Retroactive (1997) Reviews

• An action-packed joyride.

  Li-12003-03-24

  Rating: *** out of **** A word of warning before the review: I highly recommend Retroactive and suggest you go out of your way to see it in widescreen because the numerous action scenes and breathtaking desert cinematography are cramped and a pain to watch in pan-and-scan. Relegated to a straight-to-video release, Retroactive is a smart and entertaining thriller that deserves a wider audience. The film features a relatively simple but clever premise: Superhottie Kylie Travis stars as Karen Warren, a police negotiator who's on vacation in Texas. She gets into a car accident and has to hitchhike with a somewhat odd, but seemingly friendly couple, Frank and Rayanne (James Belushi and Shannon Whirry). But everything goes horribly wrong when Frank discovers Rayanne has been cheating on him and he murders her right in front of Karen's eyes, who proceeds to run to the nearest building, a government-owned complex run by a single occupant, a scientist named Brian (Frank Whaley). There, he accidentally activates the time travel device he was working on, sending Karen back twenty minutes, just as she's been picked up by Frank. She then becomes determined to stop the horrible crime for occurring, but unfortunately, the body count grows even larger and she must go back again to prevent an even larger massacre. Retroactive's appeal holds mainly to sci-fi action fans. The plot has a lot of twists and turns, which keeps the film unpredictable and suspenseful. But the real treat is for action fans, who should strap in for an adrenaline-pumping thrill ride. From the moment Travis is sent back in time, the film deliver non-stop excitement. There are tense shootouts and fast-paced car chases, the latter of which boasts some of the most exhilarating stunts since The Road Warrior. From a visceral point-of-view, Retroactive surpasses most of Hollywood's recent summer blockbusters. The film still has its flaws, none of them surprisingly having to do with a sense of repetition, considering each action setpiece has the same basic setting and situation (car chase on a lonely desert highway, shootout at a gas station). Credit director Louis Morneau for keeping each sequence fresh and taut with suspense. The set-up may be the same, but the results and resolutions considerably differ. Rather, what I do have a problem with is some technical error during the shootouts. Belushi is shown firing a six-bullet revolver at one point, but clearly fires more than ten rounds. Another similar blatant miscalculation occurs again near the end. Plot holes and leaps of logic are expected in this kind of film, but the number of shots fired from a gun shouldn't be that hard to keep track of. As the film's tough heroine, the absolutely gorgeous Kylie Travis is refreshingly intelligent and strong-willed. She occasionally has trouble holding back that British accent of hers, but still comes across quite well (looks great in that black tank-top, too). James Belushi is a lot of fun as the psychotic villain, clearly relishing the over-the-top role, even though his character does lose menace through some ridiculous one-liners. Frank Whaley is quite good as the young scientist, hampered only by a single scene that requires him to forget the logic of his own device which Travis corrects him on. With blistering, fast-paced action and a fun story, Retroactive proves to be a highly enjoyable way to spend ninety minutes. Most of the running time features a tight tank-top and pants wearing Kylie Travis kicking ass, so that alone is enough to recommend the film.

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• a better than average film

  bobcathy782005-05-29

  I had picked up the DVD at a store not knowing much about the film, and was surprised that the film was as good as it was. I like Belushi. I think he played this part very well. I had never heard of Kylie Travis before, but I thought she was very good in this film. I thought she played the tough woman part well. I like the movies where there's a tough heroine. Like the Alien movies. Of course, it didn't hurt that Kylie's good looking too. The plot was interesting. I won't divulge the rest of the movie, but suffice it to say, if someone likes adventure and science fiction together, this movie might fill the bill. If you find it at your local video store, I would suggest buying it and adding it to your collection. My summary is that it's a better than average film. I recommend it.

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• Very good movie

  ashastings-12004-09-05

  Interesting premise. If you could relive a moment that went wrong, how could you "fix" it? It's not as simple as it may seem, and that is the point. Karen relives the moment that went wrong numerous times and every time she tries to "fix" it, it gets even worse! Very enjoyable. It is the imperfect ways that she tries to fix things that ring true. James Belushi is convincing as a red-neck creep who has neither class nor morals. The fundamental premise (turning back time) is a real stretch. However, that is not a real drawback, since you only have time to ponder it in retrospect. Also, anyone who watches this will have their own ideas of how they would have "fixed" the problem. However even though it's not a perfect movie, it's still one that interestingly and entertainingly explores it's premise.

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• You Won't Leave Your Seat!

  AzRanger2001-10-08

  I didn't! This movie is truly non-stop action, with the possible exception of during Frank's belt buckle joke. I can watch this movie everytime it's on. I remember it coming on once while I was visiting some peoples house and someone was passing through the living room just as it started, they stopped there, staring and didn't move from that spot until the credits rolled. This movie just keeps pulling you in, deeper and deeper, making you wonder where it's going to go next with all the twists and turns. Even with these plot twists and inside out/upside down turns, it's easy to stay up with what's going on.

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• Wow! An excellent action film with a female lead.

  kelley-82001-09-01

  This film is great from the first moment. I love James Belushi as a baddie. There are so many time travel films out there and this one is a stand out. Cinematography is beautiful. This film deserved to be shown on the big screen. If you are looking for a good film at the video story, Retroactive is an excellent rental title. No one will be disappointed.

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