Enemy Mine! The Avatar movie of the 80's

[PnkMaister]

This movie although not by any stretch the box office hit that AVATAR is, it's message is absolutely stunning to this day and I highly recommend it to anyone that has yet to see this beatiful piece of Science fiction cinema. Here is the scoop:

Enemy Mine is a 1985 science fiction film based on the story of the same title by Barry B. Longyear. It was produced by Twentieth Century Fox, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, and starred Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. The original music score is composed by Maurice Jarre.

Plot summary

In the late 21st century, an interstellar war between humans (associated as the Bilateral Terran Alliance, or BTA) and Dracs (a reptilian humanoid race) is being fought. Human pilot Willis E. Davidge (Dennis Quaid) and Drac pilot Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.) engage in a spacecraft battle which results in both crashlanding on Fyrine IV, a hostile alien world with a breathable atmosphere, water, and dangerous animal life.

After initial hostilities, the two eventually learn to cooperate in order to survive. They work together to build a shelter for protection against intermittent bombardment by meteorites, and to satisfy their needs for food, water, and warmth. Over a period of years, they learn to overcome their differences, become friends, and learn each other's languages and cultures. Each saves the other's life on at least one occasion.

Davidge, haunted by dreams of spaceships landing on the planet, leaves in search of help. He finds signs of a human presence, but learns that the planet has been periodically visited by human miners who employ Dracs as slave labor. He returns to warn Jeriba (whom Davidge nicknames "Jerry") only to discover that Jeriba is pregnant (Dracs are parthenogenic).

The combination of a blizzard and attack by one of the planet's predators forces Davidge and Jeriba to flee their shelter. To pass the time Jeriba teaches Davidge his full ancestry, a necessity if his child is to be accepted into Drac society. Jeriba later dies during the childbirth, but not before making Davidge swear that if he ever escapes the planet to take Jeriba's child back to Dracon (the Drac Homeworld) and recite his full ancestry so he can join Drac society.

Davidge raises the child Zammis (Bumper Robinson) as his own. Over the years, Davidge and Zammis form a very close bond, and although the young Drac refers to Davidge as its 'uncle', its emotional range towards Davidge is as a son would look up to a father — an emotion that Davidge shares as well. Davidge knows of the mining crews scouring the planet in search of minerals and ore deposits, and he knows that they have little regard for Drac life, so he remains on guard to keep Zammis from getting captured or killed should they run into any of the miners. However, Zammis does not realize the danger and goes off to get a closer look at such a spacecraft. Although Davidge follows and tries to rescue him, Zammis is abducted by the humans with Davidge hurt and left for dead. A BTA patrol ship finds Davidge anonymous, unrecognizable and apparently dead, and it returns him to the space station where he was formerly based.

On the station, during the funeral ceremony, Davidge awakens when one of the disposal technicians tries to steal the small book (the Talman) that Jerry had given him years before when he first wished to learn the Drac language. Davidge's former patrol crew vouch for his loyalty to the BTA, even after it is discovered that he speaks the language fluently. Sometime later, Davidge is reinstated to duty, but not as a pilot. Unable to enlist assistance to rescue Zammis from the miner villains, Davidge desperately steals a spaceship to rescue Zammis solo. He manages to find and infiltrate the miners' ship. Davidge contacts the Drac slaves in their own language which convinces them to help him overcome the brutality of the human overseers and eventually reunite with Zammis. Eventually Davidge is also assisted by a BTA crew who pursued him. They finally realize that whatever it was that he experienced while missing in action (MIA) has made him more humane; he no longer hates Dracs.

In the epilogue, Davidge and Zammis return to the Drac homeworld for Zammis's introduction ceremony to the Drac Holy Council so that it may be accepted into Drac society. As required and as he promised Jerry, Davidge recounts the complete Jeriba ancestry before the Holy Council in the traditional ritual, as he was taught by Jerry. A narrator explains that years later, when Zammis also has a child and brings it to the Holy Council for the same ritual, the name of "Willis Davidge" was added to the line of Jeriba.

Cast

* Dennis Quaid as Willis "Will" Davidge (called "Dawwidge" by Jeriba Shigan)
* Louis Gossett Jr. as Jeriba Shigan (called "Jerry" by Davidge)
* Brion James as Stubbs
* Richard Marcus as Arnold
* Carolyn McCormick as Morse
* Bumper Robinson as Zammis
* Jim Mapp as Old Drac
* Lance Kerwin as Joey Wooster
* Scott Kraft as Jonathan
* Lou Michaels as Wilson
* Andy Geer as Bates
* Henry Stolow as Cates
* Herb Andress as Hopper
* Danmar as Wise Guy
* Mandy Hausenberger as 1st Medic

Link here!

[Pandora_fan]

This movie although not by any stretch the box office hit that AVATAR is, it's message is absolutely stunning to this day and I highly recommend it to anyone that has yet to see this beatiful piece of Science fiction cinema. Here is the scoop:


Link here!

I did not like it much. No offense.

[Vincent Vega]

Damn I hope the first alien life forms we come in contact with don't look like that lol

[dave.c]

aint seen that film in years.

will have to see if i can get me a copy.

[ballju]

born in the later part of teh 80's had briefly heard of that film during the my high school computer class when discussing movies to watch (we ended up watching wargames instead) anyway will look into this movie thanks for bring it up.

[Tawtsamsiyu]

I have seen Enemy Mine. Although it meant well (it shares a theme of acceptance and tolerance with Avatar) it was not what I would call a great movie. I thought Lou Gossett was good as the Drac, but Dennis Quaid was insufferable as Davidge. What I did find original and quite daring is that they made the alien Drac difficult to like, unlike the Na’vi. Of course, there was never any intention of the two pilots falling in love!

[PnkMaister]

I have seen Enemy Mine. Although it meant well (it shares a theme of acceptance and tolerance with Avatar) it was not what I would call a great movie. I thought Lou Gossett was good as the Drac, but Dennis Quaid was insufferable as Davidge. What I did find original and quite daring is that they made the alien Drac difficult to like, unlike the Na’vi. Of course, there was never any intention of the two pilots falling in love!

What about Sammis didn't you feel for that kid? I know I did!

[ftx]

Wow I can't believe someone digged that ! I seen it in theater back in the days an liked it but had forgotten about it since then. But yeah nice find since there was that plot thing with both them allying and changing minds about each others.

[Tawtsamsiyu]

What about Sammis didn't you feel for that kid? I know I did!

I admit I liked the kid. As well I thought it was cool that at the end the freed Drac slaves were visibly willing to admit that not all humans were bad after being helped by a few of them (Davidge and his pilot friends).

[Temtongkek]

I loved that movie!! I do have to agree with some of the above users, though...it certainly wasn't the "best" movie, but it truly did mean well. That's what I take from it.

The alien laser pistol made a neat noise though. Looked like Capsela toys as well. haha