Dreadfully Boring

A Disappointing Continuation

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

ALIEN CARGO certainly has a wicked little story going for it. It involves the crew of a "deep space trucking company", all but two of whom are put into hypersleep for the most part of a year in order to cut down on costs. During a seemingly ordinary trip, two of the sleepers wake up to discover they've slept too long and their ship is now way off course. The members who are supposed to be on active duty are missing. Even worse, they don't have a great deal of fuel or oxygen left...With that premise it's hard to get things wrong and ALIEN CARGO boasts a fine and spooky atmosphere, at least for the first half. I love the sense of foreboding that's carefully built up, and the unknown menace lurking in the background. The acting, from Jason London and Missy Crider, isn't too bad by genre standards either.What a shame, then, that things fall apart in the second half when the source of the mystery is finally explained and it all becomes rather humdrum. It's at this point where the acting falls flat and the sense of menace dissipates in favour of TV movie cheesiness. The moral-flavoured climax is a little better, and I appreciate the downbeat ending, but in the end this is a film lesser than the sum of its parts. Watch out for NEIGHBOURS star Alan Dale (Jim!) as a hard-ass rival crew member.

I first saw this movie on the Sci-Fi channel in the mid-2000's and it really left an impression on me. Probably the best things about it are the characters and the unexpected ending. Very good acting from London and Crider (and the rest of the cast), and the movie never insults the intelligence of the viewer. Also notable is the altruism and likability of the two main characters. The special effects are adequate to show what's happening in space, but don't take away from the focus of the plot. After years of trying to find this movie on DVD (and trying to remember the title), I finally found a Blockbuster VHS copy and digitized it. This movie is a rare gem. I recommend it not only to sci-fi fans but to anyone who enjoys sitting down to a good movie and who may be tired of the average Hollywood mass produced carbon copy flick.

Read the other reviews for plot lines and spoilers, this one is an analysis of the mechanics of the movie.On the plus side, the title doesn't mean a guy in a phony rubber suit. On the negative, the pacing is a little too slow for me to pay a great deal of attention, regardless of how intelligent the script turned out to be, although, as another poster has mentioned, it seems to lack a third act, or a payoff.Netter Digital, the gang responsible for the effects work on "Babylon 5", turn in a satisfactory job on the SSS-17, a clunky boxy space cargo ship, but a better set of effects on the deep space exploration vessel, The Dolphin. Attention to a lot of detail, concepts of what a corporation will do to minimize costs in the future world of Solar System mining and transport of goods and raw materials, a couple of decent actors handling the script (which, as I mentioned isn't too shabby), contribute to a surprising change of pace, regardless of a downer ending (I don't know if something else would have happened, that it would have become anti-climactic).All in all, better than a lot of straight to vid sci-fi. I just wish it had been done just a little better.

There wasn't anything notably unique about this movie, but it still retained the scifi allure. The plot isn't as predictable as it could be and the special effects, although sparse, were well done. The acting was acceptable not exceptional. Overall this is a good movie to watch once when you have the time.