Enemy Mine

PG-13

1985

1h 48m

Sci-Fi

List

59%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

During a war between humans and the reptilian Drac race, spaceship pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) ends up stranded on an alien world, along with enemy fighter Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.). While both Willis and his Drac counterpart can breathe on the planet, the environment and its creatures are relatively hostile, forcing the two to work together to survive. As time goes by, Willis and Jeriba become unlikely friends, though their unique relationship faces considerable challenges.

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Critics Consensus

Enemy Mine extracts thrilling sci-fi pulp from Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr.'s chemistry and inventive production design, but an overextended story diminishes the power of its central duo's relationship.

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Summer S

A memorable movie treat, emphasising the story more than the effects. Barry Brookes Longyear's novella probably makes a parallel that touches the USSR/US Cold War reality which made it popular in the Soviet bloc. I also watched it as a child from the socialist bloc of Eastern Europe perspective. I could feel the messianic message of the final scene, both hopeful and inspiring. The relatively low percentage here, vs a cult following in the East is attributable, IMHO to the West/East values differently emphasised in 1985. I love it for the humanistic, and partly Christian, but mostly universalistic message and the energy with which young Dennis Quaid delivered it. It is yet another underappreciated Gem.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/10/24

Full Review

Dawn W

This movie is a classic. Must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

Captain A

Great story telling between cultures. I haven't seen this movie in over a decade and its still a great film. Definitely a must watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/24

Full Review

larrykohut L

Enemy mine is a sci Fi film about a group of humans fighting against some aliens called braks. One day the ship crashes and everyone on the ship dies except for 1 human played by Dennis Quaid. And he meets another alien but shortly after realizing how dangerous it is on his own he becomes friends with the alien . Then they find ways to survive and fight off the humans and aliens . This movie is visually stunning even for 1985 . It's very impressive to see what they pulled off for a sci Fi film. Movie has some good action sequences and is entertaining . A pretty good movie if you like scienceing humans fiction. But not on the same level as star wars . 3 out of 5 stars Parents guide/ Christian perspective Violence : lots of explosions aliens fight human . Alien nearly takes of the main characters leg but is saved by another alien . A man shoots another man with a ray gun and then the man dies by falling into a lava pool. Language : 1 mis use of gods name in vain for Christ sakes is said once . S word said a few times and one or two b words said . Hell said once or twice. Sex none Drugs none Nudity none.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/18/23

Full Review

Sean P

Awesome movie. Practical effects are really good for its time. Good buddy movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/18/23

Full Review

Taylor L

Well-intentioned but kind of sloppy. The premise is pretty nice - a human and an alien, at war with one another, find themselves stranded together on a hostile planet and must work together to survive. But it's been done plenty of times before, the ideas of "we're not so different you and I", the focused military guy realizing that his cause may not have been righteous all along. Plenty of Westerns have worked with the same material before, plus more realistic characters and the benefit of more than a century of nonfiction hindsight. The visual effects and the performances of the two leads (Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr.) are high points, and the script manages to sell their friendship as something more than just a generic coming-to-terms (Gossett in particular doesn't have a lot of name recognition for an actor with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and a leading man Emmy), but once the latter makes his exit stage left, the film devolves into a pretty dry action finale that doesn't live up to the promise of the film's first half. Plenty of clichés that sink what could be a really good premise with a different approach. One fascinating standout scene is the space station funeral. There's a sincere prayer being read, a wreath launched into space, but then a record scratch and we cut inside; there's a conveyor belt of wrapped corpses, stacks of identical wreaths, and a console to play prerecorded funeral services staffed by two bored technicians. It's a great moment in a film that is otherwise relatively predictable in its worldbuilding. (2.5/5)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

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Wolfgang Petersen

Director

Dennis Quaid

Willis Davidge

Louis Gossett Jr.

Jeriba "Jerry" Shigan

Brion James

Stubbs

Richard Marcus

Arnold

Carolyn McCormick

Morse

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Vicki Sanders

Miami Herald

Enemy Mine may be peculiar in tone, but it is good-tempered and a fantasy worth having.

May 25, 2023

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Underappreciated gem with magnificent performances.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 24, 2002

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

It depends on plot gimmicks like the convenient arrival of enemies and the equally convenient arrival of friends to the rescue. It doesn't dare enough.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Bob Ross

Tampa Tribune

As long as Quaid and Gossett are the only actors on screen, Enemy Mine is merely average. But later on, additional characters arrive to demolish any pretense of credibility or sophistication.

Rated: 1.5/4

May 25, 2023

Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

Like the all-too-aptly named Neverending Story, this is a leaden, constipated fantasy.

May 25, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The makeup effects aren't exceptional, the starships are a bit clunky, and the designs of rodent fauna are stiff and uninspired.

Rated: 6/10

Sep 6, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

During a war between humans and the reptilian Drac race, spaceship pilot Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid) ends up stranded on an alien world, along with enemy fighter Jeriba Shigan (Louis Gossett Jr.). While both Willis and his Drac counterpart can breathe on the planet, the environment and its creatures are relatively hostile, forcing the two to work together to survive. As time goes by, Willis and Jeriba become unlikely friends, though their unique relationship faces considerable challenges.

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Production Co: Bavaria Film, Twentieth Century Fox, SLM Production Group, Kings Road Entertainment
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.3M
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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