Space Mutiny

Buy This Item Space Mutiny by Lions Gate/Worldvision  Available from Amazon  $9.98  on 9-22-2008     While the quote of my title comes from the MST3K guys describing the hula-disco scene (which really is startling), this is actually the original, non-MST3K version of this hilarious monstrosity. Like most viewers, I had first seen this film on "Mystery Science Theater 3000," but I wanted to see the pre-riffed version. This is it, and it is much more painful than the version with MST3K treatment. <br /> <br />By now just about everyone knows the general plot: evil over-actor Kalgan (John Phillip Law) starts a mutiny on a spaceship ran by Santa Claus, an Australian guy, and a bodybuilding nitwit who yells "Move!" a lot (Reb Brown.) There is a fabulously grotesque subplot about the Captain's daughter who appears in spandex despite seeming to be old enough to be Slab Bulkhead's (or whatever his name is) mother. The best scene in the movie has got to be her dancing in the nightclub with a hula hoop, an act so disgraceful that not only did it lead the MST3K guys to quip "So, in the future there's absolutely no shame," but also "She's presenting like a mandrill," both of which were spot on the money; unfortunately with this version you just have to think the commentary silently. Truly this scene will be etched into your brain for life, so be prepared. <br /> <br />It became evident very quickly that MST3K had edited the film down for time quite a bit, but they did so quite well, as all the extra film here is as boring as can be: it is mostly more of chasing around in the golf carts, more railing kills (where stuntmen fall off railings to their death), and a bit more exposition in which we learn that Kalgan's first name is Elijah. In other words: it is better to watch the MST3K version for yet another reason, namely brevity. <br /> <br />This movie became one of my favorite MST3K episodes, and it is fun to see this, the original, with it's silly sets (the inside of the spaceship looks like an old smelting facility, while the exteriors are all clearly old "Battlestar Galactica" retreads) and ridiculous bogus technical talk. My favorite piece of techno-babble is when they talk about the "gas expulsion sump," which makes Leah (the hula hoop queen) ask "What's that smell?" Despite having just opened the valve on a tank of (clearly labeled) methane, I still think that the answer would have to be "This movie." <br /> <br />I give this movie five stars for being like a really old cheese: stinky, yet good at the same time. "Space Mutiny" is a deliciously bad piece of gouda. <br /> <br /> Reader Reviews OK this movie is BAD,BAD,and BAD(hence two stars) but it really is funny and very silly. Reb Brown(the hero) flexes his muscles and shouts a lot, the heroine is at least 10 years older than the hero(she looks like his mother), and the bad guy comes across like silent movie bad guy(only he does have the evil laugh down pat, really, he uses it every 10 mins.). The story is some mess about the title event and it has some of the worst chase scenes (on floor sweepers and tricked out golf carts) ever put on screen. If you enjoy poor film making this piece of rotten mess can be great fun.

Space Mutiny Available from Amazon Price: $9.98 Updated on 9-22-2008.

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