Originally Posted by soundstory:
“It's one of those films, that if Paramount hadn't fired Michael Mann due to going over budget, might be his masterpiece.”
No, his masterpiece was on before it - Heat.
You can sometimes understand when studios intervene on their investment: to stop even more money being wasted on such terrible films, presumably. And I too doubt any amount of additional material could salvage this wreck.
I suppose its bizarrely heightened status is down to the usual suspects - those who get all misty-eyed over the whole eighties 'sci-fi/horror/fantasy' thing and allow sentimentality too much leeway. Once in a while they dig up a gem, but poring and fawning over ropey old twaddle seems to be the default setting.