K-Pax | | Cast : | Kevin Spacey, Jeff Bridges | | Director : | Iain Softley | | Studio : | Universal Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | October 26, 2001 | | DVD Released Date : | June 21, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 23, 2005 | | Summary | An Intelligent film for intelligent people | Content
 | The spacamin "Prott" appears out of nowhere in a crowded NY transit stop. His claims of extraterrestial origin land him in the hospital. The Psychiatrist (Jeff Bridges), becomes enchanted with "Prott". Convinced "Prott" is delusional, the psychatrist sets out to show Prott, that his claims are impossible. However, Prott wins every challenge given him. He even awes astro-physicists with his knowledge of a distant galaxy, that only been recently discovered, and had not been picked by the media yet. In fact, Prott demonstrates to THEM that the orbit they've hypothesized is in error. Prott makes the necessary changes; changes that give KPAX's true orbit; and with a lock and key specificity, that is, PERFECT. The patients belive Prott, and he leaves them with more hope thaey've had since the day they were committed. He leaves in the middle of the night, from his room/cell, and continues to amaze at how much he changed every person he encounterd. Of course, the psychiatrist remains skeptical of Protts claim of his distant origin. Very good film. Thought provoking, and at times reminiscent of "One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". NOTE: Psychiatrists do not take their patients home with them to meet his family, and find out where they live. Splitting-hairs I geuss. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 26, 2005 | | Summary | good, but loses steam in last 1/3rd... | Content
| ...when it morphs into a bit of a Hollywoodish detective-puzzle movie that tries to have it both ways, but the ending is admirably open-ended.
Kevin Spacey is an excellent actor especially when he's playing the smartest guy in the room, and with the help of Jeff Bridges, makes this a very good 2 hours. Sure the film tries to throw out several pop-philosophy and pop-psychology chestnuts here and there, but overall it's Spacey's terrific performance that pulls it through. The cinematography and soundtrack are also very well done, it's just a couple of trite plot devices at the end which prevent me from giving it 5 stars. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 28, 2005 | | Summary | Is he or isn't he? All up to you... | Content
| Is he really an alien, or just crazy human? Or is he a crazy alien? Or is he in fact both an alien AND a crazy human? As you watch this movie, the questions begin to pile up and you WILL, as Bill Diehl states "keep guessing right to the end" (and even after that if you ask me). This is a great movie, both in its originality and the way it's filmed. Kevin SPACEy (no pun intended) and Jeff Bridges give us great and convincing performances. This DVD as a product is above avarage. Deleted scenes, featurettes, audio commentaries and alternate endings are always welcome. So what's wrong? Well, the commentary is kinda boring. I wish Iain softley would comment on the acual scenes, giving you more insight on the story, instead of just rambling on about everyting else around the movie like production specs and what Jeff Bridges said to him before shooting. Things like that. Also, (although just my personal opinion) the alternate ending is a bit of a disappointment. If you hope for an ending that will give that Answer with cap-A, you can stop hoping. The DELETED SCENES however, will give some more juicy tidbits to base your opinion on.) Over all, this DVD is well worth its price but only if you really, really love this movie - like I do. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 14, 2005 | | Summary | Anyone going to K-PAX anytime soon? | Content
| I loved this movie, it was not predictable and had a great twist as to the origin of PROT (Kevin Spacey). Bridges character shows great compassion and concern as he tries to find out where this man from another planet...came from.
The 1995 novel by Charles Brewer becomes this drama from director Iain Softley. After a mugging incident at New York's Grand Central Station, Prot (Kevin Spacey), a man who claims to be an alien from the planet K-PAX, is turned over to a public mental hospital and the care of Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges). When medication fails to alter Prot's insistence that he is visiting from another world on a fact-finding mission, Powell gets more involved with his patient, who seems to have a calming effect on the other residents of his ward.
At first convinced that Prot is a delusional who can be treated, Powell begins to wonder if his bizarre patient's story is true, particularly after the hospital's doctors find that Prot possesses the baffling ability to see ultraviolet light. As the date grows nearer when Prot claims he must leave Earth (a "class BA-III planet"), Powell becomes increasingly concerned that a psychiatric breakthrough must occur by then. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 12, 2005 | | Summary | K-PAX | Content
| Prot (Kevin Spacey) appears at a New York train station one afternoon, seemingly on a beam of light. The police quickly take him into custody and he is soon transferred to a mental hospital in Manhattan. Dr. Claudia Villers (Alfre Woodard), the head of the institute, assigns Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) to help Prot. Powell is the type of psychiatrist who cares, really cares, about his patients, so much so that his family life is strained. Prot is the type of patient that instantly wins over all of the other patients and helps them makes changes in their lives. Powell realizes that there he has a limited amount of time to help Prot figure out who he really is, a mystery that will consume his every waking moment.
""K-PAX" is a great movie, just what our country needs right now". No wait, that is "Serendipity". ""K-PAX" is a patriotic flag-waver, just what our country needs right now". No, wait, that is "The Last Castle". As the current crop of movies get buried under excessive critic hyperbole relating their relative strengths or merits to the events of September 11, 2001, it is refreshing to see a film like "K-PAX" come along. "K-PAX" is a completely ordinary film. Directed by Iain Softley, the film is filled with so many psychiatrist-patient clichés that it almost becomes good for that reason alone.
Kevin Spacey, one of the more gifted actors working today, does a good job with the role. For the first two acts, Spacey is so into the character of Prot, that we begin to believe that he could possibly be an alien. He wears sunglasses throughout most of the film, because Prot is sensitive to the bright light on Earth. This allows Spacey to use his mouth and facial expressions to build subtleties into the character. It makes the character less showy and more believable. For this reason alone, the film earns a lot more respect from me. As the sessions with Powell continue and Powell decides to regress Prot, the Showier-This-Is-My-Shot-At-An-Oscar elements begin to shine through. First of all, I never once believed that Powell had actually hypnotized Prot. It seemed far too easy and far too quick and then when he does, Spacey has a difficult time making this believable. To the credit of Spacey and the filmmakers, they don't take the easy road with this, providing some interest, but these sequences just stop the film dead and remove the viewer from the world it has spent so long trying to create.
Bridges, as always, is good, but he really doesn't have a lot to work with. His character is concerned. He wants to help Prot because he is concerned. He want to have Prot visit his home because he is concerned. He flies to .... because he is concerned. It doesn't allow a lot of growth for his character. Powell's final moments, the hang-your-tears-out-to-dry moment, is also extremely predictable.
Amazingly, the filmmakers have managed to populate the ward of the hospital with every single character actor who has ever appeared in a film set in a mental ward. Either as a patient or a doctor, they are here. It is a virtual encyclopedia of both actors and clichés. Conchata Ferrell plays Betty McAllister, the big, gruff assistant in the ward. Alfre Woodard plays the head of the ward. Ajay Naidu plays an assistant in the ward. Peter Gerety (you may recognize him from the TV series "Homicide") plays Sal, the former doorman who thinks everyone stinks, literally. Celia Weston (you may remember her as the actress who replaced Polly Holliday on the television series "Alice") plays a patient who thinks she is a matriarch. I am just amazed at the originality on display in "K-PAX".
Despite all of my criticisms, I am still recommending "K-PAX", barely. The first two thirds of Kevin Spacey's performance earn the film enough points to help me disregard the rest of the thoroughly predictable film. After all, "K-PAX" IS just what America needs right now, a thoroughly benign peace of fluff.
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