Outland (1981) The Ladd Company/Action-Sci-Fi RT: 109 minutes Rated R (violence, bloody images, language, brief nudity, drugs) Director: Peter Hyams Screenplay: Peter Hyams Music: Jerry Goldsmith Cinematography: Stephen Goldblatt Release date: May 22, 1981 (US) Cast: Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen, James B. Sikking, Kika Markham, Clarke Peters, Steven Berkoff, John Ratzenberger, P.H. Moriarty, Doug Robinson, Eugene Lipinski, Nicholas Barnes. Box Office: $17.4M (US)
Rating: ***
Okay, Outland is essentially a sci-fi version of the classic 1952 western High Noon, the obvious difference being that the setting has been changed from a dusty frontier town to the frontiers of outer space. But it works! It’s a brilliant combination of genres from writer-director Peter Hyams (The Star Chamber). It may have a rather hackneyed story line (cops vs. drug dealers), but it succeeds because it takes a fresh approach (for 1981) to the otherwise familiar material. Plus, it stars Sean Connery, the original James Bond.
Set in a titanium ore mining outpost on Io, conditions are harsh on Jupiter’s third moon. There’s no breathable atmosphere and the gravity is 1/6th of that on Earth. The miners put in long shifts wearing cumbersome spacesuits. The boss Sheppard (Boyle, Young Frankenstein) prefers to maintain a high level of productivity. It pleases “The Company”.
It doesn’t take too long for the new marshal, O’Niel (Connery), to realize that something isn’t kosher here. First, one of the miners rips opens his spacesuit in a psychotic frenzy and dies by decompression. Another miner steps outside without a spacesuit and also dies from decompression. Later, one of the miners attacks a prostitute with a knife before getting shot dead by one of O’Niel’s deputies. Autopsies reveal that each one of the dead men had an amphetamine-type drug in their bloodstreams, one that allows the miners to work for days at a time. It increases productivity, but eventually causes psychosis. Not the most desirable side effect for any drug, right?
O’Niel investigates even though it’s suggested he just let it slide. Not one to be dissuaded, O’Niel finds out who’s behind the drug smuggling ring. It’s somebody with power, of course. When he gets too close, a couple of hired killers are brought in to deal with him. As a digital clock counts down the arrival of the supply shuttle carrying the two men, O’Niel learns that he’s on his own as nobody is willing to stick their neck out. Can you say “Gary Cooper”?
One of the coolest things about Outland is the incredible set design. It certainly looks as though Hyams made good use of his $16 million budget. None of it goes to waste either as Hyams makes sure that the audience gets a good look at each and every set piece. There’s a pretty exciting chase in which O’Niel pursues a drug dealer all over the place. We get to see locker rooms, rest rooms, the miners’ sleeping quarters, the cafeteria kitchen and a racquetball court. The climax takes place outside the base as O’Niel fights off one of his would-be killers.
Augmented by a riveting and dissonant score by Jerry Goldsmith, Outland is a unique sci-fi actioner. Unique for 1981, that is. Nobody had ever seen anything quite like it at that time. One could argue that the same could be said of Ridley Scott’s Alien, but I would counter that they’re two distinctly different subgenres of sci-fi (action and horror) and don’t share all that much in common.
In the lead role, Connery makes a formidable action hero. Much like Gary Cooper, O’Niel’s primary concern is upholding the law. He doesn’t care how things were usually done with the previous marshal nor does he care about productivity levels. His sole concern is upholding the law. He uncovers something highly illegal and extremely dangerous; he wants to put a stop to it and to hell with the consequences. He’s also dealing with his wife (Markham) and young son (Barnes) leaving him to return to Earth. She wants him to come with them, but his sense of duty prevents him from doing so.
As a greedy corporate type, Boyle turns in an effective performance. Sheppard is one of those types who believe the ends justify the means. So what if a few random workers go berserk? As long as the work gets done and productivity levels remain high. Frances Sternhagen (Raising Cain) provides some comic relief as the medical examiner with a smart mouth and lots of moxie. She becomes an ally to O’Niel, his only one. He can’t even count on his deputy Sgt. Montone (Sikking), the very epitome of complacency.
In terms of plot, Outland offers no real surprises. We’ve seen it all before in countless other movies and TV shows. We know how it’s going to play out. In terms of aesthetics, it offers something pretty awesome. In terms of its leading man, you can’t go wrong with Mr. Connery. BTW, my appreciation for his work has nothing to do with the fact that he’s a fellow Scotsman. Maybe if I say that often enough, I’ll actually believe it.
