The Astronaut's Wife (1999)

Lack of good storyline.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The Astronaut's wife is a strange film to review. It isn't a great film- heck, I don't remember much of it, but it isn't bad either. The plot is basically Rosemary's baby in a science fiction template. Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron play a married couple about to have a baby when Depp, an astronaut is assigned a space mission. Something happens out there and although he returns in one shape something is amiss. The film is slow paced and doesn't really go anywhere, from what I remember. This is a film that should be considered only if nothing else interests you in the science fiction catalogue.

The Astronaut's Wife (1999): Dir: Rand Ravich / Cast: Charlize Theron, Johnny Depp, Clea DuVall, Joe Morton, Nick Cassavetes: Basically Rosemary's Baby from space without suspense. A space flight returns two astronauts unconscious. One of them eventually dies while attending a party and his wife electrocutes herself in the bathtub. Johnny Depp plays the astronaut and Charlize Theron plays his wife. After savage love making she becomes pregnant with twins. Joe Morton plays a former employee of the space station who attempts to warn Theron of what really took place. Theron is required to act suspicious until she gives birth to E.T and discover that her husband is a refugee from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Director Rand Ravich does his best to rip off Rosemary's Baby with Theron even getting a Mia Farrow haircut. Depp is in the John Cassavetes role where he is required to creep up and startle Theron at every opportunity. Joe Morton tackles the Maurice Evans role where he attempts a warning. Clea DuVall plays the ill fate sister whose biggest problem isn't her fate, but the reality that her career came down to this. Since this film seems to be ripping off Rosemary's Baby then I strongly recommend that film as oppose to this scare lacking piece of guck. Boring snore fest about as suspenseful as a commercial for laundry detergent. Score: 1 / 10

This movie had a lot of the common Hollywood formulas that would make any movie successful: a lot of sex, violence and death, attractive actors, even the magic Negro (Google it).However, it was lacking tremendously in certain areas. The acting was deplorable. I was shocked when I found out that Johnny Depp was commander Spencer. The storyline was awkward and the sex scenes were super awkward. The only positive thing I have to point out was the camera work. The soundtrack was strange too. They could have done so much better, but I could tell this was a relatively low budget film. Not anything I'll be looking at again.

The movie opens up quite slowly, showing the background quite well but not really building up for the main conflict's happening time. So the main conflict's happening of an explosion in space and the two minute radio silence doesn't really come as strong as it's intended to be. The story goes on well enough, building it's mystery elements well by revealing bit by bit of Spencer's peculiarity. Yet again, the finale conflict doesn't come strong. But I do like the twist at the end, opening up chances for future sequels or sort. Charlize Theron nailed almost all of the scenes well. She didn't perform well enough for me on the scenes where she was about to take the pills. But she did get into character well, as Johnny Depp did. He really can get into character well, although I should say that there's not much room for him due to the screenplay is not being detailed enough about his character.