Dark Descent

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.

After midnight, having a bout of insomnia, I see Dean Cain in a Outland knockoff that only lacks the production values, plot, visual effects and acting.

Basically, a very bad "Outland" under water. The concept has some merit. Instead of vacuum, think extreme pressure and its related dangers. Of course, because of the obvious low budget, they couldn't really develop along those lines. Dean Cain does what he can with what he has. Regarding production values, I think there was one visual effect that was interesting.

Typically, I really enjoy campy, grade-B (or less) sci-fi thrillers but I just couldn't do this time. Watch a DVD you have watched more than 15 times, do some laundry, read a book, read a comic book, read a Judith Krantz novel before fall into the trap that is "Dark Descent".

In a deep sea mining complex, a Federal Marshal (Dean Cain) tries to find out why miners are committing suicide ast such an alarming rate. Needless to say, there are corporate maneuvers being played as the company that owns the facility dispatches a team of hit men to kill him.

This is by far the worst offering that UFO(the production company) has released and it is nearly a blatant rip-off of HIGH NOON and even for that matter the far superior OUTLAND (High Noon in space).

Warning...if you see this on the shelf, pass it by and pick up either of the two aforementioned films...that will be a rental fee well spent!

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.

Here's some advice for aspiring filmmakers: the total lack of a budget does not doom you to not making movies, but it does prevent you from making movies that demand good production values. Case in point is Descent, set in an underwater mining colony. Unfortunately, the real set is a bunch of Star Trek inspired sci-fi hallways. The story (what story there is) could have taken place at your public school. Another note to filmmakers: if your story sucks, the set's got to look good! Bottom line: avoid this sorry excuse for sci-fi and rent The Abyss instead.