SPACE STATION 76 is a comedy set in a 1970s version of the future (imagine what would happen with the characters of shows like SPACE 1999, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, LOGAN’S RUN, and BUCK ROGERS and without all of the action and fights).   A female lieutenant commander (Liv Tyler) arrives at Space Station 76 under the command of a drunk/ gay captain (Patrick Wilson).  She feels attachment to an engineer with a robotic hand (Matt Bomer) who is in a troubled marriage with a wife who is hooked on Valium and a young daughter.  Then you have the other couple where the wife is a cold shoulder and the husband (Jerry O’Connell) wants more sex.  In the meanwhile, the asteroid field is causing some problems that may impact the space station, but director Jack Plotnick and the writers decide to unwisely put those problems in the background against the human drama on the station which is boring and cliché at times.  SPACE STATION 76 has a great cast and I love the set design and costumes.  I just wish the movie was so much better or the drama was more interesting.  The movie made me wish the asteroid activity they keep bringing up in the movie was part of the plot more instead of a background element.  I think the human drama was very inert and the sci-fi setting can’t save the script which has very few laughs.   I wouldn’t recommend this movie- don’t rent it.  Go rent or buy another better example of 1970s sci-fi like LOGAN’S RUN, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, SPACE: 1999, STAR WARS, or DARK STAR.  Don’t waste your time on this.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

A selection of deleted scenes cut for pacing and some outtakes funnier than some moments in the film are among the extras.

 

ZERO GRAVITY: MAKING SPACE STATION 76 is a promotional featurette which covers the origins of the movie as a stage play and movie, the story, and the set design on a budget.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: SPACE STATION 76 has great 1970s sci-fi production design, costumes, and cast, but the story is just a bust.  It makes me wish they had aliens show up or have something put the characters out of their misery because SPACE STATION 76 is some of the most 90 minutes I have ever watched with the exceptions of a few laughs (which are few and far between).  Skip this movie and go watch another 1970s style sci-fi movie like LOGAN’S RUN, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (the original) or STAR WARS.

 

This review is ©10-4-2014 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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