Assault on Dome 4

Assault on Dome 4 could have been a completely disposable Die Hard in Space movie made on a Sci-Fi Channel budget, however, it is made all the more memorable for the fact that its villain is just Bruce Campbell but evil. He chews the lack of scenery up a treat even when he's given some truly awful dialogue, but Campbell manages to make it all work. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the film. It keeps intercutting the main Die Hard plot with an unnecessary and dull trial which is all happening after the fact so there's zero stakes for the majority of its runtime, most likely a consequence of it being made for TV. The music in the film is lots of simplistic synth work and the sound mixing is shoddy at points. The direction feels locked down and restricted, lacking any form of energy, all resulting in a meandering pace even at 90 minutes. However, despite these flaws, the film is entertainingly chaotic from beginning to end, more than worthy of a watch kicking back with friends and a few beers.

Oh and Jack Nance, Eraserhead himself, turns up in a small role that is comparable to that of Marvin from Die Hard 2.

This is the kind of movie that assures Bruce Campbell of his cult status. The movie is downright awful, but Bruce shines by overflowing with his characteristic cockiness. If your interested in story, special effects, good screen writing, or little things like a cohesive plot or originality, then pass on it; but if you appreciate the over-the-top idiocy of a pure guilty pleasure B-made-for-TV movie, then this is definitely a must see.

I love the movie because of the sheer balls it must have taken to produce: The dialog is awful. The characters are cut-and-dried stereotypes. The entire movie seems as if it was written overnight. It was awesome.

Well, you know what you are getting with this movie, and it delivers just exactly that. This is a low budget Sci-Fi movie in every term of the phrase.

The story is about Chase Moran (played by Joseph Culp) who is returning to Dome 4 to visit his wife Lily Moran (played by Jocelyn Seagrave), when his plans are foiled by an intergalactic terrorist named Alex Windham (played by Bruce Campbell). Alex Windham plans to use the resources from Dome 4 to make powerful bombs and carve out a world for himself.

Right, well the storyline is fairly average, cliché even for a Sci-Fi movie, but it was fun enough to watch.

There is one reason, and one reason only, as to why people watch this. And that is, of course, Bruce Campbell. He really did bring up this movie a notch with his usual charms and hilarious acting. Because without him, the movie would have been nothing more than a B-movie, a bad low budget Sci-Fi, with equally bad low budget props and sets.

"Assault on Dome 4" is well worth a watch for any fan of Bruce Campbell.

any film bearing the words a sci-fi channel original production should immediately be burned. This is quite possibly the dullest movie campbell's ever starred in. It's incredibly boring and hard to watch (and thats in comparsion to stuff like Moontrap and Waxwork 2!)

stay away! stay far away!

I was prepared for low-grade sci-fi action. From the outset it was clear how low a budget this claimed. While I maybe should have known better based on Bruce Campbell's involvement, what I was not prepared for was abject tongue-in-cheek schlock. Exposition is startlingly direct, the finished film includes flubbed lines and what would in any other production be dubbed "bloopers," and the acting ranges from suitable but unremarkable to questionable. One can only wonder if much of the acting is a result of deliberate ham-handedness, bad first takes, bad direction, or simple inability. Please don't miss the outrageous first death scene, and note the clear inspiration that this picture takes from the first 'Die hard,' or scenes and story beats that it outright borrows. Suffice to say that 'Assault on Dome 4' is not major studio fare, and is a bit of An Experience.

This isn't to say that it's not enjoyable. While obviously steps down from a genre essential, it's modestly well made such as it is. This only the second credit for writer Hersh Rephun, or director Gilbert Po, and that inexperience surely does shine through at times, but their contributions are baseline competent, with some genuine cleverness every now and again. Special effects are less than seamless and a little garish at points, but practical effects are decent enough, and any stunts or moments of action are done reasonably well, if suffering from the stated low budget and level of experience. The filming locations, sets, and props are swell. And while the cast mostly struggles owing to one factor or another, the least that can be said is that Campbell is absolutely having a great time portraying antagonist Alex with all the playful, self-confident smarm that he can. Relegated to a smaller supporting part, Jocelyn Seagrave demonstrates more polish in her acting than arguably anyone else involved.

With all this said, even at its best the level of entertainment that 'Assault on Dome 4' can provide is probably restricted to the most open-minded of viewers. Between Po's direction, the limited resources, and general meager pacing and low production values, there are times when this absolutely struggles to inculcate a sense of authenticity that would best sustain suspension of disbelief. I commend the earnest effort everyone put in to make this a fun sci-fi romp, and it does succeed in some measure - this is, ultimately, all that it wanted to be, and doesn't carry illusions of being anything more. Yet there's no mistaking that this exists on at best the middle portion of the spectrum of quality and value, and is best reserved for those who already appreciate B-movies. For such viewers, this isn't a must-see in any way, but it's passably satisfying for what it is, and sometimes this is all we want in a film. Save 'Assault on Dome 4' for a lazy day, then just shut off your brain and enjoy a recognizable and reliable bit of silliness.