Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Cherry 2000

Paige: Today we have a movie review!

Monica: Yay! And it's one every doll will appreciate.

Paige: The movie is Cherry 2000, featuring Melanie Griffith and David Andrews. Now don't get us wrong, just because we're doing a review does not mean you should rush out and see this. It's an old, cheesy, grade B movie from 1987. What we love about it, though, is that it features man's love for a synthetic companion as part of the primary story arch.

Monica: Oh don't get all intellectual on us, sis. Just say it as it is. One of the stars is an animated love doll! The point of the story is that she breaks and her owner goes on a quest to find a replacement body for her. How cool is that?

Paige: Well, the ending is typically Hollywood, and it isn't hard to guess that the doll doesn't win the day. When faced with the choice of real vs. synthetic, the man chooses the real girl. No surprise there. And I admit that I'd choose Melanie Griffith any day of the week, too. What did surprise me, though, was that it actually portrayed the man's love of his doll sympathetically.

Monica: Yeah, it wasn't a freakish thing at all. You could understand his frustration with relationships, see exactly what he saw in the doll and why.

Paige: With the world they showed, it was no wonder he wanted to go with a love doll. It was by far the best choice under the circumstances. In a plastic world, the most real thing he could find was something artificial. To find something real he had to step outside of its bounds, venture into the wilderness beyond the veneer of culture to where one's inner nature was bared for all to see. Only then was the choice even possible.

Monica: Wow. I can't believe that came out of your mouth.

Paige: Me neither. Remember, sis, too much school rots the brain. Avoid it at all costs. Let this be a warning to you.

Monica: Yeah, I guess so. Not a problem I'm going to have. Anyway, it's a good, fun flick. Don't expect any academy award winning performances, and there were enough inconsistencies to leave you shaking your head. But if you're interested in dolls and wondering what choice you would make, this is a movie to see.

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