Outland (1981) User Reviews (182)

It's Not Exactly High Noon In Space

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 17 February 2007]

Both in the Citadel Film Series book The Films of Sean Connery and a quick survey of the user comments here, everyone seems to be conceding that Outland is simply High Noon transferred to outer space. It's not really, but there are certain plot similarities. Of course there were enough similarities that Fred Zinneman stated that Peter Hyams had ripped off his western classic.

For one thing Gary Cooper is a newlywed in High Noon, Sean Connery is a married man with a 12 year old son. His wife however wants him to give up the futuristic law enforcement business, but it's what he knows and because he's such an independent minded fellow who speaks his mind he gets one garbage assignment after another.

Here he's on a mining colony on the Jupiter satellite Io. It's a frontier town, not unlike some in the west. But Hadleyburg in High Noon is passed the wild and woolly frontier days and the impending gunfight is not wanted because it will bring those days back. Gary Cooper dealt with ingratitude, what Connery is dealing with on Io is systemic corruption.

The boss of the place is Peter Boyle the head of mining operations. One of the things he provides are illegal synthetic narcotics which make the men work like mules and increase his productivity. They also eventually fry your brain and you turn paranoid.

Connery notices several suspicious deaths have occurred in the past two years after he's had to deal with some miners who've gone haywire. The presence of narcotics is confirmed by station doctor Frances Sternhagen during an autopsy.

When Boyle's confronted with this, bribery doesn't work so he puts out a contract on Connery. His deputies are all on the pad and the miners won't help either. His one friend in the place is Sternhagen.

In fact acting honors in Outland go to Frances Sternhagen as the tough old bird of a doctor who's also in a kind of exile on Io.

Outland has good special effects and the mining colony on Io is marvelously created with the use of miniatures, much like the Himalayas were in Black Narcissus. But it is better known for a good story and some fine acting by all, especially Sternhagen. It's one of Sean Connery's better films and shouldn't be missed by science fiction fans or Sean Connery's many fans.

So what if it took a few bites out of High Noon.

Worth a look...a different take on sci-fi

[medic249a2 · 7/10 · 6 August 2004]

I remember wanting to see this when it came out in '81, on the heels of sci-fi classics such as 'Star Wars', 'Alien', and 'The Empire Strikes Back'. Of course because of its 'R' rating I could never see it until it came out on video. I found it offered a different take on sci-fi films as it had no involvement with sinister aliens, and the only alien world explored is the Jupiter moon.

***WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!***

'Outland' is set on Io, one of Jupiter's moons, in a mining colony. Marshal W.T. O'Niel (Connery) is assigned to the moon colony. Shortly after he arrives he discovers that several miners have been committing suicide in bizarre and ugly ways, such as walking into zero-atmosphere minus a pressure suit. When he investigates he finds that the dead men have been taking an amphetamine-like drug. According to Dr. Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen) the drug enables the miners to go for days without sleep and work at extended intervals, thereby increasing the mine's productivity. When O'Niel follows the dealers' trail he discovers that it leads to the head of the mining operation. These men have no intention of letting O'Niel stop their dirty work, and now the marshal has to watch his back at every turn, as a hit contract is put out on his head. O'Niel also finds that his own men are willing to turn on him...

***END SPOILER ALERT***

Like someone else mentioned, the production design does not show space as a shiny, clean environment - space is 'dirty' here. The mining colony looks like a real operation, in a similar way to the way the Nostromo appeared in 'Alien'. Jerry Goldsmith's music also sounds much like the low, sinister tones of 'Alien' which he had written only 2 years before. While it lacks most of the spectacular effects of the 'Star Wars' trilogy it gives a believable sense of the awesome size of space. The story is not unlike a western set in outer space, only that the crime the marshal is trying to stop is drug-dealing as opposed to train or stagecoach robbery. Not a bad movie, not on the scale of 'Star Wars' or 'Alien' but definitely worth looking into.

Sean Connery as a real hero is impressive , his sheer presence results to be attractive as well as breathtaking

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 13 November 2017]

This thrilling picture tells the story of Marshall William T. O'Niel (Sean Connery as the ultimate and overwhelming hero figure) at a far planet standing against impossible odds , he is married to Carol (Kika Markham) and has a little boy promising to leave his risked job and settle down for a peaceful existence . In this distant future , the police marshal is stationed at the remote mining colony on the Jupiter moon of Io , there happens weird events when miners begin suffering from confuse visions and rare breakdowns , as well surprising outbreaks and spells of insanity . The marshal starts an investigation that threatens the colony's survival . Marshal William T. O'Niel uncovers a drug-smuggling conspiracy run by Mark Sheppard (Peter Boyle) , as the latter has sworn revenge against William . The security marshal gets no support from the populace when he later finds himself marked for killing and nobody is willing to help him . A team of bounty killers and will arrive in moon base at high noon . A doctor , Dr. Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen) , ultimately risks death to give him a hand .

