World Gone Wild (1987) User Reviews (16)

As opposed to girls gone wild...

[fmarkland32 · 6/10 · 1 August 2006]

Bruce Dern stars as a hippie who gets his son (Michael Pare) and a bunch of other mercenaries to help fight of Adam Ant (Who starts a church of Charles Manson) in this strange post apocalypse action flick. The thing that makes this weird is the cast which includes Bruce Dern, Michael Pare, Adam Ant, Julias Carry, Catharine Mary Stewart and Anthony James who all are offbeat actors with different styles of acting. All that was missing was Wings Hauser. Still I must admit this was a lot of fun due to it's sheer weirdness. The movie has mutant cannibals, a church of Charles Manson and Bruce Dern as a pot smoking hippie fighter who leads a civilization of flower children. The romance angle between Pare and Stewart is extremely amusing mainly due to the fact that it is just so unlikely. Stewart is of course the resident babe found in these type of movies. Although I was amused to see Stewart scold Michael Pare and Co. for killing mutant cannibals and then laughing about it, to which she goes in a long winded speech about how they are all animals, to which gets (quite understandably may I add) the mercenaries to laugh even harder. The action sequences are for the most part well staged and Adam Ant is really good in the role as the bad guy who is the priest of the church of helter skelter. World Gone Wild is such a bizarre movie one only wishes that this would have turned out to be a television show or at least established some sequels because right here could have been the greatest TV show ever. You could have Pare and Dern protect these villagers every week from some new villain and develop the silliness of the relationship between Stewart and Pare. World Gone Wild is no classic but this is perfect fodder for the B.movie fan who has an appetite for guilty pleasure post apocalypse movies.

* *1/2 out of 4-(Pretty good)

derivative B-movie

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 11 April 2015]

It's 2087, 75 years after the start of the final war. It lasted 15 years and left the world devastated. It hasn't rained for 50 years. Lost Wells is a settlement in the desert that actually has water. The peaceful villagers welcome Derek Abernathy (Adam Ant) and his cult followers. Abernathy immediately massacres and enslave many in the settlement. Ethan (Bruce Dern) rises to challenge him. Ethan takes school teacher Angie Banning (Catherine Mary Stewart) to the big city and find a barbaric world desperate for water. Ethan recruits his old partner George Landon (Michael Paré) and others to battle Abernathy's cult.

This takes the style of 'Mad Max 2' even including the white outfits. They're throwing hubcaps like the boomerang. The plot is pulled from 'Seven Samurai' like many other movies such as Steve McQueen in 'The Magnificent Seven'. However it's nowhere near the same vision or quality. Adam Ant is not the most imposing villain but he fits the low quality camp. I always like some Catherine Mary Stewart and Bruce Dern is one of the great actors of our times. Michael Paré is an oddity of the 80s and I've never understood his leading man appeal. The setup is clunky. The dialog isn't much better. It's a poor production pulling elements from other better movies.

Seven Samurai in Mad Max Wonderland

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 6 December 2021]

World Gone Wild is one of those many Mad Max clones produced in the 80s after the success of George Millers first strike, but don't get me wrong, if you want a well written story and some excellence regarding cinematic techniques, or top notch special effects and stunts, World Gone Wild is for sure no movie for you - Mad Max just plays in another league quality wise. But for the right audience (like me) World Gone Wild is fun trash. So what do you get? Besides some action and explosions, the world of World Gone Wild is filled with crazy people and lots of crazy ideas, Hardrock guitars scream in the background, and human life is not worth a sip of water and blood easy spilled. Verdict: tasty cheese this is, touched gently by queen nostalgia, and better than most post-apocalyptic (teen drama) movies we get these days. Exact rate: 4 + 2 for the extra cheese.

A Superb Futuristic Offering

[randy_rascal · 8 January 2003]

A great eighties film forgotten by people. Adam Ant portrays a great little villain in a surrounding of horror and endurance. A great array of oddball characters banded together as a team is wonderful to watch.

