emmagoodwin-19771 This is a cute, albeit forgettable comedy romance about a man who comes out in the real world after living in a nuclear fallout shelter all his life. Strange to see both Alicia Silverstone and Brendon Fraser completely fall off the face of this Earth now but back in 1999 they were as big a stars as one could be. The chemistry is lacking to be honest and the film sort of just plods through though there are some cute moments scattered about. Blast from the Past is a decent watch if there is nothing else to see. Otherwise you're better off renting Clueless or The Mummy.

Torrin-McFinn77 Normally I'm not a huge fan of romantic comedy movies, but this was such a nice little surprise. It's also one of the few Brendan Fraser movies I like, along with The Mummy and its followup The Mummy Returns. Those came later, but this is one of the better Brendan Fraser pics. After playing the Fallout games this was a nice spin on the whole nuclear war paranoia scenario, with a sheltered protagonist who must learn about the outside world. Can he do it? Well, watch the movie and you'll see!

pyrocitor Blast From the Past is a breezy, charming story of joie-de-vivre in unfortunate circumstances. Or, rather, its introduction is. But don't worry - it's not long before it plunges into the predictably dull, slapstick romance it's destined to be, right down to a deus-ex-base-machina anchored by vintage baseball cards. Yeesh. For a movie toying with the stagnation of time, there's an exquisite irony in how adorably dated the film is, from its earnestly trendy soundtrack to its luridly antiquated gender politics. It's got a fairly engaging premise - life in a nuclear fallout bunker, and the process of reintegrating above ground – recently explored by titles like The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Naturally, writer/director Hugh Wilson (veteran of the daft Brendan Fraser Dudley Do-Right) under-explores the heck out of the conceit here. Unpacking the social complexities of adjusting after decades of cultural isolation (2015's Room excels at this, as an antidote)? Nah. How about endless sequences of Fraser's perennially chipper man-child gawking at cleavage, splashing around in the ocean like a puppy, or yelping sentences like "Heather? I have NEVER heard that name before!" It also devolves into a dopey, saccharine romance? Sure.That's not to say the film is entirely devoid of merit. Fraser's career was built around elevating lazy comedies with his doe-eyed doofus routine, and his work here demonstrates there's mileage left to milk in his irrepressible goofy charisma. He gets to show off his rubber-limbed dexterity in a dance club sequence that rips off The Mask with bare-faced audacity, and even manages to land some of his slew of tired 'fish out of water' gags to impressively enjoyable effect (particularly a distressingly literal reading of the word d*ckhead). He's not done many favours by his scene partner, though. Alicia Silverstone can do many things with her face at once, but few of them resemble any conventional emotions. Caustic, petulant, and unable to act her way out of a paper bag, her slipshod take on a quirky Gen-Xer is by far the film's low point. Cameos by Nathan Fillion as her sleazy, hunky ex and Dave Foley as Silverstone's sweetly gay roommate help somewhat. Even still, we're caught in a quagmire of mediocrity.None of this is particularly surprising. What is surprising is the film's introductory third. There's the sense that Wilson, mid-film, realized that the prospect of Christopher Walken as a wacky inventor stuck in a bunker was simply too good to pass up. Dutifully, we get more time with him and Sissy Spacek's stir-crazy, alcoholic wife raising baby-Fraser past the cursory montage we'd normally expect. This sequence feels like an entirely different movie. It's charming, wholesomely 50s, and even flirts with a character study of family dynamics under the strain of confinement (Walken appears delighted with their quarantine, while Spacek increasingly frays).Walken lives up to the opportunity, perfectly blending shades of exuberant, suave, and bonkers without flying off the handle into self-parody. Whether cracking jokes in the face of nuclear holocaust ("A duck walks into a Pharmacy to buy some chapstick. Do you know what he says to the pharmacist? Put it on my bill."), giving impromptu sex-ed lessons to Fraser, or being propositioned by a drag queen while wearing a hazmat suit, he's as joyously watchable as ever. It's worth undertaking a fan edit, and trimming out all of the extraneous surface Fraser/Silverstein rubbish. Behold: Blast From the Past 2.0 - a delightful little short film of Walken, Spacek and Fraser hunkering down in a bunker, being frustrated by Fraser's inability to understand baseball. Enjoy - perhaps with a mug of hot Dr. Pepper.-5.5/10

callanvass An eccentric couple named the Weber's hide in a shelter due to a huge bomb scare. The shelter is full off supplies that will last them for years. Adam Weber grows up in this sequestered environment for 35 years, unable to see the light of day because his dad is scared of the radiation effects. Adam finally gets to venture out into Los Angeles, clueless as can be to try to find a wife, and not only that, but supplies and food for his family. He runs into a conceited woman named Eve (Alicia Silverstone) who helps him out. Things get complicated when they start falling each other. I'm a total sap and I'm not afraid to admit that. I'm a guy and I don't see the problem with guys being romantics. Even though they can be very predictable and routine, I enjoy chick flicks. I've always been into watching the guy get the girl. I do love it when they put a new spin on the romance genre. This one was made in 1999, but I haven't seen many as original and authentic as this one. I smiled like an idiot and laughed my ass off. I actually saw this in a theater back in 99 with my sister. I remember enjoying it then, but I didn't have the mental capacity to really appreciate it as much as I do now. It actually is somewhat thought-provoking as well. Adam's predicament forces him to enjoy the simple things about life, such as the sky, the ocean, people. Those are things we often take for granted in life and I am one of those people at times. I really enjoyed the sly nods at famous era's, such as the 60's, 70's and the 90's. The 60's was especially well done, with great costumes and sets. Christopher Walken & Sissy Spacek are absolutely wonderful as the parents, especially Walken. His character makes "Hot" Dr. Pepper, which I thought was hilarious. Brendan Fraser has his patented quirky charm that always works. I thought he was perfect for the part of Adam, likable and amiably odd. Alicia Silverstone is terrific as the snooty chick Fraser falls for. She's a bit whiny at times, but her charisma is undeniable. Her chemistry with Fraser is endearing, aside from an awkward kissing scene that they have. I suppose this is a needless carp, but she's a gorgeous woman and I felt they had way too much makeup on her. Okay. This movie ends like many romantic comedies. The guy gets the girl in the end, but it is very ambitious and creative. I loved this movie and I think any fellow romantics should as well. If you're tired of the same old formula, give this one a whirl. You won't regret it. 8.7/10