SPACE COP (2016)

Space Cop (2016)
Directed by: Jay Bauman, Mike Stoklasa
Written by: Mike Stoklasa
Starring: Jocelyn Ridgely, Mike Stoklasa, Patton Oswalt, Rich Evans

Available on Blu-ray and from VHX now

A genre melding mixture of comedy and horror or sci-fi is one of my favourite moods, whether it’s the old classics from someone like Peter Jackson, or newer projects like Clinger and The Neon Dead. There’s just something cosy about a blend of sudden violence and nonsensical schlock… but maybe that’s just me. It also helps that this is a film based on an old short film/trailer that’s been online for four years while the makers tried to get this off the ground properly. Whether it was budgetary problems or actors suffering sudden illness caused cat allergies there were a variety of issues as they tried to get it finished, and the original version had to be scrapped and started over. But it’s finally here; Space Cop.

But where to begin with something like this? In some ways comedy is a lot harder to review than the standard cheap and nasty sci-fi genre stuff that comes along on straight to video formats these days. After all breaking down the quality issues with effects standards, editing and acting is usually more fun when they’re trying to be artistic or serious without knowing their limitations. Looking at a film with intentional jokes is also far more subjective. However unlike the kind of bad-on-purpose releases done on the cheap you often see from small studios trying to make a quick buck or cash in on the brand recognition of cult classics, this is more like one of those weekend projects akin to Bad Taste. It’s made by people who do it because they wanted to and who suffered for it. Knowing their limitations and being able to use them to get a laugh is the main attribute which carries all of this and prevents it becoming an irritating slog.

Like the older short films by Mike Stoklasa, Jay Bauman and Rich Evans from Red Letter Media or their previous horror release Feeding Frenzy, this is a film with clearly defined restrictions on the results which can be achieved. And luckily for us the makers actually have some self awareness for once. As you’d expect when bizarre 1980s nonsense like Samurai Cop is lovingly referenced in both the movie title and in the script, most of the story is formulaic mismatched buddy material; complete with angry police captains and a series of botched investigations. There are no surprises and the sci-fi elements are also familiar as they pay homage to the likes of Dredd and many other gritty anti-hero flicks. Mostly for laughs. Space Cop (Rich Evans) considers himself to be good at his job, even though his methods seem to rack up a considerable body count. He employs the kinds of excessive force typical of other big screen law enforcement officers from the future.

His one liners are terrible and his busts all go awry. He’s also a horrible slob who constantly eats junk food. But maybe this just describes the star of the film in real life, since the film makers have always enjoyed a certain amount of self depreciating humour. After a ‘promotion’ to traffic duty, Space Cop (his name; Space Cop) happens across an alien scheme and gets inadvertently thrown back in time, finding himself in the year 2007. Fortunately for him the contemporary police take him in as one of their own, despite his the way his methods continue to wreak havoc. After running into the same cosmic menace during a break in at a cryogenics lab, he finds a detective (Mike Stoklasa) who was frozen in the 1940s.Will this unlikely duo be able to stop the nefarious plan and save the Earth? Will the farcical fish out of water gags piling up from all angles be the death of us all?

For a shoe-string budget effort the movie utilises a lot of miniatures and green screens. The pyrotechnics and weapon effects vary in competence, but it’s all part of the same charming package. Not going full out with lazy computer graphics is admirable and lends it all a certain amount of personality. There are moon bases, flying cars, laser battles, brains in jars, rubber aliens as well as a variety of indoor sets. You know what you’re in for when the hero’s vehicle seems to just be a white Mondeo with a gaming joystick inside and plastic guns sticking out of the bonnet. They do attempt some hologram displays and other digital effects but the results are similar. The fake baby from American Sniper also makes an appearance. It’s often weird and offbeat, but that’s the whole idea.

However one stand out element here that isn’t completely corny is the score by Marty Meinerz, which provides some well made electronic tunes while occasionally doing a good job of replicating the sounds of ’80s John Carpenter. It’s not all great and the obvious takes on a theme from Tron Legacy stick out, but even that is kind of a gag itself by now. Directing, acting and writing duties are all shared out by a central trio of film-makers and it never tries to be more than the sum of these parts. On the other hand calling it acting at all is probably overstating things a little. Laugh inducing moments will vary from one viewer to another but there are enough of them throughout to keep things from getting stale. However it does maintain a consistent level of inconsistency whether it’s the performances or the jokes.

Not everything works, and some moments are stretched to their breaking point. There are various hits and misses in terms of gags and story beats. Space Cop is a moronic oaf who just wants to kill the bad guys, and Detective Cooper is a sexist flatfoot with a silly old school Hollywood accent who doesn’t understand why he can’t smoke indoors. This sort of material makes up a lot of the situations as things unfold. There’s also a lot of slapstick and juvenile humour included for your money. If this was made with any kind of pretentious ideas about plot or thematic meaning it would all be terribly annoying, but as it stands it’s just a stupid comedy where disguised aliens try pole dancing and Space Cop is the main character’s legal name. If you like the idea of those indie features similar to Garth Marenghi or Danger 5 which have a hand-made feel and you’re tired of the whole retro blockbuster fad give it a look. But maybe after a few drinks.

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