Review of Soylent Green (1973) by Broken H — 29 Dec 2008

[b][color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]Soylent Green[/font][/color][/b][color=#ff9900][font=Georgia] is not that good.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]I have never been a Charleton Heston Fan, and this movie is once again proof that he made some terrible films, not to say that DeNiro could have saved this one-there is no way to make this sssllllloooowwww moving film into much of anything. At best it would have suited a 1/2 hour tv show. There just isn't enough material to make this into a very long film.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]Starting with the sets, this film never gets out of the 70's, (it is supposed to take place in the year 2022) which you would hope might add some additional campy interest 25 years later, but even that falls short-add as many sideburns and as much fibreglass furnishings to this film, and it still looks like something even Shaft would pass on.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]There is a dramatic scene with some blood that is ridiculously fake, and as red as a candy apple, that completely kills the moment.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]Charleton is fairly brutal throughout, as the tough cop who is flabby and grits his teeth a lot. His repore with his co-stars is laughable. There is one scene in particular where he is supposed to be laughing and care free, seizing a romantic moment with a girl, where he has that same "grit my teeth as hard as I can while expressing a jocular laugh all at once thing", that comes off as creepy and maniacal, more than romantic, or Cary Grant like.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]Edward G Robinson putters about the film as an old man-this was his 101st film, and his last. It is hard to rate his performance, as he doesn't add too much to the film, but let's just say I prefer him in Little Caesar, one of his early films...and by a long shot.[/font][/color].

[color=#ff9900][font=Georgia]I am sure there are some sci fi fans out there who might argue that this film breaks some sort of ground in regards to film history, or in portraying sci fi in this era. All I can say is that if they like this film, they have terrible taste in movies.[/font][/color].