Known by today's audiences primarily as the creative genius whose plots and ideas spawned blockbuster films, Blade Runner and Total Recall, author Philip K. Dick's short story, Impostor, and its 2002 movie adaptation are often overlooked. Although not at the same level as either the imaginative Harrison Ford vehicle or the Arnold Schwarzenegger starring sci-fi/action slugfest, Impostor introduces pure, creative science fiction concepts to the silver screen. It is a fun, thought-provoking watch in its own right.
The Plot of Impostor: Is Gary Sinise a Mild-Mannered Weapons Expert or an Alien Death Machine?
Imposter offers a simple mystery in a more complex world. The year is 2079, and Spencer Olham (Gary Sinise) is a weapons developer for the global government. The Centurians, an alien race determined to invade Earth, slaughtered Spencer's father when Spencer was eight-years old, spawning his eventual career choice.
Centurian technology is more advanced than that of Earth, and the alien race's methods of warfare have become increasingly complex. Major Hathaway (Vincent D'Onofrio), a militant detective of sorts who lives by the slogan, "the ends justify the means," is convinced that replicants have been sent to Earth to assassinate key public officials. Replicants are essentially human clones, synthetic robots that appear in every way as human as the humans they are designed to replace. Hathaway has slaughtered many innocent people in his effort to locate replicants. He is convinced Spencer is one of them.
After returning from a weekend camping trip with his wife (Madeleine Stowe), an unknowing Spencer returns to work where Hathaway captures him. Hathaway plans to drill into Spencer's chest to remove a bomb he believes to be hidden with Spencer's heart.
Understandably, Spencer takes issue with this. He escapes and spends the remainder of the film on the run. Along the way, there are few who trust him and even fewer he can trust. Spencer must prove his humanity before he can be re-captured and executed. But what if his investigation proves he isn't human after all?
Were Many Movie Reviews Overly Hard on Dimension Films' Impostor?
Directed by Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls, Don't Say a Word, Runaway Jury), Impostor's only real detriment is its length. It is longer than necessary to tell the short story and, in fact, is longer than originally intended; Impostor was originally planned to be part of a science fiction short-film collection, but the idea was scrapped before additional stories began filming. As a result, the short film grew into the released theatrical version of Impostor, containing unnecessary subplots and drama that slow down the main storyline. Both the beginning and the end of the film are captivating and wrought with intrigue and powerful performances. Somewhere in the middle, however, the film runs a bit stagnant.
Still, Impostor is a fascinating concept executed on the silver screen well enough to warrant the attention of all science fiction film fans. Both Sinise (Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Snake Eyes) and Stowe (Blink, Twelve Monkeys, The General's Daughter) make the fiction believable, supported by stellar performances of the cold and calculative by D'Onorfio (Men in Black, The Thirteenth Floor, The Cell) and the quiet yet strong by Mekhi Phifer (O, 8 Mile, Dawn of the Dead).
If one hasn't seen Blade Runner or Total Recall, he or she should watch those movies adapted from Philip K. Dick's work before considering Impostor. Although not a must-see, Impostor is a solid watch, particularly for those who miss Battlestar Gallactica and its murderous Cylons. Then again, there's always Caprica.
Jason Parent - Jason Parent earned his Bachelor's Degree in English in 2000 and his Juris Doctorate in 2006. He currently works as an attorney with a ...
