Review of Postman (1995) by Darth P — 29 Apr 2018

I watched this back in the 90s and recently re-watched it. I thought it was harshly ravished by critics and still feel it is. The film stands up quite well 20 years later and would probably be better received today but there in lies the problem.

From rewatching it you get a feeling they thought this movie was more than it was. After Costner's Oscar success this simple Western/apocalypse genre mash up is given an epic Hollywood treatment and Costner is given too much rope.

The budget for the film was over 80m and I am not sure what it was spent on as this should have been a straight forward Western set in the future apocalypse.

The film is not without its flaws and is far from brilliant but it is not a bad film and far from it. It is slow and the first hour is frankly boring. It moves at a snails place. This in large part is due to the 'epic treatment' they give the story.

So, we're introduced to our protagonist wandering a dust bowl of the future, scavenging for him and his trusty companion, his horse. Some reviews complained about the persona Costner played, the drifter, which is unfair. He plays him very laid back and he jokes around with his horse. I feel if you dislike Costner it will bug you but it is hardly terrible, just a more hopeful start than most apocalyptic movies.

We are never really told what happens but we are shown a drifter that uses his one man and a horse Shakespeare show as a way to gain entry into villages and score supplies and a place to stay for a night or two.

It is here we are introduced to Will Patton, the villain of the piece. He is a quasi-dictator who appears to have a small army of men who bully this village for free supplies(very reminiscent of old westerns up to now).

Costner is captured by the thugs and taken away to their boot camp (which is never fully realised) Costner is branded, which is the only reason we have this long introduction, as a payoff later in the movie! Costner escapes...and while seeking refuge he finds an old mail-man's van. Inside the van he finds food and letters and some comfort from the old world.

This whole segment is unnecessary. The film should have started from the next scene where we see him him as the "Postman" attempting to gain entry into a fortified village. Surely the audience not knowing if he is a con man would have helped too!? this would also have been a more intriguing plot device.

From here on out the film is okay and follows the usual western tropes. Costner falls in love with a local, he saves her from the bad guys and they fall in love. He later finds out his con of being a postman has inspired some young kids to create a postal service to connect the villages together, and eventually a showdown with the aforementioned villain.

Surprisingly the ending goes for a smaller gesture but the fight scene like most of the action scenes in this movie is filmed in a very clunky manner.

All in all the last 2 hours are OK and watchable. There are good ideas but this was not the "epic" movie they were trying to force but it is also not the disaster the critics say it is.

It was way over budget and too long but it is just an average Sci-fi movie. Not on the same level as Mad Max but harshly judged against Mad Max, Mad Max was an action film and this is a drama.