A particular rendition of ¨High noon¨ set in outer space on a volcanic moon of Jupiter , stars Sean Connery alone versus a planet-wide drug ring . In fact , this one is no more or less than a Western in space , replacing Gary Cooper by Sean Connery . This enjoyable Sci-Fi is plenty of suspense as the dreaded noon hour approaches and the protagonist realizes he must stand alone , but asking his base fellows for help , nobody is willing to help him . An agreeable Science Fiction movie full of emotional thrills , action and suspense , though the science is rather poor . It is a highly mysterious thriller , filled with non-stop action , including a spectacular denouement in its final part . The narration is adjusted in real time , from the beginning to arrival of the enemy aircraft , at a final showdown and it is approximately developed in ninety minutes as the many on-screen ticks clocks will check . It might make a catching double feature along with ¨High noon¨ . Connery is perfect as the flawed hero who faces off professional killers . He gives first-rate acting as a tough agent who takes on vicious hired killers , facing alone after being abandoned to his fate by the gutless population . Suppport cast is pretty well , giving brief but decent acting , such as : James B. Sikking , Steven Berkoff , Clarke Peters , John Ratzenberger , Angus MacInnes , Eugene Lipinski and Peter Boyle is just right as a heinous villain . And special mention for Frances Sternhagen as the veteran doctor who helps Connery , she steals the show , thanks to her sympathetic and valiant performance .

The motion picture contains an excellent cinematography by cameraman Stephen Goldblatt . Rousing and suspenseful musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith , performed by London symphony orchestra . The yarn was compellingly directed by Peter Hyams . Peter is an uneven filmmaker who has directed all kinds of genres with successes and flops , such as Adventure : ¨Musketeer¨ ; Terror : ¨The relic¨, ¨End of days¨ ; Action : ¨The Presidio¨, ¨Sudden death¨, ¨Timecop¨ , ¨Narrow margin¨ ; Sci-fi : ¨2010 , the year we make contact¨ , ¨Capricorn one¨, ¨Sound and thunder ¨; Drama : ¨The star chamber¨, ¨Our time¨ ; and Comedy : Running scared¨, ¨Stay tuned¨

Yes, it's high noon in space. And what's wrong with that?

[ProfessorPeach · 28 August 2001]

Sean Connery. A man's man, a woman's sex symbol. Good start! Now let's put him on a remote moon of Jupiter. So how many other films have Io as their center of action? Absolutely excellent in combining the effects that were available at the time with a darn good plot. Well overshadowed by the likes of Alien, this is late 70's/ early 80's sci-fi at it's best. No more is the future in space a Utopia, it is a grimy, nasty everyday world where people carry on their sordid business as they ever did. Except there is always a hero; a flawed hero, as is Connery. A personal crusade, a battle almost against the odds (but not unbelievably so, at all) and the true hallmark of a good sci-fi story: That is, the story would work just as well anywhere, any place, any time, as it does in space in the future. What more do you want (Just check out the shuttle landing)? Essential viewing!

A decent industrial sci-fi movie

[JamesMovieGuy_117 · 7/10 · 18 December 2017]

With the late 70's giving us Star Wars and Alien, these films inspired a barrage of filmmakers to have a more realistic edge with sci-fi. Outland is no exception and while the film is heavily flawed, it's a decent sci-fi movie with lots of twists and turns to keep you engaged.

The miniatures and models look fantastic and still hold up today in my opinion. It inhabits that Alien mining operation look throughout and Peter Hyams did a great job on an aesthetic point of view. It's not as detailed as Alien, but what is?

The story is also pretty well written and many have labelled it as High Noon in space. It definitely has that western feeling especially with the showdown climax and your typical western pistols have been replaced with shotguns.

Sean Connery delivers a great performance and I would say this is one of his best post Bond films along with The Name of the Rose.

