5/5 Best worst movie ever
  by Jennifer Sopchockchai (Dover, MA United States)
This movie is soo soo bad that it is hilarious to watch. Such a cheesy portrayal of the "future" with silver space suits and robots. Highly recommended for those with a sense of humor.

4/5 The Very Definition of an Underrated Space Romp
  by ONENEO (Buffalo, NY)
To begin, let me just clarify by saying that I consider myself a true science fiction buff: Whether it be novels, films, or long-standing franchises such as Star Trek or Star Wars. That said, I believe this film's less-than-stellar rating has a lot to do with expectations going into the viewing. I suppose it's fortunate that I went in with expectations through the basement floor and as such came away quite impressed with the quaint charm Stuart Gordon was able to inject into this project.

Released in a time when science fiction properties weren't exactly the hot topic (after all, Dennis Hopper had signed on board directly after having concluded work on Costner's disastrous Waterworld), Space Truckers uses humor to break up the drudgery of life on the road (or space lane as the case may be). Truthfully, this should probably be expected considering former National Lampoon editor Ted Mann scripted the picture. With a budget of $25 million (in early 1990's dollars) the entire project was filmed at Ireland's Ardmore Studios and then shown at several 1997 film festivals (Sundance, Sitges, Vancouver) where it was well received.

The story takes place in the year 2196 and follows the exploits of freight pilot John Canyon (Dennis Hopper), one of few remaining independent space truckers competing against huge corporations. It begins with Canyon's (late) attempt to deliver a cargo of living pigs, which just so happen to be genetically engineered square and stackable for more efficient shipping in cargo containers, when he discovers that his profits are severely decreased when labor boss (George Wendt) is anything but happy about the latesness of his arrival.

This leads to Canyon rebelling against the system by accepting a questionable cargo that pays some five-times the normal rate. The catch? Don't ask, don't tell on exactly what's in the cargo containers in tow. Canyon then heads for Earth accompanied by young apprentice trucker Mike Pucci (Stephen Dorff) and slutty waitress Cindy (Debi Mazar), who agrees to marry Canyon if he can get her safely to the blue planet to visit with her sickly mother.

The real good stuff begins when pirates capture Canyon's antiquated truck (the Pachyderm 2000) and the cargo he's transporting once Canyon turns off the patrolled space shipping lanes in favor of the risky "Scum Zone". Their ship is high jacked by pirates led by disfigured cyborg, Macanudo (played by Charles Dance).

What it all comes down to is 97 minutes of light-hearted but unique science fiction with some witty dialog to pull laughs (over slap stick, thankfully). The show's kitschy charm could perhaps best be compared to another science fiction entry of the era, The Fifth Element. Outfits and sets are bright and colorful but the physics are, for the most part, nice and accurate. Backgrounds are tight with accurate mood portrayed throughout (especially the space truck stop "The Hub" which features terrain that loops and winds right up the walls).

Effects work invokes back to the era of practical and optical work without reliance upon computer generated imaging (although there are a few examples of it to be found here when wires and lighting work weren't quite cutting it).

I think a lot of the problem people have with this film is the automatic association the title makes with Ridley Scott's 1979 horror thriller, Alien. Sure both stories essentially tell the tale of the gritty realities of a future-time when interstellar travel is a fact of life and somebody out there is going to be charged with the task of transporting cargo long distances. Aside from that resemblance, the stories go about their grander arc much differently. Space Truckers maintains such current-trucker ideals as country music, truck stop cafes, established shipping routes, and corporate greed forcing independent haulers to take dangerous risks to stand a chance.

So long as you realize that this is a light-hearted space adventure designed for a big bowl of popcorn and a few giggles, you will be in for a quite a treat. Dennis Hopper, in a rare opportunity to play the good guy, delivers just a wonderful performance. He's personable, likable, and downright funny in a majority of his delivery. A performance rivaled only by the enigmatic Charles Dance, who is said to have accepted the role based on his teenage daughter's enjoyment of the script.

As an added bonus the extras on this disc are surprisingly thorough and include a making of documentary, filmography of the main cast, interactive trivia game, original trailer, and a full commentary track by Stuart Gordon (which is quite interesting). Finally, it is said there is a hidden bonus feature that can only be unlocked by the viewer. If anyone out there knows how, please do share.

4/5 Equal to Tank Girl
  by Paul A. Harris (Chi-Town)
This is another cult classic. The cast agrees. A combination swashbuckler,space pirate, trucker love story.

5/5 Great, fun film
  by S. Champ (MO, US)
What a film. The casting was solid, the sets were solid, the costuming was solid, the story was solid for its genre. The directing must've been solid -- the proof is in the pudding, as the adage would go.

This film watches like a great, fun flick, with a truly original character. It looks like the cast must've had fun, filming the work. The viewer most certainly has a great chance to really enjoy watching this film.

4/5 Main Stars are Dennis Hopper, Stephen Dorff, Charles Dance, Debbi Mazar
  by Twilightjoan (Peck, ID USA)
It makes me crazy to see the stars listed for a movie or TV series are NOT the main characters. Amazon, apparently, has copied the actor list from www.imdb.com and so the main characters, who appear further on down the list, do not even appear after the title of the movie. A potential buyer of this DVD would be looking for the main characters not the bit players.

I have tried to move up the stars in a DVD's list of actors before but have been rejected. Sometimes, but not always, someone actually looks at what I am trying to do and fixes the problem. Example: On Tour of Duty, a female actress was in a few episodes of ONE season but she was the only name Amazon put for all 3 seasons instead of Terrence Knox, et al. Doesn't make sense. It was finally fixed.

By the way, I really like this movie and would recommend it to those who like sci-fi action movies with good actors (characters!).