In some ways it reminds me of Battle Beyond The Stars, another great film along the same lines - a group of very different people set against a venomous evil. World Gone Wild - Highly Recomended film.

low budget

[greenflea2 · 2/10 · 12 January 2007]

This is another Mad Max rip off, with a low budget and the usual daft story line. If this movie was in better hands, it be something much better. There is some good actors in this movie, Adam Ant, Michael Pare and Bruce Dern, still none of them can save this movie. Was this movie made as something for these actors to do.

It seems after a nuclear war, there is a drought, were survivors fight for the last remaining sources of water, good a idea for a movie. There is a strange cult, yet these cultists fight like professional soldiers and have the hardware as well. Yet in the opening battle, the cultists overrun the villagers, who should be able to defend themselves, since they out-number the band of cultists, and would be wise up long ago, about bandits wanting to steal their water from them. Yet they are nothing but simple Hill Billies, if that was the case, they would have fallen victim to bandits long before the cultists show up. There is scenes were rifles are remove from a old battle-field and used against the cultists. This is crap, because they would have rusted away, making them useless and why didn't any of the villagers or someone elsa have long taken them. I check with a gun smith, and he told me, that it just taken a few months in the open, before such weapons would be dangerous to use, and left longer than 6 months, they couldn't be use at all.

There seems to be some kind of government control in the cities, so it makes me wonder, why none of the villagers approach the government for military aide. With water in short supply, wouldn't the government put the water under armed guard.

Another daft scene in this movie, were is Dern and Pare stop to have a long in depth chat with each other during a battle with the cultists. Often in fight scenes, they don't seem too bother or fearing death when fighting those who would gladly kill them.

Dern in the opening scene, kills a cultist after the village falls, yet none of the cultists tried to kill him for this, or even seem bother by his actions. Why don't the cultists keep guards on the village, instead of attacking the village, winning it and then leaving it, allowing the villagers to form some sort of plan to defend themselves. Thats totally daft.

This movie is low budget and lacks common sense, and logic.

Quite Possibly The Worst Waste of Film EVER

[sslowder · 1/10 · 6 March 2014]

This is a 1980's Mad Max rip-off, with bad acting, cheesy writing, inane violence and a transparent plot. The "name" actors in the film must have been forced to do this film as some sort of contract fulfillment or, if not, they needed to fire their agents (and probably did after filming this dreck). Don't waste your time and, for heaven sake, definitely don't fork over any money to see this drivel.

It was SO bad that I considered that maybe the viewer needed to be stoned in order to appreciate it but I decided that even stoned this flick is garbage. The film makers should be stoned ... and I mean with boulders!

Wish I could have the time back I put into watching it.

World gone mild

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 11 March 2018]

In 1970, Lee Katzin made The Phynx, a nearly lost film about a rock band's influence on world politics. It's packed with names, with everyone from Warhol superstar Ultra Violet to Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy, Busby Berkeley, Leo Gorcey, Colonel Sanders, Harold Sakata and the inventor of the Bloody Mary, George Jessel. Just as oddly, Katzin would make his contribution to post-apocalyptic films nearly two decades later with this film.

2087. Earth has been decimated by nuclear war and water is the most precious thing there is. The Lost Wells outpost has survived, but now an evil group of renegades, led by Derek Abernathy (Adam Ant), wants to take over.

This is a film packed with plenty of interesting actors, like Bruce Dern and Michael Paré (Streets of Fire) as the heroes, along with Catherine Mary Stewart (The Apple, The Last Starfighter, Night of the Comet), Julius Carry (Sho'Nuff from The Last Dragon) and Alan Autry Jr. ( Captain Bubba Skinner from TV's In the Heat of the Night).

That said -- this is a flimsy film, unsure what it wants to be. When you hear something like "Bruce Dern against Adam Ant after the end of the world," you want it to be awesome. Sadly, it falls short. If only an Italian director was in the chair, ready to throw rats at everyone in the cast or bring in George Eastman!

