Today’s quick review: Westworld. John Blaine (James Brolin) and Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) decide to blow off some steam with a vacation to Westworld, a detailed recreation of the Old West populated by lifelike robots, where visitors can live out their wildest fantasies free of consequence. But when the robots begin to behave erratically, the two men are menaced by an antagonistic gunslinger (Yul Brynner) out to kill them for real.
Westworld is a science fiction thriller written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film takes place in a future where robotics technology enables the wealthy to indulge themselves in a risk-free environment, at least until the robots start exhibiting inexplicable glitches. Westworld’s premise and setting make it an interesting pick for fans of the sci-fi genre, but its linear plot and middling action leave it outclassed by later entries.
Westworld is more of a thought experiment than a story in its own right. The movie seems more interested in laying out the intricacies of Westworld’s operation than in building up its plot or characters. The plot does provide enough of a skeleton to hold the movie together, but there’s little meat on its bones. John and Peter simply show up and enjoy themselves until things start to go wrong, with no real deeper mystery or explanation.
Still, Westworld does have its merits. As a thought experiment, it is rather interesting, an exercise in human psychology and hubris. The logistics of the theme park are presented well, and the film does offer some tension in the form of its recurring nemesis, a robotic facsimile of a bandit programmed to give John and Peter a hard time. The action isn’t quite up to modern standard, but it’s tense enough to get the point across.
Westworld will primarily appeal to fans of old-school science fiction. Its merits as a thriller are limited by the scope of the story and a lack of any real twists. However, the film does have enough quality to give it potential as a cult classic, and those who are curious should check it out. For 70s sci-fi in a similar style, check out Logan’s Run or The Omega Man. For a sci-fi thriller about remotely controlled lifelike robots, check out Surrogates.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for an interesting premise held back by a bare-bones plot.