It's about as inspiring as a movie about a vengeful meter reader.

Star/director Kevin Costner's futuristic folly The Postman is so loopy that, for a while, one wants to shield it from a critical storm that has already begun.

The sweeping movement of the tale across half a continent, and the frequent action that facilitates it, is conveyed in a majestic and for the most part exciting manner.

In synopsis, The Postman may sound like a blueprint for a Saturday Night Live comedy sketch. On screen, however, the weirdly compelling plot, taken from a novel by David Brin, is all the more affecting for being played perfectly straight.