One of those dumb Drive-In movies you'll love! :)

[gilligan1965 · 7/10 · 12 August 2015]

This is a good movie with a lot of great and believable scenes because of the good actors...but, the movie, overall (the script), is something that only a teen like me would like at a Drive-In back in the 1980s!

The premise of this movie is silly - these people, overall, without rain for fifty years have little water, but, those in the 'city' are still walking and having babies; and, have oil and gasoline (and, coolant!?!?) for their vehicles in the midst of a water shortage!?!? And, those who live in the desert all seem to be quite healthy with water and have clean clothing (Bruce Dern with his new t-shirts, and, the motorcycle cult in bright white outfits!?!?); but, where are the crops and animals to maintain this lifestyle in this 'desert?' Also, where are the guns at the beginning of this movie to protect this vital water source and way-of-life that these desert-people have!?!? It makes no sense!?!?

But...it doesn't have to!

If you were a 'Drive-In Nut' as I was in the 1980s, you didn't care about any of these technicalities...you loved to see hot women in B-Movies. Catherine Mary Stewart was among these hot women for teenage boys; but, if there's no water...how is she still so hot!?!? And, if so, with a woman this hot, isn't it stupid to allow more sex-starved men into this camp?

What about the men already there!?!? Two new men to the camp came-on to her, and, one of them tried to rape her...DUH! In a normal world, she's hot! In this world, she's a goddess! She's more rare than the water!

I especially like how Catherine Mary Stewart's character kept a framed-photo of Steve McQueen and said how handsome he is; and, how Michael Paré's character said how that photo of Steve McQueen gave him the creeps!?!? Ha-ha! :D Steve McQueen was the best! :)

This is a good movie that if given a higher budget and a better script, would have been great. The script is awful, but, the acting and certain scenes are great!

I give this Drive-In Classic seven stars! :) I give Catherine Mary Stewart's presence and loveliness 11 Stars! ;)

Patchy is an understatement

[mreffgee · 3/10 · 23 October 2022]

There's not much positive to say about this film.

It's a post-apocalyptic film that borrows heavily from Mad Max and The Seven Samurai with a little Escape from New York thrown in for good measure but it lacks the vision of any of those films. It has a clunky script and two-dimensional characters that seem to exist just to make idiotic decisions at every turn. Almost every action sequence abruptly stops without any actual resolution. Every idea, interaction, set piece and scene feels frustratingly half-baked.

You can see what they were trying to do. They wanted to make a dark comedy/ensemble action film (tonally like The Expendables) but set in a magical realist post-apocalyptic wasteland. And had they actually delivered that, it would probably have been enjoyable. Sadly, they repeatedly and wildly missed the mark. Instead, we ended up with a patchwork of half-thought ideas, ham-fisted dialogue, pointless character arcs and general incoherence.

They have no water but they have plenty of booze. I'd love to see how they make alcohol without water. Society has gone to hell for 50+ years but apparently petrol, ammunition and dynamite is still plentiful. Everyone still uses pop culture references and listens to music from a hundred years ago. It's just a mess.

Adam Ant played a passable bad guy (even if his character did do dumb stuff constantly). Bruce Dern was okay, though it often seemed like he was playing a character from an entirely different film.

Whoever was in charge of the pyrotechnics did a great job.

There's not much else to say. Even as a fan of b-movies and post-apocalyptic films, this one was a real slog to watch.

I'd want more water for my voucher....

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 7 April 2013]

In the nuclear ravaged wasteland of Earth 2087 water is as precious as life itself.

The isolated Lost Wells outpost survived the holocaust and the inhabitants guard the source of their existence.

An evil cult of renegades want control of their valuable water supply. And the villagers are no match for such brute military force. Only one man can help the stricken community - a mercenary living in a distance cannibal city.

But even he, and his strange henchmen, may not be able to survive in the world gone wild....

Films like this were rife in the eighties, from Mad Max, to Cyborg, to Spacehunter, they were released regularly, and some were of very poor quality. This however is one of the better ones and I've never heard of this film, until it appeared on MGM HD.

