mattc-6

I remember seeing this on HBO between programs back in 1987. In that time, I experienced the general chaos that is our planet Earth. Definitely one of the most meaningful animated shorts ever made. My life really did change after watching that.

Where is it written that in order to make an intelligent film, you have to disguise it as a piece of schmaltz? K-PAX, however, takes that principle and puts it in reverse. It's a schmaltzy film disguised as utter brilliance. It fails so badly at both, it makes one long for the intelligent aliens of The Day the Earth Stood Still and ET.

Kevin Spacey has never been an actor to appear on screen as one just doing a role to collect a paycheck. That's fine, early in your career. Here, he is so boring as a mental patient who claims to be from another planet (or is that the other way around?). At least he doesn't claim to be of higher intelligence to his other aliens. Jeff Bridges gets another opportunity to show his acting chops, but he is given very little to do. He is an Academy Award Nominee instead of a Winner for a reason. This role will do nothing to further his career nor his stature.

the story is so paint by numbers. Setting the film in a mental ward doesn't do it any favors, either. The supporting cast doesn't belong in this movie, but they could make their own and it would be one thousand times better than this. Quirky supporting characters are a dime a dozen, but these were more interesting than the leads. Oh, wait. We saw them before in other movies. Never mind.

K-PAX is designed to get those who fester into the theater and feel some kind of wonder. The wonder felt here is when is it going to be over?