Was excited to see someone do another Heinlein novel. Since his books are about the people in the story using the science fiction as a way to get into them, the filmmaker did that here. The characters were believable and have a dramatic appeal. The novel delves deeper into the love triangle of the 3 initial business owners yet you get a bit of it here. The story is all there and I enjoyed th movie.
22 Reviews
Live on a re-written future!
soeprijo195 January 2022
Many movies revolve around romance and time travel, and this one is following that genre. The first 30 minutes actually was quite interesting, but somehow it went downhill after that. Lack of tension and also maybe lack of villains, perhaps?!
The difficulty of making a good movie with all the known outcomes is the lack of suspense. The scriptwriters should know that, the director too, but this movie was allowed just to roll by after it's all been figured out in just the first 60 minutes. Even a twist at the end of the film doesn't help much.
Mediocre 6/10.
The difficulty of making a good movie with all the known outcomes is the lack of suspense. The scriptwriters should know that, the director too, but this movie was allowed just to roll by after it's all been figured out in just the first 60 minutes. Even a twist at the end of the film doesn't help much.
Mediocre 6/10.
It was an 8+ rating material till the second cold sleep
naren-reviews3 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I didn't know there was a novel book. The movie kept me engaged until the plot holes started showing up at the end...
1. Time travel: Soichiro travelled to the past, did some work and was going for cold sleep again... then what about the one actually from the past going for cold sleep. Won't they both turn-up in future and the other one going on a loop and brining more Soichiro in the future?
2. Cold Sleep: Riko went to cold sleep 10 years after Soichiro, how come both of them woke up at the same time? Is she not supposed to wake 10 years after he wakes up?
3. Funding: How professor Toi knew that Soichiro funded his research and The Guardian CEO knows Soichiro from the past already (before it even happened)...? This proves that, one of Soichiro's version is running on a time loop... then in that case, there must be multiple Soichiro turning up in the future (2025).
The movie lags behind highly on time travel logic and concepts.
1. Time travel: Soichiro travelled to the past, did some work and was going for cold sleep again... then what about the one actually from the past going for cold sleep. Won't they both turn-up in future and the other one going on a loop and brining more Soichiro in the future?
2. Cold Sleep: Riko went to cold sleep 10 years after Soichiro, how come both of them woke up at the same time? Is she not supposed to wake 10 years after he wakes up?
3. Funding: How professor Toi knew that Soichiro funded his research and The Guardian CEO knows Soichiro from the past already (before it even happened)...? This proves that, one of Soichiro's version is running on a time loop... then in that case, there must be multiple Soichiro turning up in the future (2025).
The movie lags behind highly on time travel logic and concepts.
Exciting premise but didn't have smooth narrative
witra_as25 February 2022
Got exciting premise for sci-fi J-drama. Too bad Takahiro Miki didn't provide smooth narrative to make compelling present/future twists and turns. Both Pete, cat and humanoid stole the show, even more than Yamazaki & Kiyohara's 'barely there' chemistry.
Excellent adaptation - but missing an important scene.
zarsoft4 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie should be called: Back to the Past.
And it should have been directed by Robert Zemeckis.
It's a shame the Americans didn't make this movie. But probably Hollywood would have ruined the book.
Here's the important missing scene:
He shoved his 11ps out and looked judicial. "Our instructions for this client do not read to wake her today." "No?" I felt disappointed and hurt. "No. Her exact wishes are as follows: instead of necessarily being waked today, she wished not to be waked at all until you showed up." He looked me over and smiled. "You must have a heart of gold. I can't account for it on your beauty." I sighed. "Thanks, Doctor." "You can wait in the lobby or come back. We won't need you for a couple of hours."
It's a shame the Americans didn't make this movie. But probably Hollywood would have ruined the book.
Here's the important missing scene:
He shoved his 11ps out and looked judicial. "Our instructions for this client do not read to wake her today." "No?" I felt disappointed and hurt. "No. Her exact wishes are as follows: instead of necessarily being waked today, she wished not to be waked at all until you showed up." He looked me over and smiled. "You must have a heart of gold. I can't account for it on your beauty." I sighed. "Thanks, Doctor." "You can wait in the lobby or come back. We won't need you for a couple of hours."
As perfect as it gets
peter-112-447571 January 2022
I am the founder of the 2007 Heinlein Centennial convention, so not a casual fan. And I'm aware of how much reverence fans have for the novel. This adaptation is simply ideal. The love and respect for the original glow from the screen; you'll even recognize everything about Pete the cat. Every change is thoughtful, necessary, and makes the heart of the original shine even further. The creators of this work are clearly Heinlein fans of the first order and they have made a work he would be proud of.