Despite these positives there are quite a few negatives. The explosive decompression scenes are quite dated and are unintentionally hilarious with peoples heads inflating like balloons. The child actor who plays Marshall O Neill's son is quite possibly the worst child actor ever! It takes you out of the movie for a while but thankfully it's only a brief scene.

If you haven't seen this I would recommend Outland, especially if you're a fan of Alien or any other industrial sci-fi movie from that era. It's quite overlooked so definitely give it a look.

High Noon In Space

[slightlymad22 · 7/10 · 22 May 2017]

Outland (1981)

Plot In A Paragraph: Marshall O'Neil (Connery) stationed at a remote mining colony on the Jupiter moon of Io uncovers a drug-smuggling conspiracy, and gets no help from the people there, when he finds himself marked for death.

I still vividly remember watching this with my dad, the night he rented it on video. It was the first Connery movie I had watched since Diamonds Are Forever. As nothing he made in between that time interested either of my parents for them to rent the video or watch it on TV.

Essentially this is High Noon in space. A heavily tanned Connery is the new Marshal who does what a man must do. There are a number of parallels. Killers are on their way to kill the Marshal, who is abandoned abandoned by his deputies, and with none of the residents willing to stand by his side. As the arrival time approaches, Connery enters the cafeteria/saloon and speaks to the townspeople, repeating the classic Cooper line, "I could use a little help," receiving none. He must decide between fleeing and joining his wife and son, or staying and facing almost certain death.

Away from the parallels of High Noon, the plot here is an intriguing one, The miners were being given an illegal drug, which increased their output for 11 months and then drove them insane. Connery actually delivers a good performance, that seems to have been forgotten about by the masses, which is a shame as it still holds up today, and Connery does some great acting in a scene where he doesn't utter a line of dialogue, as he watches a video of his wife. Connery was not happy at this movie going over schedule, as he lost a major extended cameo role in Chariots of Fire due to it.

All in all, I find Outland to be an enjoyable movie, with good pacing and a good atmosphere, that I usually watch every couple of years.

Outland did fair business for a Connery non Bond movie grossing $17 million at the domestic box office. Slightly more than its $16 million budget.

Fun movie.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 14 November 2012]

Yes, it can accurately be described as a Western in disguise, as "High Noon" in space, basically, but that doesn't mean that it isn't well executed and consistently entertaining. Written, directed, and photographed by Peter Hyams, it stars Sean Connery, as commanding a presence as he's ever been, as W.T. O'Niel, a federal marshal stationed on Io, the third moon of Jupiter, where a mining operation has been established. O'Niel discovers that the workers are being given a drug which greatly increases their productivity but also eventually drives them insane. He becomes determined to nail the person(s) responsible for this corruption, but discovers that he'll be mostly alone in his fight - even after his nemesis has two hired guns sent after him.

"Outland" may be predictable, standard stuff script wise, but it's also a very good looking film, with impressive production design (by Philip Harrison) and sets, all built at Englands' famed Pinewood Studios. Commendably, O'Niel, despite his Dudley Do Right attitude, isn't portrayed as some infallible hero; rather, it's his tendency to make waves that has gotten him transferred from one depressing environment to another. Still, you do root for him all the way, and you also come to like Dr. Lazarus, winningly played by top character actress Frances Sternhagen. She's got plenty of sass, and actually comes to O'Niels' aid for the suspenseful finale instead of it being the other way around. Hyams, too, refrains from trying to create any sort of romantic or sexual tension between the two, keeping both characters professional. The back-and-forth chemistry between Connery and Sternhagen is a delight. Peter Boyle is excellent, too, as the company manager who only wants to see results. Other pros include James B. Sikking, a regular in Hyams' films, as the slightly shady Montone, Steven Berkoff, as the unhinged worker Sagan, and John Ratzenberger, in a memorable bit as another miner who goes off the deep end. Jerry Goldsmith supplies the atmospheric score, and the editing is courtesy of the talented veteran Stuart Baird.

All in all, this sizes up as solid entertainment, moving along nicely towards its final showdown. Any fan of the genre or of Connery should be quite satisfied.

Seven out of 10.

