Sadly, Brainstorm is best remembered as Natalie Wood's last film, and unfortunately there is little to recommend the film itself. Despite an interesting premise, the film's focus is scattered and the film never follows through on many plot points. Brainstorm was a box office disappointment and Douglas Trumball's last feature film. The special effects, direction, dialog and acting are never more than mediocre and the result is a film that is both disappointing and forgettable. Brainstorm is derailed by trite domestic drama involving a miscast Christopher Walken and Wood while a clash between science and government intervention is played out by a pointless Cliff Robertson and Louise Fletcher who's no Bette Davis when it comes to smoking. Fletcher's smoking is so constant, and unconvincing, that one wonders whether the tobacco industry financed the film.

When this film was released in 1983, it felt secondary to the larger story and the mysteries surrounding Natalie Wood's death. It may be easier now to evaluate the work on its own merits.The film has some major flaws. There are sequences that are confusing to the viewer. Partly because of this, the various story lines feel slapped together, not fused in a cohesive way.It would be nice if the film felt like a fusion of sci-fi, romance, suspense, and spiritual revelation, but instead it feels like each of those elements roughly abuts the others, making if difficult to feel emotionally attached to the whole.Still, there are some worthwhile performances, notably by Louise Fletcher and Natalie Wood. And the visual representations of brain activity are interesting. Best of all, the high-tech feel of the film is impressive.In the end, the film tries to do too much. Its various themes compete with each other and each is cheated.

Cutting edge sci-fi film is interesting and absorbing enough to make it good entertainment. It's not so much about story. There really isn't much of one, and we don't ever get to know the characters *that* well. This is more a film about concepts - and imagery, of course. Marking a directorial effort for visual effects specialist Douglas Trumbull ("2001: A Space Odyssey", "Silent Running"), it definitely has the right look to it. Trumbull uses multiple aspect ratios in order to maximize the experience. Fortunately, he does give the proceedings a level of humanity, particularly as they pertain to a shaky marriage, and there are moments of poignancy during the narrative.Christopher Walken and Louise Fletcher star as Michael Brace and Lillian Reynolds, two old- fashioned mad scientists working to perfect a virtual reality device that records human experiences. It can allow you to taste what somebody else is eating, for example, or feel what it was like for them as they rode a roller coaster. The people funding and backing Brace & Reynolds ultimately don't like the way they do things, and try to alter the course of the research. Michael becomes obsessed with checking out a tape made by Lillian, and figures out a way to sneak past the defenses of the computer program running the show.Overall, this is an amusing show, with solid acting by all concerned. Fletcher is indeed a standout. "Brainstorm" is notable for being the last credit for co-star Natalie Wood (who isn't given very much to do), whose untimely death occurred during production. Supporting cast members include Cliff Robertson, a likable Joe Dorsey ("Grizzly"), and a young Jason Lively ("Night of the Creeps") as Walken and Woods' son. (Walkens' real-life spouse Georgianne, who usually works as a casting director, appears on screen here as Dorseys' wife.) The technical work on the film is of course first rate, with eye popping visual effects, effective production design, and a thunderous music score by James Horner.Worth a look for fans of this genre.Seven out of 10.

Personally, I think what makes a good sci-fi movie is when it introduces a concept I haven't seen before. The technology to record and play back experiences was truly original for me. I'm not sure if any other film had explored this idea before, but this was the first one I've seen that did. Another thing about this film is that, for me at least, it is a great landmark in time movie. By that I mean that it was made right at the time that VCRs were just beginning to become available to the average consumer. They were still a bit bulky and expensive in 1983 but it was the very first time people could record shows and play them back whenever they wanted. Tape was the main media for recording sound and video, so naturally the recording media in the movie is also tape. I think it's possible the ushering in of the VCR on the market may have had some kind of influence on the success of this movie at the time it was released. For me, it marks that quantum jump in technology in a really cool way. It's also a great concept movie that has a similarity with the Matrix in the way it explores the concept of virtual reality.