Sigh
JBest5760428 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If you've been waiting for a truly decent adaptation of a classic Heinlein novel, you'll have to wait a bit longer. Netflix's newly-released take on "The Door Into Summer" is another sad botch job, taking what was a thoughtful and interesting (though incestuous) novel and turning it into a goofy romantic/comedic/high-schoolish mess.
A few problems with this film:
1) Actors who look to actually be in high school and whose talent shows it.
2) Changes to the plot (probably to keep the production costs to a minimum) that end up ruining the story. Rather than being set in 1970 and 2000, it's set in 1995 and 2025. The problem here is that the protagonist is a roboticist who's created household robots that don't yet exist and is put into commercial cryosleep, a process that also doesn't exist. These plot devices worked for a novel written in 1957, where 1970 and 2000 were both in the future, but not a movie made in 2021. I suspect this was all done, again, to keep costs down, but it makes the story nonsensical.
3) The addition of the character Android Pete. Done, I would guess, because the original novel is largely a one-person show, but the addition of Pete changes the protagonist from a solitary, independent thinker/actor into a wide-eyed goofy doofus. They also blew most of the special effects budget on Pete's 'open the chest and see the cool glowing battery' scene.
4) The dialogue straight out of anime. At times it literally caused me pain.
5) The rest you can find for yourself. You'll probably be hitting the forward 10 seconds button quite a bit because the movie is leaden-paced.
Someday, someone may create a film adaptation of Heinlein that's worth watching. He certainly wrote enough novels that would make excellent movies. Any of his juveniles, for instance. Or a version of "Starship Troopers" that actually follows the novel and doesn't turn it into a ridiculous farce. Probably not "Stranger in a Strange Land", for obvious reasons. Maybe there's a parallel universe where "Tunnel in the Sky" or "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" exist as film classics. I like to think so, because Heinlen's works deserve better than they've seen in this universe.
At least they didn't make this one into a series...
A few problems with this film:
1) Actors who look to actually be in high school and whose talent shows it.
2) Changes to the plot (probably to keep the production costs to a minimum) that end up ruining the story. Rather than being set in 1970 and 2000, it's set in 1995 and 2025. The problem here is that the protagonist is a roboticist who's created household robots that don't yet exist and is put into commercial cryosleep, a process that also doesn't exist. These plot devices worked for a novel written in 1957, where 1970 and 2000 were both in the future, but not a movie made in 2021. I suspect this was all done, again, to keep costs down, but it makes the story nonsensical.
3) The addition of the character Android Pete. Done, I would guess, because the original novel is largely a one-person show, but the addition of Pete changes the protagonist from a solitary, independent thinker/actor into a wide-eyed goofy doofus. They also blew most of the special effects budget on Pete's 'open the chest and see the cool glowing battery' scene.
4) The dialogue straight out of anime. At times it literally caused me pain.
5) The rest you can find for yourself. You'll probably be hitting the forward 10 seconds button quite a bit because the movie is leaden-paced.
Someday, someone may create a film adaptation of Heinlein that's worth watching. He certainly wrote enough novels that would make excellent movies. Any of his juveniles, for instance. Or a version of "Starship Troopers" that actually follows the novel and doesn't turn it into a ridiculous farce. Probably not "Stranger in a Strange Land", for obvious reasons. Maybe there's a parallel universe where "Tunnel in the Sky" or "Have Spacesuit Will Travel" exist as film classics. I like to think so, because Heinlen's works deserve better than they've seen in this universe.
At least they didn't make this one into a series...
Wonderful Adaptation!
roughridersfan-5009823 January 2022
This book is one of my favourite Heinlein stories.
While not a 100% rendition of the original novel, this movie embraces the heart and soul of RAH's book.
It's an amazing emotional experience to see RAH's characters brought to life and even if with the story modifications, I loved what they did with this.
Top shelf and a massive THANK YOU to the honourable people who made this movie!
While not a 100% rendition of the original novel, this movie embraces the heart and soul of RAH's book.
It's an amazing emotional experience to see RAH's characters brought to life and even if with the story modifications, I loved what they did with this.
Top shelf and a massive THANK YOU to the honourable people who made this movie!
Just skip
T-xoo30 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Don't even try to watch unless you like the actor and the main actress pretty faces.
A back in time movie where the story is interesting but rushed into a film that is uninteresting. The film is just one of the stupidest back in time movie you'll ever watch.
This should have been a Netflix series to work properly the story. Instead, this is just a super long movie full of holes and nonsenses.
Here some points:
This goes on and on. The movie is just disappointing. Skip...
A back in time movie where the story is interesting but rushed into a film that is uninteresting. The film is just one of the stupidest back in time movie you'll ever watch.
This should have been a Netflix series to work properly the story. Instead, this is just a super long movie full of holes and nonsenses.
