IMDb RATING
5.0/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
A terrorist hunter is hired by a scientist to deactivate her android double, a walking, talking, murderous nuclear bomb which has gone amok in the big city and is about to explode.A terrorist hunter is hired by a scientist to deactivate her android double, a walking, talking, murderous nuclear bomb which has gone amok in the big city and is about to explode.A terrorist hunter is hired by a scientist to deactivate her android double, a walking, talking, murderous nuclear bomb which has gone amok in the big city and is about to explode.
Craig Hensley
- Young Man on Train
- (as Craig Oldfather)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe tie in the pivotal opening scene was donated by Jim Belushi, who was originally considered for the role of McQuade, but was forced to drop out due to conflicts with the shooting schedule for Taking Care of Business (1990).
- GoofsThe steering wheel airbag that deploys in the BMW remains completely inflated after deployment, interfering with the driver's ability to steer. Air bags begin to deflate through built-in openings within 1/10th of a second or less after deployment, as they are designed to cushion an impact by decelerating a head and torso.
- Quotes
Colonel Jim McQuade: Well this is quite some toy you have yourselves here gentlemen. I suppose you want me to put it back in its box.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Entertainment Tonight: Episode dated 23 January 1991 (1991)
Featured review
I actually rented this by mistake when I was a kid. I intended to rent Kathleen Turner in V.I. Warshawski and I got mixed up when I saw the blonde yielding the gun on the box. I thought Renee Soutendijk was Kathleen Turner and that Eve of Destruction was what I was after. A happy mistake as the deranged nature of the movie appealed to my 11-year-old sensibilities.
Eve 8 is a surveillance robot designed by Dr. Simmons in her own likeness (apparently sharing a badly-timed cold sore poorly covered in Maybelline at one point) with much of her memories copied over. While on a routine test mission Eve is trapped in a bank robbery and is shot. She promptly wastes the robbers but suffers a malfunction, steals their guns, and runs away. The authorities hire terrorist hunter Colonel McQuade to get her back. While following the trail of corpses they discover that Eve 8 is acting out Dr. Simmons' subconscious desires with increasing aggression, triggering a nuclear timebomb failsafe hidden inside her wiring.
Yes, it's absolute drivel, but it's completely mad and has energy to spare, so it's never a bore. But it's also a wasted concept, for the most part. McQuade, despite being the lead, never really gets any development, instead Eve/Simmons get all the character drama. If they explored Eve more she could have been a sympathetic villain and a meaningful, tragic figure. Renee Soutendijk is fine in the dual role, handling an Uzi with style and conviction and a seemingly infinite ammo clip, but they could have cast someone a bit taller. At 5'3'' Eve is hardly the imposing villain she ought to be.
The supporting cast is pretty good, including Kurt Fuller in a rare non-obnoxious role, and a few more recognizable character actors. The late Gregory Hines is fine as the lead and works quite well as an action hero despite being primarily known for dancing and comedy. Phillippe Sarde also delivers a score that is "just fine" without ever really being memorable. In fact, in many places it feels like an 80s sitcom theme.
It's servicably shot by Bond cinematographer Alan Hume but there's not much atmosphere or visual flair to it, which I will chalk up to music video director Duncan Gibbins failing to find the right aesthetic. He only ever directed two movies, with Eve of Destruction being the second. Had it been shot in higher key and in anamorphic Panavision it would have been slightly less disposable entertainment.
I don't say this very often, but I really do think that Eve of Destruction could do with a remake. The idea is great but the execution here never gets beyond "above average", though it is a fun ride. I freakin' LOVE that title too.
Eve 8 is a surveillance robot designed by Dr. Simmons in her own likeness (apparently sharing a badly-timed cold sore poorly covered in Maybelline at one point) with much of her memories copied over. While on a routine test mission Eve is trapped in a bank robbery and is shot. She promptly wastes the robbers but suffers a malfunction, steals their guns, and runs away. The authorities hire terrorist hunter Colonel McQuade to get her back. While following the trail of corpses they discover that Eve 8 is acting out Dr. Simmons' subconscious desires with increasing aggression, triggering a nuclear timebomb failsafe hidden inside her wiring.
Yes, it's absolute drivel, but it's completely mad and has energy to spare, so it's never a bore. But it's also a wasted concept, for the most part. McQuade, despite being the lead, never really gets any development, instead Eve/Simmons get all the character drama. If they explored Eve more she could have been a sympathetic villain and a meaningful, tragic figure. Renee Soutendijk is fine in the dual role, handling an Uzi with style and conviction and a seemingly infinite ammo clip, but they could have cast someone a bit taller. At 5'3'' Eve is hardly the imposing villain she ought to be.
The supporting cast is pretty good, including Kurt Fuller in a rare non-obnoxious role, and a few more recognizable character actors. The late Gregory Hines is fine as the lead and works quite well as an action hero despite being primarily known for dancing and comedy. Phillippe Sarde also delivers a score that is "just fine" without ever really being memorable. In fact, in many places it feels like an 80s sitcom theme.
It's servicably shot by Bond cinematographer Alan Hume but there's not much atmosphere or visual flair to it, which I will chalk up to music video director Duncan Gibbins failing to find the right aesthetic. He only ever directed two movies, with Eve of Destruction being the second. Had it been shot in higher key and in anamorphic Panavision it would have been slightly less disposable entertainment.
I don't say this very often, but I really do think that Eve of Destruction could do with a remake. The idea is great but the execution here never gets beyond "above average", though it is a fun ride. I freakin' LOVE that title too.
- CuriosityKilledShawn
- Mar 30, 2019
- Permalink
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $13,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,451,119
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,163,024
- Jan 21, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $5,451,119
- Runtime1 hour 39 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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