Movie Reviews for The Philadelphia Experiment

The Philadelphia Experiment

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Movie Reviews of The Philadelphia Experiment

Movie Review: Fictional reality
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a type of Film/Fiction which I personally like very mucht. The Possibility of Time Travel which is very real in this movie. Plus the option of evtl. Dimensional contact between tow Time Continuem which is a possible danger in such a sitation. All Fictional but>>>>>.
Very realistic and with the nessecary proof that one cannot change the future by going back in time. Even though we would very much like to change it in some sitations as in the Movie.

Movie Review: It's just plain fun!
Summary: 4 Stars

Okay, by today's standards, the special effects are a little on the hokey side, but, considering its age, the movie does just fine. If you want to just sit back, relax, and escape for awhile, this movie fills the bill.

Movie Review: Very Good for 80's
Summary: 4 Stars

Michael Par?("Into the Sun""Space Fury"), Nancy Allen("Limit up" "Robocop"),two famous star in 80's, made this a five-star Sci-Fi movie. But no subtitle or Closed Captioned , so I will give it 4.5 star.

Movie Review: The Experiment works!
Summary: 4 Stars

Michael Pare never really made it to the big time, which is too bad, because I always thought he had what it took to be in the Hollywood big leagues. He was good looking, had that tough guy way of delivering his lines, and this no-nonsense demeanor. Yet, in his scenes, he unveiled a certain sensitivity and accesibility. He proved to me, with his movies, that he could emote well enough. In the 1980s, he starred in several movies which I really enjoyed: STREETS OF FIRE, EDDIE & THE CRUISERS 1 & 2, and THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT.

I love time travel stories and I had tremendous fun watching THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT. Supposedly drawn somewhat from true events in World War 2, this sci-fi film tells the tale of a WW2 naval experiment (an attempt to make our ships invisible) gone awry. The USS Eldridge, instead, vanishes, not only optically but physically. At the same time, Navy sailor David Herdeg (Michael Pare), along with his squid buddy Jim, are transported 41 years into the future, to the year 1984. They reappear in Nevada and are immediately attacked. I'll try to curb the spoilers, but I will mention that the experiment which began in 1943 is apparently still ongoing in 1984, and that this begins to influence the meteorological fields, in effect, giving rise to massive, progressively worsening electromagnetic storms, which could threaten the whole planet if left unchecked. David and Jim, with the help of a girl they shanghai, Allison (Nancy Allen), attempt to make sense of things as they continue to evade their pursuers. In the end, it all falls on David Herdeg to make things right. How will it end, and which world will he choose to be in?

So, watching this movie from a contemporary 2006 perspective, I couldn't help but notice a certain 1980s cheesiness inherent to this film, as well as the gap in special effects technology from then to now. Yet, there's something still fresh and charming about THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT. Part of it, admittedly, is nostalgia. I remember really liking this movie back then, and I undoubtedly re-screened it thru rose-colored eyeballs. But you can't deny the earnest acting efforts of the cast, especially of Pare and Allen. Pare plays David Herdeg as angry, hard-headed, and understandibly confused, yet his vulnerability is shown in several quiet scenes, as when he discovers the fate of his father and when he was saying farewell to Allison. Nancy Allen is sweetness personified as the trusting, kind-hearted Allison Hayes.

Part of the allure of a time travel story is the displaced traveler's reactions to the new realities of the temporal setting in which he finds himself. It was fun watching David and Jim try to fathom the workings of a modern vehicle, a color television, a Coke can, an alarm clock, etc . Not to mention, it must be weird watching a 1940s B actor suddenly as the current president (Reagan). The issue of time paradoxes isn't delved into, as much as barely skimmed. Oh, there are people from the past who encounter David in the future, but it was mostly ado about nothing much. The requisite chase scenes and gun plays are all here, of course. This isn't really a thinking man's movie, as much as an action film where you sit back, have fun, and try to suspend all analytical thinking. There are some holes here, but I choose to overlook them. It's entertaining, sci-fi, popcorn fare.

There's a sequel, PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT 2, which again showcases David Herdeg, but 10 years later after the events in this film, and with Brad Johnson, not Michael Pare, playing the Herdeg character. It's also worth checking out.