The Cold Equations (2011) User Reviews

Not bad...

[knifemind · 6/10 · 6 October 2011]

I don't review films often but I saw that this had no reviews so I thought I'd give it a go. We're looking at a low/no budget sci-fi that is essentially only driven by the interaction of the two main characters, but still delivers on their premise. I didn't think the acting was too cheesy at any point, and what drives the movie is the whole character progress through the standard reaction steps (Shock Anger Rejection Acceptance) to the situation at hand. I thought that they did an OK job and I enjoyed the character progression throughout the movie and the eventual, cold ending. The movie really never surprises you in any way, and I like to think that's the point.

Overall I enjoyed this film, but viewers looking for higher production value will likely not be able suspend their disbelief long enough to get into it. Anyone who watches a lot of sci-fi has likely seen a lot of bad sci-fi, and you could do a lot worse than The Cold Equations. Further, the sci-fi elements of The Cold Equations are minimal, and anyone who doesn't mind a strong stab at a low budget film will likely get at least some value from this movie.

Low budget sci-fi drama sets up a dilemma and attempts to deal with it fairly

[lemon_magic · 6/10 · 13 August 2019]

Like a lot of low budget direct-to-video/cable "classics", the screenplay here could easily have been adapted to a radio play, a stage play, or a Twilight Zone style episode (depending on the ambitions and budgets of the people involved.) It's really about the emotions and reactions of the two people stuck in a lose-lose situation. As such...it does a decent job.

It's nice that the screenplay didn't cheat on the premise (in order for the transport pod and its cargo to land safely, someone has to go out the airlock) and actually delivered the resolution we were promised, along with a textbook deployment of the Five Stages Of Grief.

The setup is done with some thought and care. (The movie even explains why the transport looks so cheap - it's a one-use vehicle made of "spun plastic" and everything on it will be recycled and reused once it lands. I liked that.) The supporting cast (in the world outside the transport pod) does everything they need to do to sell the movie. There really isn't a "flat tire" in the cast, in fact.

That taken care of...what about the real motor for the story - the interaction between the pilot and the stowaway?

It's OK. The two young actors aren't DeNiro and Streep, or MacKellen and Densch, but they keep things moving, they look good, they try hard, and I wouldn't hesitate to watch either of them in other roles. It's just that the story needed something more than a remake of "LifeBoat".

Is "Cold Equations" worth your time? Hard to say. I liked it, but I wasn't blown away by it. But it was decent entertainment for 90+ minutes.