ludicrous tunnel idea. The people lining up to pay $200 to enter the tunnel were pretty funny, as was the cash box - like a carnival ride. But for the last hour the lightness disappears. The film turns vicious, preachy and mechanical. Malkovich and Cusack become villainous white males, and are set up like wooden puppets to take a predictable feminist hit. On top of this, a subplot involving living forever by invading another person's mind kicks in. Mind travel as a carnival ride is exhilarating - mind travel as a way to live forever is a cheesy science fiction/philosophy lecture. What started out as an innovative film ended up pretty flat. It's heartening to see that it didn't receive any Academy awards.
I guess it was worth the $1, just to satisfy my curiosity. It won't be staying around here for another viewing, though. It's not in the same class with Ed Wood, Holiday Inn, Flamingo Kid, Night of the Lepus, or even Super Dave. Begone Ye to Yon Thrift Shoppe!