"Don't judge book by its cover". The author of this review has been reminded of this proverb many times, especially when he compared the content of a movie with the information on its video cover. One of the most disappointing examples was Final Approach, 1991 science fiction film directed by Eric Steven Stahl. Based on the information on the cover, this film was supposed to be intense SF thriller and it was claimed that Final Approach was "one of the first films made with the use of digital technology". I was little sceptical about this, knowing that digital technology wasn't unknown territory in 1991. My scepticism was later validated by the film itself.
Plot deals with USAF Colonel Jason Haley (played by James B. Sikking), pilot who apparently survived a plane crash during top secret spy mission. The accident left lasting effects on Haley's health, most notably on his memory. Haley barely remembers anything, not even his name, so the only chance to retrieve his identity seems to be Dr. Dio Gottlieb (played by Hector Elizondo), psychiatrist assigned to lead therapy session. However, as time goes by Haley begins suspecting that the whole therapy is nothing more than clever deception and that Dr. Gottlieb is actually foreign intelligence operative assigned to snatch out valuable information about American spy planes.
Entire plot of Final Approach takes place in a single room, making it more suitable for stage play than for feature film. There are filmmakers who could make interesting films even within such limitations, but Eric Steven Stahl apparently wasn't one of them. What we are left with is material worthy of 20 minutes long episode of Twilight Zone, yet Stahl tries to increase running time by injecting flashback scenes that depict Haley's former life. Those scenes, together with digital special effects, are supposed to give some sort of surreal atmosphere to the film, but they succeed only in revealing film's low budget or, more likely, author's poor skills with new technology. Surreal atmosphere is compromised with the more mundane scenes, borrowed from documentary featuring SR- 71 spy plane. Sikking and Elizondo play their roles well, but even they can't rescue this film that failed in its approach.
RATING: 2/10 (-)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on September 30th 2002)
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