Space Cop (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Apr 13, 2016
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Mike Stoklasa, Jay BaumanRelease Date(s)
2015 (2016)Studio(s)
Red Letter Media- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: B+
Review
The folks at Red Letter Media have returned with their very own brand of schlock filmmaking with Space Cop. The movie’s semblance of a plot involves a no-nonsense cop from the future... of spaaaaaaaaace. He is accidentally sent back in time via a wormhole where he continues to work in Milwaukee as a police officer. When evil aliens infiltrate the city to steal gold for their own sinister plans, it’s up to him and a newly-unfrozen private detective from the past to solve the mystery of the aliens and take them down once and for all... that is if Space Cop can stop eating hot dogs and killing all of the potential suspects.
Red Letter Media, for those who don’t know, is an internet-based video company that produces various web videos, such as the Mr. Plinkett movie review series, and movie review shows, such as Half in the Bag and Best of the Worst. They also occasionally make movies together. When they were still under the banner of GMP Pictures in 2008, they attempted to make Space Cop in a, if you can believe it, much cheaper manner. The project was never finished for various reasons, but it was always their intention to eventually start the project over and complete it. This came to pass in 2015 when they slowly but surely, over the course of many months, shot, edited, completed the special effects, and mixed the final soundtrack for the movie.
If you’re familiar with Red Letter Media’s work at all, you know what you’re getting yourself into with Space Cop. It’s at times good low budget filmmaking, then at others it’s a shambles with jokes of every caliber and scenes that run on way too long with crazy characters and a multitude of ideas. But it’s part of the charm as to why their material is so much fun to watch. You can’t take it seriously one iota, but you can revel in its schlocky-ness. If you’re into that kind of thing, then Space Cop (and Red Letter Media in general) is for you.
I feel like a heel trying to rate the video and audio quality of Space Cop on Blu-ray, but I’ll give it a shot. It’s a good-looking low budget movie with all of its visual flaws intact. However, everything looks very organic and sharp with strong colors, deep blacks, and excellent brightness and contrast. The sound, which is an English stereo Dolby Digital track, features clear dialogue and excellent dynamic range involving the sound effects and score. There are no subtitles options to choose from, unfortunately. Extras include an audio commentary with Mike Stoklasa, Jay Bauman, and Rich Evans; an isolated music and effects track; a set of deleted scenes and outtakes; and four making-of featurettes (Making Aliens, The House Set, Spaceship Timelapse, Recording Foley). The original Space Cop trailer that was cobbled together out of the unfinished version of the movie should probably have been included, but regardless, there’s some good supplemental material here to dig through.
The bottom line is that if you’re a fan of Red Letter Media or low budget filmmaking, or both, Space Cop should be right up your alley. Basically, you’re in on the joke, or you’re not. It’s dumb, fun schlock from a group of people that have made a name for themselves for being both internet critics and making weird internet videos and movies.
- Tim Salmons