Blast from the Past (1999)

There surely is a lack of originality in movies now. Romantic comedies always seem to have the girl outwit the guy, the guy persisting, and then they finally get together. That's exactly the case in Blast from the Past, except that the guy has been living in a bomb shelter for all of his life. It's a joke that could work for a five minute sketch, or it might just flop overall, but that's not the case here. It's a simple romantic comedy with a huge twist thrown in, which works to the movie's advantage.

Adam (Brendan Fraser) had lived in a fallout shelter for all of his life, because his father (Christopher Walken) thought a nuclear bomb was dropped on the house. 35 years afterwards, Adam goes up to bring supplies and meet a girl, which he does. Eve (Alicia Silverstone) is a feisty, typical 90's American, but since Adam had never met anyone else besides his parents, he just accepts it. Soon he falls in love with her (hence, Adam and Eve), but the reverse is not the same. Will he convince her? Only the cliché on romantic comedies will tell us!

Blast from the Past is surprisingly lightweight romcom. It never goes to take itself seriously, which helps keep the mood light, which is what it's supposed to be. At times it gets silly, including a Benny Hill-ish chase scene, and the obligatory man-who-can't-drive-car-drives-car-wildly scene. A scenario like this could easily descend into heartstring-plucking land, but thankfully stays on the top, and over the top. Director Hugh Wilson, whose resumé includes such movies as the original Police Academy and The First Wives Club, can keep a movie that could turn drastically wrong on the right track.

Fraser is great. It really seemed like he was brought up in a fallout shelter. His mannerisms were all from the sixties, and the way he acted was exactly on key. Silverstone was okay, but nowhere near as good as Walken and Sissy Spacek as Adam's parents. They embody their roles as people who have to live in the same space for 35 years. This movie is everything romantic comedies today don't have: no crude humor, funny lines, good acting, and a fun story. People could really learn a lesson from watching Blast from the Past.

My rating: 7/10

Rated PG-13 for brief language, sex and drug references.