A lot of people say this is the worst of John Carpenter's movies, whereas I actually find it to be one of his best. It's a real throwback to the space movies of the fifties and sixties and is just a lot of fun to watch, and is most similar to his Snake Plissken movies by way of the characters, one liners and themes. Henstridge wisely plays it straight, while the supporting cast ham it up, although Cleo Duvall is wasted alas.