Dark Descent

It was like the writers of this movie found out they had Dean Cain cast and said "Well bugger that then, I think we can get by without a storyline". With so little plot you would think it would be easy to make it coherent and yet there were still holes. Cain is forced to carry the whole movie and while his performance isn't that bad his character lacks any depth and consequently is entirely uninteresting to watch. Low production value shines through as you watch bullets fly off what is obviously plastic tubing. If you like watching people walk people walk around and around in circles, this movie is for you, otherwise don't bother.

As others have mentioned, this movie is a blatant rip-off of "Outland" - which itself was a rip-off of "High Noon". Still, this could have provided some decent exploitation entertainment. But except for a somewhat cool sequence involving someone getting hit by water, there is absolutely NOTHING fun or even momentarily distracting in this particular telling of the story. Low production values hurt, but there is also no sense of fun, no zip, no energy here. Not even worth seeing for free when it comes on cable.

1 October 2002. Dark Descent has many similarities to Outland (1981), a space western, starring Sean Connery. Unfortunately, Dark Descent doesn't really have much original going for it and, in fact, does a worse job. Outland by contrast had a tight script, good use of interaction and tension with its characters. As a ripoff, Dark Descent descends rather than promotes what Outland has already accomplished.

...when it was called "Outland." Both of which are, as another commenter said, based on "High Noon." Some of the shots are almost identical to the Connery movie, as are the basic scenario and subplot elements. Additionally, some of the plot details they changed, presumably to avoid lawsuits, created huge, unresolved plot holes. And of course Dean Cain can't hold a candle to Connery at his post-Bond peak.

As if those failings were not egregious enough, this movie also lacks the cranky charm of Frances Sternhagen.

Rend "Outland" and sink this flick in the Marianas Trench.

This movie marks the return to that 80's scifi set look we all love and don't miss. At all. Although this is obviously a TV-quality movie I doubt it's possible to make a futuristic indoor movie any cheaper than this with it's few grey walled sets and a few meters of corridor which one soon comes to recognize. Although the movie is dreary and just plain silly, this is not it's major fault. You soon find yourself wondering how blatant a ripoff you can get away with when the plot, clothes and scenes are taken from the 80ies movie "Outland" with Sean Connery.

Save yourself the time and money and rent something (anything) else.