Here some points:
- going back in the past to save Riko is a noble cause, nothing wrong here. But the fact that when Soichiro and Pete were in the past and met Sato, the dude just believed everything that was said to him. I guess the fact that they made the hero K. O. here allows to skip some scenes and how Pete got Sato to agree.
- the professor Toi accepted the funds for his research for whatever reason. I guess some people will just accept money and don't question anything. Furthermore in the future, it is revealed that he himself funded his research. And that part was not mentioned to him from the past. So how is he supposed to know? While when Soichiro meets him, he said he's funding Toi's research...
- going into cold sleep a 2nd time doesn't make sense. Soichiro from the past is supposed to go into cold sleep. So Soichiro from the future didn't need to go cold sleep again. He could have lived the 30 years peacefully as someone else (to avoid his ex) in the past with Riko, like captain America (one is asleep and one is living his life). But no, he decides to go back to sleep. No one at the clinic question why there are 2 soichiro in the records?. Also wasn't his dream to be an inventor? I guess not...
This goes on and on. The movie is just disappointing. Skip...
Favorite book
pollyjk-15-9974891 January 2022
The Door into Summer has been a favorite book of mine for many years. When I found out they had done an adaptation, I've been waiting for it to come to the USA. It did not disappoint. I do recognize that if you haven't read the book, you may be confused. And key plots were changed to fit into a 2 hour story. But I loved that they pulled dialogue straight from the book. Loved that Pete the cat's greatest moment was in the film. If you're a Heinlein fan, I definitely recommend it.
Deeply amateurish, gibberish plot focused on stock ownership, and worse.
Pawpcorn16 January 2022
OMG I really wanted to like this movie, but... like I said above,
the acting, sets, plot, script and more was just so very disappointing.
Getting bogged down in so many details of STOCK OWNERSHIP mid way... was just a challenge to try and stick with watching this movie to the end.
I could go on, but.. you get my point.
Getting bogged down in so many details of STOCK OWNERSHIP mid way... was just a challenge to try and stick with watching this movie to the end.
I could go on, but.. you get my point.
Excellent adaption
ghatbkk29 December 2021
A badly acted bit of a jumble
mrglenngrant29 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
My high hopes for this film were dashed pretty early on with the style and the acting ... both of which I thought were pretty poor.
The story was clunky and it took a long time for the time-travel element to kick in ... so the first third of the movie was very slow.
Riko was a bit creepy in her lusting after Soichiro. Then her waiting 10 years and then cold-sleeping was wonderfully convenient in terms of their age difference ... yawn. I also thought the rest of the main performances were pretty off-the-shelf stereotypical baddie.
I had to look up an explanation of the double-Soichiro aspect of the movie ... cos that wasn't adequately explained in my opinion. Never a great sign when having to google for explanations.
44/100.
The story was clunky and it took a long time for the time-travel element to kick in ... so the first third of the movie was very slow.
Riko was a bit creepy in her lusting after Soichiro. Then her waiting 10 years and then cold-sleeping was wonderfully convenient in terms of their age difference ... yawn. I also thought the rest of the main performances were pretty off-the-shelf stereotypical baddie.
I had to look up an explanation of the double-Soichiro aspect of the movie ... cos that wasn't adequately explained in my opinion. Never a great sign when having to google for explanations.
44/100.
Simply amazing
ilyatsaryuk2 January 2022
I'm a huge fan of the novel and I was a bit skeptical after reading some negative reviews from acclaimed "critics". After the first 20 minutes of the movie I realized that sci-fi adaptations have a chance...in Japan. Hollywood lost it and I no longer waiting for any good adaptations from them. But Japan is a totally different story, they pleased my heart and soul with this adaptation, truly perfect. They changed some things to fit the story but I like these changes, organic and logical. People who think that the movie is boring should watch another crappy Hollywood adaptation, for the rest of us I hope Japan will deliver more good movies.
Not Good Enough
PennyReviews28 November 2023
Japanese Movie '' The Door Into Summer '' is the adaption of the novel by the same title. The story is a sci fi drama about time traveling and family.
And even though the story is interesting, the length of the drama didn't allow it to fully develop. Thus, it felt like watching a sequence of events that followed one another like a highlight read rather than a smooth progress. Also, some themes weren't handled nicely enough.
The cat, on the other hand, was cute. And the performances by every actor and actress of the cast was enjoyable.
So, overall, four out of ten. The length was its worst enemy unfortunately.
And even though the story is interesting, the length of the drama didn't allow it to fully develop. Thus, it felt like watching a sequence of events that followed one another like a highlight read rather than a smooth progress. Also, some themes weren't handled nicely enough.
The cat, on the other hand, was cute. And the performances by every actor and actress of the cast was enjoyable.
So, overall, four out of ten. The length was its worst enemy unfortunately.