Almost a great movie...it settles for being an entertaining near-miss

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 2 May 2008]

Writer-director Peter Hyams has always shown a love not just for science-fiction stories but an understanding of what makes science-fiction fun. He's not interested in exasperating details or mechanical jargon, he just wants to have a good time. This is both pro and con for his "Outland", a fairly gripping movie set in the 21st Century which has enjoyable ingredients but is too routine overall. Sean Connery plays a cop investigating a mysterious rash of suicides among mining workers on one of Jupiter's moons; Frances Sternhagen is terrific as a cynical doctor who aides in his research. Film begins very well, but Hyams gets bogged down in plot-externals and good guys-vs.-bad guys shtick. Not a bad thriller. It just isn't very special, and that's a shame because Connery is solid (as usual) and the production is highly adept. **1/2 from ****

under-estimated sci fi western,

[raegan_butcher · 9/10 · 31 July 2006]

After leaving the James Bond franchise in 1971, Sean Connery gave a number of notable performances in films such as The Offense and The Man Who Would Be King but Outland is really the film that started him on the comeback trail that culminated with his Oscar acceptance speech 6 yrs later for The Untouchables. No one seems to recall this but at the time of Outland's release, no one had seen or heard from Connery for a few years and most of the reviews, while not kind to the film for a variety of reasons--chief among them being the fact that most movie critics (at least back then) harbored serious prejudice against sci fi--the main comment was "It is good to see Sean Connery back in action again".

This film has one of the best production designs ever.Phillip Harrison did a superb job. Obviously the look was copped from Alien--blue collar workers in space--but it works remarkably well. I was often reminded of OUTLAND during my seven year prison term; the housing was remarkably similar--as was the company. But I digress...

Nothing special about the plot-- it's routine cop show or western movie stuff--but who cares? Sean Connery gives a splendid performance and the whole film moves at a nice clip. Very enjoyable.

not quite as good but still good

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 17 February 2015]

Marshal W.T. O'Niel (Sean Connery) is newly assigned to a mining colony on Jupiter's moon Io. His wife isn't happy and leaves with their son to Earth. Sgt. Montone (James Sikking) is his second in command. Mark Sheppard (Peter Boyle) is the head of the operation who wants him to let the men operate smoothly without interference. However miners are acting weird and getting killed. Dr. Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen) discovers that the last dead miner has taken an amphetamine drug which lets people work day and night until they have a psychotic breakdown. Sheppard provides the drugs with Montone looking the other way.

I like the design of the camp which reminds me of 'Alien'. I like the gritty underbelly feel of this realistic future world. It moves a bit slow at times which is its biggest problem. This is a sci-fi western compared most notably to 'High Noon'. This keeps getting compared to other movies but always comes up a little shorter. It's still a good movie.

Down to earth cosmic crime fiasco

[p-stepien · 4/10 · 29 October 2009]

Atmosperic and classy with the great screen presence of Sean Connery this movie suffers from one severe flaw: an utterly uninspiring script.

O'Niel (Sean Connery) is the new sheriff in a outland space mining colony renowned for its high efficiency and great production return. He is a new entity in this demoralised place, where money, sex and power rule over common decency. After all the workers need to let loose and go crazy once in a while, since all the hard work they do millions of kilometres from home. Life isn't easy here in space and even O'Niel's wife decides she can no longer continue living so far away from home and leaves with their son to return to Earth (a place which their boy has only read about in books).

Depressed from the turn of events O'Niel only strengthens his resolve to do what is right and keep some semblance of justice on the colony. Hence when it occurs to the sheriff that this outer space town suffers from inexplicably high suicide levels he decides to resolve the mystery and will resort to any means necessary to solve this case.

Gloomy, gritty and surprisingly realistic (i.e. heads blowing up after decompression) starts off very promisingly acting out as a mystery crime story in outer space with some admirable noire qualities. All this quickly comes to pass, as the mystery is solved within the first 30 minutes of the movie and from then on we receive a hack-job script which some illogical action sequences (not much logic to them actually taking place), poor character motivations and stereotypical plot solutions. In the end you just really feel wanting for much more, as the movie never supplies what it promises.

Essentially this could have been a classic sci-fi story, but the writers just got it all wrong. But the credits of the movie you really have no idea whether it has or has not ended. It never acts out to anything resembling ending and you finish the story asking yourself "So what exactly did this mean for the colony and what was the point of O'Niel staying to participate in a blood-bath?" The movie ages nicely and special effects are quite impressive. But with a story like this it won't ever become a classic.

Realistic space mining movie

[lightfeather · 10/10 · 24 May 2005]

The movie is amazingly realistic in regard to the technology used and in regard to the human characters.

I totally agree with OP Voutilainen, who wrote a very good comment on this movie on 24 October 2001.

