Space Truckers (1996)

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Writers:

Ted Mann (screenplay)
Stuart Gordon (story) ...

Release Date:

April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Earth's Only Hope

Plot:

John Canyon is one of the last independent space transport entrepreneurs. Rough times force him to carry...

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Killer Robot | Spacewalk | Cult Comedy | Pirate

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tim Loane	...	Trooper Officer
Ian Beattie	...	Trooper
Olwen Fouere	...	Building Commander
Shane Rimmer	...	E. J. Saggs
Charles Dance	...	Nabel / Macanudo
Roger Gregg	...	Tank Patrol
Dennis Akayama	...	Tech Leader (as Denis Akiyama)
Seamus Flavin	...	Chopper 4
Jason O'Mara	...	Chopper 3
Dennis Hopper	...	John Canyon
Sandra Dickinson	...	Bitchin' Betty
George Wendt	...	Keller
Graeme Wilkinson	...	Jackie
Sean Lawlor	...	Mel
Debi Mazar	...	Cindy

Also Known As:

Star Truckers

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, sensuality and drug content, and for language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK | USA | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (No. 34627)

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Goldcrest Films International

Goofs:

Factual errors: There's numerous events where laws of gravity and other physics are neglected, but the most notable is probably the upright flame of a lighter in a place where there's no air and no gravity.

Quotes:

Cindy: Did you hear something back there that sounds like there's something back there?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Making of 'Space Truckers' (1996) (V)

Soundtrack:

Big Highway

Hugely entertaining sci fi comedy, far better than people say

I watched this last night on a whim, having seen it years ago. I remember thinking it wasn't much good when I first saw it and I only checked it out again because I have become a huge fan of director Stuart Gordon lately. Reading the various mostly negative comments on here it seems like people expected far more from this than it was trying to deliver or simply did not get what it was trying to do at all. As far as I could see, it was mindless, deliberately campy and ludicrous yet very well designed, amusingly written and oddly well cast piece of fun. Dennis Hopper was great playing a hero which he does not seem to do that often and he fitted perfectly as the anti authoritarian space trucker hero. Stephen Dorff was the only one of the main cast that didn't impress too much, he's a bit of a non actor but he did OK. Charles Dance was very funny as the half robot bad guy, throwing himself into what must have been one of his oddest roles. George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) appeared briefly and to good effect and Debi Mazar did OK as the love interest. It helps that she's real nice to look at too. At the end, there's even an appearance from the ever entrancing Barbara Crampton. Plotwise the film was endearingly offbeat and the science fiction elements were handled in a wonderfully imaginative yet tongue in cheek way. I particularly liked the killer robots, theyr among the cooler killer robots of low budget sci fi, expertly designed by the great Screaming Mad George. Stuart Gordon's direction was great as ever, keeping everything moving at a great pace with a much lighter touch than most of his work. I really recommend this one, its splendid entertainment with a whole bunch of really funny lines and a well judged balance of cool science fiction and inspired silliness. I could maybe have done with more visceral goods in the action scenes and perhaps more tension, but then I don't watch light hearted films much at all. Get in some drinks, ignore the philistine bad reviews and sit down to this easy going delight.