But these post apocalyptic movies always carry the same type of story and narrative. Something is always in short supply, the good guys hardly have anything to keep then alive, whilst the bad guys are always in supply of weapons and vehicles.

And there always is the random rugged guy who saves the day.

But it's the way the film is executed that makes the story interesting, and this is beyond the realm of bonkers, it cannot be anything other than a lot of fun.

Ant is acceptable as the villain, he doesn't really get much to say or do, just a lot of shots of him standing up on a truck. Pare is the Mad Max of the film, albeit a really gentle one who doesn't really do much except chase around the girl from Weekend at Bernies.

Dean is the best thing about this, walking around with a swagger and then walking off in the middle of a huge battle, without a care in the world.

It's not anything remarkable, but its a lot of fun and it never gets boring.

Highly recommended.

Good Cheese

[delta_tau_chi · 10/10 · 19 January 2005]

Chances are, if Michael Pare is the star of the movie, it is cheesy. Not necessarily bad, but cheesy. "Streets Of Fire", in my opinion, was great, but cheese notwithstanding. This movie is of the Mad Max ilk, but instead of fuel, it's water that is coveted. Adam Ant plays a Manson-type cult figure who is trying to rob Bruce Dern's town of its water/treasure, and Michael Pare comes in to help Dern with a pretty motley bunch. Adam Ant was quite good, and Bruce Dern was funny. Michael Pare was....well...Michael Pare. No one will confuse his body of work with DeNiro or Pacino, but if you like him, as I do, well, it doesn't make us bad people, does it?

If you are looking for "Saving Private Ryan", this ain't it. If you are like cheese, this beats Velveeta.

The Seven Samurai serie B

[redtiago · 6/10 · 4 March 2022]

The Seven Samurai serie B version in an apocalyptic future.

It's honest, unassuming, old school, fun and politically incorrect.

I recommend it to those nostalgic for 80s cinema.

Fast Forgetable Fun

[sydde · 9/10 · 22 October 1999]

I remembered Michael Pare and Adam Ant as heart-throbs from my highschool days in the early 80's, and so snapped up this so-called futuristic action flick when I saw it on the cheap shelf at my local video rental shop.

The cast are a notable list of where-are-they-now's doing their best with a rather unimaginative Mad Max clone.

Worth seeing for a few dazzeling action sequences, and some amusing one-liners, if you've nothing better to do on a weeknight. Just don't expect Thunderdome.

Unable to Find

[p_winch · 8/10 · 11 November 2006]

I remember seeing this film at the theatre. I had no idea what I was going to see, but a friend dragged me out to it. Needless to say, I enjoyed it immensely.

I say this with a sad tinge as, for some weird reason, the people responsible for ensuring that it stayed on VHS/DVD, dropped the ball, but decided to let other, far worse movies, stay in publication.

If you pass this up, you miss out on such greats as Bruce Dern, and Michael Pare'.

If there was a hidden message of the movie, it was that we were/are destroying our precious resources with all that we do to mother earth, but even then, there will be those who feel they have the power over others.

If you get the rare chance to see it, I'd recommend it.

A Magical Trip

[Supurna · 11 November 2002]

Ok It's true, the only character in this film experiencing any magic is Bruce Dern's, but it really is a fun trip. And if you can get over the cheesy music, and lame graphics in the opening credits, you will probably enjoy some of the bizarre humor it offers. The characters are memorable, and almost invite you to laugh along with them.

There will be Helter-skelter

[Lumiere-5 · 1 May 2003]

Yet another Seven Samurai ripoff--did you notice the picture of Steve MacQueen in Michael Pare's hovel, just in case we didn't get it? This thing has two things to reccomend it--Bruce Dern being more or less as crazy as always, which has been a great thing to watch since The Cowboys at the very least, and Adam Ant proving that he should have done more movies because he is really entertaining. I wonder if they've done it on MST3K.