Nonureva
Really Surprised!
Greenes
Please don't spend money on this.
Pluskylang
Great Film overall
Tobias Burrows
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
lost-in-limbo
Christopher Lambert has quite a checkered list of elastic films where you either like his work or not. Sometimes they're fun ("Highlander", "The Hunted", "Fortress" and "Gunmen"), others less so ("Love Dream", "Highlander II" and "Fortress II") or they're downright atypical ("I love You", "Subway" and "Southland Tales"). For me the mid-90s chase adventure "The North Star" falls in the middle bracket… not a terrible film by any standards, just lacklustre along with Lambert's performance. It did remind me of the Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin 1980 feature "Death Hunt". In Alaska in the 1890s a half-breed trapper becomes the target of a crooked businessman who wants the land of his ancestors and the only way to do so is to kill the half-breed. The plot's foundation harbours familiar trappings, but never really comes alive with no real momentum or character interest. The action is uninspired, dialogues forced and the direction rather stagy in a cheap- looking production. It's the villainous performances of an unhinged James Caan and a burly Burt Young that keeps it from freezing over. Add to that the vivid snowy locations that dress up the screen. Catherine McCormick shows up, but gets little to do. A sleepy, flat-footed chase drama.
TheUnknown837-1
Had "North Star" been made in, let's say, the 60s or 70s, then I would be able to watch it and classify it as maybe an eight or nine-star film. It's got the kind of plot that would suit a 90s movie, but the way it's made is far too reminiscent of the past. And when you mix a film that looks modern with a style of the past, it comes out a bit campy. For example, the screenplay seems like it was written a long time ago and went unchanged until just now. Characters laughing at jokes and stuff that are not even remotely funny were common back in the 60s and 70s, but not in films of the 90s. I hate to say it, but sound effects and stuff in this movie like that are also no better than the Westerns of long ago. Thus, the shootouts aren't that exciting. Some parts of "North Star" go on for too long, some parts whip by way too fast.There are some positive aspects to "North Star" though. Even though it does seem like it's made in the wrong time and kind of cheesy, it is a film that you can sit down and watch without getting bored. Sure, you'll be thinking a lot, "man, that was...weird" or "that wasn't very thrilling" or "that was disappointing", but it is a film where you want to see the rest of it. That's what made me give this film five out of ten stars for a rating. But it's still heavily flawed and had it been made twenty or thirty years before it really was, I think it would have been better.
OJT
I'm sorry to say that this film only deserves 2 out of 10, due to the main character Christopher Lambert.The expectations to this film was great here, since it's partially filmed here in Norway. (The snow scenes and great outdoor scenery is filmed at Mösvatn near Rjukan in Telemark, Norway, and the great Nils Gaup is the director.) Lamberts performance sucks big time! He does not fit into the story at all. This snow filled western (or northern) has great actors, but due to Lambert tragic figure, the whole film just crashes to the ground, though the story should be good enough. The film also flopped big time in the cinemas, of course, due to this...This is Nils Gaups worst film. It looks like he really lost the grip on this one. Go watch another of his films! Ofelas or Kautokeino-Opprøret, or Misery Harbour! They are all great!
chrnaess
Tashunga was a quite good movie that was helped from a good cast including Christopher Lambert. Lambert as always gave an effort like no one else and he was very good, Morten Faldaas was another who gave a fine performance.The film had suspense and great music.
