At a missile launching site in the desert, two soldiers, Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent) and Denton (George Peppard) are commanded to fire their nuclear weapons. World War III has begun. Years later, we see they have survived. Tanner is riding crazily through the desert on his motorcycle and it looks as though he's brought a woman survivor back with him, at least that's what it looks like when Denton is looking through his binoculars. Giant scorpions appear and Tanner dumps his companion, which almost causes Denton to shoot him. But it's all a joke-it was simply a mannequin he found in a nearby town.
There's a explosion at this base, so the two-along with a few others like Keegan (Paul Winfield of WRATH OF KHAN) venture out in a huge, tank-like vehicle, which is the coolest thing in the movie (it's the same vehicle they used in the show ARK II). They pick up a woman survivor, an orphan boy (Jackie Earle Haley) and encounter extremely carnivorous cockroaches, asshole humans, and raging electrical storms. The special effects are uneven.
I remember enjoying this when I first saw it as a teenager. However, this is one of those movies that definitely don't hold up over time. It's disappointing if you're looking for nostalgia and disappointing if you're a fan of the original Zelazny novel.
At a missile launching site in the desert, two soldiers, Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent) and Denton (George Peppard) are commanded to fire their nuclear weapons. World War III has begun. Years later, we see they have survived. Tanner is riding crazily through the desert on his motorcycle and it looks as though he's brought a woman survivor back with him, at least that's what it looks like when Denton is looking through his binoculars. Giant scorpions appear and Tanner dumps his companion, which almost causes Denton to shoot him. But it's all a joke-it was simply a mannequin he found in a nearby town.
