Flicks of Shame: what's a nice actor like you doing in a movie like this?

Prototype (1983)

One of Hollywood’s most dependable character actors, David Morse’s bulky frame and hangdog expression has been put to good use with major roles in blockbusters like The Rock, Twelve Monkeys, The Negotiator, Contact, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Green Mile and Proof of Life. Or you may know him from artsier fare, such as The Crossing Guard, Dancer in the Dark or Down in the Valley. Either way, we’re talking about a guy who has worked with anyone who’s anyone in Hollywood: Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Jodie Foster…the list goes on. Rare is the A-list star who hasn’t been backed up by David Morse at one point or another.

But before he became the go-to guy for everyman heroes and villains, Morse paid his rent in a string of TV movies and mini-series, including this early entry – which earns special points for being one of the most polite and unassuming spins on the Frankenstein story ever commited to film.

The 30-year-old Morse, in only his fifth screen appearance, stars as the prototype of the title - an advanced humanoid robot called Michael Smith. His creator is Dr. Carl Forrester, a curmudgeonly Nobel Prize winner played with grumpy aplomb by Christopher Plummer. Forrester is one of those arrogant scientists who refuses to do anything his boss asks, to the extent that he takes Michael shopping – and even brings him home for dinner – in his attempts to gauge how successfully he and his team have managed to mimic the human animal.

Reasonably well, is the answer. The baby-faced Morse, a far cry from the rather more craggy visage that made him successful, plays Michael as a softly-spoken manchild, given to gushing enthusiastically about how amazing a toy train set is, or pondering whimsically on the beauty of the laws of mathematics. Clad in a white turtleneck and a pair of beige slacks worn dorkishly above the waist, his robotic waddle and alarming unblinking gaze combine to give the impression of a mentally troubled young man who is still dressed by his mother. Despite this, everyone in the movie apparently finds the rather creepy Michael utterly charming.

Unfortunately, the Pentagon isn’t in the habit of funding advanced androids so that they can deliver fluffy puppies to sad orphans, and when the military brass arrive to take him away to be trained as an assassin, Dr Forrester flips his lid. After a lot of stern arguments, he swipes Michael in the dead of night and absconds to the small town where he used to teach – and where he first developed the theories that would lead to Michael’s creation.

There’s some sentimental bonding between creation and creator, as the machine inevitably discovers emotions and begins to question his purpose. As the military closes in, Michael decides to set destroy himself rather than force his “father” to give up his freedom.

To be fair, Prototype is far from a bad movie. It’s just far too nice to truly engage. Michael is nice and polite. Dr Forrester is grumpy, but always apologizes for his temper. Even the military brass are unstintingly pleasant in their timid pursuit of the fugitives – asking nicely for vital information and meekly leaving Forrester’s home when his wife asks them to. When they finally do track down Michael and Forrester, do they surround them and refuse to budge until they’re in custody. No. They agree to meet Forrester for a chat at a nearby coffee shop instead. As such, despite some sterling work by Plummer and a solid (if creepy) turn by the young David Morse, there’s absolutely no sense of urgency or threat to anything that happens. It’s kind of cute, but certainly not the shattering modern day Frankenstein it claims to be.

Need to know: Prototype gives us a rare opportunity to see Christopher Plummer as the one being pursued by dodgy government types, rather than being the one doing the pursuing. For movies in which Plummer plays precisely the sort of secret government spook he evades with Michael, see: Martin Landau, Dennis Quaid. Prototype was directed by British director David Greene, a TV movie veteran whose most famous big screen work was the film adaptation of Godspell.

For some rather more explosive fun with a robotic supersoldier see: Adrien Brody. On the other hand, if you prefer your artifical men to be cheekily sexy, see: John Malkovich.

Honourable mentions: David Morse has graced no less than three Stephen King adaptations. The Green Mile and Hearts in Atlantis are both respectable enough but his starring role in the stultifying three-hour King miniseries, The Langoliers, is more than deserving of a mention here, if only because it’s the only place you’ll ever get to see poorly animated CGI meatballs eating an airport. Morse can also be found in the woeful Macauley Culkin psycho-kid shocker The Good Son (see: Elijah Wood).

Availability: Prototype can be found on DVD, where it is blessed with a horrendously misleading Terminator-style cover.

