D.A.R.Y.L. Directed by Simon Wincer; written by David Ambrose, Allan Scott and Jeffrey Ellis; produced by John Heyman for Paramount. Starring Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt and Michael McKean. Rated PG (a very little childish bad language).
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D.A.R.Y.L. is enjoyable family entertainment. It takes its improbable premise quite seriously, making the flaws in the idea not too apparent until after the final credits. Most viewers will like its blend of high-tech razzle-dazzle and down-home family feeling.
The movie starts with a bang. After a car-helicopter chase down a twisting mountain road, Daryl (aged 10 or so) is found alone in the woods, with no memory of his past. The pace of D.A.R.Y.L. slows considerably after this opening. Daryl spends some time in a children's shelter before being fostered to Joyce (Hurt) and Andy (McKean).
Daryl and his new "parents" become quite attached to each other. But it's obvious that Daryl isn't exactly normal. His skill with everything from video games to baseball to the piano astonishes everyone, but not so much as his considerate attitude and good manners. Very unusual in a child of this age.
Just how unusual Daryl is, we find out only after his supposed real parents find him and take him home. Home being a top-secret military research installation. Further description of the plot would spoil some nice surprises. But I can say that the army brass are definitely the bad guys here, and Daryl has to use all his superior abilities to escape their clutches.
Oliver as Daryl is the center of almost every scene and he does a creditable job. He's a bit better as Daryl the exceptional child than as Daryl the real boy. But that's just as well, since he doesn't have to act like a real kid too often. The other youngsters in the cast (Daniel Bryan Corkill and Amy Linker) are the normal ones and they give realistic, appealing portrayals.
Hurt and McKean play perfect parents: loving, approachable and fun. As such, their characters are fairly one-dimensional. But they handle that one dimension very well. No time is wasted in gathering audience support for this likeable pair; it comes automatically.
The villains in the piece are equally simplified, for the most part. But Josef Sommer, especially, as one of the army's scientists, at least gets to show a change of heart. That's more than his recent characters, almost all evil bureaucratic types (in Witness, Silkwood, and Iceman) have been allowed.
Younger children might get a little restless watching D.A.R.Y.L. , since there's little obvious action for some long stretches. And there are some thorny philosophical and ethical ideas in the movie (which I can't go into without spoiling certain plot developments). Little ones won't be able to get much out of this aspect of the movie; it may even prove confusing.
Another minor warning, for adults this time, is that the story really is preposterous. Some of the logical flaws are just glossed over, and some background information isn't explained fully. But unless you're bothered excessively by such things, you'll still enjoy taking the kids to see D.A.R.Y.L.
July 3, 1985