TIME GUARDIAN

Australia, 1987, 87 minutes, Colour.
Tom Burlinson, Dean Stockwell, Nikki Coghill, Carrie Fisher.
Directed by Brian Hannant.

Time Guardian is an Australian contribution to the Star Wars Star Trek movies. It is derivative of Star Wars, and especially the Star Trek series. It seems to have a dash of Dune as well as The Karate Kid.

The film was co-written by the director Brian Hannant and the Australian critic John Baxter. It is surprisingly derivative of the films in the genre.

Tom Burlinson is the star and Nikki Coghill the attractive heroine. Carrie Fisher and Dean Stockwell came from America to contribute their parts - Carrie Fisher well, Dean Stockwell might have phoned in his performance.

There are good special effects and sets contrasting with the use of the Flinders Ranges for the 20th century sequences. There is plenty of stunt work and action, the introduction of aboriginal themes. However, the screenplay is fairly basic in its use of words and drawing of characters. There is a theme song sung by Angry Anderson.

1.The popularity of this kind of science fiction? Star Wars and Star Trek? Derivation from the movies in the genre? Dune, The Karate Kid? And Australian version of Star Wars?

2.The set decoration, the special effects? The city? The futuristic atmosphere? Musical score?

3.The use of South Australian locations, the town, the desert, the ranges? Action? The final song?

4.The film as derivative? Its place in the genre?

5.The information about the future? The city, the neutron wars, humans and their survival, the robot Jindeckis? Battle for control? The visualising of the battles? Defeats? The time line and its energy?

6.Ballard as hero, his fighting, working with Petra and clashes? Entering the city, his contact with his teacher, the traditions? Clashes, council meetings? His macho style, advice? Going to the 20th century?

7.Anne, her geological work, giving the prospector the lift, the discussions, the atmosphere of mystery? The town of Midas? The hostility from Roy? The extraordinary storm? The puzzle, the mountains, the aboriginal drawings and the representation of the future city?

8.Life in the city, its being visualised (in Fritz Lang's Metropolis tradition)? The boss, the situation, Smith and his control, the council and their meetings?

9.Ballard and Petra, his training, their returning to the 20th century? The aborigines and their help? Anne and the Jindecki, rescued by Ballard? Anne learning from Ballard? Helping, the romantic swim? Into town, the truck and the death of the driver? The police suspicions, their being thrown in jail? The escape? Roy and his antagonism, taking the piece of the future machine, his greed, vanishing? The police chief and his fiddling with the bands, bringing the Jindecki? The destruction of the town?

10.The Jindecki's arrival, the fights and destruction, Petra and her dying to save the other two? The arrival of the city, the warriors and the battles?

11.Peace, the destruction of the chief Jindecki, taking out his heart - and the discoveries of his heart as a machine and its control by the leader, the death of the leader? Ballard in charge of the city? Anne with him?

12.Comic strip adventures, the appeal to the imagination, science fiction, clashes between good and evil?