The premise, as I had read it, seemed especially puzzling. So I decided to watch it. And it's a strange movie. It's kind of poor. I have no objection to environmental messages, except that this movie seems to promote that message at the expense of a straw man argument. It relies on the idea that for no reason at all, there are no longer any plants on Earth. And that mankind somehow has contempt for plants. Without further information, I find this idea laughable.
To make the environmental angle even more pushy, Joan Baez sings two songs - Silent Running and Rejoice in the Sun.
The story creeps along incredibly slow. There are a few nice moments, but they're spread out, and they don't make up for the miserable pacing.
Despite my clear dislike for the movie, it probably was much better when it came out. It pre-dates Star Wars, and most of the space effects are probably spectacular for the time period. The message is likely to play well with younger viewers who don't need as much firm content to their arguments.
Lots of the reviews I've read focus on how spectacular the lead is. While he does well, I find the quality of the story so distracting that it's hard to feel like the performance has much to offer.
How is it that the last man acting as a gardener doesn't know that plants need sunlight?
Also, the tagline that's used on the movie poster is ridiculous - "Amazing companions on an incredible adventure…that journeys beyond imagination!"
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