"Enemy Mine" takes place in the future, when humankind no longer wages war among its own, but now does battle with an alien race called the Dracs. Dennis Quaid is Davidge, a fighter pilot who crashes on a remote planet while engaged in battle with a Drac (Louis Gossett, Jr.). The Drac has survived its own crash landing, and the two opponents are initially hostile and mistrustful towards one another. But they realize that they will have to rely on each other in order to continue surviving. Over time, they become friends.

An unfortunate box-office flop in its time, this charming, likeable film can be seen as an 80s sci-fi update of the 1968 classic "Hell in the Pacific". Its themes come through loud and clear: we should at least try to appreciate each other, and celebrate our differences, and not be quick to make judgments. The story can be seen as a metaphor for any sort of bigotry, and the path to understanding. Ultimately, it can't help but become a little too precious; still, it's solidly entertaining as it manipulates the emotions and delivers the thrills.

Quaid and Gossett play this superbly. Reunited two years after "Jaws 3-D", they share a great chemistry all the way down the line. They make their scenes alternately tense, touching, and also humorous. Yes, the film does have a light touch at times, especially when the Drac (whom Davidge nicknames "Jerry") is led to believe that Mickey Mouse is some great mind back on Earth!

Wolfgang Petersen does a commendable job with the direction, as he follows up his smashing North American debut feature, "The NeverEnding Story". But the two gentlemen who really need to take a bow are production designer / art director / matte artist Rolf Zehetbauer and makeup effects creator Chris Walas. Zehetbauer creates an amazing look for this production; filmed both in German studios and on location in the Canary Islands, it actually looks like it's taking place on another planet. And Walas' reptilian-like makeup is most impressive.

With soaring music by Maurice Jarre, a typically fun supporting performance by notable screen heavy Brion James, two cool creature species (one predator, one prey),and excellent widescreen photography, this makes for quite an engaging show. At least it did manage to find an audience later on video.

Seven out of 10.

I just love movies like this--ones where what is important is the acting and characterizations--not special effects. Now, being a sci-fi movie, there are special effects, but they take a purely secondary role at best. No, at heart this is a drama where two "men" who are enemies become stranded on an unforgiving planet and somehow form a friendship in order to survive. Dennis Quaid and Lou Gossett do a fantastic job in the film and you really find yourself hooked by their friendship. But, perhaps the best aspect of the film might be the writing. While a simple story, the characters seem real and believable (at least as much is possible when one is an alien and they live in the future). Plus, the film's message is profound and lasting.

ENEMY MINE is a movie that walks a fine line between being good and being not-so good. Half of the time, it has an intelligent story, more original than most and with a nice moral message which cries out against prejudice - it's no coincidence that the actor playing the alien is black. The film remains unpredictable throughout and thanks to strong characterisation you learn to sympathise with the two leads and their predicament. But, unfortunately, the script isn't so hot. Dennis Quaid is resorted to acting like an idiot and using childish insults for the first half before his character "matures", and then when we learn that the alien is having a baby, the screen is suddenly awash with sentimentality and schmaltz. This intensifies once we're introduced to the incredibly annoying alien kid, but then it's okay because things quickly change track for an action set-piece finale.

The direction is steady under the hand of Wolfgang Petersen, who handles the various action sequences with some aplomb (remember, this is the guy who breathed life into the cat-and-mouse antics of aircraft hijack thriller AIR FORCE ONE in 1997). As for the special effects, well they look just like that, effects, and are pretty dated, but I did like the hostile alien landscape and the excellent meteor showers that take place. As for the various monsters and alien bugs inhabiting the planet, well they're about the same level of quality as STAR WARS, so can be enjoyed for what they are. Keep an eye out for the pit-dwelling beastie which drags victims to their death with a nasty tentacle/tongue - amusing stuff.

As for the acting, well Dennis Quaid is just Dennis Quaid, as always, and mildly likable when he's not being a jerk. Louis Gossett Jr manages to deliver a good performance despite being hidden behind an alien reptile mask. Brion James shows up briefly and goes way over-the-top, as per usual, as a scarred psychotic villain. The film's finale is odd and more than a little jarring. After a relatively slow-paced running time (a little overlong, incidentally),we're suddenly treated to a cheesy action-fest as Quaid single-handedly invades a mining camp and takes down the sadistic guards who rule it. This bit is fun thanks to the imaginative deaths for the villains (which are pretty unpleasant, although bear in mind this is only a PG-13 film),including a nice arrow through the throat, a guy falling in a crusher and another man falling into a vat of molten steel - "frying tonight", indeed. The final outcome is more than a little predictable, however. Despite the many flaws, Enemy Mine is a watchable slice of family science fiction and it's a film which has its heart in the right place, and as such deserves credit.