As straight-to-video trash goes, this title isn't bad. It at least has plenty of action going on to stop it from ever becoming boring (probably the biggest sin of all in my book). Sure, the low budget is apparent and the plot is a cheap rip-off of just about any film you care to mention - although particularly the phrase "Die Hard in outer space" springs to mind - but the acting and action is serviceable if not original.
In a low budget vehicle, only cheap actors will do, which is where leading man Olivier Gruner comes in. Gruner is the veteran of a whole slew of no-budget sci-fi knock-offs in the late '90s, with generic titles like AUTOMATIC, SAVAGE, and MARS. This is my first exposure to the actor and he comes off quite well as the physical hero, although his character, Raymond Stokes, seems to be lacking a few brain cells here and there. Gruner may not be the most intelligent or charismatic of screen heroes, but he's quite likable in his own way, and fits the bill for this kind of job. Besides you have to like any actor who doesn't take himself entirely seriously (Gruner practises ballet at one amusing point in the film).
Elsewhere in the cast, Alicia Coppola plays the female lead, easy on the eye and actually displaying some intellect for a change (she's the one who actually has a clue what to do). Ken Olandt is the bad guy, but he's a) too nice and b) too young to pose that much of a threat. Although the fact that the bad guys actually have personalities and are real people, not just mindless thugs as in so many other films, must give this film some kind of kudos. Eagle-eyed viewers will also spot an ageing Craig Wasson (the lead in De Palma's BODY DOUBLE) popping up early on as Gruner's corrupt superior.
Some of the special effects in this film are surprisingly good, even if a little too obviously done with computers. The spaceships look nice and the warp effect is quite impressive, and they even throw in a passable STAR WARS-inspired dogfight between two ships at one point. The action consists in the time-honoured tradition of having the bad guys get picked off one by one by our hero, and the various death scenes are varied and interesting. There are a few gun battles and one (good) physical battle to keep things moving along, as well as lots of lame jokes and dialogue which manages to be funny some of the time. It also has to be said that I didn't see the ending coming, where nobody trusts anybody and the heroes take the cash for themselves. Allover, VELOCITY TRAP is a passable thriller, not inspired or exciting, but fun to watch if you're in the right easygoing mood.
In a low budget vehicle, only cheap actors will do, which is where leading man Olivier Gruner comes in. Gruner is the veteran of a whole slew of no-budget sci-fi knock-offs in the late '90s, with generic titles like AUTOMATIC, SAVAGE, and MARS. This is my first exposure to the actor and he comes off quite well as the physical hero, although his character, Raymond Stokes, seems to be lacking a few brain cells here and there. Gruner may not be the most intelligent or charismatic of screen heroes, but he's quite likable in his own way, and fits the bill for this kind of job. Besides you have to like any actor who doesn't take himself entirely seriously (Gruner practises ballet at one amusing point in the film).
Elsewhere in the cast, Alicia Coppola plays the female lead, easy on the eye and actually displaying some intellect for a change (she's the one who actually has a clue what to do). Ken Olandt is the bad guy, but he's a) too nice and b) too young to pose that much of a threat. Although the fact that the bad guys actually have personalities and are real people, not just mindless thugs as in so many other films, must give this film some kind of kudos. Eagle-eyed viewers will also spot an ageing Craig Wasson (the lead in De Palma's BODY DOUBLE) popping up early on as Gruner's corrupt superior.
Some of the special effects in this film are surprisingly good, even if a little too obviously done with computers. The spaceships look nice and the warp effect is quite impressive, and they even throw in a passable STAR WARS-inspired dogfight between two ships at one point. The action consists in the time-honoured tradition of having the bad guys get picked off one by one by our hero, and the various death scenes are varied and interesting. There are a few gun battles and one (good) physical battle to keep things moving along, as well as lots of lame jokes and dialogue which manages to be funny some of the time. It also has to be said that I didn't see the ending coming, where nobody trusts anybody and the heroes take the cash for themselves. Allover, VELOCITY TRAP is a passable thriller, not inspired or exciting, but fun to watch if you're in the right easygoing mood.