Westworld: Michael Crichton's Intriguing Sci-Fi Classic Makes Its 4K Debut (Limited Edition 4K)

The Film:

Beloved author Michael Crichton gave us many novels throughout his illustrious career that have become classics to readers around the world, including "Sphere," "Congo," and perhaps most famously, "Jurassic Park" and its sequel "The Lost World." However, well before he took us to his dinosaur park, he also began to dabble in screenwriting, with one of his earliest projects taking us to a rather different kind of park in "Westworld," where guests are able to live out their dream of being in the wild west.

Released in 1973, reviews for the box office hit over the decades have ranged from it being called a somewhat forgettable romp to it being praised as a fascinating & immersive sci-fi classic. With the film having celebrated its 50th anniversary somewhat recently, Arrow Films is giving Crichton's intriguing western a marvelous 4K upgrade and throwing in over two hours of extras both new & old, so now it's time once again to go back and see how well it's held up over the years, and to see where it truly falls in the wide range of reactions it's had ever since its original release.

In the not too distant future, an amusement park known as "Delos" has opened that gives guests the chance to visit one of three different attractions: Medieval World, Roman World, or Western World, with each one offering them the chance to live out whatever fantasy they wish in parks that are populated by life-like androids. First-timer Peter Martin (Richard Benjamin) and his friend John Blane (James Brolin), who has visited once before, arrive to take advantage of Westworld, where Peter soon finds himself drawn into a gunfight with "The Gunslinger" (Yul Brynner), an android whose very purpose is to instigate the guests. Peter guns him down in a very realistic fashion, but as he soon finds out, it won't be the last time he encounters the pugnacious android. Meanwhile, while these two go about their stay, we are given brief teases that tell us there is something going wrong in the parks, something that is routinely causing the androids to malfunction or behave in unexpected ways. Little do the park operators know that all hell is about to break loose, putting their guests in grave danger.

On the outset, "Westworld" presents a rather fascinating premise. Imagine being able to visit an interactive theme park that specializes in specific, popular points in history, allowing you to live out your every adventurous whim with no consequences attached. It's a premise that Crichton, who both wrote & directed, and his team seem quite proud of, which makes it understandable as to why they'd want to spend a fair amount of time simply showing it off. That is, just like Peter, the audience is experiencing this unique attraction for the first time, so it makes sense to simply let them take it in for a while and get immersed in what the park is all about.

That said, about 30 minutes or so in, you may find yourself starting to wonder if that's all it's going to be. It's certainly understandable that the question of an actual plot would start to arise in the viewer's mind, especially as we get teased with bits and pieces of the various malfunctions occurring throughout the parks. In effect, it starts to feel like a premise in search of said plot as Peter and John go about the activities offered by the park, making the film feel like it's biding its time for some unknown reason. We do eventually come to a decently thrilling climax in the last 30 minutes or so, nearly an hour into the somewhat short 89-minute film, but we're still left with the strange question of why Crichton would take so long to get around to actually developing his story, especially when the film isn't that long.

Overall, "Westworld" ends up being a peculiar mixed bag. There's certainly an intriguing premise in there, one that could offer up any number of fascinating & gripping storylines, but when all is said and done, even with its exciting climactic chase, you can't help but wish that they had utilized it a lot sooner than they did. Even so, there's a fair amount to see here in terms of visual effects, costumes, production design, and a chilling performance from Oscar winner Yul Brynner. The film may be a somewhat middling affair in the end, but the ideas it presents are rather compelling, and for that alone, it remains a provocative classic that can't be dismissed entirely.

Video/Audio:

"Westworld" comes to 4K in a 2.39:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of marvelous quality. The film has been beautifully upgraded, presenting very little grain and featuring a sharp picture that perfectly highlights the film's incredible production design, costumes, and visual effects. Likewise, the various audio options (original restored lossless 4-channel stereo, 2.0 stereo, 1.0 mono, and remixed 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround) are all fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in excellent quality. Overall, Arrow Films has done a wonderful job in both departments for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Commentary by Filmmaker and Film Historian Daniel Kremer

Cowboy Dreams (12 Minutes) (New): A conversation between actor Richard Benjamin and producer/screenwriter Larry Karaszewski.

At Home on the Range (17 Minutes) (New): An interview with actor James Brolin.

HollyWorld: Producing Westworld (34 Minutes) (New): An interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III.

Sex, Death and Androids (13 Minutes) (New): An appreciation of the film by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

On Location with Westworld (9 Minutes): An archival behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from 1973.

Beyond Westworld (50 Minutes): The pilot episode of the 1980 follow-up television series.

Conclusion:

Michael Crichton's "Westworld" has a fair amount to offer in terms of its visual effects, production design, costumes, and a chilling performance from Yul Brynner, but Crichton's strange unwillingness to utilize the film's fascinating premise until the final 30 minutes of its relatively short runtime ultimately makes for a rather mixed affair that sadly doesn't take full advantage of its grand potential.

Score. 3/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K starting tomorrow.

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