The Postman [Blu-ray]

An Heretical Viewpoint I believe that the reviewers must have been reading each other's reviews instead of actually watching the movie, and Costner-bashing has long been great sport among reviewers. The original David Brin novel has been improved upon in several ways. ...

Format : Color, Widescreen
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Company : Warner Brothers
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Description

In 2013 there are no highways, no I-ways, no dreams of a better tomorrow, only scattered survivors across what was once the United States. Into this apocalyptic wasteland comes an enigmatic drifter with a mule, a knack for Shakespeare and something yet undiscovered: the power to inspire hope.

Two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Costner directs and plays a wayfarer in a world where might makes right – but destined to lead a heroic rebellion where right makes right. Sweeping battle scenes, breathtaking wilderness vistas and touching moments of personal triumphs combine to ensure The Postman delivers.

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Falling from the Oscar-winning glory of Dances with Wolves to the opposite end of the critical and box-office scale, Kevin Costner must have been deeply humbled when this three-hour postapocalyptic tale--his sophomore effort as a director--was greeted with a critical thrashing and tepid audience response. One of the most conspicuous flops of its decade, the 1997 release must have seemed like a sure thing on paper: a kind of futurist Western starring Costner as a charismatic drifter-turned-hero who leads the resistance against a military tyrant (Will Patton) by reviving the long-dormant postal system to reunite isolated communities in their fight for freedom. The movie bombed, but, like many audacious failures, it's got qualities that make it at least partially endearing, and its earnestness (although bordering on corny) keeps it from being entirely silly. Faint praise, perhaps, but Costner's ode to patriotism is occasionally stirring and visually impressive. The dual-layered, widescreen DVD includes a documentary segment about the creation of the film's special effects sequences, featuring a running commentary by the special effects creators. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer reviews

An Heretical Viewpoint by .. C. Spencer (Louisville, KY)
I believe that the reviewers must have been reading each other's reviews instead of actually watching the movie, and Costner-bashing has long been great sport among reviewers. The original David Brin novel has been improved upon in several ways. In particular, gone are the two cyborg/supermen who duked it out in the finale of the novel, a distraction and deus-ex-machina.

I especially loved the internal consistency, lack of impossible battles, and the strong development of a number of believable characters. The Holnist leader (who played a supporting role in "Armageddon") is more than a cartoon bad guy, and Costner's postman is plagued by guilt and doubt as he discovers how seriously everyone takes his "Restored United States". There is almost nothing in the movie that is irrelevant to the plot.

Yes, it is a bit slow in parts, and I was ready to quit watching after 30 minutes because I had heard that it was just another post-apocalyptic bore, but it turned into a sterling movie. Even my wife, no fan of that genre, wanted to watch it all the way through.

Sunk by Titanic, Pilloried by the Press by .. ()
In the wake of Titanic's unexpected success in 1997, the media needed another Christmas epic to lambast, hence the grossly unfair pile-on that happened to Costner's The Postman. To pretend that this is another Dune or Heaven's Gate is not only hyperbolic, it is willfully dishonest (even Dune has gotten a grudging second chance with critics in recent years). The fact is, had the country's female populace not been busy swooning under Leo's spitballs, The Postman might today be regarded as the classic that it deservedly is.

Like Titanic, The Postman is lengthy and excessive, but it is also watchable and entertaining. Costner downplays his basically selfish and opportunistic title character, while his costars--Will Patton, Larenz Tate, Olivia Williams, and Giovanni Ribisi (in a brief supporting role as a grateful dupe in Bethlehem's army)--all give shining performances. Moreover, the movie's message is the opposite of blind patriotism; it cleverly skewers the militia movement in the U.S. while reminding us why democratic government came about in the first place: to keep gangsters, extortionists, and military tyrants out of our lives.

The Postman is worth your time if you haven't seen it; if you have, it deserves an honest and iceberg-free reassessment.

Perhaps the most underrated film ever!!!! by .. JT (Washington, DC)
As stated several times before, after Waterworld, critics and Costner-haters walked into the cinemas like loaded weapons ready to blast this film apart. I promise this film would have been greeted with a much friendlier audience if not for it's timing.

Not that it doesn't have short-comings. It has the Costner-esque three hour length, which probably isn't as necessary here as it was in "Dances With Wolves," and the editing is a bit choppy, and sometimes the flow and pace slacks off a little. Strip these things away and you have a solid commentary on the aspect of hope, group dynamics, and the psychology of leadership.

