Blast From the Past is one of those films that succeeds on every level. The script and direction work in concert with a superb cast to tell a touching and original story about a man raised in a fallout shelter who has to cope with life in America in the 1990s. Heading the cast is Brendan Fraser, who's pitch-perfect as naif Adam Webber, who's spent 35 years growing up in a fallout shelter after his father mistakenly assumes nuclear war broke out back in 1962. Fraser is wonderful, but so is everyone else in the cast. Alicia Silverstone has one of her best-ever roles as the cynical Eve, who reluctantly befriends Adam. Dave Foley is a delight as Eve's gay best friend, Troy. Equally impressive are Christopher Walken as Adam's brilliant but daffy father, and Sissy Spacek as Adam's sweet, long suffering mom. Even the smallest roles are well-acted, with special kudos to Joey Slotnik, Nathan Fillion, the two beautiful blondes Adam dances with in the nightclub scene, the deadpan grocery clerk at the meat counter, and the nutty guy Adam sits next to on his first bus ride. It's also got an unbeatable soundtrack, and a story that never loses steam until its sweetly ironic ending. It's also one of those rare comedies that doesn't have a mean moment in it. It's refreshingly sweet and achingly funny; a real winner that deserved the good reviews it got when it came out. It's one of those films whose reputation will only grow with time. Don't miss it.

Released in 1999, "Blast from the Past" is a dramedy about a couple in 1962 who mistakenly think a nuclear war has started and so lock themselves in a bomb shelter for 35 years until the radiation dissipates. Christopher Walken and Sissy Spacek play the couple. The latter has a baby almost immediately and, when he's grown-up, he's sent to the surface in the late 90s where he (Brendan Fraser) experiences serious culture shock.This is an entertaining fish-out-of-water dramedy highlighted by Fraser's innocent and wide-eyed antics and Alicia Silverstone as his potential girlfriend. The bomb shelter sequences are generally dull, but the film picks up whenever Fraser or Silverstone are on screen. The film's quite good and could've been great if just a little more effort was put into fleshing out the potential of the plot and actors. Silverstone is gorgeous and effective, but somewhat underutilized. Nevertheless, "Blast from the Past" is a must.The film runs 112 minutes and was shot in the Los Angeles area.GRADE: B

With all of its flaws, I still consider this my favorite film. For its sentimental value. Perhaps. But, when it comes to art; how it affects you in a certain time and place is incredibly important. I've been watching this since I was eight. I remember going to Blockbuster to buy some tapes for a an RV trip we were soon to take. One night in '99 we watched it some place in Texas, and I fell in love. To this day I still watch it with the same love. I doubt it will change. With that said, I consider this film highly underrated. So, give it a chance. Keep an open mind. Be prepared, it's no "Kundun" or "A Clockwork Orange". It's fun, easy, and has a great swing dance scene.

I finished this film, thinking, "That was pretty funny." The writing is meant to make us all laugh and succeeds; never in my life have I laughed so hard.Unfairly dismissed by some, this is a funny comedy. The movie is very light-hearted and it isn't complex at all. All the characters struggle against a system that has perpetuated many falsehoods. This is one of those movies that had bad timing when it came to its release. I am not saying the film is a classic, but it was good enough. A good one from the 1990s. It's one of those films for which I could guess the plot exactly before I saw it. Fraser is a unique presence in American cinema and hopefully he will do more of these types of films. I give it 7/10.