Story Line: In the distant future, a disgraced sailor (McDowell) is put in command of a hulking slave freighter carrying a cargo of lethal germs. The ruthless Proxate Corp. wants the ship sunk and sends a cyborg (Nolano) to kill the crew and its slave workers.
Bottom Line: This eerie sci-fi fantasy romp is kind of fun (you have to love lines like, "We'll be the first corporation since Disney to join the U.N."). McDowell enjoys himself as a hard-drinking antihero, and Pare is in the unlikely role of button-down corporate toady. The industrial sets are minimal--all right angles and colored lights--but they serve their function, as do the limited special effects, which are comprised of swirling energy lights and ship-at-sea miniatures. Yet it's the gothic tone and otherworldly action that will keep undemanding sci-fi fans engrossed. --Buzz McClain