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Isaac Asimov's Nightfall

2000, Movie, R, 85 mins

Isaac Asimov's Nightfall: Review

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Radiant from the energy of six suns, the planet Aeon has never experienced the daily journey from daylight to darkness. Ruled by religious zealots called the Watchers, the inhabitants are a docile lot, bound together by superstitious beliefs. In contrast, the dissident Scholars propose scientific explanations for the planet's history, which included a calamitous event 1000 years ago. When workers uncover a mineshaft containing artifacts and several corpses, Illyria (Jennifer Burns), the daughter of Gnomen (David Carradine), a leading Scholar, defies Watcher edicts and goes exploring. Her thirst for knowledge teams her with unlikely ally Metron (Joseph Hodge), who's been raised by Kopton (Ashish Vidayrthi), the chief Watcher. Fortunately, Metron possesses supernatural powers that keep their adversaries at bay. Battling close-mindedness, Metron and Illyria discover that Aeon is once again headed for a total eclipse. What's more, it's up to them to prevent Kopton from inciting the hoards to sacrifice the Scholars in order to restore the light. Far better than the 1988 version starring David Birney, this brisk tale throbs with intermittent action. Admittedly, as the screenplay simplistically sends everyone to opposite corners of the conflict, Asimov himself would have a hard time finding any trace of the finer points inherent in his classic short story; nonetheless this cinematic essay about good vs. evil slams his basic tenets across with energy. Aside from Carradine, the cast is comprised of obscure players who acquit themselves personably. Whether battling violent monks, slithering snakes, or desert bandits, the good guys keep viewers cheering for the anti-Fundamentalist crusade. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
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