OUTLAND drew wag snark as ‘High Noon in Outer Space’ since, like the 1952 western, this 1981 sci-fi drama pits a lone lawman against murderous adversaries in a community where nearly everyone, deputies and civilians, turns down calls for help. Director-writer Peter Hyams even got flak from Fred Zinnemann, who’d helmed the Gary Cooper classic. OK, we’ve gotten the info every other reviewer mentions out of the way: so how is this homage/rework/ripoff? Answer: worthwhile, with qualifications. *

Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, hosts a titanium mining colony with several thousand occupants. ‘William O’Niel’ (Sean Connery), freshly arrived Federal Marshal is way out on a limb (or sulfurous volcanic rock) in this dire straits assignment. His wife and son leave for Earth, his staff are less than motivated, mine supervisor ‘Sheppard’ (Peter Boyle) is shady and a series of suicides and violent outbursts reveal a pattern that points to high-stakes corruption. The only ally straight-shooter O’Niel may have is ‘Dr. Lazurus’ (Frances Sternhagen), grumpy to a fault.

On the positive end of ledger—leonine Connery, 50, is in excellent form, blending power and sensitivity into a sympathetic ‘beleaguered hero’ characterization. Sternhagen, 50, does well as an offbeat ‘mature’ counterpart; their developing relationship is nicely written and played. Jerry Goldsmith on scoring duty ensures a viable undercoat of tension. The elaborate set design is impressive, and there’s a nifty chase & fight sequence at the mid-point.

Downside—apart from the aforementioned fight scene, the villains don’t provide sufficient thrill, and the action conclusion is too drawn out, sluggish and somewhat confusing: Connery later commented “The fight at the end took place in space and therefore was very slow…and the real villain of the piece was resolved with one punch. That was bad because the film had a marvelous climax in the very middle of it that should have been topped at the end.” The actress and young boy who play O’Niel’s wife and son were weak casting decisions. Shotguns, apart from their vivid nature (gracias, Sam Peckinpah) seem odd weapons of choice to blast away with in the confines of a space-placed construction. The script’s scientific & logic vacuums begin the physical unreality of Jupiter’s closest moon being somehow usable as a corporate money faucet. Finally, overall, the movie’s perhaps a little too grim: take your date to watch guys explode.

High hopes went with the $14,000,000 investment, but the mixed result didn’t pan out with the public, the $17,375,000 domestic gross lagged into 50th place for the year. Oscar nominated for Sound, clocking 109 minutes (24 minutes longer than High Noon), with James B. Sikking, Kika Markham (bland as O’Niel’s wife), Nicholas Barnes (less than bland as O’Niel’s son), Clarke Peters, Steven Berkoff, Marc Boyle and John Ratzenberger.

* And—sorry, heart-bleeders, High Noon isn’t Holy Writ. Yep, it’s good, but nope, it’s not fantastic.