The movie is never superficial if you look at its characters: The bad are not simply bad but realistically brutal. The good are not simply heroic, they rather strive to survive and struggle to keep what's left of their personal dignity and values after the school of life.

People of the future will possibly wonder why anyone ever liked such a "normal life"-movie. The answer is: Simply because of the everyday life dignity that people emanate in the movie.

Really a great positive movie !

A Worthy Variation

[ricardovs27 · 7/10 · 6 September 2011]

A federal Marshall, O'Neill (Sean Connery), is sent to Io, one of Saturn's moons, to oversee the security of a mining facility. Since the place is not exactly warm and fuzzy, we can all figure out this not a reward for good services rendered.

Unfortunately, a feeling shared by O'Neill's wife, who leaves for Earth with their son, tired of being pushed around the solar system because of him.

Meanwhile, some very strange happenings start poking around, with workers suddenly reacting hysterically and violently.

Doing a little digging, reluctantly helped by the washed up station doctor Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen), O'Neill uncovers a scheme to uplift the facility productivity without much regard for labor regulations - and some highly illegal chemical help, for that matter - spearheaded by the slimy and corrupt general manager, Sheppard (Peter Boyle).

Striving for redemption, O'Neill will find out how hard a virtue can hit, when he sees himself isolated from the other workers, even marshalls, either too bribed or too scared to help him, and chased by professional goons.

This is an effective western rendition in a science fiction set up, with the good cast and the unoriginal yet tight script helping a lot to swallow some of the movie's shortcomings.

For instance, the guns used are almost surreal (sawn-off shotguns, for Pete's sake!); the effects of alien atmosphere exposure are so over the top is hard to suspend disbelief (the blowing heads look cool though) and, the worse thing, the exterior on foot with special suits chase (however, the suspense level is pretty decent).

If you can put aside those minor peeves, any action/sci-fi/western fan will enjoy this flick.

Highly commendable, specially for Connery fans.

space station, easy guessing, action movie

[tchristen · 4/10 · 1 January 2006]

how do you rate a movie that has a plot so crystal clear as vodka? how do you rate a movie where everything that is going to happen is blindingly obvious.

Sean Connery is a class on its own, also Frances Sternhagen is quite good in her role...

but then all is too simple...no humor (not even hidden dry humor, that would fit the main characters so well).

Even the longly awaited ending leaves you without any satisfaction cause it is so empty...

If you like space station dramas, if you like faces that blow up cause they are suddenly exposed to vacuum, or just want to go and see how movies in the 1980s were done ... you can still give it a try

Exploding people. Win.

[rooprect · 3 July 2013]

Let me say up front that any film with exploding people advances to the head of the class. "Scanners" ...awesome. "Robocop" ...grossalicious. "Spinal Tap" ...ahh, a moment of silence for Mick Shrimpton.

"Outland" shines (or should I say 'pops') with the best of them. And it's a great film to boot. More of a western than a scifi--its story has been compared to "High Noon"--it might be light on spaceships and laser battles, but it's definitely heavy on mood and atmosphere. If you like tense, dark, claustrophobic mood films like "Alien", "Das Boot" or even the recent "Pandorum", this is worth checking out.

Sean Connery plays a great character, not quite the perfect hero as James Bond whom he had played a few years prior, but instead he plays a very human, fallible and slightly vulnerable (if not scared) character reminiscent of the great Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck in their roles as reluctant heroes. So don't expect Sean to clean house the way Schwarzenegger might. Here he's clearly outnumbered and outgunned which adds to the chills of this suspenseful story.

Director Peter Hyams was at the peak of his game. Films like this, "Capricorn One" and "2010", all filmed within a 7-year stretch, exhibit the same dark, heavy vibe perfect for science fiction. Again let me repeat, you won't get a ton of flashy action scenes, but what you will get is a thick, suspenseful mood.

If you like old school scifi like the films I've mentioned, or if you like westerns, or if you like moody thrillers, I think you'll like this. You might like it so much your head will explode. And then you too will be awesome.

Western in Space

[gpeevers · 7/10 · 11 June 2009]

The setting is a corporate mining colony on Io one of Jupiter's moons sometime in the relatively near future. Our protagonist Marshall O'Niel (Sean Connery) has just recently arrived and he has found out that the miner's are dying at an usual rate in unusual ways. When he eventually discovers the cause he is told to look the other way, which he of course does not.

