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Testament (1983)
Rate:
6
Viewed:
10/25
10/25:
There's nothing wrong with Testament.
It's just that I had a hard time overcoming the painful made-for-TV feel. As a matter of fact,
the movie was shot that way, but Paramount decided to release it theatrically instead. The most impressive
moment is when the nuclear bomb went off while Carol and her three kids tried to watch the breaking news on
TV. Afterwards, what can they do? This is the most realistic outcome.
It's not easy to overcome radiation poisoning which will sap everybody's strength. If I were the family,
I would focus on moving as far away as possible from the contaminated town. But where? I don't know. The film
didn't provide more information about what's happening currently. Let's say this is for real: just go and try
your best. At the same time, I wouldn't be drinking or eating anything that isn't canned or bottled.
I thought William Devane's character would show up at the end as a surprise but didn't. When the moment came,
it turned out to be the priest. The kid who played Hiroshi actually has Down's syndrome, so kudos for the
filmmakers by casting Gerry Murillo. He performed well. Mako, who plays his father, can be easily recognized
from The Sand Pebbles. Also, there's a Hispanic kid who mysteriously
showed up but died in a while. You can be forgiven for thinking, "Why does he look so familiar?" since he's
James Edward Olmos' son.
The performances are generally good if mediocre. I can see why Jane Alexander ended up being Oscar-nominated.
It's cool to see three well-known thespians having small roles: Kevin Costner, Rebecca De Mornay, and Lukas
Haas in his screen debut. Mirroring the same situation, the
Dances With Wolves actor would do two post-apocalyptic films of his
own: Waterworld and The Postman while
the actress would appear in By Dawn's Early Light.
All in all, Testament is better than Threads, but
The Day After is still unbeatable.