So far I have had 3 reviews of THE POSTMAN, all negative. I am printing one of them, because the other 2 people didn't feel like "wasting their time" writing a review of it. Hopefully we'll get more "full" reviews of the film. This was a test screening and the film was "very" long, and this usually means an early print, but Costner likes long films, so who knows what the final running time will be. Remember when reading this review, which doesn't have any resolution spoilers or major spoilers, that while this review is basically the same opinion of the other two, that is only 3 people, and by no means indicates the film is a complete bomb yet. The most telling sign to me though is the description of a lackluster audience. The screening took place in Scottsdale, Arizona, which I believe is outside of Pheonix. I did have other spies in attendance and I am awaiting their reviews.
This is what the invitation to the screening said:
"THE POSTMAN starring Kevin Costner, is the epic story of a reluctant hero that takes place in the 21st Century. America has been destroyed and is in the grips of a tyrannical warlord, played by Will Patton. The citizenry has been split up into small isolated settlements -- and since all lines of communication have been destroyed, they receive no news of the outside world. A nomadic loner (Costner) accidentally assumes the identity of a long dead Postman and in a desperate attempt to attain food, delivers the outlawed mail to a small settlement. This mail stirs up spirited youths to rebel against their abusive leadership. Dramatic, romantic and suspenseful, THE POSTMAN is an inspiring story of struggle and hope. Though not yet rated, it is expected that the movie will be rated PG-13"
And here is the review by my spy and a good friend of drunken postmen, Norm Peterson!
Here is the word on The Postman. In two words "not good". I will try to stay as spoiler free as possible.
The Postman is set in 2013 where the United States has come to an end as a result of a great war. The land is now being ruled by a group of Nazi like individuals named the Holnists. Will Patton who starred with Costner in No Way Out plays the heavy here as General Bethlehem. Costner is a drifter and is forced by the tyranical general to join the Holnist army. Eventually Costner escapes and comes across a postal service jeep that has a long dead Postman in it along with some undelivered mail. Costner takes the uniform from the dead man and the bag of undelivered mail in hopes of obtaining food in a nearby town. Costner comes upon a town and asks for entrance as he is a "The Postman" and on official government business even though there is no government. Costner wins the hearts of the people by actually beginning to deliver the mail and by joining communities together and giving the people some hope.
The Pros:
This is a beautifully shot film with some eye popping locations, interesting camera angles and well designed sets.
The love interest for Costner is played by Olivia Williams who is a dead ringer for Natalie Merchant from 10,000 Maniacs. Very easy on the eyes. She gives a strong performance and I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.
Tom Petty makes an appearance near the end of the film that adds a nice touch. I wish there had been more with Tom.
The Cons:
The film is much too long. This thing clocks in at a whopping 3 hours and 15 minutes. It needs to have about an hour chopped off at least. There are scenes that last much too long and that have absolutely no relevance to the film.
Kevin Costner gives a less than stellar performance. I have enjoyed some of Costners films in the past but this looks like he is merely going through the motions.
The film is best described as a cross between the very worst parts of Waterworld, with ripped off parts of Braveheart. There is one scene that is so cheesy that I felt like I was taking a bath in Cheese Whiz. Costner is telling a group of people how important the mail service is and how he could set his watch by the time his mail man would come everyday and how the mail man is so respected and revered. Hello? Did I miss something? Last time I checked the mail was important, but it was not what the world revolved around. In a scene in which Costner is fighting with General Bethlehem, Bethlehem tells Costner that he is better than The Postman because He believes in a purpose and a cause. Costner's reply to this is that he does believe in something, "I believe in the United States Postal Service." I had to hold down the vomit at this point.
Conclusion:
At the end of the film there was a small smattering of applause. For the most part the people that were sitting around me did not like the film. One guy even said "What will the sequel be: UPS GUY?"
Cliff Clavin has nothing to worry about. He is still my favorite Postman.
