Dread in deep space

PANDORUM:Directed by Christian Alvart. Starring Ben Foster, Dennis Quaid, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung  Le, Eddie Rouse, Norman Reedus  16 cert, gen release, 108 min

FOR THE last five decades or so, the great Roger Corman has made a living by (ahem) borrowing ideas from big-budget smashes and delivering leaner, cheaper, occasionally better pulp rip-offs. Could Paul WS Anderson, director of the Resident Evilseries, become Mr Corman's successor? Almost certainly not. But this diverting science-fiction flick, produced by Anderson in Germany, does prove that the Corman aesthetic can still deliver good, economical fun.

Taking its cue from Alien, The Descent, Solarisand a dozen more prestigious titles, Pandorummay be a bit murky, and it does feature some uneven performances, but it has a breathless pace and a taste for the jugular that you don't often find higher up the cinematic food chain.

The picture is set aboard a space ship that is transporting a large number of humans to a distant planet, which, all going smoothly, will offer our otherwise doomed race some sanctuary.

Suddenly, for reasons that are not immediately apparent, Capt Dennis Quaid and underling Ben Foster are awoken from suspended animation and propelled into a state of terrified confusion. The deep sleep has annihilated the heroes’ memories and, rapidly aware that something gruesome is prowling the corridors, they set about discovering who they are, where they are going and how long they’ve been travelling. Quaid stays in the cabin and goes crazy. Foster ventures into the yawning decks above.

Any doubts that we are in Anderson Country are dispelled when the first female cast member appears with a skimpy shirt tied ineffectively about her thrusting bosoms. Still, this is a B-movie and, such conventions honoured, it does a decent job of delivering robust thrills and bracing shocks throughout.

True, as in Alien vs Predator, another Anderson product, the stygian darkness sometimes makes the action impossible to follow. But the use of sound is brilliant: ear- splitting clangs and bone-shaking shudders just about make up for the inexpensive special effects.

Best of all, the picture ends with a penultimate revelatory sequence that genuinely makes the heart beat faster. Why, it’s like something from a real film.