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Supernova
2000 - PG-13 - 90 Mins.
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| Director: Walter Hill | | Producer: Daniel Chuba | | Written By: David C. Wilson | | Starring: James Spader, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Lou Diamond Phillips |
| Review by: Joe Rickey |
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A rescue mission to a space outpost turns deadly for a crew with an alien lifeform in its mist in the box office flop Supernova, directed by Walter Hill (credited as Thomas Lee because he was embarrassed of the final product). The science fiction thriller stars James Spader, Lou Diamond Phillips, Angela Bassett, Robert Forester, and Robin Tunney.
Certain films seem destined for failure before they are even released. Whether it is because of on-set problems, multiple title changes, or being continually delayed because the studio lacks confidence in the picture. Not to mention times where members of the cast or the director disown the film. Well, Supernova suffered from two of the aforementioned problems. MGM delayed it more than three times and because of Hill disowning the film, Francis Ford Coppola stepped in and finished the film, and significantly chopped the film up, cutting out over twenty minutes of the film and editing it down from its original R rating in a last ditch attempt at attracting an audience. The resulting film is still almost a complete mess, derivative and slow moving.
Supernova is a film that drags when it should be pulse pounding. Far too much of the film is spent before the alien lifeform enters the picture. During this period the film gives a half-hearted attempt at developing the characters. The problem is that the characters are, for the most part, rather unlikable as they argue with one another over various petty issues. There really ends up being little point to the film’s opening minutes because it wanders aimlessly between subplot after subplot until it seemingly remembers that the script has to have a central conflict that is somewhat interesting to the audience.
Even more offending to the audience is that once the film gets around to the main plot, what is served up is a third rate Alien knockoff. Imitation may be known as the sincerest form of flattery, but I think that all of those involved in the classic Alien would be appalled with Supernova. The undernourished script is full of half-developed scenes that may also have been a result of the slapdash last minute editing done to the film too.
The actors involved seem to sense that they are on a ship that is quickly sinking and therefore they do whatever necessary to ham it up. Lou Diamond Phillips, pumped up more than usual, yells every line of dialogue while Angela Bassett and James Spader mumble their lines to the point of being difficult to comprehend.
In the end, the film is a disaster of epic proportions that should have all of its existing prints burned before anyone else can witness the atrocity that is Supernova.
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