Foreseeing PC Dystopia

A cautionary tale of political-correctness taken to its logical extreme in a leftist dystopia that enforces "equality" and no one is permitted the freedom of achievement or failure, since everyone is made to have the same ability ---whether they like it or not. Mediocrity and standardization are enforced on citizens by a totalitarian socialist government of well-meaning know-better elites (who are of course exempt from their own rules) until one young man rebels and threatens their order. In the vein of Orwell's "1984" or Animal Farm, this is a classic allegory for left-wing authoritarian hyprocrisy and supression of the individual's identity in favor of the "group."

Funny results of America's communist revolution !

This is a funny dark sci-fi comedy based on Kurt Vonnegut's short story, an anti-communist allegory exploring the ultimate result of a communist revolution in America. The new subjects are required to submit to various handicaps to make them all "equal," including bands to stupify their brains, leg weights, etc. Of course it turns out it's all enforced by an elite class led by Christopher Plummer (The Sound Of Music, Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country).

As I recall the short story, it didn't go nearly as far as the movie, which is even more thought provoking and humorous. Sean Astin ("24," The Lord Of The Rings, Toy Soldiers) plays a citizen who's brain band doesn't seem to keep him dumb enough, so he's scheduled for surgery, which turns out to be a ploy to recruit him.

Astin's father, John Astin (The Addams Family), has a bit part; Eugene Levy (Cheaper By The Dozen 2, American Pie) is very funny as the ostensible President of the U.S.A.; his former SCTV co-star Andrea Martin also has a small part, as does Hayden Christensen (Anekin Skywalker of Star Wars).

A freak chance never to be lived down

I haven't seen this film in ages, but I remember it being an impulse rent from a family member who has yet to live down this particular event. Essentially, the family felt the movie was pretty bad, bad enough to be the top reason we don't let anyone impulse rent a movie they've never heard of for fear of witnessing a cataclysmicly bad movie. I give it three stars because while watching I knew that it was a story that would make a great short story but was not something that could be properly transferred to film...and I was pleasently surprised to find out recently that it was indeed based on a short story as I felt lo those many years ago. Now I must go hunt down the short story, because unlike the presentation in the movie, I found the idea behind it fascinating and very much look forward to seeing the idea portrayed in the medium it was meant to be in.

Go ahead and watch it; the story is interesting enough to make enduring the movie not such a horrible prospect. And I suppose, judging from the other reviews, that familiarity with the story makes the viewing of this movie OK, even good. Otherwise...well...there's a reason the family member never lived down renting it.