Verdict
Summary
So, hey: It’s high time the USA gets to see Terminus after almost 40 years! Never released in North America on disc or VHS, it’s basically been a myth here. As wacky and weird as it is, it should be seen to be believed. There is a trove of films such as this that have been left to obscurity, and it delights me that companies like MVD are resurrecting them from the dead, and honestly you can’t ask for a better presentation than this.
Plot:
A game across the wasteland is on, and everyone wants to win.
Review:
Nonsensical from the get-go, this French/German production is a bigger mess than the live-action Super Mario Brothers, and that’s an understatement. It takes place in a futuristic post-apocalyptic time, and the production at least tries to present the viewer with good-looking sets and props, but nothing in this movie is coherent or compelling, so it’s all for naught. A genetically enhanced child named Mati (Gabriel Damon from Robocop 2) has created a new game that involves an across-the-wasteland race, and he has invented a battle truck called the “Ferro-Glider” that has an artificial intelligence installed within it. The truck is piloted by a plucky woman named Gus (Karen Allen in a bad career move), and her job as the pilot in the race is to keep the truck running and moving no matter the obstacles she encounters on the roads and wastelands. Her destination is the lab where Mati monitors the proceedings under supervision by a doctor, played by a straight-faced Jurgen Prochnow, who plays three roles in the movie, which made things very confusing. Another of Prochnow’s roles is a mysterious scientist (or something) who walks around in drag, dictating orders to the straight-faced Prochnow, and his third role is as a competing racer in the game, one sent to deter the Ferro-Glider from its course. I assume, although it is not explicitly mentioned, that Prochnow (the one in drag, maybe) cloned himself for some reason. Back to the story: Gus is captured by Road Warrior-type marauders in the wasteland and she is imprisoned for being part of “the establishment,” but again, this was a moot point, as nothing in this movie made any kind of sense. While in prison, she meets another prisoner named Stump (Johnny Hallyday, with bleached-white hair) who has a bionic metal hand. Gus and Stump immediately fall in love or make a deep connection (totally unbelievable) and when Gus is carted away to be tortured to death, Stump vows revenge. When Gus dies (poor Karen Allen, having to act this out), Stump is released and he takes it upon himself to commandeer the Ferro-Glider and finish the race. He picks up a little girl sidekick, who also happens to be Mati’s secret twin. The rest of the movie involves Stump’s odyssey through the wastelands and Moto City (generic-looking post-apocalyptic watering hole with colorfully dressed punks and sets), and he saves Mati from a doomed fate.
There’s a good reason why this movie was never released (until now) in North America. It’s disjointed and has major gaps in it. Most of the exposition is laid out extremely quickly by a big pair of lips attached to the Ferro-Glider’s dash board, and the never-ending stream of dialogue from the artificial intelligence not only annoys the characters in the movie, but it annoys the viewer as well. It’s never clear what sort of apocalypse occurred before the events of this movie begin, but everything has the look and feel of say, Spacehunter or Metalstorm. The Ferro-Glider looked kind of cool, but it’s only function in the movie is to ram into stuff real good. None of the characters are believable, nor is the story fleshed out even half as much as it needs to be. Filmed in Hungary and Germany. Directed by Pierre William Glenn.
So, hey: It’s high time the USA gets to see Terminus after almost 40 years! Never released in North America on disc or VHS, it’s basically been a myth here. As wacky and weird as it is, it should be seen to be believed. There is a trove of films such as this that have been left to obscurity, and it delights me that companies like MVD are resurrecting them from the dead, and honestly you can’t ask for a better presentation than this. The film looks pretty good in high definition, and they’ve offered two versions of the film to choose from, with interviews, so that’s more than something! Post-apocalyptic completists and fans should seek it out despite how bizarre it is, and Karen Allen was a cutie still in her prime, so there’s that too. Is it a good movie? Well, no. But don’t let that stop you from checking it out anyway!
Bonus Materials
- US version of the “Terminus” (83 mins) presented in 1080p HD in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with English LPCM 2.0 Stereo Audio and optional English Subtitles
- Extended French version of “Terminus” (115 mins) presented in 1080p HD in 2.35:1 aspect ratio with French 2.0 Stereo Audio and Optional English Subtitles
- NEW! Interview with star Jürgen Prochnow (HD, 15:55)
- NEW! “We All Descend – The Making of Terminus ” (incl. interviews w/ Vincent Glenn (son of director Pierre-William Glenn), star Julie Glenn (daughter of Pierre-William Glenn) & archival interviews w/ Pierre-William Glenn (HD, 49:30) (In French w/ Eng Subs
- Photo Gallery
- Reversible Artwork
- Collectible Mini-Poster
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)
