History Film / EnemyMine

* ABoyAndHisX - An Earth soldier and his parthenogenic reptilian alien adopted child.

* [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Creature]] - The Fyrene Pit Fiend appears almost immediately after the crash, and repeatedly menaces both Davidge and Jerry. The turtle-like groundrunner, the Pit Fiend's first victim, also comes in very handly both as food and as a meteor shield.

* HeyItsThatGuy - Brion James as the evil slavedriver. Probably best known as the replicant Leon from ''BladeRunner''.

* ThePowerOfFriendship

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: TerryGilliam was interested in directing but chose to make ''Brazil'' instead.
* In Spanish the Enemy "Mine" confusion / IncrediblyLamePun is non existent, being translated as ''Enemigo Mío'' ("Enemy of Mine") - not unlike ''Amigo mío'' ("My friend" / "Friend of mine") - so the true meaning of the title was kept, for once (we have a ''long'' tradition of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks They Changed The Title, Now It Sucks]]).

* ExecutiveMeddling - The whole "slave mine" aspect is not present in the original story. According to IMDB: "Author Barry Longyear reported at a convention that the studio insisted on adding a subplot involving a mine, thinking the audience would not realize that the "Mine" in the title was a possessive (as in "My Enemy") rather than an object."
** FridgeLogic kicks in when you realize a comma between Enemy and Mine would've solved the problem.

* ExecutiveMeddling - The whole "slave mine" aspect is not present in the original story. According to IMDB: "Author Barry Longyear reported at a convention that the studio insisted on adding a subplot involving a mine, thinking the audience would not realize that the "Mine" in the title was a possessive (as in "My Enemy") rather than an object."

* OneSceneWonder - (Until someone finds a better category.) Louis Gossett Jr. has much less screen time than his position on the cast list might imply. A lot of the movie involves Davidge and Zammis after Jeriba has died.

* {{Disneyfication}}: The ending of the film is much more optimistic than the ultimately happy but rather more cynical ending of the original

* TheGoldenRule: The alien's Bible has a version of the quote. Davidge remarks that the Bible has a similar quote. "Truth is truth."

Then Davidge decides to head out and see if there's any chance of them being rescued, but Jerry won't come with him. A good thing, possibly, as Davidge finds good news in the form of a futuristic [[ProductPlacement Pepsi can]] (evidence that humans have visited the planet) and bad news in the form of a Drac skull (evidence that the humans are illegal strip miners). Once Davidge gets back, he learns that Jerry is pregnant (turns out that Dracs can self-fertilize and have no control over the process). Sadly, something goes awry and Jerry dies in childbirth, so Davidge raises the kid, Zammis (ZAH-mees), by himself.

* EnemyMine - As noted above, not the TropeNamer; [[OlderThanTheyThink the movie was named for the phrase that named the trope]].%% Now let's leave this like this, because if we remove the incorrect information completely it'll just get added back in.

Tropes used:

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* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Davidge never let on that [[{{Disney}} Mickey Mouse]] wasn't really a "great Earthman teacher," meaning he has to fight hard to stifle his laughter when Jerry tries to insult his faith calling Mickey "one big, stupid DOPE!!"
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: After Jerry and Davidge insult each others' "great teachers" (see CrazyCulturalComparison above) during an argument, Davidge apologizes for what he said about Shizumaat, and Jerry apologizes in kind for insulting Mickey.
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Quite a few.
** Jerry crooning Drac philosopy into a Fyrene sunset -- with Davidge listening, and trying to understand. Sadly the moment is interrupted by one of the planet's deadly meteorite storms.
** The passing of Shizumaat's book of wisdom from Jerry to Davidge.
** "Of course we know your Zammis. You are Uncle."
** And of course, the recitation of Zammis' lineage, in flawless Drac, by Davidge on the Drac homeworld.
*** With an added dash of [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming]]; Davidge has tears in his eyes as he listens to Jerry. He may not understand the words (yet), but he understands all the same.
* NightmareFuel - the aforementioned Pit Fiend is incredibly creepy, and is a constant threat even outside their pit traps.
* TearJerker
** The movie does a pretty good job of gut-punching the viewer when [[DeadForReal Jeriba dies]].
** Sadly the scene where Davidge stands and recites Jeriba's entire family line is cut shorter than in the novella, where it really packs a wallop, but still wets some eyes.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Davidge never let on that [[{{Disney}} Mickey Mouse]] wasn't really a "great Earthman teacher," meaning he has to fight hard to stifle his laughter when Jerry tries to insult his faith calling Mickey "one big, stupid DOPE!!"
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming: After Jerry and Davidge insult each others' "great teachers" (see CrazyCulturalComparison above) during an argument, Davidge apologizes for what he said about Shizumaat, and Jerry apologizes in kind for insulting Mickey.
* CrowningMomentOfAwesome: Quite a few.
** Jerry crooning Drac philosopy into a Fyrene sunset -- with Davidge listening, and trying to understand. Sadly the moment is interrupted by one of the planet's deadly meteorite storms.
** The passing of Shizumaat's book of wisdom from Jerry to Davidge.
** "Of course we know your Zammis. You are Uncle."
** And of course, the recitation of Zammis' lineage, in flawless Drac, by Davidge on the Drac homeworld.
*** With an added dash of [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Crowning Moment Of Heartwarming]]; Davidge has tears in his eyes as he listens to Jerry. He may not understand the words (yet), but he understands all the same.

