The Grand Tour

No matter how many franchises it spawns on the big screen, the science-fiction genre is still perceived as inherently uncool.  Even the combined directorial might of Kubrick, Spielberg and Cameron haven’t been able to overcome the idea of pew-pew laser guns and rocket ships on a string.  But maybe that’s for the best.  Maybe pulp sci-fi should always be a little left of center when it comes to pop culture.  It’s what makes filmmakers like Jeff Twohy seem like they’re making these sorts of films because they genuinely love the genre…not because it’s trendy.

 

The Grand Tour (1991) was Twohy’s first time behind the camera after penning a pair of reasonably well received genre flicks: Critters 2 and Warlock.  And unlike his later Riddick films which would lean heavy into the macho tradition of Edgar Rice Burroughs, here he’s following the Spielberg  roadmap to the letter, pulling in elements from Back to the Future and Amazing Stories with a script based on a 1946 sci-fi novella for good measure.

 

Ben Wilson (Jeff Daniels) is a single father and struggling contractor who plans to refurbish a Victorian mansion into a B&B located in the same Ohio town where his wife died in a bizarre auto accident.  But before he’s even ready to hang up the “open” sign, a group of unusual tourists arrive with a wad of cash and an urgent need to stay at his particular venue.  Suspicious, Ben starts to investigate his guests’ strange behavior and (spoiler alert) discovers they’re voyeurs from the future on tour to witness famous disasters throughout history…which means his quaint little town is next on their list!

 

The Grand Tour (aka Timescape) is swimming in the same sort of wholesome nostalgia carried over from  ‘80s films like The Last Starfighter and Gremlins, where a quirky community is threatened by cosmic or supernatural disaster.  Twohy even steals Spielberg’s signature shot – the low angle dolly towards some awestruck actor – on more than one occasion.  It’s sci-fi built around characters rather than special effects.  But his film is also hampered by a slow pace and big twist that’s easy to spot, making the first two acts seem like nothing but well-acted filler.

 

Speaking of which, Daniels, who generally makes everything he appears in better, is just as good as you’d expect him to be.  When it comes to creating an interesting “everyman” he’s in the same league as Tom Hanks or Jimmy Stewart.  It’s safe to say The Grand Tour would have faced its own natural disaster without his performance.  When the third act finally rolls around, the film finally builds enough momentum to finish strong, settling into a comfortable viewing experience that probably plays better on the small screen anyway.

 

Nearly impossible to track down for a number of years, Unearthed Classics finally makes this one availalbe on Blu-ray with extras including production stills, posters, an alternate title sequence and 20-minute interview the covers some details about the film.

 

 

 

 

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