Supernova (2000)

Heal thyself, doctor.

The back story to Supernova is actually more interesting than the studio cut of the film that is available to view. Director's coming and going, one (Walter Hill) taking his name off the credits, butchery by studio interference, different endings, different planned thematics, shelved for two years and etc. Supernova was a messy production and sadly it shows, making Walter Hill's original cut (unavailable) the "Magnificent Ambersons" of the sci-fi genre.

Plot, in the skew-whiff edited version we are fed here, is basically a riff on Ridley Scott's Alien. Space dudes up in space take on board a too good to be true hitch-hiker dude, which is a bad idea. Sadly it's all very dull, yet strangely you can see that in amongst the mess, and the often used diversion tactic of Robin Tunney's breasts, there was a very good film here. Brains and effects work to light up the screen, some sexy sizzle marrying up to the tension up there in the galaxy, James Spader on wonderfully broody and heroically damaged form, and some belting deleted scenes on the DVD. But, it's not to be, so the studio should be ashamed of themselves, even if it isn't quite the ultimate stinker it has been painted as. But! Super it is not, in any shape or form. 5/10

Supernova feels like a wasted opportunity wrapped in decent visuals. The directing is all over the place, which makes sense given the messy production history, and it really shows. The pacing drags, making even the short runtime feel longer than it should. You can tell there were attempts to build tension or mystery, but the script just doesn’t give it enough fuel. The story lacks depth, and the characters feel like cardboard cutouts drifting through space. It tries to be a mix of sci-fi and psychological thriller, but it never really commits to either, leaving it floating in this weird limbo.

On the plus side, the cinematography is surprisingly solid in parts. There are a few beautiful shots of space and the sun that really stand out, and the set design had potential. The acting isn’t terrible, but the cast doesn’t have much to work with, and it feels like everyone’s just going through the motions. As for the score and sound design, nothing really stood out, which isn’t great for a sci-fi film that should be using sound to build atmosphere. Overall, it’s a slow, visually decent film that struggles to say or do anything memorable.