If I ever get my hands on a thing like this again (and what are the odds?), instead of complaining I can't figure the story out I'll just make what comments I can and send them out... I got such a kick out of Brigitte's references to what I little I did say about it. (It's an English-language movie, if anybody wants to know, but my copy is dubbed in German. It also seems evident that some violent scenes were edited out of this version.)
After I got the synopsis I found that the events made some sense; it's just the story that didn't. Given the issues being addressed, I could believe that this was originally a swell idea and could have been a fabulous movie if more care had been taken with the final script - and more than $50 had been spent making it. However, certain bloopers lead me to believe that the filmmakers simply meant the whole thing as a joke, something akin to the Full Moon productions. Terminus doesn't look as good as the Full Moon movies, but the folks who made it sure do have potential. I think they should make some more films.
Trauma #1 was the DISEMBODIED LIPS attached to a panel which was Monster's mouth - and Monster, by the way, never ever ever shut up in this movie even though he/she/it was asked to on occasion. The lips gave me horrible Prinzessin Alisea flashbacks.
My first thought on seeing Monster and its fellow railroad-car-sized vehicles was that they looked seriously unstable. I was gratified to see a number of them tip over in this movie, because they should have.
The first "idiot" scene I picked up on was when Gus drove Monster up to a camp full of bad guys, all standing on the ground, and simply got out of the vehicle - not to surrender, but to fight them. Gus was played by Karen Allen. The government soldiers were played by huge mean-looking guys. You figure whether Gus wins or not, you're gonna see a wild fight here - she'll take everybody out with Kung Fu and either escape or finally be bested by the last man standing. Nope - she hits one guy and then gets knocked out. Obviously Gus is no warrior babe... so WHY did she get out of the truck to confront the army when she could have just plowed through them?
Later in the film her buddy Stump pulls the same stunt, just walking up to some bad guys for no reason and letting them cuff him.
And I would like to know how the 10-year-old girl got Monster uprighted after it had been tipped over. The giant truck is lying on its side, and next thing you know the kid is taking it for a joyride. Huh?
The there's the infamous Key on a String. Now that was just plain hilarious... Stump knocks Jürgen out and then drags him unconsious to the back of the truck to unlock it using the key around Jürgen's neck, instead of just taking the key off him. I'm pretty sure this bit was included as a public service to anybody who may have been trying to take the movie seriously this far into it.
I'd never seen or heard of Johnny "Stump" Hallyday before. He looks like somebody I'd hate if I ever saw him in a real movie, but he was perfect in this one. He played the role very well, though naturally my favorite part was where he didn't. The man really does look like one o' them Rugged Action Hero-type actors, but there's a brief scene where he fights somebody (prior to being taken out and having a hand removed) and he did the worst fake punching and kicking I've ever seen in my life. In fact, I rewound it just so I could laugh at it some more. I love that guy.
As for Jürgen, he was just too cool. He played three characters here, all clones who were nothing like each other in personality, so you get your tour de force of character acting in one film. The red-wigged "Sir" appeared the least and was pretty much a mystery character, but he seemed restless and was rather imposing despite some degree of apparent physical disability; I wouldn't have messed with that guy. "Doctor" was a prim and cool-headed scientist; "Little Brother" was a rough good-old-boy truck driver. On the whole Jürgen wasn't onscreen nearly enough in this movie, but you can't help loving it when he is.
Of the three characters "Doctor" appears the most often, and nearly all of his scenes were with the child genius; I found it pretty awesome watching that. First of all, I like the kid actor, Gabriel Damon, who was 9 or 10 when this movie was made. (I liked both kid actors.) Doctor does not treat Mati like a child, and it's great fun watching Jürgen not cut him any slack when they're arguing with each other - particularly at the end when Jürgen actually roughs the kid up a bit and throws him down into a chair. Superb chemistry between the little boy and the veteran actor.
I hope Jürgen had a blast with this one, 'cause I know I did.