The Postman

Buy This Item The Postman by Warner Home Video  Available from Amazon  $5.99  on 8-28-2008     Falling from the Oscar-winning glory of <I>Dances with Wolves</I> to the opposite end of the critical and box-office scale, Kevin Costner must have been deeply humbled when this three-hour postapocalyptic tale--his sophomore effort as a director--was greeted with a critical thrashing and tepid audience response. One of the most conspicuous flops of its decade, the 1997 release must have seemed like a sure thing on paper: a kind of futurist Western starring Costner as a charismatic drifter-turned-hero who leads the resistance against a military tyrant (Will Patton) by reviving the long-dormant postal system to reunite isolated communities in their fight for freedom. The movie bombed, but, like many audacious failures, it's got qualities that make it at least partially endearing, and its earnestness (although bordering on corny) keeps it from being entirely silly. Faint praise, perhaps, but Costner's ode to patriotism is occasionally stirring and visually impressive. The dual-layered, widescreen DVD includes a documentary segment about the creation of the film's special effects sequences, featuring a running commentary by the special effects creators. <I>--Jeff Shannon</I> Reader Reviews The Postman brings to the screen the story of a drifter in a post-apocalyptic United States where the government has collapsed, bandits are roaming the land terrorizing survivors, and hope is at an all time low. It is a film about love, hope, and inner strength, but also about patriotism, duty, loyalty, devotion and integrity; qualities that sadly seem to have all but vanished from every day life. The Postman was a very pleasant surprise considering how the "professional" critics, once again being completely out of touch with the people, gave the film low marks and reviews. Kevin Costner, Olivia Williams, Will Patton, Giovanni Ribisi (!), Tom Petty (!), and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, it combines drama, action, and adventure, making it one of the best films of its kind. The movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few thrills, not to mention a few tears. The setting, the plot, the dialogues and the music are all wonderful! In short, The Postman is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection! Strongly recommended along with post-apocalyptic Waterworld, also starring Kevin Costner!

The Postman Available from Amazon Price: $5.99 Updated on 8-28-2008.

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