The Space Between Us - Movie Review

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

While the premise of this movie makes it look like a sci-fi adventure, the truth is that it's actually a young adult romance, like The Fault in Our Stars with E.T. overtones. The film may be watchable, but the script simply never bothers to develop anything. The science is wobbly, the romance is paper-thin, the sentimentality is off the charts, and the cheesy dialogue would completely defeat a less experienced cast.

It opens with an extended prologue about the first manned mission to Mars and how, after the team arrives, Elliot (Asa Butterfield) was born to an astronaut who died in childbirth. Earth-based mission director Nathaniel (Gary Oldman) decides to keep his existence a secret, so he's raised by motherly science officer Kendra (Carla Gugino) and his robot best pal (voiced by director Peter Chelsom). When he turns 16, Nathaniel decides it's time for Elliot to visit Earth, not knowing that he has developed an online relationship with the tearaway teen Tulsa (Britt Robertson) in Colorado. So when he lands on Earth, Elliot escapes and teams up with Tulsa to search for his father. But Nathaniel and Kendra know that Elliot can't survive for long in Earth's gravity.

There's nothing about this film that's terribly convincing. Events are inexplicable, plot points are under-explained and the filmmakers oddly make no attempt to create a sense of advanced technology or style in 2034. The clothing and cars are distinctly 2016 vintage, and only the impractical clear-glass computer screens add an improbably futuristic tinge. Of course, the 12-year-olds this film was made for won't care about the details; they'll be caught up in the swoony romantic fantasy. Butterfield is a solid actor who can make even a character this thinly defined believable and likeable. His heavy-gravity physicality is nicely understated. And he sparks some chemistry with the high-energy Robertson. Meanwhile, Oldman and Gugino add a hint of gravitas in their thankless roles.

But no one has anything interesting to say, because the dialogue is little more than corny cliches and clunky plot exposition. Scenes constantly build to a revelation we figured out half an hour earlier. And the slick production style only makes the lapses in logic that much more glaring. That said, there's plenty here for fans of dimwitted teen love stories, from the cross-country road trip to the suggestion of impending tragedy. Director Chelsom somehow manages to generate a relaxed tone while keeping the plot racing past every plot hole, ignoring any hint of thematic meaning. Those looking for undemanding mushiness will probably love it.

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Facts and Figures

Year: 2017

Genre: Romance

In Theaters: Thursday 9th February 2017

Production compaines: Southpaw Entertainment, STX Entertainment, Los Angeles Media Fund (LAMF)

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 2.5 / 5

IMDB: 8.5 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Peter Chelsom

Producer: Allan Loeb

Screenwriter: Richard Barton Lewis

Starring: Asa Butterfield as Gardner Elliot, Britt Robertson as Tulsa, Carla Gugino as Kendra, BD Wong as Genesis Director Chen, Gary Oldman as Nathaniel Shepherd, Janet Montgomery as Sarah Elliot, Sarah Minnich as Alice Meyers, Lauren Myers as Dream Chaser Pilot, Bernardo P. Saracino as Genesis Shareholder, Kristen Rakes as Roland, Humberto Castro as Mars Inhabitant, David House as Idaho, Alma Sisneros as Susanne, Luce Rains as Student, Jenny Gabrielle as Screaming Girl, John-Paul Howard as Dr. Gary Loh, Mia Stallard as NASA Doctor, Beth Bailey as Centaur (voice), Colin Egglesfield as NASA Executive, William Sterchi as Scott Hubbard, Peter Chelsom as Dr. Cox, Morse Bicknell as Alfonso, Stafford Douglas as Police Officer, Adande 'Swoozie' Thorne as Ms. Tupelo, Danny Winn as Valet, Nathaniel Augustson as NASA Secretary, Jacob Browne as ER Doc, Esodie Geiger as East Texas Tech, David Devereaux as Genesis Shareholder, Aurora Antonio as Control Room Technician, Eli Goodman as E. Marks / Security, Gregory Paul Valdez as Nurse, Katrina Kavanaugh as NASA Security, Ryan Jason Cook as Social Services Man, Frank Powers as NASA Student, Marika Day as Genesis Shareholder, Shawn Lecrone as Astronaut / Shuttle Crew, Drago Sumonja as Genesis Shareholder, Kelly V. Lucio as NASA Executive, Nate Warren as Genesis Shareholder, Johnny Palomarez Jr. as Genesis Shareholder, Shad Adair as Himself, Jon Erik Castro as Herself, Brian Barela as NASA Security, Rene Herrera as Genesis Shareholder, Kyle Pierson as Doctor, Cesar Miramontes as Shopper

Also starring: Gil Birmingham, Richard Barton Lewis