Escape Velocity (1998)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Lloyd A. Simandl

Writer:

Paul A. Birkett (written by)

Release Date:

14 October 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

In Deep Space, There's Lots of Time to Kill.

Plot:

A psychotic spaceman takes over a deep-space observatory manned by a scientist, his wife, and teenage daughter. |

Plot Keywords:

Czechploitation | Independent Film

Cast

Wendy Crewson	...	Billie (Ronnie's mom)
Patrick Bergin	...	Cal (captain of the Harbinger)
Peter Outerbridge	...	Lee Nash aka Carter
Michelle Beaudoin	...	Ronnie (Veronica)
Patrik Stanek	...	Jansen (escaped con)
Pavel Bezdek	...	Lars (escaped con)
David Nykl	...	Russell aka the Priest
Emil Linka	...	Glenn (escaped con)
Gerard Whelan	...	Liam (escaped con)
Robert Russell	...	Mesa Verde warden
Mike McGuffie	...	Technician (Executioner)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

USA:100 min | Canada:96 min (Ontario)

Country:

Canada | Czech Republic

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Milin, Czech Republic

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Cal is examining the missile specs, the display shows the yield as 0.7 kJ (kiloJoules), the same amount of energy used by a 100W light bulb in seven seconds - scarcely terrifying as a missile.

Movie Connections:

Edited from Downdraft (1996) (TV)

Corridors In Space

On a distant planet a psychopath is saved from execution by a space monk. He releases a few fellow inmates and breaks out of the prison in a spaceship. They dock onto a ludicrously enormous spacecraft that is orbiting a supernova star. This massive craft is populated by only three people, presumably because the budget of the film did not extend to hiring many actors. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the three goodies end up in a game of cat and mouse with the baddies.

The psychopath in this movie is curious in that he is annoying. 'Annoying' is generally not a term one would use to describe a lunatic - unhinged, frightening, dangerous maybe but not 'annoying' but he is. The three people manning the giant ship are seriously unconvincing as warranting such important roles - this ship is practically the size of a city! Considering that the film is set approximately 50 years in the future, it is somewhat optimistic that such a huge man-made craft could exist, never mind the fact that it is used for such a relatively mundane task. Despite the vast size of the spaceship, the crew all have appallingly kitted out, tiny rooms and the dining room consists of what appears to be a plastic table and chairs. But there are a lot of corridors.

The film is fairly well acted and it works as an averagey sci-fi thriller. But nothing great.