Studio: Arrow Video
Release Date: 10/20/2026
Rating: PG
Film Grade: B
The Story: It’s been two years since things went horribly wrong at the Westworld theme park. Since that time, Delos has been vigorously rebuilding things from the ground up. A new failsafe system has been developed to eliminate any potential for another tragedy. Even with such reassurances, attendance at the newly opened parks has been lacking. So, the company has offered the IMC Network an exclusive opportunity to send both a newspaper and a TV reporter as their guests to reassure the public that Roman World, Medieval World, Spa World, and Future World are all perfectly safe.
Reporters Chuck Browning and Tracy Ballard have a rocky past but agree to take the trip to the exotic retreat together. While Ballard is looking for a lighthearted entertainment piece for her massively successful TV show, Browning received a tip hinting that something suspicious may be going on underneath the surface of Delos’ dream retreats.
My Take: Westworld was a surprise hit for MGM so producer Paul N. Lazarus III began working on a sequel. MGM decided to pass on the project and it was later picked up by AIP. Prior writer/director Michael Crichton wasn’t interested in repeating himself so two new writers, Mayo Simon and George Schenck, and director Richard T. Heffron, all primarily known for their TV work, were brought onboard. Simon’s original script was to be a direct continuation of Westworld, but a casting change required a rewrite. Instead of merely rehashing the events of the original under different themes, the movie takes an utterly different direction. Science fiction concepts are used to construct a techno/conspiratorial thriller that adds a completely unexpected element. This change in directions may have thrown off audiences that were looking for more of the same.
I found the genre shift to be refreshing, and particularly interesting in how so many of the underlying elements of the story are still relevant today, if not even more so. It starts with the simple dichotomy between TV journalism and collapsing newspapers, which has only grown in the subsequent decades. They would never have imagined the influence of social media back then, but one can easily extrapolate today’s world from that aspect of the movie. Using two reporters as the protagonists fit perfectly in the Watergate saturated culture.
The other aspect is the rise of AI, robots, and society. What was a fanciful view of the future is closer today than they could have realized. The movie starts with some intentionally lighthearted discussion about sex robots at the resort (nothing too racy; this is a PG film after all), which is closer to reality with each passing year. There’s a segment that introduces a machine that can record brainwaves during sleep and turn them into videos. This is eerily close to current year AI technology that can reconstruct brainwaves to represent what an individual subject is looking at. (Do a web search for Weizmann Institute of Science and mind reading; you’ll be amazed!) And, most disturbingly, the premise of the movie feeds on some of the current AI fears that have been expressed by various people working in the field today.
Of course, it can’t get everything right and there are some misses with regard to both technology and even how it’s implemented. Warning signs are posted for the robots to read. Things like how zero G environments are recreated aren’t explained, but they’re not critical to the plot, becoming easy to forgive. There’s a scene with materialization that happens much to quickly that only serves to add an action scene that isn’t needed, when there were less fantastical ways to achieve the same thrills.
Just like Crichton declined to participate, so did Richard Benjamin, and the only returning cast member from the prior film was Yul Brynner, reprising his role as the Gunslinger. But, just like the theme of this film, his part here is not a rehash and taken in a completely different direction. While unexpected, I’m not sure it worked in the intended way and feels like more of a gimmick than a worthy plot point.
For the new cast, Peter Fonda was brought in to play investigative reporter Browning. His naturally cynical personality is fitting for the skeptical newsman. Blythe Danner gives reporter Ballard an outwardly bubbly appearance that captures a shallow, but successful TV personality. The two move between sparring and working together as the plot develops in a somewhat predictable way. The supporting cast includes the always dependable Arthur Hill as the primary Delos corporate suit, with Stuart Margolin as a dutiful worker that could provide some valuable information along with a measure of comedic relief. Allen Ludden makes a brief appearance as a game show host, setting up the events of the movie. Not surprisingly, given the director, the acting has a bit of a TV movie feel to it. The exception here is some of the background work, such as the subtle but priceless expression of a stodgy socialite that can’t help but overhear a question about robot sex.
