Review: Project X

Matthew Broderick plays a smart-arse trainee Air Force pilot demoted after an incident involving a girl, liquor, and a plane. Now he’s been sent to a flight simulation base where in a research program, chimpanzees are trained as pilots. He eventually forms a bond with one seemingly expressive chimp named Virgil (played by Willie), and eventually discovers that Virgil knows sign language. He was apparently at one time part of a University study carried out by Jean Smart and Helen Hunt, before funding was cut off and Virgil was sent to the Air Force. Soon, Broderick has uncovered the rather sinister motives of the program’s head (William Sadler) and military bigwigs, and teams up with Hunt to rescue Virgil before it’s too late.

Produced by the team behind “WarGames” and starring that film’s lead Matthew Broderick, this 1987 flick from director Jonathan Kaplan (“Truck Turner”, “The Accused”) isn’t the smoothest blend of teen-centric adventure, nuclear disaster flick, secret government experiment flick, and animal conservationism. It has also been branded with (frankly murky, if not dubious) claims of animal cruelty on set that might make the film a tough watch for some people. For me, I fondly remember this film from my childhood, and even seeing it in 2013, I still kinda like it. I love chimpanzees, I love “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, and I was pretty entertained by the film.

Written by Stanley Weiser (“Wall Street”, “W.”), it has certainly aged better than the ‘WWIII for teens’ flick “WarGames”, that’s for sure and is a perfectly fine B-movie. The best scenes are clearly those featuring Broderick and the chimps. They really are remarkable, human-esque creatures, so expressive and fun to watch (I hear that they’re a nightmare to work with, however). So long as you don’t let the accusations of abuse (and the unfortunate deaths of a couple of the chimps during filming) get to you, I think it’s quite a good film for teens and chimp lovers everywhere.

Broderick is ideal, Helen Hunt has in my opinion one of her only good roles, and the chimps are real scene-stealers. Willie, in particular, is remarkably expressive as Virgil, and I believe he’s still alive to this very day. I honestly believed he was deep in thought in some scenes, and the chimps are so good here I reckon they could’ve had more emphasis in the story. That’s how good I think they are. No Andy Serkis, motion capture, and unconvincing CGI needed if you ask me. The underrated William Sadler is perfectly fine too, though his very casting does make things a wee bit obvious, don’t you think? I mean, it’s basically the kind of thing J.T. Walsh was usually hired for, and Sadler’s presence is perhaps even more unfriendly on-screen than the late Walsh. By the way, does anyone else think if you reset the story in a police precinct and replaced Broderick with Al Pacino you’d have yourself a police corruption film? I swear that’s what was going on in my mind during the film.

If there’s a problem with the film, it’s that it makes chimpanzees look like docile, loveable pets. Based on what I’ve read and heard, they’re a real pain in the arse, and have a great deal of strength that can cause problems when they are in a mood.

Overall, though, the film is an interesting and entertaining blend of government conspiracy and social conscience. Excellent music score by James Horner (“Battle Beyond the Stars”, “Red Heat”, “Braveheart”) is another major asset of this persuasive, if somewhat clichéd film.

 

Rating: B-