It says "Enter"
oaksong15 February 2022
I've been a Heinlein fan for decades. That's not required. This is a beautifully made rendering of the book. Of course it has a Japanese vibe, and that doesn't hurt. It brilliantly captures the humor and both cat Pete and the other are spot on. Watched it subbed on Netflix.
Great interception and update of the book.
wmmbrown22 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As someone who read the book in the late 1960's as a teenager and who has reread it many times over the years, I feel that the update of " The Door Into Summer" was excellently done. I have read all of Heinlein's books many tines over the last 50 years as well as many other SF and fantasy books. Heinlein's stories were never complex although they did require the reader to view things from a very different perspective.
The stock ownership was the key to Soichiro and Rita's future and the revenge on his double-dealing partner and ex-girlfriend. His actions on retuning to 1995, enabled him to demolish the former company and establish a company that owned the robot patents and the patent for the plasma battery. This placed him and Rito in a future of success and happiness. The stock ownership was key all the way through the story, just as it was in the book.
As someone who has multiple degrees including an MBA, and dealt with stock, bonds and contracts for 50 years, there is NO gibberish here.
Heinlein would have been very pleased with the update of his story and it's successful film interpretation.
WMB, BS, MD, FACC, MBA.
The stock ownership was the key to Soichiro and Rita's future and the revenge on his double-dealing partner and ex-girlfriend. His actions on retuning to 1995, enabled him to demolish the former company and establish a company that owned the robot patents and the patent for the plasma battery. This placed him and Rito in a future of success and happiness. The stock ownership was key all the way through the story, just as it was in the book.
As someone who has multiple degrees including an MBA, and dealt with stock, bonds and contracts for 50 years, there is NO gibberish here.
Heinlein would have been very pleased with the update of his story and it's successful film interpretation.
WMB, BS, MD, FACC, MBA.
Good movie
martinegale26 January 2022
Heinlein revisited
fratelligiuseppe-2024323 January 2022
Good adaptation of this famous sci-fi novel, a good stepping stone for those who are interested in sci-fi, and have not read the book, (shame on you), read to book and you will see the movie with a different prospective. Enjoy.
Sweet, undemanding Sci Fi Lite
Equuleus788 March 2022
I didn't have any great expectations for this movie, but I'd seen Alice in Borderland and thought Kento Yamazaki was pretty good so I thought I'd give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised. The plot is a tad woolly at times but the characters are really well drawn and the romance (such as it was, this has even less hand holding than your average shy boy k-drama) was quietly moving. The charisma of the movie falls entirely on Yamazaki's shoulders and he's up to the task, plus there's an adorable robot and a CAT. All boxes ticked, thank you Japan.
Excellent
Chuck_EM15 August 2022
I haven't read the book, but this the screenplay is masterful. Usually with these types of films I can guess far in advance what's going to happen, but this one actually kept me guessing for a while. It was very enjoyable. The pace was great and kept the story moving. It's not too often that a good book translates into a good movie, but they did a really good job on this one. The characters were written well and also acted extremely well.
well-done rendering of a wonderful story
tiedyeguy-130 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
People always say, "The movie wasn't as good as the book." Well, this is the exception to that rule. They took a really good book and actually made it better! The original Heinlein novel had a couple flaws, and this movie fixes those flaws, while leaving all the essential elements of the story intact.
The novel includes personal robots marketed in 1970, and antigravity in 2000. The movie pushes personal robots back to 1995, and gets rid of antigravity altogether. The novel has an 11-year-old Ricky in love with the 30-something protagonist (creepy) but the movie makes Riko 17 years old (not as creepy).
It's a wonderful story about perseverance and hope. It's a lesson about not giving up, taught to us by the real hero of the story: a cat named Pete. This is about as close to a perfect movie as anyone could wish for. I just wish I spoke Japanese so I wouldn't need the subtitles.
Spoiler alert: I thought it was a little campy to include a robot which is so humanoid that it can pass for human, in the year 2025. It's a well-worn sci-fi trope, seen everywhere from Westworld, to Austin Powers, to Battlestar Galactica. But I'll forgive this indulgence because it provides a little comedy.
The novel includes personal robots marketed in 1970, and antigravity in 2000. The movie pushes personal robots back to 1995, and gets rid of antigravity altogether. The novel has an 11-year-old Ricky in love with the 30-something protagonist (creepy) but the movie makes Riko 17 years old (not as creepy).
It's a wonderful story about perseverance and hope. It's a lesson about not giving up, taught to us by the real hero of the story: a cat named Pete. This is about as close to a perfect movie as anyone could wish for. I just wish I spoke Japanese so I wouldn't need the subtitles.
Spoiler alert: I thought it was a little campy to include a robot which is so humanoid that it can pass for human, in the year 2025. It's a well-worn sci-fi trope, seen everywhere from Westworld, to Austin Powers, to Battlestar Galactica. But I'll forgive this indulgence because it provides a little comedy.
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