This extremely impressive science fiction action film from Australian director Shane Abess has a lot going for it.

What he has been able to create on a limited budget rivals the best offerings of the genre including Star Wars, The Matrix and Blade Runner.

The make-up, costumes, special effects, both visual and physical are second to none and when a character cleverly refers to a buzzing insect as a “space fly” to overcome the reality of actual flies at the location during production in the Australian outback, you twig that this is the project of someone dedicated to delivering the most awesome space adventure that they are capable of.

Abess has puts years of his life into bringing this story to the big screen and his cast (including Twilight’s Kellan Lutz and our own Daniel Macpherson and Isabel Lucas) provide wholehearted performances throughout this 93 minute space extravaganza with young actress Teagan Croft anchoring the film as Indi Somerville, a young girl who is in peril and needs rescuing by her father Kane (Macpherson).

Having witnessed firsthand the enormity of the task of realising a vision as grand as this, I am loathe to criticise this committed, talented and ascendent filmmaker for he is clearly going places.

My three big gripes were the fact that the characters had American accents, and I appreciate the commercial considerations for this, but personally believe it would have served the film better for them to have spoken in their native voices.

Secondly the title is unnecessarily long and convoluted. If you are going to bow to commercial pressures and dish up American accents, then perhaps consider shortening the title of the film to something more succinct.

Thirdly, additional writing would have served the film well by translating the hefty dialogue into more manageable chunks and simplifying the complex world the film is set in. I can see that Abess has a vision and while I respect and admire his decision to stick to his guns to create the film he wanted to make, you can’t pick and choose your commercial considerations. either make the film more accessible to a broader audience or stay in the niche world where this film will live as an early example of the director’s early work.

This is the film’s official synopsis courtesy of Madman Pictures –

Set in the future in a time of interplanetary colonisation, Sy, a mysterious drifter, meets Kane, a lieutenant working for an off-world military contractor, EXOR.

The unlikely pair must work together to rescue Kane’s young daughter and reach safety amid an impending global crisis which was brought on by EXOR itself. It’s a race against time for the duo as they clash with EXOR in an attempt to escape while battling the savage creatures (Raggeds) that roam the barren planet.
Set in the future in a time of interplanetary colonisation, Sy, a mysterious drifter, meets Kane, a lieutenant working for an off-world military contractor, EXOR.

The unlikely pair must work together to rescue Kane’s young daughter and reach safety amid an impending global crisis which was brought on by EXOR itself. It’s a race against time for the duo as they clash with EXOR in an attempt to escape while battling the savage creatures (Raggeds) that roam the barren planet.

When an unexpected bond develops, Sy’s rough exterior is tested as he is confronted by the monsters that live inside us all…

Ambitious and Impressive – A Quirky Film with Stunning Visuals – 3 Stars