Though the story is set in outer-space it is very much a Western in structure, with the small isolated settlement and the Marshall facing off against hired guns. The story was in fact loosely inspired by the classic western High Noon. The tension builds as the inevitable showdown nears, and the backdrop of the mining colony works very well to trap both our protagonist and his foes until it is resolved.

The movie was somewhat bold and refreshing for having the major female character Doctor Lazarus(France Sternhagen) being both middle aged and also not a love interest for Connery. The often affable Peter Boyle projects considerable malevolence as the mine boss.

The film was written and directed by Peter Hyams who has made mostly action films often in the science fiction genre.

Outland was not the first film to depict this kind of gritty vision of the future but it certainly portrays it well and this seems like a believable vision of such an existence.

Basically a movie about a cop who must face down the bad guys...only its in space.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 27 January 2010]

This film was good, it took a normal plot of the cop who must face down a couple of bad guys and puts a new twist on it by setting the film not in the streets of Chicago or any other U.S. City, or some old west town like Dodge, but instead makes it a miner station on a moon of Jupiter. Sure these may seem rather pointless, but I find it help enhances this film because otherwise it might have been rather bland. Also helping this film's cause is Sean Connery as the lead guy playing the Marshall who must face down two hit-man in a do or die struggle as the rest of the frightened citizens of this mining colony do nothing to aid him. Just a case where once again a great actor helps a movie that may have seemed rather cheesy rise to another more significant level. Sure there are no lasers fired or any other futuristic weapons, however one does get the solitude of space and the fun of weightlessness. The action in this one is mainly confined to the end of the film, but once again it is so fun to see Sean Connery act that you will not get to bored in some of the more talky scenes. So I may have enjoyed this one more if there had been a few more futuristic touches, for what it was it was still a rather entertaining movie.

A better than average movie

[perfectbond · 7/10 · 15 December 2002]

The merits of Outland: 1) the practically always reliable Sean Connery playing a stoic space colony marshal balancing his job with his commitment to his family 2) a nice long chase and fight scene with a fugitive 3) an extended suspense filled climax action sequence where Connery's character takes out his would be assassins 4) good special effects and sets in their day, though the technology looks very dated today. All in all solid if not spectacular entertainment, 7/10.

Even in Space, Man Is the Ultimate Enemy

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 30 April 2016]

I think, the movie scores by being gritty, tense, slow and almost "awkward". Connery portrays a man on the edge of retirement, lacking confidence, feeling like a loser. His performance is dead-on. All these together give it a feel of realism, by seeming like such a story as we might observe unfolding in our own time and place.

There are some logistical gaps in Hyams' screenplay, and a fair amount of the dialogue is leaden, but Connery is both believable and sympathetic here, giving a finely tuned performance that encompasses the marshal's steadfast pursuit of justice as well as empathic scenes involving his wife and son, the former deciding that Io is no place to raise a kid early on. The pacing is set for suspense and the story keeps you interested. But the things that stick and make this worth checking out are the sets and special effects. "Outland" may not be a classic film but it's still entertaining and compelling.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Recommended

[auriferous · 9/10 · 9 July 2006]

What an entertaining movie this is. The plot is believable; the acting, from the minor characters right up to and including the leads, is excellent; the dialogue is natural and realistic (and intelligible); and the special effects have aged well and are quite good, as good as today's CGI stuff. But unlike today's sf movies, it's not the f/x that play the central role here but rather plot, character, and acting.

I can understand some of the comments about some of the movie's science, particularly in the way earth gravity suddenly appears inside buildings and the way people's cranial cavities literally expand like balloons when exposed to near zero pressure, but none of that is central. I'm pleased when I see real science in movies (maybe surprised would be a better term), but if I want science I can read a textbook. Anyway, this shortfall is more than made up for by having a doctor in the movie named Lazarus - over scientific accuracy I'll take a little humor. Or good dialogue, such as when O'Neil, having just chased a perp through half the installation, finally corners him in a kitchen, gets the drop on him, and leveling his shotgun at his desperate kitchen knife-wielding opponent says to him, 'Think it over'.

