Great first act, miserable second act and goofy third act
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Capricorn One
ianberg — 10 years ago(March 17, 2016 08:40 AM)
SPOILERS
The premise established by this movie up to and including the scene where Hal Holbrook lays out the reasons why the mission has to be faked and the suspicious technician reporting errors with his console builds up the tension. Then comes the second act that drags on and on, people talk and talk and talk but nothing really happens and all the tension created in the first act fizzles out. Not even an out of control car with no brakes scene fixes it. Then the third act where astronauts perform one of the most laughably easy escapes from a government facility ever portrayed on film and later one of them miraculously pins himself to a World War I biplane which outduels two modern-day army helicopters. What the what?
If there's a remake of this movie, the pace has to be a lot brisker. I'd recommend that the story be changed so that astronauts decide they have to pull the plug on the hoax as soon as they get the chance to be on TV when NASA has been telling everyone they're on their way to Mars. They have concluded that going public as early as possible means government officials will leave their families alone. It works but the Hal Holbrook character gets away scot-free. That ends the first half of the movie. Then the second half of the movie is set months later after the global scandal they caused has quieted down, suspicious events start occurring to their families, the astronauts regroup to defend themselves and those who are left in their families, and they expose Hal Holbrook really did mastermind it along with others in even higher places in the government. -
filmklassik — 9 years ago(June 04, 2016 02:29 AM)
You're pitching two separate and discreet storylines and neither one sorry, pal sounds like a very good movie. (Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary)
I'm actually astonished by the number of young people (under age 35, let's say) who think the original CAPRICORN ONE one of the most inventive and exciting adventure movies of the last 50 years is too slow and "talky."
Storytelling has really taken a nosedive in the last few years. -
ralph_2ndedition — 9 years ago(September 23, 2016 02:48 PM)
It must be a generational thing But even though I can see how "The MTV generation" would find this movie slow paced, I really fail to understand how anyone can find it boring.
And "talky"? That's one of its best aspects! That Hal Holbrook monologue, followed by the reveal in the mars studio and the confrontation between him and Brolin is fantastic! -
iroquoisjoe — 9 years ago(October 04, 2016 10:33 PM)
I'm actually astonished by the number of young people (under age 35, let's say) who think the original CAPRICORN ONE one of the most inventive and exciting adventure movies of the last 50 years is too slow and "talky."
Storytelling has really taken a nosedive in the last few years.
Yeahsome poster on the Sisters (2016) board was ragging on this movie (and 2001: A Space Odyssey) as being boring. THAT made me watch Capricorn again and I loved it!
It must be a generational thing But even though I can see how "The MTV generation" would find this movie slow paced, I really fail to understand how anyone can find it boring.
And "talky"? That's one of its best aspects! That Hal Holbrook monologue, followed by the reveal in the mars studio and the confrontation between him and Brolin is fantastic
As a matter of fact Holbrook's speech kind of points out the problem - when he talks about how people bitched about reruns of I Love Lucy being interrupted to show the lunar landings
On November 6, 2012 god blessed Americaagain. -
ralph_2ndedition — 9 years ago(October 06, 2016 05:52 AM)
people bitched about reruns of I Love Lucy being interrupted to show the lunar landings
"I can understand if it was a NEW Lucy-show, I mean whan the hell is a walk on the moon But reruns? Oh jeez!"
No I just GOTTA see Capricorn One again!