If Mars Attacks & My Favorite Martian (1999) have taught us anythings its that it takes more than a likable cast to make a good sci-fi comedy movie.
It's a movie that really doesn't fit into any of its genres. Too unfocused and goofy for sci-fi, too cheesy for adventure, and not funny enough to be a decent comedy. It's like taking 3 ingredients you really like and putting them into a blender, all you get in the end is some weird slop mix.
The plot is unoriginal, its the Three Amigos in space.
The acting its overall pretty bad. It's like the actors couldn't decide which way to go with their characters so they just resorted to acting like themselves. Not ridiculous enough to be slapstick funny nor serious enough to be good satire.
Tim Allens character is not some entertaining spoof of Kirk, its just Tim Allen acting like Tim Allen. He starts off as a jerk who doesn't take things seriously, upsets those around him, comes to a realization that others don't believe and then has to convince others what has happened and grows as a person. What do you know, its the exact same character he played in The Santa Clause.
Allen Rickman again just plays Allen Rickman. Sigourney Weavers character was a joke that wasn't funny. Like we're supposed to laugh at how useless she is when she adds nothing to the story. Tony Shalhoub acts like his character had a lobotomy, appearing brain dead stupid to the point of being obnoxious. Daryl Mitchell plays the overly excitable black man trope. The most entertaining character was unexpectedly Sam Rockwell as Guy. Best jokes and the most distinct acting among the bunch.
Without going into spoiler details, the ending was so incredibly cheesy that even 1960s sci-fi would cringe. The ending suffers the same fate as the acting, not serious enough to be good satire nor humorous enough to be funny on its own. It's just bad.
Highlights of the film are the really peculiar Thermians and the practical effects for them, Sarris & the Pig creature.
It's a movie that really doesn't fit into any of its genres. Too unfocused and goofy for sci-fi, too cheesy for adventure, and not funny enough to be a decent comedy. It's like taking 3 ingredients you really like and putting them into a blender, all you get in the end is some weird slop mix.
The plot is unoriginal, its the Three Amigos in space.
The acting its overall pretty bad. It's like the actors couldn't decide which way to go with their characters so they just resorted to acting like themselves. Not ridiculous enough to be slapstick funny nor serious enough to be good satire.
Tim Allens character is not some entertaining spoof of Kirk, its just Tim Allen acting like Tim Allen. He starts off as a jerk who doesn't take things seriously, upsets those around him, comes to a realization that others don't believe and then has to convince others what has happened and grows as a person. What do you know, its the exact same character he played in The Santa Clause.
Allen Rickman again just plays Allen Rickman. Sigourney Weavers character was a joke that wasn't funny. Like we're supposed to laugh at how useless she is when she adds nothing to the story. Tony Shalhoub acts like his character had a lobotomy, appearing brain dead stupid to the point of being obnoxious. Daryl Mitchell plays the overly excitable black man trope. The most entertaining character was unexpectedly Sam Rockwell as Guy. Best jokes and the most distinct acting among the bunch.
Without going into spoiler details, the ending was so incredibly cheesy that even 1960s sci-fi would cringe. The ending suffers the same fate as the acting, not serious enough to be good satire nor humorous enough to be funny on its own. It's just bad.
Highlights of the film are the really peculiar Thermians and the practical effects for them, Sarris & the Pig creature.