Futureworld | 
| Director: Richard T. Heffron
Actors: Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, Arthur Hill, Yul Brynner, John P. Ryan
Studio: Good Times Video
List Price: $7.95
Buy Used: $4.49
You Save: $3.46 (44%)
New (2) Used (13) Collectible (3) from $4.49
Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 11659
Format: Color, Original Recording Reissued, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6303471552
UPC: 018713740601
EAN: 9786303471556
ASIN: 6303471552
Theatrical Release Date: August 13, 1976
Release Date: May 15, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Former rental in clamshell case
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
A Sorely Underrated Follow-Up May 8, 2004
Joshua Chipman (Shelby, IA USA)
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
No sequel can be fairly measured against its predecessor, in my opinion. And 'Futureworld' is no exception. While it lacks Michael Crichton's pen - known for deftly interweaving between sci-fi and suspense - 'Futureworld' actually goes so far as to expand upon the original story, which is something few sequels, even good ones, have been able to do. While the production values do seem to indicate the studio was willing to crap this one out as a TV movie if they thought it wouldn't float their boat at the box office, there's still plenty of shock value to enjoy in 'Futureworld', even if its plot does tend to veer now and then into slightly-cartoonish realms...and even then, the film isn't afraid to remind its viewer that it's not to be taken too seriously.
The plot is as follows: it's been a couple of years since the original film's theme-park disaster - a situation not helped by the dirt dug up by investigative reporter Chuck Browning (Peter Fonda, smug and cocky as Han Solo, only in corduroys and specs) - but Delos is back up and running, better than ever, and the world entire is coming en masse through the new park's gates. But still, the Delos suits regale to Browning's media peers, attendance isn't quite as record-shattering as they'd like...so they invite a wary Browning and his ex-girlfriend, ambitious TV reporter Tracy Ballard (Blythe Danner, who gives as good as she gets with a flair worthy of Lois Lane), to see for themselves that Delos has truly become the Eden it was meant to be.
Alas, with this new Eden there turns out to be a new snake lurking as well...namely, suspicious goings-on within the underground command centers of the park. Surrounding this is a bizarre tapestry of puzzle pieces - a runaway Delos worker shot dead in Browning's arms; an all-too-real nightmare of red-garbed figures carting off guests in their sleep and performing Byzantine examinations; a reclusive mechanic (Stuart Margolin in a likeable performance) who's seen more than he probably should have; and before it's all over, the horrible secret of the new Delos revealed. It's no 'Soylent Green', but then that's probably a good thing.
If 'Westworld' dealt with the dangers of relying upon corporated technology for pleasure, then 'Futureworld' is about what happens when said corporated technology threatens to overtake entire societies. While this isn't exactly prescient to the competitiveness of today's theme-park industry, it does allude to the rat-a-tat-a-tat attitude that defined much of the industry in the early 1990s (when Universal Studios moved in on Disney World and lit the fuse on a full-blown theme-park war).
Apart from all this, the movie does have some other nifty touches: an opening sequence which winks at the original with a clip from a game show of a future Delos guest receiving his vacation package from real-life game show host Allen Ludden; the new 'Futureworld' themed area with one of the neatest (if slightly low-budget) arcades ever seen; constant innuendo involving 'sex-model' robots; and, of course, a cameo by none other than Yul Brynner, once more garbed in black as the Gunslinger - only this time the tin man with the gunbelt seems to have gotten a heart, demonstrated in an erotic dream sequence where he rescues Danner's character from some more of those red-hooded fiends.
'Futureworld' may not resemble 'Westworld' too much, but that probably works to its advantage in the end, opting to take the somewhat-hackneyed 'robots-run-amok' premise in a new direction. It's worth a look.
 BAD TAPE FROM GOODTIMES January 31, 2001
12 out of 15 found this review helpful
The VHS tape I received from two different vendors was very bad in both cases. This tape from Goodtimes appears to be about a third generation copy. The label on the tape just has a place to write in the movie name instead of being preprinted like the better movies I have received. The picture quality is grainy with sparkles around the edges and a flatness to peoples faces.I tried a different vendor who said theirs was from Warner Home Video, but when the tape came it was also a Goodtimes video. Now I will be eating the shipping charges to send it back. I suggest that everyone avoid anything made by Goodtimes and that .......... and any other vendors avoid them, too.
 A sequel to "Westworld" that contains futuristic droids November 22, 1998
9 out of 13 found this review helpful
This sequel to "Westworld" focuses upon a futuristic amusement park's attempts to take over the world with the power of the androids. Meanwhile, reporters Peter Fonda and Blythe Danner try to stop them at their own death_producing plan. But the only problem is that they made duplicates of them with the robots and they're are put in danger when they try to "destroy their original". A suspenseful entry in the "Westworld" trilogY (THE OTHER BEING A TV MADE PRODUCTION).
I liked this better than Westworld January 6, 2005
Gadgester (New York)
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
[...]
When I was a kid I enjoyed Futureworld much more than Westworld, mainly because I liked the coolness of the robots in Futureworld (whereas in Westworld the robots were all too human). Clark in particular left a favorable impression on me.
I think the story in Futureworld is more enjoyable than Westworld, because it revolves around world domination conspiracies. Westworld is just silly paranois about robots, whereas Futureworld is about robots being used by humans to evil purposes. Unfortunately Futureworld is poorly produced as a lot of potentially exciting scenes, like the fighting between the real and fake humans, are never fully developed, leaving the impression that the film was hastily put together.
Still, after 30 years and having been largely forgotten, this film continues to be an enjoyable sci-fi film.
 Not having Goodtimes with Goodtimes Home Video July 1, 2004
kametamorphic (East Haven)
7 out of 12 found this review helpful
FUTUREWORLD is really not a bad follow-up to WESTWORLD, but Goodtimes Home Video makes viewing this film a very bad-time. The only thing good about it is seeing Yul Brynner back if this is the only way we can get to see him. He was very good if only for a short segment in this film. Hard to recommend this version at all.
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