Supernova [DVD] [2000]

This is a classic representation of the Sci Fi genre set in a 'Alien' environment complete with familiar characters. The film however has the potential to be greater than the cut that we actual see and it is only by viewing the deleted scenes that we can start to appreciate the potential of this vision. I can see this film revised in ten years as a Director's cut with a new opening sequence and added tension leading to a pay off finish. If you saw the film at the cinema it is worth getting the DVD to see the lost sequences and allow yourself to reedit the film and enjoy something that the Director must have originally envisaged.

This is an exciting,visually stunning but flawed sci-fi film:it is quite derivative in places,mostly echoing "alien" and has a female computer which is kind of a flip-side to Hal from "2001...".Also,the film does not seem quite sure what it is trying to say or how philosophically its trying to say it(the excellent deleted scenes section of the dvd shows just how much the message had been tweaked by the time of release).Despite these faults-which are not glaringly obvious as you watch-I found it thoroughly enjoyable.Spader is quietly mesmeric as the ex drug addict forced to take control of the ship and is ably backed up by the initially frosty Angela Basset.The special effects are stunning and perform exactly as they should,drawing you into the film without being too flashy.Well worth viewing if you like sci-fi films and the cut-scenes on the dvd are a good addition.Someone should tell Lou Diamond Phillips to give up his day job though...

This film is not really a masterpiece and I understand those reviewers who gave it only two or three stars, as it could have been better with some effort from the scenarist, but I still enjoyed it, for numerous following reasons:

1. The cast.

James Spader is not exactly an actor associated with action movies and before watching "Supernova" I would have problems to picture him as an action hero. But in this film he is VERY convincing as a surprisingly tough, clever and coolheaded pilot of a spaceship, who after recovering from drug addiction is granted a second chance, at the condition of taking the difficult, dangerous and not so well paid job on board of a rescue vessel operating in deep space. His performance surprised and impressed me.

Angela Bassett is a very good actress and a very beautiful woman and honestly I think that in this film she is at her most gorgeous. She plays the doctor working on board of the rescue vessel and she is impressive with her display of competence, dignity and calm authority - and that even when she is completely naked...

Peter Facinelli became worldly famous for his role of Dr Carlisle Cullen in "Twilight" saga - here he plays a young man named Larson who survived a disaster on a distant mining colony and is found still alive by the deep space rescue ship. Considering how noble is Carlisle in "Twilight" movies it becomes immediately obvious how gifted and versatile an actor Peter Facinelli is, because his caracter in "Supernova" is completely different - and he is very credible in portraying it! If any "Twilight" fan wants to see how Carlisle Cullen could look and act if he became a "regular" nomad vampire hunting humans and "playing with his food" (like James, Victoria and Laurent) - well, have a look at Peter Facinelli in this film...

Lou Diamond Phillips, who plays Yerzy Penalosa, one of the medical nurses, has a smaller role here, but it is always a pleasure to see him on the screen. Robin Tunney plays another nurse, Danika Lund - she is also Yerzy's girlfriend - and she is a very pleasant presence.

There is also one more very interesting "woman" on board of the ship - Sweetie, the main computer. Her beautiful and sensual voice (borrowed from actress Vanessa Marshall) is a very important element of the film and her relationship with ship's informatician, Benjamin Sotomayor (Wilson Cruz) is a very original thing.

2. The design of space ship and the mining colony.

They were very well done and more generally the effects in this movie are at a good level. The scenes of "jumping" into hyperspace are excellent, the alien blue "sun" is very impressive and the grim, industrial bunkers of the mining colony are also quite credible. OK, it is certain that there were some elements here borrowed from "Aliens" and also possibly "Outland", but the final results are very good.

3. The reason behind the title of the film

Here I can not be very specific, because I do not want to provide spoilers, but somewhere in the middle of the film you may begin to ask yourself "But why the heck they called this movie 'Supernova'?". Well, there is a reason and in my modest opinion a rather good one, but you must be patient and wait almost until the end. The only thing I can tell here is that this film explains quite well why we never heard any radio signals from alien civilizations - and when one considers all the implications of the solution of the mystery in "Supernova", they are rather terrifying... Frankly, the conclusion of this little movie makes the space a place even more frightening than the one described in "Alien" (but just to be clear, this film is nowhere as good or as scary as "Alien")...

4. The question of motherhood denied

There are two women on board of the rescue ship, Dr Kaela Evers (Angela Bassett) and nurse Danika Lund (Robin Tunney) - and they both can not have children. Dr Evers was in the past so horribly abused by her partner, that she was left barren - and so scarred emotionnally that she decided to work in the deep space to get as far as possible from her tormentor, even though he went to prison. Danika is still young and healthy, but it seems that in this future not so brave world getting an administrative authorization to have a child is very difficult and she must be certain that she chooses the right partner to not be rejected. This issue of motherhood denied has profound consequences for the action of the movie and allows also for quite a unique and very moving finale.
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Bottom line, although I am the first to admit that this film is not a "great" movie, it is still a honest watch and any science-fiction amateur will probably enjoy watching it, if only once. And if by any chance you decide to interrupt the watching in the middle, please, at least see the last two minutes - I found them quite unique and very touching.