The Ωmega Man

Based on Richard Matheson’s book, The Ωmega Man unfolds in a landscape decimated by a deadly biological attack and follows Charlton Heston’s Neville, presumed to be the last man alive, as he discovers that he might not be the only survivor roaming San Francisco’s barren streets. Filmmaker Boris Sagal, working from a script by John William and Joyce H. Corrington, delivers an erratically-paced yet generally entertaining sci-fi endeavor that benefits from Heston’s commanding, ingratiating performance, and it’s clear, certainly, that The Ωmega Man is at its best during its early emphasis on Neville’s solo exploits. The movie’s midsection, which introduces the zombie-like antagonists (led by Anthony Zerbe’s Matthias), suffers from a somewhat hit-and-miss feel that’s exacerbated by a series of less-than-engrossing sequences, with, especially, most everything involving those aforementioned antagonists contributing heavily to the picture’s uneven atmosphere. It’s clear, then, that The Ωmega Man’s place as a passable bit of 70s sci-fi is due almost entirely to Sagal’s stark visuals and that gripping turn by Heston, and there’s little doubt, as well, that the surprising interracial romance between Neville and a fellow survivor (Rosalind Cash’s Lisa) elevates the movie above its similarly-themed brethren.

**1/2 out of ****