* NightmareFuel - the aforementioned Pit Fiend is incredibly creepy, and is a constant threat even outside their pit traps.

* TearJerker
** The movie does a pretty good job of gut-punching the viewer when [[DeadForReal Jeriba dies]].
** Sadly the scene where Davidge stands and recites Jeriba's entire family line is cut shorter than in the novella, where it really packs a wallop, but still wets some eyes.

* In Spanish the Enemy "Mine" confusion / IncrediblyLamePun is non existent, being translated as ''Enemigo Mío'' ("Enemy of Mine") - not unlike ''Amigo mío'' ("My friend" / "Friend of mine") - so the true meaning of the title was kept, for once (we have a ''long'' tradition of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks They Changed The Title, Now It Sucks]]).

* AdaptationDecay - The "slave mine" part of the story detracts from what is, barring that aspect, a really good adaptation of one of the most respected science fiction novellas ever.

* TroubledProduction: The production began its shoot in Hungary with a different director and a $20 million budget (which was considered lower than the average sci-fi film). After the studio saw the first dailies, production was shut down and the director was let go. After Wolfgang Petersen was hired to replace the first director, the shoot moved to Germany with the budget somehow doubling to $40 million. Quaid and Gossett even got additional pay on their salaries so they would not abandon the production. Needless to say, Fox ended up with a major money loser by the time the was released.

* TrulySingleParent: The drac parental lineage is truly ''linear'', since they are self-fertilizing like some terrestrial plants. In the words of the novella, "Don't tell a drac to boff himself, because he probably will!"

* HeyItsThatGuy - Brion James as the evil slavedriver. Probably best known as the replicant Leon from BladeRunner.

An underrated 1985 Sci-Fi film adapted from a Barry Longyear novella.

* BilingualBackfire - Davidge gets one of these off in the original novella.

* EnemyMine - [[strike: TropeNamer]] As noted above, this is not the TropeNamer, [[OlderThanTheyThink the movie was named for the phrase that named the trope]]. [[{{Natter}} Now let's leave this like this, because if we remove the incorrect information completely it'll just get added back in.]]

* CrazyCulturalComparison - Early in the relationship, Davidge quotes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Jerry thinks he must have learned this from "great Drac teacher, Shizumaat." Davidge responds he learned it from [[{{Disney}} Mickey Mouse]], and Jerry assumes he was a "great Earthman teacher." They also have this with Shizumaat's book that has it's own version of "turn the other cheek" and when Davidge comments on hearing it before, Jerry replies of course, since this is universal truth.

Because Jerry taught Davidge his Drac lineage (something highly treasured in Drac culture), he is able to recite it the elder council on Zammis' home world and formally introduce the young Drac to his own society. In honor of his actions, Willis Davidge's name is added to the Jeriba family line.

* ABoyAndHisX - An Earth soldier and his hermaphroditic reptilian alien adopted child.

* BizarreAlienReproduction: The Drac are hermaphrodites and self-fertilizing. Watching Davidge helping the rather masculine Jeriba have a baby is more then a little surreal.

* CrazyCulturalComparison - Early in the relationship, Davidge quotes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Jerry thinks he must have learned this from "great Drac teacher, Shizumaat." Davidge responds he learned it from [[{{Disney}} Mickey Mouse]], and Jerry assumes he was a "great Earthman teacher."

* TrulySingleParent: The drac parental lineage is truly ''linear'', since they are self-fertilizing like some terrestrial plants. In the words of the novelette, "Don't tell a drac to boff himself, because he probably will!"

* [[ChekovsGun Chekov's Creature]] - The Fyrene Pit Fiend appears almost immediately after the crash, and repeatedly menaces both Davidge and Jerry. The turtle-like groundrunner, the Pit Fiend's first victim, also comes in very handly both as food and as a meteor shield.

* In Spanish the Enemy "Mine" confusion / IncrediblyLamePun is non existent, being translated as ''Enemigo Mío'' ("My Enemy") - not unlike "Amigo mío" ("My friend" / "Friend of mine") - so the true meaning of the title was kept, for once (we have a ''long'' tradition of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks They Changed The Title, Now It Sucks]]).

Then this one human, Willis Davidge (Dennis Quaid), shoots down a Drac ship, and both ships crash-land on a dangerous planet. Davidge's co-pilot dies and he's left to fend for himself. Then, while trying to get revenge on the Drac, he ends up getting captured instead.

* In Spanish the Enemy "Mine" confusion / IncrediblyLamePun is non existant, being translated as "Enemigo Intimo" (Intimate Enemy), so the true meaning of the title was kept, for once (we have a long tradition of [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks They Changed The Title, Now It Sucks]]).