Plot: What’s it about?
Every hear a story about a rogue freighter pilot, flying his personally modified ship through space, trying to avoid the tyrannical “dark side” of the outer realms? Me either, until I saw Space Truckers! YeeHaw! After having his ship’s cargo taken from him, independent space trucker John Canyon (Dennis Hopper) is faced with a tough choice. Should he give in, and work for “the corporation,” or does he take a risky job and stay on his own? Canyon, along with his love interest Cindy (Debi Mazar) and rookie trucker Mike Pucci (Stephen Dorff), opts for the dangerous cargo, and heads off into the great unknown. But after a systems error, the truckers are jacked, and taken hostage by a renegade group of pirates. They soon discover what the precious load is, robots programmed to destroy everything in sight! In other words, when the ship reaches Earth, the robots will conquer it, for whoever sent the damn thing! Can our heroes escape from the pirates, keep the robots from overtaking Earth, and meet Cindy’s mom? Or will Earth be doomed to robotic domination?
Space Truckers is directed by Stuart Gordon (ReAnimator), so you know it’s not going to be a mundane film, to say the least. This film is not just another “B” movie, it has great production values, a tremendous cast, and a great storyline. Also worth mentioning are the great costumes, they really bring a unique feel to this movie. The costuming is very colorful and original, it adds depth to the world of Space Truckers, which makes it more fun to watch over and over. Little details like that can make or break a movie, and Space Truckers excels at unique details. The film also features some decent computer graphics, which are not of A Bug’s Life caliber, but still are very good. I was suprised at how well they stand up to some other movies’ effects. The cast of Space Truckers is awesome, with Dennis Hopper playing the lead, backed up by Debi Mazar and Stephen Dorff. These actors are great in this film because of one reason, they don’t get too serious. These roles are not serious type roles, and these actors seem to really have fun with them. While some might say it’s bad acting, I say it’s fun acting, and that’s what this movie is, fun. The supporting cast is also good, featuring George Wendt, Charles Dance, and Vernon Wells. This cast is superb, especially for a film of this variety.
Space Truckers is not a movie from the “Aliens” or “Star Trek” vein, it’s a movie that wants to entertain you through funny dialogue and high energy segments. So if you want a serious take on sci/fi, you’re better off somewhere else, because this one’s just for laughs. The chase scenes, the suspense, Debi Mazar’s sweaty half naked body…it’s all a good time with this disc. Like I said earlier in the review, this is not a second class picture, the production values are good, with nice special effects and great sets/scenery. You will get a better movie than you expect if you pick this up. I recommend at least a rental for this movie, and if you’re a sci/fi or Stuart Gordon fan, then this is a must own. You get a great movie, nice audio/video transfers, and a good selection of extras, you can’t go wrong!
Video: How does it look?
Space Truckers is presented in a non anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer, which gives us the best looking version of the film to date. The movie is loaded with colors of all ranges, and this transfer makes them very good, although the color seems muted in many segments. The movie seems to be a little bright, with black levels not dark enough, at least not compared with other films. But the movie looks good, and while not perfect, it is the best the movie has looked, so I can’t complain. There is no artifacting at all, and no grain can be found. The print looks nice, with very little flecking or dirt spots.
Audio: How does it sound?
Space Truckers is filled with sounds that will rattle your system, from laser blasts to engine thrusts. Like most sci/fi, the sounds are mostly short length effects, but they will still bring a feeling of “you’re really there” to your viewing of the film. The soundtrack is pretty catchy, and sounds good in this mix. Dialogue is crisp, and is always audible, even during music or effects.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Sterling is known for their extras, and this disc is no exception. You get the theatrical trailer, which is always a plus in my book, as well as detailed cast/crew bios. Also included are some interesting interviews with the cast, as well as a trivia game, and some cool multi-angle storyboards. But the real draw here is the running commentary by director Stuart Gordon, which is great, chock full of production tidbits and funny anecdotes. There are also some DVD-ROM features, including website access and the full screenplay.
