Was it really that bad: Outland 1981
Author’s note: All pictures and videos used in this review are legal under the terms of the fair use agreement of 1976.
Welcome to another edition of was it really that bad? The movie review series that dares to ask this of movies that didn’t do so well. And this time the review series is delving once again into the realm of sci-fi. In space no one can hear you scream, or much of anything else. And at the Mining Station Con AM 27 on Io something rotten is going on.
That is the premise of Outland 1981 starring the late-great Sean Connery. The movie opens with a scene of everyday life at Con AM 27. And for the record this isn’t any clean and tidy futuristic thing. Nope it’s gritty, dirty, and harsh.
Gravity on Io is 1/6 of Earth gravity. There’s no breathable atmosphere so anyone going outside must wear a spacesuit. But the things are bulky and hard to move in and they have limited air. There's a trade-off for the harsh, grinding, long hours of work though. The workers get paid significant bonuses for their work.
The substance getting mined is titanium, a valuable ore. Some may consider the trade-off worth it. For others the grinding shift takes a toll on the body and the mind despite the bonuses. Amid the grind things take an ugly turn early. One of the workers believes that a spider is clinging to his suit.
Spoiler alert, there isn’t he’s seeing things. In his panic and delusion, he ends up killing himself by tearing open his suit. Uh-oh that’s not a good sign. But it’ll get better over the course of the movie.
The audience then gets introduced to William O’Neal as played by Connery. He got sent to Con AM 27 by order of the Federal Marshals. With him are his wife Carol as played by Kika Markham and Paul, their son, as played by Nicholas Barnes.
It's evident that there’s tension between husband and wife. Though it’s also clear Carol still loves her husband. The reasons for the tension will soon become clear. After kissing his wife goodbye and seeing what his son has been doing William takes off for work.
At his first meeting as the head of the station’s marshals he gets introduced to Mark Shepperd the manager of Con Am 27. Peter Boyle played the part of Shepperd. The man brags about the incredible productivity of the workers since he took over. It may seem cut and paste on the surface, but there’s more here than meets the eye.
Returning home O’Neal finds his place dark and then finds a message from his wife. It seems she’s reached the limits of her patience. As much a as she loves her husband, she wants their son to get raised on Earth. She wants him to have friends, feel the elements on his face, and breathe actual air.
To be fair, her reasoning is sound. some verses from the song Rocket Man by Elton John fits here. Mars (Or in this case Io) ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact, it’s cold as hell. And there’s no one there to raise them, if you did.
The thing is Carol didn’t want to speak with William face-to-face. She fears if she faced him, she might have a change of heart. So instead, she leaves him a video message explaining everything. On the one hand it is a coward’s move. But this will prove a smart move as comes to light later in the movie.
Soon William has other things to worry about. Another miner named Cane enters the airlock…sans spacesuit! This is not going to end well! The man is in the middle of a psychotic episode due to the stimulants he took. Since when do stimulants cause one man to see spiders and another to kill himself in the airlock?
Something shady is going on at Con AM 27!
O'Neal enlists the reluctant help of one Dr. Marian Lazurus. She got played by Frances Sternhangan. She’s a company doctor who doesn’t have the best bedside manner but she’s a good doctor. O’Neal begins to investigate what’s going on as he knows something rotten is afoot. As Leroy Jethro Gibbs from NCIS would best put it, “Ya’ think?!”
Another worker named Sagan has a psychotic episode. He takes a company prostitute hostage. Yeah, in the depths of space there is legal prostitution. That’s the harsh truth of the final frontier in Outland. O’Neal tries to reason with the deranged worker.
Meanwhile Montone, one of O’Neal’s adjutants' sneaks into the ventilation duct that leads to the room. Montone’s character got played by James B. Sikking. Sergeant Montone breaks into the room as O’Neal enters. The sergeant ends up killing Sagan. Oof, not a good outcome from this.
Yet that begs the question what led to this incident.
O’Neal gets a sample of Sagan’s blood. Dr. Lazarus does an autopsy on it and that’s where things get interesting. The two discover traces of polydichloric euthimal. It’s a very powerful and dangerous amphetamine. It’s powerful because it allows the miners to work longer shifts. But the worker burns out after ten months of using the substance and go psycho.
Oops the dirty little secret behind Con AM 27’s success got revealed. Worse Shepperd is the one operating the drug ring that’s distributing the substance. And it’s sanctioned by a now repentant Sergeant Monotone. Something shady is happening indeed, called it!
O’Neal does some digging and uncovers others involved in the ring. Using the surveillance cameras he locates one Nicholas Spota. The part of Spota got played by Mark Boyle. After a chase and a nasty fight O’Neal captures Spota.
But right before he can question the drug dealer something happens.
Spota gets suffocated in his zero-gravity cell. Worse O'Neal finds Montone garroted in a meat locker. Uh-oh you've got a traitor in your midst O'Neal. Not that the rest of the marshals are much better. He finds the shipment of drugs hidden in some meat shipped to the station.
But the marshal gets ambushed by another drug dealer. That being Richard Hammatt in the role of Russel Yario. At first Yario thinks he’s choked O’Neal to death with his garrote. But the marshal expected this and protected himself with an anti-garrote collar. He knocks the other drug dealer out then takes the nasty stuff.
Later he confronts Shepperd and admits he destroyed the shipment. Shepperd is not pleased by this and makes it clear O’Neal is a dead man.
That’s what you think mister corrupt corporate official!
After that the countdown commences to the final showdown with Shepperd and his hit men. But there’s still the possibility of a traitor in O'Neal’s ranks. Can the lone Federal Marshal take down a corrupt station head with connections?
Now it’s time to ask the question, Outland was it really that bad? The answer is I’m pleased to say no it’s not. To be fair this isn’t an underrated gem as it does have a penchant for going too much into the science realism. A certain measure of it is good but too much can drag down a movie. Now that said it didn’t drag down this movie too much.
The late Sean Connery turns in a terrific performance as the beleaguered O’Neal. When you’re pretty much one man fighting against some major odds enough said. And Sean Connery proves why he will always be one of the greats in Hollywood history.
Frances Sternhagen turns in a terrific performance as Dr. Marian Lazurus. She may not have killer looks but she’s the sort of woman you can have a few drinks with and shoot on stuff.
And Peter Boyle is an absolute sleaze as Mark Shepperd. He’s the quintessential cutthroat business crony who’ll do anything for a quick buck. Even burn out his own men while filling their veins with a dangerous drug.
The music of Jerry Goldsmith adds a great ambient feel to this. It lets you know you’re in space and things are about to go down. This movie got written and directed by Peter Hyams. And while it might not be his greatest movie, this film was pretty good.
The story starts off on an ominous yet attention grabbing tone and builds up at a slow burn. But it does so well despite the overabundance of science realism. It is true this movie got mixed reviews in its initial theater release. It’s still a great sci-fi film that thrills you with danger and plot twists.
Some have said this movie is more meh than anything including Dave Cullen. Now people are welcome to their opinion, but I must disagree with that assessment.
So, Outland was it really that bad? Not at all, this movie was pretty good. It’s no underrated gem but it deserves a little more respect. So, I give Outland a solid recommendation. This movie is worth buying on DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming.
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