On P List of Movie Reviews
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Phenomenon (1996)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
5/04, 11/25
11/25:
John Travolta's performance makes Phenomenon worth watching.
The first half goes very well. Robert Duvall does a nice job of playing along by
understanding what's going on. But as soon as the residents get into the act, questioning George Malley's
wondrous achievements, the more I hate them for ruining the second half. It's worse when they decide to
celebrate his life a year after he passed away; except for the doctor, they were never George Malley's friend.
Even Kyra Sedgwick's character wants to be part of what's going on. I was like,
"Where the hell does she come off by thinking herself as Julia Roberts? This ain't
Dying Young!" There's an awkward make out session between
her and John Travolta that puts the final stamp on the film as overly saccharine. Forest Whitaker
can be so at times, especially when he went gaga over the "Portuguese" female.
Instead, the director should've placed more emphasis on what George Malley can potentially do.
Some of the best parts are the prediction of an earthquake, the saving of a boy's life by learning how to
speak an unfamiliar language in twenty minutes, and the listing of all mammals in sixty
seconds. Then, he can set in the decay of his brain because it's overstimulated. There's no
need for romance getting in the way.
All in all, Phenomenon is a quality movie, but the transition from sci-fi to love story
ultimately ruins it.