15 Metros de Mulher

OK, so it's a cheesy remake of a camp classic.... But it is all good, harmless fun....

Darryl Hannah stars as the titular character - a wealthy heiress who grows to 50 foot tall after she gets angry. After a freak encounter with aliens, she grows to an enormous size after an argument with her husband (Daniel Baldwin) and her father. It's a perfect remake of the 50's classic, updated to match the current 90's time frame - with big business and big bucks hanging in the balance.

Some argue that another actress could have been cast as the lead, but Darryl was at the height of her popularity during the early 90s and is perfect in this role. Others argue that this b-rated made-for-cable release was a case of her slumming in her career. Either way, this stands as a cheesy remake of the camp b-movie classic...

A definite afternoon cheezer pleaser...

ATTACK OF THE 50 FT. WOMAN (1993-MADE FOR CABLE TV) ** 1/2 Daryl Hannah, Daniel Baldwin, Cristi Conaway, William Windom, Frances Fisher, Paul Benedict. Special effects laden remake of the campy sci-fi classic about a troubled woman whose close encounter with a UFO transforms her into a giantess. Easily head and shoulders above its laughable predecessor, Hannah makes the most of her towering performance in a film that tries to mix feminism with kitsch. She gives Allison Hayes a run for her money in her behemoth bikini. Directed by comedian/"Spinal Tap" star Christopher Guest (too bad he didn't think of this as a vehicle for his wife Jamie Lee Curtis. Yowsa!!)

Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman (1993)

** (out of 4)

Remake of the 1958 cult classic has Darryl Hannah playing a smart woman who constantly allows herself to be taken advantage of. Her father uses her for her money while her no good husband (Daniel Baldwin) is constantly cheating on her with some trash from their town. After an encounter with a spaceship, the wife grows fifty feet and plans on setting everything straight. This isn't a "so bad it's good" movie like the original. It's not really bad but it's not really good either so in the end I must say that the film comes off as a disappointment because there's so much they could have done with the story but in the end they ended up doing very little. The funny side of the actual story could have made a good comedy but the film really comes off as lazy and not trying to get any laughs. The entire movie seems more interested in trying to develop characters and one has to ask themselves why. Do we really want to see the sad Hannah rise up (not that way) and overcome the tragedy in her life? Do we care that her mom was a nut? Why the filmmakers decided to add this type of thing or the shady deals of her father is beyond me but it really takes away from the sci-fi aspects of the film. The special effects are pretty lazy as well as are the performances. Hannah doesn't do too bad of a job but she certainly can't compare to the original film's star. Baldwin adds very little as the jerk husband. There are a few nods to the original film as well as Arkoff and Corman but the film needed a lot more of this and a lot less of the character development.

Of course it is! This is the type of B-movie that you'll enjoy. I didn't expect to see HANNAH in this role. But it was fun in a corny kind of way. Although it is still the classic story just like the original, it is "made for tv." But thats okay because Hannah leads that "glamor blonde bombshell life" that her beauty stops the film from falling apart. (5)

I haven't seen the original; I can imagine that it isn't as feminist as, or at least less overtly so than, this. Guest gets the tone, and this largely delivers what it promises. I know he can direct something hilarious, since I've seen Best in Show; this doesn't have the benefits of a cast full of proved comedic talent, and the writing is inferior, though not without chuckle-inducing moments. There are a couple of lines that are downright quotable. You probably know the plot already; Daniel Baldwin, a bastard merely by virtue of the fact that he's cheating on Darryl Hannah(even if the squeeze he found is also a sight for sore eyes), and several others (all male) talk down to her, and once she begins to grow in size, she attempts to exact vengeance upon them. The FX are cheesy, dated and obvious, and I would wager this was an intentional decision. This is both a spoof and an homage. There is brief suspense. The characters and acting aren't half bad. There is some sexuality(and eye-candy) and brief nudity in this. The DVD comes with a theatrical trailer. I recommend this to fans of the concept. 5/10