		Prototype (1983) One of Hollywood’s most dependable character actors, David Morse’s bulky frame and hangdog expression has been put to good use with major roles in blockbusters like The Rock, Twelve Monkeys, The Negotiator, Contact, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Green Mile and Proof of Life. Or you may know him from artsier fare, such as The Crossing Guard, Dancer in the Dark or Down in the Valley. Either way, we’re talking about a guy who has worked with anyone who’s anyone in Hollywood: Nicolas Cage, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Jack Nicholson, Tom Hanks, Russell Crowe, Jodie Foster…the list goes on. Rare is the A-list star who hasn’t been backed up by David Morse at one point or another. But before he became the go-to guy for everyman heroes and villains, Morse paid his rent in a string of TV movies and mini-series, including this early entry – which earns special points for being one of the most polite and unassuming spins on the Frankenstein story ever commited to film. The 30-year-old Morse, in only his fifth screen appearance, stars as the prototype of the title - an advanced humanoid robot called Michael Smith. His creator is Dr. Carl Forrester, a curmudgeonly Nobel Prize winner played with grumpy aplomb by Christopher Plummer. Forrester is one of those arrogant scientists who refuses to do anything his boss asks, to the extent that he takes Michael shopping – and even brings him home for dinner – in his attempts to gauge how successfully he and his team have managed to mimic the human animal. Reasonably well, is the answer. The baby-faced Morse, a far cry from the rather more craggy visage that made him successful, plays Michael as a softly-spoken manchild, given to gushing enthusiastically about how amazing a toy train set is, or pondering whimsically on the beauty of the laws of mathematics. Clad in a white turtleneck and a pair of beige slacks worn dorkishly above the waist, his robotic waddle and alarming unblinking gaze combine to give the impression of a mentally troubled young man who is still dressed by his mother. Despite this, everyone in the movie apparently finds the rather creepy Michael utterly charming. Unfortunately, the Pentagon isn’t in the habit of funding advanced androids so that they can deliver fluffy puppies to sad orphans, and when the military brass arrive to take him away to be trained as an assassin, Dr Forrester flips his lid. After a lot of stern arguments, he swipes Michael in the dead of night and absconds to the small town where he used to teach – and where he first developed the theories that would lead to Michael’s creation. There’s some sentimental bonding between creation and creator, as the machine inevitably discovers emotions and begins to question his purpose. As the military closes in, Michael decides to set destroy himself rather than force his “father” to give up his freedom. To be fair, Prototype is far from a bad movie. It’s just far too nice to truly engage. Michael is nice and polite. Dr Forrester is grumpy, but always apologizes for his temper. Even the military brass are unstintingly pleasant in their timid pursuit of the fugitives – asking nicely for vital information and meekly leaving Forrester’s home when his wife asks them to. When they finally do track down Michael and Forrester, do they surround them and refuse to budge until they’re in custody. No. They agree to meet Forrester for a chat at a nearby coffee shop instead. As such, despite some sterling work by Plummer and a solid (if creepy) turn by the young David Morse, there’s absolutely no sense of urgency or threat to anything that happens. It’s kind of cute, but certainly not the shattering modern day Frankenstein it claims to be. Need to know: Prototype gives us a rare opportunity to see Christopher Plummer as the one being pursued by dodgy government types, rather than being the one doing the pursuing. For movies in which Plummer plays precisely the sort of secret government spook he evades with Michael, see: Martin Landau, Dennis Quaid. Prototype was directed by British director David Greene, a TV movie veteran whose most famous big screen work was the film adaptation of Godspell. For some rather more explosive fun with a robotic supersoldier see: Adrien Brody. On the other hand, if you prefer your artifical men to be cheekily sexy, see: John Malkovich. Honourable mentions: David Morse has graced no less than three Stephen King adaptations. The Green Mile and Hearts in Atlantis are both respectable enough but his starring role in the stultifying three-hour King miniseries, The Langoliers, is more than deserving of a mention here, if only because it’s the only place you’ll ever get to see poorly animated CGI meatballs eating an airport. Morse can also be found in the woeful Macauley Culkin psycho-kid shocker The Good Son (see: Elijah Wood). Availability: Prototype can be found on DVD, where it is blessed with a horrendously misleading Terminator-style cover.
Text © 2008 Dan Whitehead. No cut and paste, y'hear? All images remain the property of the offending studios and their reproduction is covered by Fair Use law.