DECAYING ORBIT

STARRING: Andy Allen, Denise Gossett, Bill Guzenski, David Ross Paterson, Darren Schnase, Erin Shull, Åsa Wallander

2007, 90 Minutes, Directed by: Tim Pyle
 

Description: When a mysterious explosion destroys a space station on the edge of the galaxy, five survivors manage to board an escape shuttle. Left adrift without communications, food, or any means of leaving the system, the survivors are forced to work together to survive. But soon evidence surfaces that one of them may actually be the saboteur that caused the station's destruction! Can the dysfunctional group band together long enough to be rescued, when no one knows who they can trust?  — Amazon.com

As far as low-budget sci-fi films go, it doesn’t get much better than this. The acting may at times be a bit on the awkward side and the orchestral score a bit overcooked, but Decaying Orbit never so much as pauses to catch its breath during its brisk 90-minute running time.

The story careens from one twist to the next and the dialogue never depends too much on techno babble even though the plot deals with devices such as a cure for biological warfare viruses, space station lockdown procedures, and the like. Any Star Trek episode probably would have fallen on its face a long time ago!

Note must be made of the special effects however, which are pretty darn decent for a straight-to-DVD feature. It is amazing actually how much special effects have evolved thanks to CG. Here is a direct-to-DVD feature that boasts special effects sequences that can easily stand up to scenes in major studio blockbusters of yesteryear such as the asteroid chase in Empire Strikes Back and the final battle in Star Trek II – The Wrath of Khan. (The film is directed by Tim Pyle who did CG animation for Children of Dune, Jimmy Neutron and Starship Troopers: the Series, which explains the high-quality effects work.)

But Decaying Orbit’s strengths lie with the script, which pretty much keeps things moving along nicely (on the DVD a lengthy and clunky expository scene which was wisely excised can be viewed). While it is never particularly original Decaying Orbit, unlike most direct-to-DVD SF efforts, wants to be more than yet another Alien clone. Still, it would have been nice if they had used better-looking space suits, or at least ones with visible oxygen tanks. And forking out for a good graphic designer to do a nice DVD cover certainly wouldn’t have hurt sales either . . .

Sci-Fi Movie Page Pick:  Brisk straight-to-DVD sci-fi action fun. And besides, how can one dislike any movie which so legitimately invents an excuse for its busty female cast to strip down to their undies (even though it has to be most unerotic underwear ever designed!). Recommended.