What definitely doesn’t feel like a TV movie are some of the sets. Working with NASA, some scenes were shot at the Johnson Space Center, giving it a sense of scale and credibility that would have been well beyond the budget of this movie to build from scratch. There’s a scene set in an anechoic chamber that us audio folks will recognize immediately, but will look futuristic to normies. It also boasts some cutting edge (for the time) computer visualizations that provide a better way of moving the story along rather than having the characters simply talk about it.
Visuals: Like the plot, the movie forgoes the predecessor’s 2.39:1 aspect ratio in favor of 1.85:1. The movie started filming with Westworld cinematographer Gene Polito, but was later turned over to Howard Schwartz to complete (check out the Lazarus interview for details).
The restoration was done by Amazon MGM Studios and is about what you would expect for a fifty-year-old film. Grain is present, thankfully not scrubbed, never distracting but easily evident. Colors are vibrant and contrast is good. Some shots are soft, while others reveal detail, as with clothing texture that you can practically feel. There aren’t many opportunities for the HDR aspect to shine, but that’s the nature of the movie itself.
Audio: Going with the examinations of dissimilarities, this release falls back on a mono soundtrack instead of Westworld’s original four channel stereo. The mix is workman like, with noticeable foley work and uninspiring details. If you listen closely, you’ll hear background sounds that are very similar to Star Trek’s original series. Dialog is always clear and understandable.
In one of the few repeat aspects, Fred Karlin returns to provide the score. The western elements of the first film are abandoned, instead turning to an espionage-like accompaniment with a particularly catchy theme that’s also used for the disc intro.
Special Features: Producer Lazarus passed away last month, so it’s a real treat to have his interview included on this disc. He’s amazingly open about the production of this movie, and doesn’t hold back on any of it. This includes who got fired during filming, how a rival became a lifelong friend, his assessment of the writers and director, and that Peter Fonda ran like a girl. It’s an entertaining interview that gives insight not just to this movie, but what the industry was like back in the later half of the 20th century. I love hearing commentary like this about an era gone by.
The NASA short was produced at the time of the film and provides some additional information. Daniel Kremer’s commentary talks about the script changes, actors, and production details. The accompanying booklet adds even more insight to the background of the movie, an essay on how one of the scientific aspects of the story have been handled in other films, and another on robots/human interactions.
- Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Daniel Kremer
- Future Present, a brand-new video interview with producer Paul N. Lazarus III
- NASA: Science Fact and Fiction, a 1976 behind-the-scenes short film chronicling filming at the Johnson Space Center, presented in high definition for the first time on home video
- Theatrical trailer
- TV and radio spots
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jeff Marshall
- Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Michael Brown, Barry Forshaw and James Rose
Final Verdict: Today’s sequels have an almost uniform sense of familiarity. The same characters (or largely identical substitutes) are placed in a cookie cutter plot that recreates the feel of the original while adding a few bits of original flavor. Westworld doesn’t follow that formula. Building on the concepts of Westworld, it takes the story in a completely different and unexpected direction. Movies that look into the future always put themselves at risk of ridicule when later audiences view them, but this one caught me off guard as to how many of its themes are just as applicable today.
Yes, there are some dated aspects to it; Danner’s portrayal wouldn’t cut it today (we would likely see a male character put into that role) and some of the scientific aspects are still far flung if not implausible. But there are enough other elements to the film that feel timely and offer food for thought that I found it deeper than its predecessor and a more satisfying watch. My wife wasn’t as interested in it and found it more in line with a C+ entry.
While the movie didn’t capture the audience’s attention at the time (listen to Lazarus’ commentary for his assessment as to why), but I found it to be completely enjoyable and can recommend it to fans of speculative fiction with a conspiratorial element. And it’s one that doesn’t depend on rehashing the movie it follows, which is a pattern I’d like to see more of today.
Fun Fact: While most of us have fond memories of the holographic chess scene in the original Star Wars, Futureworld has its own version that predates that iconic scene.
This review was written by a human without the use of AI.My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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