Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Attack of the Clones, January 20, 2003
Director Allan Moyle who helmed "Pump Up the Volume" directed this sci-fi blast. It's an interesting film that keeps us mostly engaged. The film opens with a "smart bullet," a weapon that looks like a missile that can hang in the air seeking its target, that swoops down and takes out one corporate executive, an internal body explosion. Stefan Toller is the character who is played by three actors. He starts out as Kim Coates who has appeared in "Waterworld" and "Black Hawk Down." Toller is called into his boss' office who is "floating," which is the term used when a body transfer is done. Toller sees his boss in the body of the hunky trainer lounging behind the desk while the trainer sweats and strains on the exercise equipment in the boss' body. Toller gets told that there's a meeting in San Francisco in two hours which he must attend. Despite Toller's objections to "floating," he heads off to Xchange to be projected into Kyle MacLachlan's body. Now Toller as MacLachlan heads off to the corporate meeting where we find that the son of the corporate exec who was killed as the film opened is about to take over the company. MacLachlan has to stay overnight in San Francisco, reminding us of some airlines' travel restrictions, which is enough time to head to a pick-up bar and have wild crazed sex in another's man's body. "So, is that your full-time body?" the nymphomaniac asks at the bar. As fate would have it, when MacLachlan returns to xchange back with his own body, he finds that it has been taken by a terrorist and that if they can't find it within a week, he'll die. Brave guy that he is, he gets to the clone room. Numerous clones work around the cities and all look like Stephen Baldwin. Baldwin, who as an actor has worked in more so-so flicks than most would in a career (Friends & Lovers, Slap Shot 2), then becomes the Stefan Toller's 3rd host, but only has 2 days before the clone disintegrates. Baldwin, of course heads back to New York to find his body. In the process we encounter more cool devices like the monofilament, a string that can cut through anything, including Balwin's own finger. Canadian actress Pascale Bussieres does a nice job. While certainly not a perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination, Xchange has enough originality to keep you entertained. Kim Coates does a particularly nice job of playing Toller and the terrorist at different points. Enjoy!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well crafted, original, and very entertaining., June 13, 2001
Xchange shows how much can be accomplished in the sci-fi arena with a modest budget when you have a highly original script, good actors, and a director with imagination and style. This movie grabs you in the first scene and keeps you guessing as its plot veers from one explosive-but-believable turn to the next. You have to give credit to a film whose main character is played by three different actors and yet still manages to make the audience care deeply about his fate. Kyle MacLachlan gives a powerful and sympathetic performance as a man who has literally lost his body.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than expected, March 9, 2006
For a made-for-cable looking science fiction movie it’s not half bad. The theme has a strong Philip K. Dick feel to it (Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report are based on his books). That theme is about technology and how it can affect people on a personal and social level, especially if the technology involves your identity. In that area X Change succeeds in doing something fresh and engaging compared to other movies of its ilk.
First let me say right off the bat when I call this a made-for-cable movie I mean it. The budget and cinematography show this in spades. As far as the future is concerned it pretty much looks the same as it does now. Only one futuristic car in streets full of average vehicles, furnishings and décor aren’t any different, even things like exercise equipment is the same. You will find a few nice futuristic techie toys though like a personal homing missile and that old cyberpunk weapon of choice: the monowire. Of course there are other little technology things there that move the story, but if it doesn’t carry the story in any way you won’t see it here.
In spite of the lack of sci-fi decorum X Change does have it where it counts, and that’s the story. It’s interesting how the whole switching of consciousness between bodies plays in this movie. Philip Dick would be proud. I like how it plays in society and how the movie really digs in the point on the dangers of such a technology. It’s interesting seeing the main character move from actor to actor and how each of the actors portrays him. I have to give credit to Billy Baldwin, Kim Coates and Kyle MacLachlan for their performances of not only the lead character, but also the other personalities they zap back and forth from.
There is a good deal nudity, sexual situations and to a lesser extent some graphic voilence so be mindful of that if you are going to watch this movie with the kids. Granted the production values make it look like a TV show and the parts of the story do fall into the HBO/Showtime derivative movie trap. But just behind that plastic exterior is an engaging story with some interesting plot twists. If plots like those from Minority Report or 6th Day interest you then give X Change a look.
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