Impostor (2001 film)
A replicant bomb hidden inside a man's chest.
Impostor is a 2001 American science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Gary Fleder and based on Philip K. Dick's 1953 short story of the same name. It stars Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Mekhi Phifer.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Gary Fleder
- Producer
- Gary Fleder
- Marty Katz
- Daniel Lupi
- Gary Sinise
- Based on
- "Impostor", Philip K. Dick
- Starring
- Gary Sinise
- Madeleine Stowe
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Tony Shalhoub
- Tim Guinee
- Mekhi Phifer
- Music
- Mark Isham
- Cinematography
- Robert Elswit
- Editing
- Armen Minasian; Bob Ducsay
- Studio
- Marty Katz Productions; Mojo Films
Facts from the source article.
Plot
In 2039, an alien species from Alpha Centauri launches an assault on Earth. To shield cities, force field domes are built, and a global military dictatorship takes control to manage the war and protect humanity. No human has ever laid eyes on a Centaurian. Three decades later, Spencer Olham, a weapons designer for the government, is taken into custody by Major Hathaway of the Earth Security Administration. The ESA believes Olham is a replicant—a perfect biological copy of a human, implanted with false memories and unaware of its true nature. This suspicion arises from an intercepted alien message, decoded to reveal that Olham is programmed to assassinate the Chancellor at an upcoming meeting. Each replicant carries a U-bomb hidden inside its chest, crafted to resemble a human heart. The bomb can only be found through dissection or a specialized medical scan that checks against an earlier scan. Just as Hathaway is about to bore into Olham’s chest, Olham breaks free, killing his friend Nelson by accident. With aid from a stalker named Cale, Olham slips into a hospital where his wife Maya works to undergo the scan, but security forces cut the procedure short. Later that night, Olham and Maya are caught near an alien crash site in a forest. Inside the wrecked ship, they find Maya’s dead body. Hathaway then shoots the Maya replicant, believing the threat is neutralized. But when debris is cleared, the real Olham’s corpse is uncovered. Olham suddenly understands that both he and Maya are replicants. This awareness triggers his U-bomb, which detonates, obliterating everyone and everything in the vicinity.
Production
The film adaptation was originally planned as one segment of a three-part science fiction anthology titled Light Years, but only this segment was filmed before the project collapsed. The other shorts were to adapt Isaac Asimov's 'The Last Question' and Donald A. Wollheim's 'Mimic', the latter already adapted into a film with a different script. Scott Rosenberg wrote the initial short, with revisions by Mark Protosevich and Caroline Case. When expanded to feature length, additional scenes were written by Richard Jeffries, Ehren Kruger, and David Twohy. Burn areas in Running Springs, California, were used for the spacecraft crash site. Sets were built in Angeles National Forest and around Los Angeles, with interiors constructed on stage in Manhattan Beach, including a two-story hospital, a three-story pharmacy, and a commuter transport station. Other filming locations included the Coachella Valley. The budget was an estimated $40 million.
Reception
Impostor received negative reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 25% approval rating based on 97 reviews, with an average score of 4.0 out of 10.0 and a critical consensus calling it 'a mixture of The Fugitive and Blade Runner, only not as good or as involving.' Metacritic gives a score of 33% based on 26 reviews. CinemaScore audiences gave an average grade of 'C'. James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave two-and-a-half stars out of four, noting 'a few moderately diverting subplots' but stating the film 'wears out its welcome by the half-hour mark.' William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer gave a mildly positive review, praising Gary Sinise's ability to 'hold the film together' and noting the atmosphere had 'a very definite Blade Runner feel.' Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide gave three stars out of four, saying it packed 'a real emotional wallop' but suggesting it would have worked better as the intended 40-minute short. Keith Phipps of The A.V. Club gave a negative review, calling it 'one long, dull chase scene.' Robert Koehler of Variety called it 'a stubbornly unexciting ride into the near future.' A. O. Scott of The New York Times offered a sardonic view of the 'dark view of the future' and the twist ending. The film earned a little over $6 million at the US and Canadian box office, with an estimated worldwide total over $8 million, making it a box office failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who stars in Impostor (2001 film)?
Impostor stars Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub, Tim Guinee and Mekhi Phifer.
Who composed the music for Impostor (2001 film)?
The music for Impostor was composed by Mark Isham.
Who distributed Impostor (2001 film)?
Impostor was distributed by Dimension Films.
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