Released around the same time as Steven Spielberg’s RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), Peter Hyams’ follow-up to CAPRICORN ONE (1978) bas become one of the best loved sci-fi cult classics of all time.
Federal Marshal O’Neil (Sean Connery) is the newly-appointed Space Sheriff at a mining colony on the Jupiter moon of Io. He meets the staff and shop steward, Sheppard (Peter Boyle) who has devised a work-hard, play-hard attitude amongst his workers, but when a series of mystery suicides starts to plague to facility, O’Neil begins to investigate. With help from Dr. Lazarus (Frances Sternhagen), he discovers a drug-culture and some heavy-handed resistance, coupled with the fact that profits are seemingly more important than human welfare….
Shot at Pinewood Studios, where many classic blockbusters like the Bond films, the MARVEL series of movies and the more recent STAR WARS sequels have resided, OUTLAND retains much of the involving atmosphere of a true sci-fi classic, elevated by Connery’s assured performance as the beleaguered Federal Marshal, thousands of miles from Earth. Sternhagen is also excellent as the cynical doctor who becomes a key ally in O’Neil’s fight to keep law and order on the facility.
It is also one of the few post-STAR WARS imitators that keeps its’ consistency, even today and does show a grounded reality that will be the sort of thing that people who work in outer space will certainly aspire to if we ever get to places like Jupiter in the future.
Flawed at times, but a great experience nonetheless, with a terrific sound mix and a great score by Jerry Goldsmith.