Review of Enemy Mine (1985) by Stuart K — 30 Jul 2009

After making a war film with Das Boot (1981), and doing fantasy with The Neverending Story (1984), German director Wolfgang Petersen turned his attention to sci-fi, taking on a film which originally had Richard Loncraine directing, until he was unceremoniously sacked.

Petersen creates a Robinson Crusoe style tale mixed with a touch of Alien here and there. It's a very underrated sci-fi film, and is very engaging. Set in the late 21st Century, it has hotshot starfighter pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) being stranded on a barren planet after a space based dogfight.

Also crash landed is an asexual reptilian alien called Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.), part of an alien race called Dracs. Humans and Dracs are at war, and now these two form an unlikely alliance if they have to live in such a hostile and remote wasteland, and even save one anothers lives more than once.

This is one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the last 25 years, it's a think piece, and it feels very relevent in today's culture. Quaid and Gossett Jr. are both brilliant, and the special effects were good for their day, plus it has a brilliant score from Maurice Jarre.

Petersen should be making more films on the powerful strength of this!!