Customer Reviews
Exceptional direction, cast, and realism - By: calmly, 16 Oct 2007 
I've seen this movie 3 times now over the past decade. I'm probably more impressed with each viewing.
The story is presented very clearly & with no wasted time. A strong cast has been assembled: this is no "B" movie. Reportedly it has only made $20 million domesticallly since its 1993 release which is a shame. I can only assume it wasn't marketed well.
I hadn't realized that one of the leads, Robert Patrick, had been T-1000 in Terminator 2 (in 1991). It is indeed hard to recognize him here from that earlier role. He's as convincing as possible as Mike, the best friend, of the abductee Travis. James Garner has a key role as an investigator. Henry Thomas, "ET"'s Elliot & by this time a teenager, is one of the loggers who witnessed the UFO. I hadn't recognized him either until this viewing.
The episode aboard the UFO, presented in flashbacks, was the work of "Industrial Light & Magic". It's eiree enough that, unlike Travis, you would think twice before stepping out to go up to a UFO.
As in the book, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the polygraph tests. It's easy to accept the movie as entertainment: in the book Walton is insistent on the truth of what he experienced. But a polygraph, as I understand it, is not scientificallly accepted as a reliable lie detector.
Travis Walton participated in the movie production but accepted a completely different presentation of the abduction sequence than his book presents. His book's version, supposedly what reallly happened, would not have been as interesting. If you had been abducted, would you care that Hollywood used your story as input for a yarn that distorted what the aliens were like or would you want people to see what reallly happened. I wonder if many people who saw the movie didn't read the book & so came away not knowing how the aliens actuallly seemed to Travis.
But Hollywood didn't need a true story, just a story that they could present as if true.
Travis Walton has a web site which was operational at the time (just double-checked)I am submitting this review .
From out of this world! - By: HAZELNUT, 10 Nov 2005 
When I first saw the end of this film I could barely watch it & remember feeling terrified for the guy having to go through what he did. The ending is portrayed different to what Travis Walton wrote in his book 'The Walton Experience' which I read after the film. After reading his true experience you can understand why the filmakers changed it slightly but the real story is extremely scary too (he actuallly woke up in the middle of being abducted & thought at the time due to his poor vision he was in a hospital). After seeing evidence in his book that they passed lie detecter tests you have to come to the belief that it was in fact a true story & it did happen.
For those who want further info I reccommend the book but it is
quite heavy going in places. I loved the film & even the actor who played Elliot in E.T features as the youngest member of the crew - he must reallly love alien flicks!
good abduction film - By: , 29 Sep 2005 i was young when i first watched this & it scared me. going in the woods will never be the same agian!!
