K-PAX


Starring: Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges, Mary McCormack, Alfre Woodard,
Directed by: Iain Softley
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Fantasy
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A New York psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges) is fascinated by a new patient, Prot (Kevin Spacey), who claims to be from the planet K-PAX. At first, he is skeptical of the patient, but as time goes on, and Prot displays some incredible powers and abilities, he begins to question everything.

Review:

Tim: You normally wouldn't think this movie would be any good. It should be horribly cheesy. A mental patient who claims to be from outer space and may actually be telling the truth? Come on. However, the story is told very well and the performance of Kevin Spacey makes this film powerful and quite moving.

Spacey gives a distant, yet warm performance that pulls everything else in the film toward him. I read that Will Smith was originally slated for this role. While I do know Smith is an incredible actor, I believe that only Spacey could have pulled this performance off as well as it needed to be done to make this film worth seeing. Spacey is believable and entertaining to watch.

Jeff Bridges serves as a fitting match to Spacey. Where Spacey must teeter on the line between alien and insanity, Bridges serves as the rock for the film- the example of sanity and strength. The two play off each other brilliantly. They are entertaining to watch in their scenes together and serve a good balance.

Although K-PAX does succeed in the entertainment side of things, it fails in the awe-inspiring and heartwarming aspects. We may be interested in the story, but the film doesn't evoke much emotion from us. We should be in awe of Prot and the events that occur, but the film is only lukewarm in these areas. This hurts the overall strength of the movie. The film also borders oon the unbelievable and ridiculous at times. At others, it is slow and disappointing.

K-PAX is a very flawed film, but that doesn't stop it from pushing forward with a full head of steam. The movie is decently enjoyable. It will never be called a classic, but it is not a horrible film, either.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Starman, E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Contact, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty, White Squall