Costner's role is decent enough, though the film is taken away by the stellar performance of Will Patton ("Armageddon", "No Way Out," & CBS' excellent but mistakenly canceled show "The Agency"). Patton's role pushes both borders of intellect and insanity, all the while holding on to some inner-confidence which drives him.

It's so easy to jump on the wagon and label this film a disaster, when the truth is that it gets better with each viewing, and sticks with you for hours and even days after the TV is turned off. Hope is a prominent topic in the state of the modern world, and this film expertly illustrates the ideal in grand fashion.

As a victim of unfortunate timing, this film is simply one of, if not THE most underrated film in the last three decades.

A misunderstood and underrated film.... by .. luvmyboyz (Brewster, NY USA)
As others in this section have said, it always amazes me why this film was panned as thoroughly as it was. It seems to me that movie critics are attracted to films that are so often so obtuse as to be incomprehensible. The beauty of 'The Postman', I think, lies in its simplicity and clear cut message.

The Postman is a post-apocalyptic survivor, who in the film's beginning is more concerned with his own welfare than in being a hero. How can we argue with a film where the good guy starts out so much like most of us - self-absorbed, looking out for #1 - but ends up rising to the occasion in a big way - a way that we hope we all could or would? And he defeats the bad guy in the end; I mean, you want to get up and cheer! Talking about the bad guy - what a bad guy! Will Patton was astounding as the evil General. His performance alone should have been enough to make people stick around and be sure he got what was coming to him!

The supporting cast were all believable and appealing for either their good or evil ways. The cinematography and special effects were breathtaking. And yes, 3 hours is a long film - but I feel that every segment sets the stage for the one following it, successfully moving the story along - and building to the exciting finish.

Look around, folks - the world ain't a pretty place. This film stirs and uplifts the soul; it makes you think that if the good people rise up, then good can in fact triumph over evil. It's that hope that keeps most of us getting up in the morning.

A very Accurate Estimate of the Future? by .. ()
"The Postman", adapted from David Bryn's book of the same name, is an underrated masterpiece that perhaps appeared 15-20 years too late. Many post apocalyptic films have been made (some, like "Waterworld", are okay but not really believable; others, like "Steel dawn", suffer from some 3rd rate acting. However, this film stands second only to the "Mad Max" trilogy as a definitive PA adventure. Like "Mad Max", the plot is believable and there is room for the audience to fill in the events that lead to the post apocalypse.

Now, in 1997, Al Qaida and the Taliban were organisations not many people would have heard of. In 1997, the old USA v USSR thing was well in the past and the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis was buried. In 1979, when Mad Max debuted, things were different: The Shah of Iran was toppled: were the USSR going to invade and the USA to intervene? Afghanistan was invaded by the USSR and the USA wasn't happy with this. In 1981, when Mad Max 2 was made, the USA and USSR were debating the situation in Poland and Afghanistan and a war involiving USA, Iraq and Iran (with possible USSR backing) was possible. In other words, the world was interested in the PA movie.

Timing was the first casualty of "Postman" - because 1997 was a 'normal' year politically. PA was not that popular a movie genre for this reason. However, move on 4 years: 9/11/2001. The evil and callous acts of today's terrorists, and the often unplanned responses by western states to curb terror (such as the invasion of Iraq) show exactly how PA chaos could be a possible future.

"The Postman" bases itself on the concept of the destruction of the USA by some fascist madman. "Mad Max" predicted the 'oil war'. Looking at the former, we see all the ingredients of what terrorists and fascists want to achieve: the fall of a democracy, replaced with their own feudal state.

How did the US fall in the "Postman"? This is what connects it with events of today. Was it that the Holnists were some US organisation that merged with Al Qaeda? Were the Holnists some group who formed because of a fear of other races (who they blamed for terror), and struck at the heart of US democracy? Or were the Holnists created out of a bipolarised USA (e.g. those who love or hate a certain controversial President - like we've seen recently with Reagan, Clinton, Bush, etc.)?

Though the references in the film point distinctly to the KKK or Adolf Hitler, they also point to Al Qaeda, Timothy McVeigh and other evil people/organisations of our time. This is what makes this film strong.

Those who do not like this film should reconsider their position with regard to the age we live in now.