Wedlock (1991) / Timescape (1992) / Retroactive (1997) / The Puppet Masters (1994) / Fortress (1992) / No Escape (1994) / Screamers (1995)
Timescape (1992) Quietly inventive tale, as tourists from an anodyne future travel back to experience the excitement of 20th century disasters. A persuasive Jeff Daniels determines to save his Ohio town and the narrative supplies pleasing twists, leading to a satisfying ending.
Retroactive (1997) Action thriller which uses its time loop setup to repeat preceding events, except with increasing mayhem each time. Cleanly visualized and staged, enjoyable enough, though without building on its initial potential except to resolve the narrative with gunfire.
The Puppet Masters (1994) Familiar tale of alien invasion where creatures latch onto human hosts and take them over. Despite the influential source novel, little feels original and the story is told efficiently rather than dynamically, like the subdued performances. Plenty of gooey FX and gunshots.
Fortress (1992) Christopher Lambert is condemned to a high-tech prison, with story jettisoned for a procession of brutal fights and torture. Supporting characters are lively, there's a surprising amount of gore and Frédéric Talgorn delivers a dynamic score. Little originality, efficiently made.
No Escape (1994) Though the opening establishes a future world, prisoner Ray Liotta soon finds himself isolated on a primitive, tropical island where opposing convict tribes fight for dominance. Shot and edited with skill, the action is violent and slick, even if emotion is more forced.
Screamers (1995) Solidly realized Philip K Dick adaptation about the remnants of war on a distant planet where deadly AI threatens both sides. A bleak visual palette provides a grimness to the action amid the themes of identity and humanity. Even if there are few surprises, the film remains involving.
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