Long before the release, and the rise and fall in popularity, of the acclaimed Dead Space video game franchise there was a little movie produced by the infamous Roger Corman under the same name.
And while there were multiple straight-to-video animated videos based on the Dead Space video game franchise, this Dead Space was the original.
Dead Space, produced by Roger Corman, directed by Fred T. Gallo, and starring Bryan Cranston, was released in 1991. It is in fact a lose remake and re-imagining of one of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time: Forbidden World
And just as Forbidden World was a clone/imitator of the original Alien film, so was Dead Space--only worse.
Unfortunately, Krieger's ship malfunctioned while entering orbit and he is stuck there with the group of stuffy scientists.
Krieger soon learns that there is more to the situation then the scientists are letting on. Specifically, Dr. Frank Darden (played by Bryan Cranston) is trying to protect an escaped virus so that he can study it.
But when the virus mutates by entering one of the lab technician's bodies things get out of hand. The crew must hunt down and kill the virus, now a mutated monster, before it kills the entire lab crew.
While I enjoyed the film it simply did not have the quality, special effects, or exploitation elements of many other films in a similar vein. While Forbidden World was drenched in atmosphere, gore, and nudity, all of that seems lost in Dead Space.
Hardly ever do we get the option to see a good gory special effect. The closest we get is the "chest burster" scene in the lab. After that, all the deaths are either off screen or are simple, boring, and bloodless.
Additionally, besides Bryan Cranston (whose own performance is mediocre), most of the actors are lacking, leaving us without any draw or interest in the characters. Additionally, the film itself looks like someone turned up the fog, making the whole thing appear like a crappy dream sequence from a 90s sitcom.
Summing it Up
Deaths: 7
Language: 2
Gore Factor: 2
Sex Factor: 2
Scare Factor: 2
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 2