The Philadelphia Experiment
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Movie Reviews of The Philadelphia Experiment
Movie Review: Nice Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is pretty awesome. If you like Time Travel Movies, then this movie is for you because there is Time Travel in this movie.Movie Review: A nice little Sci-Fi film
Summary: 4 Stars
The Philadelphia Experiment is not a well known classic Sci-Fi movie, but is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. The basic story is of a World War II experiment to make a battleship invisible that goes wrong. Two sailors abandon ship during the experiment and are swept to the future (about the time the movie was made) where they try to figure out what happened, avoid the authorities who want to lock them up, and eventually find the mad scientist behind it all and try to save the world. There is a beautiful girl to add a romantic angle and all ends - well just see the movie. Movie Review: This EXPERIMENT still works after 23 years
Summary: 4 Stars
My God it was fun and thrilling to go back in time to 1984 when I first saw THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT in the movies, and then go back again to 1943 (before my time).I had completely timewarped myself out and still was pleased to say that this science fiction/fact/romance/action/Thriller still stands the test of time as a classic piece of riveting,nail-biting,allbeit tad corny time travel!
In 1943 an experiment on the U.S.S ELdredge goes terribly awry as the Navy tries to make the ship go invisible so that Germans will not detect it on radar.It does...but something has gone wrong as two of sailors jump ship and fall into some time vortex that lands them in 1984,in a town in Nevada that has suddenly disappeared! There are incredible storms brewing and everything is being threatened by this timewarping.The two sailors are shocked and confused by what has happened.They do not know where they are and what year it is.What is certain is that one of the sailors is electrically charged and seems to be linked still to the electromagnetic field.The two sailors "kidnap" a girl, and she becomes their link between the two time fields.
Corny? Yes.Exciting and provocative? Yes. For all of the obvious "holes" that this script has (I mean,c'mon it IS science fiction which is inevitable),this film never lets up with narrow escapes,car crashes,burning buildings and special effects that still look convincing enough even for the most sophisticated 2007 Sci-Fi officienado!
Michael Pare and Nancy Allen star as the two whose love will span the time zones.The fact that this film IS actually based on a true experiment makes this film all the more compelling.A ship DID disappear in the Philadelphia Harbour in 1943, and a man did reappear with the ship embedded in the deck! After that, who really knows.This is one possible account with lots of extra added in...and it still works after 23 years.
A great companion film would be THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.
Movie Review: Disappointed
Summary: 2 Stars
It had an interesting story line, but just didn't deliver on film. I felt I was watching a first effort on the acting and filming and special effects. Movie Review: Generally Speaking, the "Experiment" Still Holds Up
Summary: 3 Stars
I've always liked the two lead actors in this film, Michael Pare of "Eddie and the Cruisers" and "Streets of Fire", and Nancy Allen (wife of Brian DePalma) of DePalma films "Carrie", "Blow out", and "Dressed to Kill." Neither actor ever made it really big and were more flashes in the pan than anything else, but they both should have more success as they are decent actors. Allen had played rather slutty characters with conviction for much of her career, but here she is disarmingly sweet and innocent in spite of her 80's hairdo. Pare built a short-lived career playing James Dean-like roles. He's mostly tough, but can be sensitive too. The scenes where he learns of his father's passing and when he must say good-bye to both his best friend and Allen are quite touching. He's a tough guy who isn't afraid to cry on-screen. He was refreshing as an actor and his full range of talents were not nearly tapped enough.
The story has been explained to death already here in other reviews and Amazon's synopsis, so I'll suffice to say that the script is faulty at times, but the story is satisfying enough and based upon an ill-conceived military experiment to cloak our ships that supposedly was really done and had back-fired. The special effects are very dated in this film, but they are watchable nevertheless. In fact, the entire film is rather dated, but still enjoyable.
Weaknesses: The film is rather dated and the effects clearly demonstrate that. The time-travel storyline has some flaws in it. Things don't always add up right. It's annoying at times when people who knew Pare's character in 1943 don't recognize him in 1984 although he hasn't changed in 40 years. I might be shocked that he hadn't aged, but I would certainly recognize him nevertheless. How come Pare's and his friend, who are naval men, do not have miliatry haircuts. Pare looks the same as he did in "Eddie and the Cruisers." One final flaw worth mentioning is how Pare's character, a civilian in 1984, can take two hostages at gunpoint into a highly restricted secret naval base with little to no opposition. It's just too implausible. Why not just have him be caught instead of the elaborate and silly break-in to a place the government wanted him at in the first place?
Strengths: Overall, the film still holds up and is fun entertainment as long as you don't question things too much. The actors are very engaging to watch and the plot, in spite of its flaws, is clever at times. There are a few needed and carefully written sensitive scenes that assist us in really feeling for these characters. It's fun watching Pare's character adjust to "future" things we take for granted like automatic transmissions in cars, flip-top soda cans, talking digital alarm clocks, color TV, and Ronald Reagan being president.