“My brain? That’s my second-favorite organ!” —Miles
Today’s quick review: Sleeper. After a botched operation, Miles Monroe (Woody Allen) is cryogenically preserved and wakes up 200 years in the future, in the bizarre world of 2173. Miles is immediately recruited by an underground movement trying to overthrow the Leader’s oppressive government. Now on the run from the police, Miles runs into Luna (Diane Keaton), a hedonistic poet who reluctantly helps him on his mission.
Sleeper is a sci-fi comedy written and directed by Woody Allen. Allen stars as a mild-mannered clarinetist from 1973 who wakes up in a future full of domestic robots, pleasure devices, and other marvels. Sleeper pokes fun at both the cultural trends of the 1970s and the sci-fi genre in general. Its humor ranges from slapstick and prop gags to banter and cultural satire, set against the backdrop of a surprisingly coherent sci-fi story.
Sleeper’s comedy is a paradox. It wields blunt instruments with extreme precision. Its jokes are obvious from the first moment they are introduced, and every setup has a clear punchline in mind. But what the jokes lack in subtlety, they make up for in skill. Woody Allen shows impeccable comedic timing, and his jokes build on one another masterfully. The humor is coarse, but its delivery makes it an unmitigated success.
Give Sleeper a shot if you’re a fan of absurd comedy, slapstick, or science fiction in general. Woody Allen’s skill as a comedian and a director make the movie a thoroughly entertaining watch, while its satirical elements offer a fun twist on both modern culture and the conventions of the sci-fi genre. Sleeper has a blunt style of humor that won’t appeal to some viewers, but its skill will be enough to win over even some skeptics.
For a satirical action movie about a man sent to the future, check out Demolition Man. For a more dramatic movie about a hedonistic future, try Logan’s Run. For a more sober look at a quietly dystopian future, try Gattaca.
7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for a fruitful premise and skillfully executed humor.