Now, I've never read
the book, but I understand the film adaption is a bit different--making the age of death 30, instead of 21. It seems to be more a logistical than an ideological consideration--the cast members could never in their wildest dreams pass for being under 21. Okay, I have to concede that the special effects are extremely dated (the 1970s explosions and city miniatures are laughable by today's standards), and sometimes the plot moves at a snail pace, but the reality the characters face, the kind of society they live in, is so markedly different from ours (and yet, in some ways, very similar to ours), that seeing the characters explore humanity and the world "outside" is fascinating. Oh, and Jenny Agutter is great eye candy.
--A.Y.