Comparisons have been made to other movies like High Noon and sf classics like Alien and 2001. I'll leave 2001 go at least until I can figure out how that giant fetus got out there in outer space, but as to Alien, well, in my view Outland compares quite well despite Alien's iconic status. Alien conveys all the niceness of a vat of sulfuric acid. What a bunch of dismal characters inhabited that movie. Outland has a different feel to it and portrays more than a few positive human characteristics (the interaction between O'Neil and his wife is quite affecting although, or maybe because, it takes place via a video screen). And as to this being a 'remake' of High Noon set in outer space, well, it really isn't. In fact there's only one aspect of the plot that is similar (the first half of Outland is a whodunit), though the device of periodically showing a clock to countdown when the bad guys will arrive is of course an obvious imitation. Someone else said that this movie is actually a 'western', and that's true if you mean a movie with a real hero who stands virtually alone despite the odds on the side of right vs. wrong (though he does get a little help especially from one particular rather brave woman). Basically though, this is just a very good movie that makes good use of and occasionally even exceeds the limits of its genre. It's got plenty of action and suspense and not a single dead spot. It's worth seeing.

Sci-Fi Western Without A Subtext

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 7 August 2013]

In the recognisable future mankind is colonising the Solar System . One of the moons of Jupiter is being mined for titanium . A series of accidental deaths leads law marshal William O'Neill to investigate these deaths . He finds that the deaths were caused by a psychotic reaction to a drug being used by the men , that this drug is being smuggled on to the colony and that the smugglers want him out of the way and no one is going to help him

OUTLAND is the film that is forever known as being a HIGH NOON remake set in space which is somewhat disingenuous . It does mirror some of the plot turns of that Western where a man trying to enforce the law finds himself alone . Carl Foreman's Western screenplay has a rather explicit subtext that talks about Hollywood in the 1950s where by people found themselves abandoned by erstwhile friends because they might have had left leaning sympathies and didn't want to be accused by association .It was undoubtedly Hollywood's most shameful period but OUTLAND doesn't feel it's trying to ape that film and if there's a subtext to this film it's that drugs are bad

On its own terms there's a lot to admire about OUTLAND . Connery gives one of his better and more commercial performances as tough and noble marshal O'Neill , a tough guy but at heart a family man whose wife and son feel the stress of the job . The film also benefits from some great set design which is both very convincing and functional without appearing too futuristic . You can honestly believe this is a colony on a satellite of Jupiter where titanium ore is being mined

What the story differs suffer from slightly is that there are a couple of scenes where O'Neill knows who the bad guy is and the bad guy talks about his plan over video screens . Are we to take it that in this future world video monitors don't have recording facilities ? Likewise tough hit men referred to as " the best in the business " just happen to pull out and assemble guns in front of a video monitor which is very convenient for the plot . One also has to ask don't shuttle passengers get their baggage searched ?

Regardless of a few flaws OUTLAND is a gritty and entertaining science fiction space Western that stands on its own hind-legs which unfortunately gets compared to HIGH NOON a little bit too much for its own good

just another average sci-fi junk movie

[eypher · 3/10 · 29 November 2003]

After fifteen minutes into the movie you have a good guess of what's going on. After ten more minutes Sean Connery tells you the same thing explicitly. The remaining hour and a half of the movie are spent depicting the fight between good and evil with special effects looking quite outdated by today's standards.

Really, quite disappointing...

not underrated, but rather ignored

[smartfash · 10/10 · 10 August 2004]

I first watched this movie not expecting much as i had never really heard much about it and it didn't seem to be particularly acclaimed, but I was pleasantly surprised by it, Connery's performance is solid and the rest of the cast do a good job, there are some exciting scenes in this movie and the settings (outer space,mining colony) are convincing enough to keep you emersed in the story, the story is like a western in space, (which is about all I heard of this before I saw it),though its not particularly original and doesn't try to be spectacular, it is an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours and good fun for Connery fans to see him kicking arse back in the days.

The old west and corporate life in space...

[davidk · 7/10 · 15 August 1998]

Outland is novel flick and setting a president for great movies such as "Blade Runner" and not so great ones such as "Total Recall," it really set the look and feel of many great sci-fi movies to come. Although the movie in general was not a great, it is a good film to see.

Meh.

[counterrevolutionary · 4/10 · 14 January 2003]

When they make three elementary spelling errors in the opening expositional titles, you can just tell that it ain't gonna be a great movie. In that sense, *Outland* doesn't disappoint.

The "science" on display here is famously as bad as the spelling, the characters are all fairly unpleasant and annoying, and the plot is pedestrian and uninteresting. I suppose the visuals might have seemed interesting and stylish at the time, if you hadn't seen *Alien* and *2001*.

4 out of 10, and that's just because Peter Boyle is at least *supposed* to be unpleasant and annoying.