Not a Beach Party film afterall, but it wasn't meant to be.

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2000)

What did you expect...? Well, you have this young man who is on a "journey" and along the way, he ends up in a tree.... So, he put himself there along with his traveling companions and the people he meets. Well, he has to undergo a transformation of character ... blah, blah, blah ... hopefully for the better, and resolve the situation so that he can continue his journey as a somewhat enlightened or changed person. Well, I guess this film was a little "Greek" to most of the reviewers and probably to many of the "male" members of the audience so far. Though, it seems that most of the young women that have seen the film have picked up on the subtle nuances of Richard's story. Well, maybe not, could be just a subconscious thing going here with Leo. However, the film is not as bad as all that. It says a lot about pop culture and Western influence spreading to every remote corner of the world. Including Westerners, who have gone to the remote corners to escape their own cultural imperialism. But, you can't run away from yourself....or your culture... or ..whatever. Anyway ... in some primitive ways the natives still rule in a primitive society.
I liked the hommage to APOCALYPSE NOW. It is one of my favorite films. I think you could throw in a little LORD OF THE FLIES here too. I liked the way that the film showed the influence of Consumer Technology in Southeast Asia, where of course, most of the products are manufactured today. "Poor Richard" just couldn't get away from it all....the music, images, tourists, etc. were everywhere. Well, if he wasn't staying at The Admiral Ben Bow Inn, he wouldn't have gotten the treasure map. He almost got the black spot near the end too ... but you can't kill off the young hero .. he has to complete his journey or undergo a change ... I think I covered this already. I liked the bit where he spaced out and imagined himself as a character in a computer game. Also, I thought that it was a very nice touch at the end, where he logged on and received the photo that represented a brief moment of paradise in the universe.